sjpitts 

I am ready to take the plunge with some clipless pedals. I have been avoiding this for a while, mostly because I strongly remember a friend turning his legs into pulp when he attempted learn clipless while mountain biking in Moab. That must have been 1993 or 1994, but the memory is still vivid.

Anyway, in my various bike transactions I have accumulated a bunch of clipless pedals. I have got a couple of dura ace 7401s and a 6401. These are the ones made by Look. I also have a speedplay set.

I decided to give the 7401's a try. Mostly because I had a set of new floating cleats for those pedals. And I picked up a set of shimano shoes that fit my too wide feet reasonably well.

Putting the cleats on the shoes seemed easy enough, but I am a little worried about the pedals. Is there any sort of rehabbing I should do to these pedals before I give them a try? They seem to actuate well enough, but I really don't know anything about how they should work. Can anyone give me some guidance on checking these pedals for proper operation? And how to appropriately set the tension?

My next major question is on clipless pedals for the wife. I am hoping to get my wife's bike set up as well. But it seems like maybe I shouldn't be such a cheap-ask when it comes to pedals for my wife. Maybe I should buy something new. After all, if she has issues and falls it may really cost me. I don't want to be responsible for that. Anyone have a suggestions on new pedals for her? Are the new ones really easier to get out of? Or should I let her try one of these old ones?

And because every thread needs pictures-- here are my new shoes cleats and pedals:





And to make life interesting, here are the shoes I wanted to use, but they were just too narrow. Size 10.5 if anyone is interested. I love the styling. I think they might be some sort of vintage tri shoe.

4Rings6Stars

what size are those Avia shoes in euro? I might be interested I also like the look of them and want to try something other than my ultra stiff Sidi dragons

Bianchigirll 

if the axles spin freely there is not much you can do to the pedals besides clean them and maybe alight shot of triflow (or some teflon lube) to the spring area. unfortunately I don't think there is a way to tell if the retention tension has be adjusted way tight or loose.

I think most of started on Look style and they are pretty easy. if you have a trainer definitely try there first. the back of the pedal hangs down, so it is just a matter of sort of sliding the shoe over the pedal to engage the tip of the cleat on the front of the pedal.

BTW my first clipless MTB pedals were the short lived Look Mud Evac system. look just like road pedals with holes for the mud to escape

PDXaero

Looks like you are ready to ride then.
Put the bike on a stationary trainer and ride to test the cleat tension and angle.
If it feels uncomfortable it is mostly likely the position or angle of the cleats.
Also when I got my gf to ride clipless (look deltas) she hated the floating cleats just like me. Don't be surprised if you feel unstable and the unclipping is haphazard, that's why I went with 0 float cleats. (You can also adjust the float incrimentally on some pedals).
Don't be afraid to really try them rather than listening to stories, and please, unclip to the outside.

sykerocker 

Develop the automatic ability to unclip one foot before coming to a stop sign. Any time you stop, then remember to unclip, you're probably going to go down. After about a week or two with them, you'll discover they're just as easy to ride a traditional clips and straps.

sjpitts 

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I am ready to go. Will have to give a report when I am done. I would still love to know if anyone thinks the newer pedals are much better than the older ones I am using. Still need to decide if I am going to buy new pedals for my wife.

And one more question-- what are these "clips" for?

funkflex

I'm currently using the same set up with the Shimano 7401's (Look Patent) and the Look Delta red (9 degree float) cleats. I love them. They are old, but in my experience are virtually indestructible. I think you will be just fine with a little practice. Have fun, and be safe.

RFC

BTW, functionally, Look and Shimano Look pedals are one of the most bulletproof pieces of cycling equipment from any age.

due ruote 

+1 I have Looks, Shimano and Mavic. Even the ones that look like they were raced hard still feel silky smooth and lock/release like they should. If you're using the red Delta cleats you have quite a bit of float, so alignment isn't so critical. If you choose the black floatless cleats, you'll need to be very careful about the cleat angle on your shoe. If you want to service the bearings on the Shimano pedals you should really pick up one of these gizmos. https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=413497

[edit] the clips on your Specialized shoes are for traditional pedals with clips and straps. The cleat slot fits on the rear edge of the pedal cage.

Chombi

Pedals are one thing I am willing to update to current on my C&V bikes. The pedals they have today are so good looking and very light too that they do not really mess up the C&V picture on most C&V bikes. I have grey colored Keo Classics on my two bikes and I think they are really worth so much more than the $68 bucks I paid for each set at PBS, when they went on end of season sale last year and the year before. Bonus is they are much lighter than most, if not all C&V clipless pedals and the release tension on them is adjustable. They also have had great reviews from users when compared with other clipless systems. I would think too that the current shoes and pedals will be backed up with the latest technology on clipless mechanisms and shoe interface, maybe making them safer than the old ones, just as new ski bindings would be better than old.
I don't understand how your friend might have turned his legs "into pulp" when he tried clipless pedals on his MTB. He must have been doing something not quite right, like setting the release tension on them too high so he can't unclip easy enough when he has to. I suggest you try them. The technology has been with us for over 25 years and it has already been developed to be as safe and efficient as anyone might need them to be.

Chombi

RFC

+1

randyjawa 

Those cleats are used in conjunction with rats and straps. The groove on the cleat fits over the rear part of the pedal cage, preventing forward or aft sliding.

I have a couple of sets of these cleats but have never had the courage to try them out, and strap in tight. Though I do not like the looks of new style clipless pedals, I use them none the less. That said...

These days, if the bike is old, I run what it was issued with, even rats and straps.

WNG

Those Look/Shimano hybrids are basically indestructible. The axle assemble is sealed up well, and should spin smoothly. If you decide to run these, +1 on acquiring the pedal tool linked above. Makes servicing them possible.
The only failure I've come across is lost cleat tension with the original Look Delta pedals. Not heard much problem with the newer tension assemblies. You may wish to check compatibility among the various cleats released over the years between the Shimano and Look models. The Keos will not work for sure.
I personally like, and took to the Look style pretty quickly after switching from clips/straps. I was already used to walking like a duck from standard pedal cleats. Your wife may not take kindly to walking with them though, so SPD may be a better option. I have several used Shimano SPD 520 and 515 pedals that I can trade for a pair of the Look/D-A model if you want to let her try SPD.

BTW, I have a pair of those Avia shoes. They are Triathlon model shoes. They are very comfortable and although mine are beat up, I still have them. Too bad 10.5 is too big, otherwise.