[janderson8710]

I am new to the sport/world of cycling and I just purchased a new trek fx 7.3 hybrid to replace my cheap mongoose mountain bike from college. I started riding a lot last summer and wanted a better bike to go further and faster so thats why i got the hybrid as I am not quite ready for the investment of a road bike. Anyway i am in the process of upgrading it a bit and i have no knowledge of clip-less pedals or shoes so if I could get some advice on what to look at or what other people use/like I would really appreciate it. I plan to use the bike for exercise, riding to work, and potentially enter a few small triathlons this summer.

Thanks

[omnivox42]

For commuting I hear flats are nice. Ergon has an interesting set of pedals. As far as sporty riding goes alot of folks will say use clipless pedals, myself included.

I use Look Keo pedals and cleats mated to specialized comp shoes. I personally have an issue getting my foot in the left pedal from take off. It likes to flip down and I can't feel where the cleat grabs the pedal. Lots of folks use speedplay because they are double sided.

all in all it depends on your riding habits and what you do more of, commuting vs. Sporty riding.

don't take my word for it the others will chime in 5...4...3...2..1...

[rynoman03]

I run Richey Whiteface SPD Pedals on my mtb. I use Bontrager Race MTB shoes. I have a review of them in the review section in the top of the page.

I use just cheap metal flats for winter riding. Shop around and try some shoes on. I got my shoes from my LBS 50% OFF on clearance. That's the only reason why I jumped on the SPD ship. So far I really like them.

[carlharsch]

Personally, I prefer the SPD style cleats of mountain bike shoes/pedals. I like them because you can easily walk with them, unlike road cleats.

I've looked at going to road cleats and considered Speedplay, but I still go back to the walking issue.

As far as shoes, there are several good brands out there, including Specialized, Shimano, Giro, etc.

It's really a personal choice as everyone seems to differ in opinions as to what is best.


I use Shimano MTB shoes and Shimano M-780 pedals on a road bike. I'm looking into some stiffer MTB shoes (Specialize Pro MTB or SiDi Dominator)

[rynoman03]

I tried on a pair of Specialized. Only reason why I didn't buy them was price and the Bont's seemed just as comfy for $30.00 less. Clearly the Specialized shoes were better made though.

[zero3one]

For my MTB I have SPD pedals mated with Shimano shoes. The shoes have a pretty roomie toe box and are suite comfortable. Entry and exit into the pedals is easy and even work when covered in mud. They pedals are double sided.

For my road bike I use Look Keo2 Carbons with Specialized Comp shoes. The shoes are super comfortable. I will admit it would be harder to get used to the Look style pedals but I have used them on my previous road bike as well so I'm used to them. It's not so hard once you get the hang of it and I like that the back of the pedal is heavier so the pedal end rotates downward when you are not clipped in. Then all you have to do is align the toe up and step down.

The Look pedals are a big platform as well so it's not too hard to find without looking too much. The problem I see with the speedplay pedals is that they are smaller and will take a bit of feeling around to clip in. Plus the tend to be a pain when dirty.

[kneedrachen]

I prefer using double sided pedals; I went with the Shimano M520 pedal (mountain bike pedal) with Specialized MTB Comp shoes. My thought process is several fold.

One, double sided pedal. I'm a commuter and don't like the idea of trying to flip my pedal to clip in when some Bieber-fever induced Iphone toting txting teen is about to run me over. The double sided pedals, step down and you're in.

I chose mountain shoes because as a commuter, I need to be able to walk once I get to where I am. You can walk in road shoes, sure, but I find MTB shoes easier to walk in.

I use a set of Shimano pedals on my hybrid as well, maybe the M530? It's a clipless pedal, but also has a cage/platform so you can ride them in plain shoes althought you do feel it through the sole of your sneakers.

I would have gone with speedplay, but honestly, with the cost of the M520s and the bulletproof reliability (in my experience and LBS's experience) it was a no brainer.

I'm not a weight weenie so a few hundred grams doesn't keep me up at night.

[superj]

i say shoes that fit and pedals that spin freely with no grainy feeling

[janderson8710]

Thanks for all the info so far. It has given me a lot to look at and I plan to hit up some cycling shops this weekend if I have time to try some stuff on.

[stogies4life]

+1 on the recommendation of SPD pedals. I have Shimano 540 pedals and really like them. Also have the same Bontrager shoes ryno recommended and love them. How u like that 7.3? I bought one last year and love it.