Clipless Clueless wants to try on the CHEAP
 

I was given a pair of mtb shoes and I have toyed with the idea of clipless but don't want to buy and be disappointed and stuck with pedals I don't want. As a total clipless clueless as myself I have looked to Ebay but don't know enough to to know whats good and whats junk. Is there a better used pedal to seek out for a try or am I nuts? Any and all advice will be thankfully read and accepted.

Once you go clipless you probably won't look back. The least expensive Shimano SPDs probably aren't going to cost too much. I'd highly recommend them.

Shimano M520 pedals can be found for less than $20.

Merlin cycles has them new with cleats for 25 dollars only thing is it takes about a week or so to ship

Disregard - didn't see the bit about having MTB shoes.

Try Sierra Trading Post for shoes, unless you have picky feet, then go buy them from a brick and mortar store.

Power grip straps Power Grips offer a lot of what clipless pedal & shoe combinations offer .
hooking your feet onto the pedals

But cost very little and you can use regular shoes you might need for work, standing all day ..


swinging heel out is an easy release motion ..

Strap Kits ? Power Grips






....

The cheapest "try it out" option is gonna be one of the all-in-one packages you can get through places like Amazon, such as the Venzo SPD Shoes + Pedals & Cleats, around $70 all in. There are a number of the shoe + pedal combos on Amazon, none particularly fashionable, but generally well reviewed, and as the OP requested, cheap.

Gone are the glory days of 20 dollar M520s. They're $30+ from Chinese sellers. Shipped from a domestic seller, $45 is pretty typical. Add in even a cheap pair of shoes are you're north of $100.

You can find $25 two-bolt pedals (MTB pedals) all over the place. Wellgo makes some. Another option is to buy Shimano Deore or something, assuming you will like them, and then if you hate them (huge chance you will love them) you can sell them as "Only used three times" for almost what you paid, and toss in the shoes as well.

Don't buy a used pedal---no resale value. If you buy new and like them, you get to keep new pedals. if you dislike them, you can sell them for not too much loss.

I'd get next to a chain-link fence on grass (so you can grab the fence, maybe) and practice clipping and unclipping a lot. The try slow rides around, unclipping and clipping. Also, you can start with the pedals set at the lowest tension, so you can almost yank your foot free from any position.

Even so, a Lot of people have fallen a couple times because they didn't try to unclip until it was too late .... but still find clips and cleats to be well worth it.

Whatever you try, practice putting your feet in and out some before you ride. You are used to flat pedals and you automatically remove your feet from the pedals without a thought. You need to train your brain on how your feet go in and out of the clipless pedals so you don't revert to the old automatically and do a pratfall. Read your manual and look at YouTube videos on how you engage and disengage with your model/type of clipless pedal. Shimano has two types of SPD cleats. I believe the SH56 is the easier/beginner cleat and the SH51 is the harder/more advanced cleat. Practice so you can engage and disengage without looking at your pedals and feet. The body follows the head so you need to look at the road in the direction that you want to travel.

might get lucky w used stuff on craigslist. plenty of ppl move on from their gear either because they stopped using it or changed type

If you have a coop nearby that would be the place to check first. They usually have boxes of takeoff pedals.

If not shoot me a PM and I can send you a couple of pairs of Shimano pedals for the cost of shipping. I'll never use them.

I have one pair of Shimano 535 and one pair of Shimano 525.

There are a lot of different ones out there too. Myself, I like crank brothers egg beaters as you can clip in by pulling back or pushing forward.

Speedplay Frogs are double-sided and very easy to clip in and out of. But they cost $100.... much more than the lower end SPDs.

Lots of folks statrted their clpipless jouney w/ Shimano M520.
Myself included. :) It's a good set; last long, good price:

You are a good person.

The world needs more of this.


-Tim-

I've been a fan of Shimano SPD pedals even on my road bikes. I bought a cheap set of Nashbar branded SPDs for $20, years ago, and was very unhappy with them, hard to get into and out of, despite adjustments. I've stuck with Shimano, bought both new and used with no issues. Last weekend, I picked up a used, but nearly new looking pair of Giant SPDs for $20 at a local bike swap meet. These are great pedals, positive firm lock going in, easy out. If you want cheap, look for used, either bike co-op, swap meet or CL. Also lots of places have online sales, watch for that. New pedals usually come with cleats, but used ones don't always. Stick with name brands, mostly Shimano, but I love these Giants, never saw them before.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...14dd840a0a.jpg

I also bought the red cloth tape at the same swap meet, but here's the Giants.

I highly recommend the Shimano pedals and cleats that use the SM-SH56. Great for beginners because you can unclip multiple directions. Also for folks like me that have used SPDs for years. Great for touring or for bikes used on multi surfaces.

As others have said, you can't go wrong with Shimano pedals, even the cheapest ones will probably outlive 99% of average riders. I have several, including used, and haave never had a problem with the used ones.

I also have a couple pair of very inexpensive Wellgo pedals. I've gotten years of problem free use out of them as well. A lot (all?) of the house brand pedals are made by Wellgo. So don't be afraid to buy a set of non-Shimano if the price is right. If you do, I suggest that you see the wording "SPD compatible" in the product description as opposed to "SPD type" or such. The Wellgo pedals I have are "SPD compatible" and the Shimano or Wellgo cleats can be used for all the pedals I have, Wellgo or Shimano. If the pedals are "SPD type" that just means the cleat and pedal look sort of like actual SPD pedals, but might not be fully compatible.

The other pedals mentioned Crank Bros, Speedplay Frogs, etc. are great "two hole cleat" pedals, but often more expensive than the least expensive Shimano or Wellgo options. In the case of Frogs, they are expensive with no cheap options. Crank Bros has some pretty cheap options.

Frankly, all the pedals will work great, just pick something in your price point and give them a try. Don't worry about brand.

Cheap is OK, but be sure the cleats match the pedals. There are pedals that look like Shimano SPDs but are not. Likewise, the cleats. Mis-matches can make for either unclips when you weren't planning it or not being able to unclip when you want to. (Wellgo/Nashbar/Forte cleats and pedals are fully interchangeable with the Shimano cleats and pedals indicated on the packaging so they are fine and usually noticeably cheaper. Wellgo makes good stuff. Not great, not fancy, but solidly good.)

I crashed hard on my first pair of pseudo-SPDs and cleats that looked "right" 20 years ago. Been using Wellgo/Forte LOOK-style pedals with either their cleats or LOOK cleats since with zero issues. (LOOK is probably not the pedal you want. Not MTB shoe compatible and lousy to walk on. Their Delta pedals were one of the very first clipless. Keo is their current standard.)

Ben

Thank you all
 

I have taken all advice to heart and am accepting 88Tempo's generous offer. With this I wet my feet and maybe even become a clipless convert. Thank you all for the information and opinions. Sunny days to you all.