crankythunder

Hi Guys:

I have three recumbents, and two regular bicycles but got to replace the pedals on one of my recumbents and I am thinking of going with the Crank Brothers double shot hybrid pedal along with shoes, clips, etcetera.

Currently using rat trap toe clips and, believe it or not, golf shoes with a stiff sole although the golf shoe is about the best I found for this purpose. (no laces to get caught on the rat trap, stiff sole, comfortable although my foot gets sore from the flexibility of the sole so that could be an improvement).

Pros/cons of clipless pedals? I like the hybrid pedals because sometimes I want to wear regular shoes. Good Idea or am I out in left field on this one?

Regards,
Crankster

BlazingPedals

What kind of recumbents? Generally, I think low BB bikes like a TourEasy don't really need foot retention; but the higher the pedals are, the more you need something.

I think the benefits/drawbacks of clipless are pretty well recognized. On the one hand, retention allows you to spin faster, to pull on the pedals, smooth out your pedal stroke, and of course not come off the pedals when you hit a bump. OTOH, they require special shoes, are expensive, and you can fall over while still clipped in. Shoes that are designed for clipless pedals are all stiff-soled.

As an in-between solution for those who don't *need* the retention, if you get SPD-compatible shoes, you can leave the plug on the sole and not install the cleat. You'll be left with a stiff-soled shoe that can readily be used on a flat pedal. One disadvantage of clipless *shoes* is that they can be hard to fit if you have extra large or wide feet.

downtube42

I've had two bents, both with higher BBs, and I would not ride without foot retention. The penalty of a foot contacting the ground at speed is too high. There's a learning curve for sure.

I started with Look road cleats, but moved to SPDs for walkability. To me, walkability is a must-have. You can get a SPD/Platform pedal.

Steve B.

Used to ride a Vision, would never ride with anything other then a clip in pedal. I tried ratraps, too chancy to have a foot come out and hit the pavement. SPD was the pedal of choice,

FLYBYU

I have a Crankbrothers pedal that is flat on one side and the egg beater clip on the other. I really like that. Been a lifelong fan of spd, but the crankbrothers pedals release far easier and are just much smoother.