Essthreetee

Ok...so I am now full on hooked. I have been riding in street shoes and clips (straps?), and feel like a should upgrade to clipless shoes/pedals. Only problem is, which ones?

I need to keep the price down to a minimum, but want something ok and will pay what is needed to do so. And if going by looks alone, I am drawn to Eggbeaters.

I will only be riding street, and as of yet, do not see any centuries lined up.

Any advice, tips, things to look out for?

cbresciani

My preference are Look KeO 2 Max Carbon Pedals and Mavic shoes. These pedals are great and the Mavic Galibier shoes are the most comfortable cycling shoes I've ever worn. If you really want Eggbeaters shoot me a PM.

fender1

Nashbar usually sells SPD style pedals & cleats pretty cheap. As for shoes, Shimano makes some good all round shoes (read walkable) available at most bike shops. I would try the shoes on and not order through the mail, if possible. Also, if you are going to use the shoes in colder weather, you may want to size up by 1/2. Cycling shoes tend to run small and are intended to fit tight.

Like this:

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...50_-1___202461

I am using the Keen Springwater shoe. It looks dorky, but is super comfortable. Also I have wide, size 11 1/2 feet and these are the most comfortable shoes I have found (so far).

Some pics & opinions here.

https://forums.mtbr.com/apparel-prote...es-576322.html

fender1

Also do your research and hit ebay for lightly used items to save $$'s.

20grit

I ride Crank Brothers Candy pedals and haven't had any real problems. They also seem to work nicely with my vibram soled work shoes. The metal bars fit right between the lugs on the sole.

John E

There are two downsides: 1) learning how to release without falling over (past habits are hard to break); and 2) you lose the spontaneity of jumping on a bike in street shoes and taking off. I am keeping toeclips and straps on all of my bikes, because I do not trust myself to deal with two different retention systems, and toeclips and straps serve me extremely well on my commuter and my mountain bike.

RobbieTunes

Um, that setup costs more than a lot of the bikes here, but I have some of those pedals (came on a bike) and they're great. I looked into just the KeO2Max pedals on a couple more bikes, and the $80-$100/pair sent me to another pair of shoes, instead.

For cost, it's hard to beat the older Look pedals, available in Look, Shimano, Wellgo, and other aftermarket models. However, for "street," they're pretty much unwalkable once you get off the bike, or stranded with a flat.

Right there on cost are SPD's, which are smaller and use longer-wearing cleats. You can get the pedals in 2-sides SPD, or one-side SPD and one-side flat, and are pretty reasonable. SPD-capable shoes can be more amenable to walking when off the bike.

The hottest pedals around here are the Speedplays.

If you're still "street," consider some cheaper Wellgo-type street pedals and a pair of Power Grips. Good pedals, but able to act a lot like clip pedals when you decide to roll out on the highway.

For shoes, well, it depends on the pedal and how much "road" vs. street. The big distributors often have at least 6-10 pairs of shoes on some kind of sale. If you stay with road riding, I recommend finding the best deal you can on carbon-soled shoes. If you want to transition, I'd recommend the shoes that take SPD cleats and look a lot like low-cut hiking shoes. Straddle both worlds.

gmouchawar

+100 on what Robbie said. Shimano SPD mountain bike clipless can be had for a good deal and their
Mountain bike shoes look like hiking shoes.

RubberLegs

Also watch Craigslist for shoes, got my son a pair of Shimano for $25 in barely used condition. SCORE!!! Uses with SPD 520's.

oldskoolwrench

+1

Found a pair of Shimano MX-180's in my size for $30.00, and never worn by the previous owner. Those shoes retailed at $130.00! CL is another good place to find pedals, but like Robbie said it's dependent on what style the OP wants. Personally, I prefer MTB shoes because they're easier to walk around in when off the bike.

buldogge

If you plan on walking around anytime during your bike travels, then Shimano SPD-M is the way to go. Shoes can be had in any flavor from sneakers/sneaker-like to carbon soled CX shoes.

If you are planning on long(er/ish) rides without interruption, my personal choice are Speedplay Zeros.

Shoes are a personal thing, and require you to know your fit. Go to an LBS and try them on. For example, Mavic shoes do not play well with my feet...Specialized are ideal for me and I now own 5 pairs/types. S-Works road shoes are like slippers with carbon soles...exteremely comfortable...for me.

Essthreetee

Ok...so I am still learning my correct vocab. What I meant by "street" was, no dirt. Just paved roads.
I guess I should have said road.

Sounds like I need to visit my LBS and try on some shoes...then come back and figure out the beat most appropriate pedals that match.

Thanks for the guidance!!! I hate being ignorant...but can't learn without asking, I guess.

Miyata110

I made my jump into clipless last year and went with SPDs. Cheap double-sided pedals and "road" type shoes that I can still walk in when needed. Both are Shimano and I think I came in under $80 totoal.

To John E's point - I agree that clipless isn't always the way to go, but it honestly takes less than 5 minutes to change out the pedals when needed. Or, you could have multiple bikes - some with clips some without.

repechage

I want to try on the new Giro lace ups. Not cheap,

I agree that the double sided SPD pedals are not a bad way to go. One thing I have noticed at least the last time I casually looked is that a "touring" shoe or non aggressive mtb. shoe is gone from almost everyone's product line.

buldogge

Specialized still has a couple in their line-up.

The Touring Elite and the Tahoe come to mind...Sonoma, if you can find some old stock. The Elite is kinda like an older Sonoma with a ratchet system and nicer materials used...FWIW.

poprad

I gotta plus one the idea of a mtn bike low shoe with SPDs for max versatility. I have several systems, and absolutely love my expensive Speedplay X2s mated to my Sidi Genius shoes, but that's for dedicated road training. For commuting, training in bad weather, mtn biking, running to the store, riding with friends to the city center, pretty much anything OTHER than hard core training, I use low rise mtn shoes. You can find several types meant for hiking/walking that are plenty stiff for even hard riding, but flexible enough to walk. They have recessed cleats and are relatively water resistant. Also many don't look completely bizarre with jeans or non-lycra shorts.

Random example from random supplier:
https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...400098__400098

Mated to Shimano's touring pedal A530 it's a very versatile combo that you could ride across the country on without problems:

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...400265__400265

My free advice and worth every penny.

bikingshearer 

Word. I went SPD in 1993 and haven't looked back. I like being able to ride with my feet secured and also being able to walk on a convenience store floor without feeling like I am in badly-fitting skates. A little shopping around will get you what you need for comparitively few dollars. (The key word in that sentence is "comparatively.")