[Jeriatric]

after years of riding with toe clips, i have decided to give my big toes a break and buy clip less pedals and shoes.

i am 75 yrs old (76 in two more weeks) and enjoy riding bike-a-thons in new york, philadelphia and connecticut (avg. distance 35-45 miles). i average 50 miles a week on flat course riding (weather permitting).

i am a cruiser. my big toes take a beating on climbs. i have tried a number of different shoes with the toe clips.

i was advised to buy a used set of sidi genius shoes and shimano dura ace 7810 pedals to ease my toe clip annoyance. the used set is about $175. i can get some used shimano dura ace 7550 or 7800 pedals on ebay cheaper....i just don't know what the difference is, they all look the same. on fixed income, a new set is not an option this year. the shoes fit but the owner of the set says i should buy his 7550 pedals because the cleats have been matched to the pedals and they have a 6° float (???).

my bike is a 10 speed; 52/44 chain ring, 14/18/22/27/34 cassette. for this coming season, i have changed my chain ring to 48/38 (the bike shop made the derailleur adjustments. i am hoping that the reduced gears and new pedals and shoes will help my hill climbing in the upcoming bike tours (especially connecticut).

any comments and/or advice would be appreciated.

[Xela]

Great to have you! Welcome to TwoSpoke!

The degrees of float is how much rotation your foot is allowed while clipped. 6 is about the minimum I would recommend. The more float, the more misalignment you are allowed which is usually easier on the knees. My pedals allow me to have 9 degrees, 4, or zero depending upon which cleat I install. I run with the 9 degrees and don't think I would want to go lower.

I don't know much about the Shimano pedals so I will leave that to others to discuss with you. The only real drawback I see is the single-sided entry which can sometimes make take-offs a little ackward. My pedals are single-sided, too, and it sometimes (though rare) is a little hastle. On the road side of things, Speedplay pedals offer two-sided entry.

I wouldn't let the "cleats matched to the pedals" be a deal breaker. Honestly, this just seems like a ploy to get you to buy the set.

The Sidi's are a good idea, in my opinion. They are great-fitting, well made, and last. They also have really stiff soles, which means they will let you put more power to the pedals. Also, since a clipless pedal has less area for your foot, stiff soles allow you distribute your pedal force over a larger area, instead of just concentrating it at the shoe/pedal interface.

So you have tried the Sidis on, to know they fit. Correct? If not, I advise you to, because Sidis tend to run a little narrow.

Best of luck!

[chh55]

You are in for a treat! Switching to clipless pedals and shoes makes a big difference. The new rings will really help your climbing too. For your type of riding you don't need Dura Ace pedals and don't let anyone talk you into a brand of shoe (Sidis ARE nice however!) because you need to find a pair that fits you perfectly before you buy. Try lots before you buy. Then which pedal you use is really not a huge issue. The Shimano 105 pedal is not bad at all and a good deal new, LOOK KéOs are my choice, they come in a range of differnt prices and models. Look around, there's loads to choose from. DO NOT buy older, especially used, Dura Ace 7700 pedals!
You may want to look into getting mountain bike shoes and SPD pedals... Why? Because they are easier to walk around in if you stop for coffee or to and from the car... etc. You should not walk in road shoes on pavement at all as this wears out the cleats very quickly and damages the soles as well.

[chh55]

[QUOTE=Xela;22248]So you have tried the Sidis on, to know they fit. Correct? If not, I advise you to, because Sidis tend to run a little narrow.
QUOTE]

Sidi makes some of their upper range shoes in "Mega" size which is their way of responding to the American market. They are slightly wider than the standard sizes.

[chh55]

BTW there is no such animal as a DA 7550

[Industry_Hack]

How are your knees? Not many folks in my family have made it to your age, so don't think I'm picking on you when I ask, but are your knees in good shape? While clipless will make your pedal stroke more efficient, if you have had any knee injuries or rotational issues, even 9 degrees of float may not be comfortable. Unclipping requires a simple rotation, but one that's brutal if you've had a tear or chondromalacia.

[Jeriatric]

thanks to all for your input.

(i mistyped; it should have read - dura ace 7750)

the sidi shoes fit, (i tried on a new sidi euro 45 mega) but i am concerned about the 'float' as pointed out by 'industry hack' on the dura ace pedals.

i had no idea changing from toe clips would be this involved. but from all comments, the change will be more than justified for several reasons, but i'll take my time. this will be, at my age, more than likely my last upgrade within my budget.

from what i've read, the dura ace 7810 is a more than adequate pedal for me in all tour weather conditions (heavy rains, mud and even light snow...n.y. 2007). and from what i've read, there should be no need to upgrade, with proper maintenance, within the next five or six years (or ever). my personal best has been a little over 2000 miles in one year (a 'kid' of 67 years old). i hope to exceed that distance with my lower gears this year....with or without clipless.

can dura ace 7810 pedals be adjusted to more than 6° float? or is the cleats that need to be adjusted?

several used sets, with cleats, have been sold in the $50 range with s/h. i opted not to buy before i got input and did some research....$50 is not a bargain if you have to buy another set in the near future. it's just $50 wasted and on my fixed income, that's not an option. better to be safe than sorry (old folks saying:-))

craigslist had a few listings, but i'm told that ebay has some protection plans. so i've concentrated my search on sales with some kind of return policy for used eqpt. shoes without pedals are ok for now, i'm patient.

thanks again for your help and input.

[Industry_Hack]

Someone already mentioned MTB shoes/pedals. I think they have more float options, and they're much less expensive too. Unless there's some reason that you must have the Sidi shoes, you could go with SPD and open up a jillion more possibilities.

[djcyberlegend]

As far as eBay is concerned, whether or not you can return something depends on who's selling it. Some sellers accept returns and some don't.

[Industry_Hack]

If you have a question about an ebay item, post a link to it here. It's always a gamble buying off ebay, but we can help you avoid the bad transactions.