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Very first Clipless set? Shoes and pedals.

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Very first Clipless set? Shoes and pedals.

Old 11-28-20, 02:14 PM
  #1  
Bzakes2375
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Very first Clipless set? Shoes and pedals.

Helllo!

I purchased a Diamondback Haanjo 2 (gravel) earlier this June and have put a LOT of miles on it since. I'm beginning to take riding more seriously, planning and working on very long distance rides on road and gravel path. I've done everything so far on flat pedals, and want to upgrade to clipless. I am looking for two sided, one side flat and the other side clip-in, as well as accompanying shoes. (So I can wear normal shoes when biking to school, and wear cycling shoes for long rides). Which pedals and which shoes should I go with? I want something nice enough to make a good difference from regular pedals, but still reasonably priced.
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Old 11-28-20, 02:29 PM
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Shimano makes a nice line of dual sided multi purpose pedals that vary in price range.The SPD A-530 is one of them. Also don't go overboard on your first pair of cycling shoes. There are some nice cycling shoes that look like tennis/running shoes that are in the $50-75 range. I would check online for the best prices. eBay is good place to start. Also REI and Nashbar. Check with your local bike shop (LBS) as well as they may have something in stock and you can try them on before you buy them. It also helps local small businesses and the local economy. Don't buy any cleats as they come with the pedals.
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Old 11-28-20, 07:14 PM
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Time Atac pedals are fantastic. I personally use the Time ATAC XC's on all my bikes, varying versions though, I have had the XS versions for 10 years with flawless performance. I recently got rid of my Shimano road pedals so I would just have a single platform to deal with, and a single shoe. They are highly rated pedals and they have multiple layouts.
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Old 11-29-20, 06:59 AM
  #4  
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Welcome! The hybrid pedals are a great idea. I chose Shimano shoes and VP 131 pedals but these are probably long extinct. Plenty more out there.
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Old 11-29-20, 07:54 AM
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Originally Posted by John_V
Shimano makes a nice line of dual sided multi purpose pedals that vary in price range.The SPD A-530 is one of them. Also don't go overboard on your first pair of cycling shoes. There are some nice cycling shoes that look like tennis/running shoes that are in the $50-75 range. I would check online for the best prices. eBay is good place to start. Also REI and Nashbar. Check with your local bike shop (LBS) as well as they may have something in stock and you can try them on before you buy them. It also helps local small businesses and the local economy. Don't buy any cleats as they come with the pedals.
Another vote for the Shimano dual sided. My first set of clipless was a Shimano PD-M324, which are now 11-12 years old and still in good shape. These are heavier than the A530s listed above, but offer more of a "bear trap" design if you prefer that .... though if the bulk of your saddle time will be with bike shoes then the lighter may matter. Just pointing out options.
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Old 11-29-20, 08:46 AM
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My first clipless pedals were Looks. Now both my bike and trike have two sided Shimano clipless pedals.
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Old 11-29-20, 05:11 PM
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Another vote for the dual sided Shimano. I made the move to clipless pedals and shoes for my gravel bike about 2 months ago and am very glad I did. But still like the option of not having to wear my clipless shoes at times. Went with the Shimano PD-EH500 and have been pleased with them. I also went with a MTB style shoe, with the recessed cleats, so that I can easily walk in them when needed.
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Old 01-19-21, 08:04 AM
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+1
Great question so commenting to get updates in my email when new answers are added. Curious to hear more suggestions.
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Old 01-19-21, 09:09 AM
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For beginner clipless pedals I have to agree with those that suggested the Shimano two-sided pedals. Easy in, easy out.
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Old 01-19-21, 11:32 AM
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For cheaper but good pedals Shimano's PD-EH500 is hard to beat and for a better quality one that is my favorite PD-T8000 which has a really nice wide platform with adjustable/replaceable pins on one side and an XT clipless on the other. I have used XT pedals for many years and they are all still going strong.

I have used A-530s but honestly they are really only an OK clipless pedal the platform is a bit slippery which is why they have the PD-EH500 now with replaceable pins. Maybe they work a lot better with super sticky rubber but it is less likely someone is riding a bike in shoes like that.
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Old 01-19-21, 11:52 AM
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Have you considered just going with "toe-clips/straps".....
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Old 01-19-21, 04:10 PM
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I would definitely go with some Mountain Bike pedals and shoes. That way, you won't have to walk like a penguin. Maybe the Crank Brothers Candy 1. They're like 50 bucks
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Old 01-19-21, 04:19 PM
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I have some spd/platform pedals for when I commutify my CX bike. ISSI Flip. Recommended for this exact situation.
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Old 01-19-21, 04:26 PM
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One more for Shimano spd pedals. I've been using a pair of pd-m324 pedals for several years now with no issues. I like the "bear trap" shape when riding with normal shoes. My wife has some pd-a530 pedals that she likes for the same reason. I think the a530 has been discontinued, but you can still find them on Ebay, and I'm sure the model that replaced it is equally good.
There are a lot of good entry-level mtb/gravel shoes out there at decent prices. Go for comfort and fit over fancy features.
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Old 01-20-21, 11:17 AM
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The Shimano 424 pedal is dual sided SPD and as well has a wide platform for using non-SPD shoes. Best of both worlds.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/produ...0/PD-M424.html
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