Clipless cycling shoes/pedals for touring: Suggestions?

[George Hetrick]

The idea is to go clipless only on the Nomad, thus sparing the others. When riding the Nomad, I'm most likely to walk in mixed terrain -- small stores, public restroom facilities, putting up the tent, pushing into camp, etc.

Ah, this is what you think now! But, once you discover you can power up a short hill 2 gears higher when you can pull with one leg while pushing with the other, you will suddenly want to go clipless on your lighter bikes.

You heard it here first 

[jags]

  correct and right.no going back now.

[Danneaux]

...once you discover you can power up a short hill 2 gears higher when you can pull with one leg while pushing with the other, you will suddenly want to go clipless on your lighter bikes.

B-bu-but George! I can do that with my cleated Dettos, ("Racing Shoes" from a bygone era)! Just ratchet down the straps or pop 'em loose and I'm good to go. The Detto/Superbe combo is lighter, too (says Dan, trying to further convince himself against all odds).

Best,

Dan. (...whose pocketbook dearly *hopes* the Dettos will remain in use --!)

[George Hetrick]

But, with modern tech, you can meet both requirements at once

• Easy to release when desired
• No unintended release when pulling hard

You gotta choose one or the other (at a given point in time) with older tech.

[George Hetrick]

Luuuuke -- come to the dark side ...

[Danneaux]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

True, though, says Dan. (...who is hoping desperately the Shimano's rubbery soles will hold on this slippery slope!  )

[sdg_77]

Dan - this is your Destiny* ..... accept the inevitable!

*Francois Pienaar (among many others)

sdg.

[JWestland]

Straps are fast too mmmkway...

...but not so fast to get in/out of at traffic lights...hence only my vintage Ciocc beastie has them

They have as much float as you want though.

I've gone to the Dark Side a long time ago...

[Danneaux]

I'm worried. Poking my fingers in my ears and saying "La la la lalalalala" to avoid hearing isn't working to dispel these notions.

Best,

Dan. (...whose cleats are slipping toward the Dark Side  )

[Danneaux]

Uhhhhh...George? Steve? Anto? Jawine? Mickeg?

Today, I uh, found myself looking at another pair of Shimano T400 clipless pedals for the blue rando bike.

Just looking, you understand.

Looking...for about the fifth or sixth time.

<sigh>

Best,

Dan. (...who is growing convinced of the Forum's prescience)

[George Hetrick]

Uhhhhh...George? Steve? Anto? Jawine? Mickeg?

Today, I uh, found myself looking at another pair of Shimano T400 clipless pedals for the blue rando bike.

Just looking, you understand.

Looking...for about the fifth or sixth time.

<sigh>

Best,

Dan. (...who is growing convinced of Forum's prescience)

Bwa ha ha.

[sdg_77]

Dan - they look ok - assuming the model numbers are the same here in the UK

The reviews I have seen say they come with multi-release cleats (SM/SH 56) which I found gave me some extra confidence when I first had clipless pedals.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-cleats-sm-sh56/rp-prod10969?_$ja=tsid:46412|cgn:Shimano+-+Pedals|cn:Chain+Reaction-UK-PLA-PLA-All-DT-SE|kw:34013UK_Shimano+Cleats+SM-SH56&gclid=CLys-LedtrkCFcjKtAodekEAkA

These are usually silver rather than black and have a prominent M near the back of the cleat.  They will release from the pedal over a greater range of angles than the black 'single release' cleats.  I have not had any problems with mine releasing when I didn't want them to e.g. pulling up when going uphill.   I now use the black single release cleats having gained enough confidence in unclipping.

It would be worth considering some one side flat one side SPDs as the flat sides are much more comfortable if you just want to ride a short distance in your office shoes or hiking boots.  The 'pop-up' cleats like those in the T-400 don't go quite flat so you will still feel something of a bump under your forefoot.  Have a look at the M324s or A530s,  but don't let that put you off the 400s,  if they are a good price go for them and I promise you won't look back!

On my Sunday Morning bike I use one sided SPD pedals (A520s) as I don't really like riding unclipped now.

hope that helps
sdg.

[Danneaux]

Hi Steve!

Thanks for the feedback, which is really helpful.

My problems with the clipless pedals/cleats I'd tried earlier weren't caused by the idea of clipless or being unsure how to release. I find my knees just don't get along with the lateral heel-out-release against strong spring tension of most Shimano clipless pedals, and the result of my trials had me almost reaching for the cane I used through my last year of high school following the car accident that damaged my knees. Scared me for sure, as my knees haven't hurt like that for a long, long time and derailed/delayed my touring plans.

Fortunately, they've now recovered and the T400s I put on the Nomad seem to be doing the job very nicely for me. They're still rare on the roads here and I've suffered the usual condemnation of local Cycling Elite for riding "baby pedals", but they do all I ever asked of my Detto/Superbe combo -- cling to my shoes like grim death in all normal pedaling postures, yet release without thought or effort whenever needed. B'sides, I like the integrated reflectors, every bit as nicely done as my rare old Phil Wood cleat-compatible platform pedals: http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Phil_pedals.htm I like pedal reflectors, as their movement always catches my eye when driving. I long ago placed patches of retro-reflective tape on the heels of my Dettos so I could achieve a similar effect when using pedals that lacked reflectors.

Yes, it is multi-release cleats for me, Steve, and fortunately they come with the T400s/T700s. Combined with the already low spring tension dialed back to the minimum, I seem to have found my clipless pedal Ideal. My Honda Civic spun a rod bearing following an oil pump failure while scouting remote logging roads (I could repair it myself, but it makes no sense to do so on a 24 year-old car with 295,000km), so I've been doing all local errands by bike till I find the ideal replacement car. It hasn't been much fun carrying a spare pair of shoes in my backpack and changing outside each store so I wouldn't a) damage their floors or b) go skating across them in spectacular near-falls. It didn't take long before the Nomad's T400s pedals and my new Shimano MO88 shoes began to look really good for just those occasions! If I'm going to ride, I'll grab my cycling shoes along with my gloves and helmet, so the lumpy double-sidedness of the T400s isn't a stopper and is more than offset by the low spring tension and multi-release cleats to save my knees.

I found a source for the T400s at just USD$43; can't resists snagging another pair for the rando bike at that price.

Ah, what a slippery slope this is! 

Best,

Dan.

[sdg_77]

Dan - really good to hear you are getting on ok with the new pedals.

I go for a similar approach with mine in that I keep the tension at minimum and have put reflectors onto the pedals.

If it is any consolation, the Road/MTB cleats story sometimes plays out here too ... I have used road cleats on the whizzy bike, but I can't say I  feel any real difference unless it is a 100km+ ride with no getting off.  Polished floors in village halls, as used for feed stops on charity rides, are a nightmare with tired legs & road cleats.  The first sportive I did was on a gloriously hot day,  at the lunch stop there was a wonderful array of cycling shoes lined up at the door and all of us 'non-speed-bunnies' lounging on the lawn outside.

I predict you will have SPDs on all but possibly one of your bikes within a year ... and the one without will be only so you can lend it to non cyclists ;-)

Sad about the car - I rebuilt a Norton Commando engine after a similar episode when a big end bolt gave up the ghost.

sdg.

[Danneaux]

I predict you will have SPDs on all but possibly one of your bikes within a year ... and the one without will be only so you can lend it to non cyclists ;-)

<gasp!> Steve, I have uh... <whispered> thirteen bikes...! And counting, as there are a couple that will be added when I finish brazing their frames.

This...this clipless pedal thing could get expen$ive so hoping to stay with the superb Superbes and Dettos with toe clips and straps for the other bikes insofar as possible (must!resist). The Dettos have slick nylon soles and protruding cleats, so their friction coefficient on a polished tile or concrete floor is approximately...zero. Makes an Adventure of any off-bike wearing.

Sad about the car...

Indeed! I will miss him terribly. A legacy of my car-repair days, I put a lot of me put in him (as well as a number of racecar parts). Spunky was my Motorized Buddy for lo these many years. Only put 7,600mi/12,200km  year on him 'cos I've ridden as much as 8,000-12,000mi/13,000-19,000km a year on the bikes, so the car got a break and lasted years longer than otherwise.

Sympathy and empathy on the Commando's fate. I'm sore tempted to do a rebuild on the Honda, but it just doesn't make sense given the age and mileage. Everything else is fine now, but he has coming needs and even doing all the work myself, the value of the parts at wholesale prices is still a substantial part of the value on a 24 year-old car and it will take my time from other things like um, "work" and of course cycling. Time for the Big Goodbye. It is very hard for me to part with mechanical things. It isn't that I confuse them with people, rather they are trusted tools and reminders of Larger trips and Adventures they've made possible. This is precisely why I have so many bikes. They should logically have moved on in turn, as the most-used ones are the Nomad, the blue rando bike and the tandem, but all are fun to ride and full of memories for a soggy sentimentalist like myself.

And yeah, it is awfully nice to be able to walk in my cycling shoes...clipless pedals that work for me are a real boon.

Best,

Dan.