Please help with shoes and pedals..please
845
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1004 days
PJT posted 52 weeks ago.
I'm a big believer in the Shimano R540 pedals & cleats -- go on ebay and pay roughly $50-60 new. The pedals are durable, easy to use, and offer great performance for the price. The cleats have plastic bottoms which do wear out every year or so depending on how much you waddle around in them, but they are cheap to replace and not too slippery.
For shoes, maybe check out Louis Garneau, Shimano, or Specialized tri shoes. If transition time doesn't matter too much to you, you can look for any road shoe with a 3-bolt cleat pattern on the bottom. Go for fit with a nice stiff sole.
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1139 days
kevinb421 posted 52 weeks ago.
i suggest shimano ultegra pedals. they are fair priced on ebay and I love them. they have a large enough contact surface that they are a good first pedal. I'm with PJT that your shoe needs to have a stiff sole. if you can afford get a carbon fiber sole.
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845
Member
1004 days
PJT posted 52 weeks ago.
I love the ultegra pedals too--I use those on my tri bike, R540s on my road bike. The SPD-SL cleats are compatible with both. The ultegras are slightly lighter and supposedly more durable, but I cannot tell the difference when riding.
The OP wanted something cheap, and the ultegras tend to run a few bucks more than the R540s.
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1103 days
nyfan21 posted 52 weeks ago.
PJT;68636 wrote:
I'm a big believer in the Shimano R540 pedals & cleats -- go on ebay and pay roughly $50-60 new. The pedals are durable, easy to use, and offer great performance for the price. The cleats have plastic bottoms which do wear out every year or so depending on how much you waddle around in them, but they are cheap to replace and not too slippery.For shoes, maybe check out Louis Garneau, Shimano, or Specialized tri shoes. If transition time doesn't matter too much to you, you can look for any road shoe with a 3-bolt cleat pattern on the bottom. Go for fit with a nice stiff sole.
I can't wait to gets some new shoes and clips; do you put them on yourself?
845
Member
1004 days
PJT posted 52 weeks ago.
Sure--takes about 15 minutes to do the whole job.
The only tool you need to mount pedals is a 15mm pedal wrench. Either borrow a friend's or buy one. If you're buying new, get the one with the longest handle you can find for better leverage. Remember that the threads on one of the pedals are reversed, so it will tighten counterclockwise instead of clockwise. Shimano pedals are now helpfully marked with arrows to show you which way to tighten. You don't want to strip the threads! Once you get your old pedals off, just grease the threads on your new ones and screw them on by hand to start, then finish tightening with the wrench.
The only other tool you need is a multitool with a set of metric hex wrenches on it. Everyone should own one of these anyway to take on rides in case your seat, bottle cage, stem, aerobars, or other bolts work their way loose (it happens).
To set up the pedals at first, there is a tension bolt that makes it easier or harder to clip in and out. Using one of the smaller hex wrneches--I forget which size--set the tension right on the minus sign, but no farther down, to start with. As you get better in the clips you can up the tension, but that may take a few months.
Mounting cleats on your shoes is very easy--you just need a 4mm hex wrench. Start off with the cleat more or less centered left to right and under the ball of your foot. Get the bolts good and tight and check them every few rides to make sure the cleats haven't come loose. You may need to later adjust the cleat front to back or side to side if you're having discomfort.
Good luck!
345
Member
696 days
kkocan posted 52 weeks ago.
nyfan21;68664 wrote:
I can't wait to gets some new shoes and clips; do you put them on yourself?
You can, but it helps to have someone help you. Most have directions on how to install them, but it helps if you have a friend because you can stay on the bike while they make adjustments to the cleat position so that they are just right. Otherwise you could have some knee issues if you get the cleats on crooked. Find someone with some experience or a LBS to help you for your first time.
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157
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1103 days
nyfan21 posted 52 weeks ago.
PJT;68669 wrote:
Sure--takes about 15 minutes to do the whole job.The only tool you need to mount pedals is a 15mm pedal wrench. Either borrow a friend's or buy one. If you're buying new, get the one with the longest handle you can find for better leverage. Remember that the threads on one of the pedals are reversed, so it will tighten counterclockwise instead of clockwise. Shimano pedals are now helpfully marked with arrows to show you which way to tighten. You don't want to strip the threads! Once you get your old pedals off, just grease the threads on your new ones and screw them on by hand to start, then finish tightening with the wrench.
The only other tool you need is a multitool with a set of metric hex wrenches on it. Everyone should own one of these anyway to take on rides in case your seat, bottle cage, stem, aerobars, or other bolts work their way loose (it happens).
To set up the pedals at first, there is a tension bolt that makes it easier or harder to clip in and out. Using one of the smaller hex wrneches--I forget which size--set the tension right on the minus sign, but no farther down, to start with. As you get better in the clips you can up the tension, but that may take a few months.
Mounting cleats on your shoes is very easy--you just need a 4mm hex wrench. Start off with the cleat more or less centered left to right and under the ball of your foot. Get the bolts good and tight and check them every few rides to make sure the cleats haven't come loose. You may need to later adjust the cleat front to back or side to side if you're having discomfort.
Good luck!
I really appreciate your help I think I am going to go with the shimano ultegra pedals. Thanks
-Mat
I have a specialized Allez; I am doing sprints and 1 olympic this year. never used clipless pedals before. Can you recommend a pedal and shoe that is good in performance but doesn't cost an arm and a leg?
Thanks
-Mat
PS Just registered ......yeah