Clip on Shoes? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

09-12-2004, 07:31 AM

I bike for exercise; nothing serious, maybe 25 miles per day. No racing and
very little off road stuff. I have a very early MTB which is sturdy enough.
I just want to get my miles in every day and am not interested in saving a
few grams on weight here and there or having a jersey to match my helmet and
frame.

I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is there
really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

09-12-2004, 07:42 AM

"Bob Marley" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]:
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is
> there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

What are you wearing now? Real cycling shoes are more comfortable than
sneakers since they don't flex when you pedal. If you're already using toe
clips with real cycling shoes, clipless pedals are not a lot more efficient.

09-12-2004, 07:42 AM

"Bob Marley" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]:
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is
> there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

What are you wearing now? Real cycling shoes are more comfortable than
sneakers since they don't flex when you pedal. If you're already using toe
clips with real cycling shoes, clipless pedals are not a lot more efficient.

09-12-2004, 07:42 AM

"Bob Marley" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]:
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is
> there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

What are you wearing now? Real cycling shoes are more comfortable than
sneakers since they don't flex when you pedal. If you're already using toe
clips with real cycling shoes, clipless pedals are not a lot more efficient.

09-12-2004, 07:42 AM

"Bob Marley" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]:
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is
> there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

What are you wearing now? Real cycling shoes are more comfortable than
sneakers since they don't flex when you pedal. If you're already using toe
clips with real cycling shoes, clipless pedals are not a lot more efficient.

09-12-2004, 08:10 AM

Bob Marley wrote:
> I bike for exercise; nothing serious, maybe 25 miles per day. No racing and
> very little off road stuff. I have a very early MTB which is sturdy enough.
> I just want to get my miles in every day and am not interested in saving a
> few grams on weight here and there or having a jersey to match my helmet and
> frame.
>
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

When I was younger I rode with the cage type toeclips. When I got back
into riding I first used two bikes with plain pedals, and wore running
shoes. I really felt I couldn't pedal as steadily, fearing my feet
would slip off the pedals (though they never did). I bought a new bike
and went all the way to bike shoes that click onto the pedal, and it
really is a freer feeling. I bike for exercise though I am fairly
interested in going faster and farther in order to get in better shape.

Pam

09-12-2004, 08:10 AM

Bob Marley wrote:
> I bike for exercise; nothing serious, maybe 25 miles per day. No racing and
> very little off road stuff. I have a very early MTB which is sturdy enough.
> I just want to get my miles in every day and am not interested in saving a
> few grams on weight here and there or having a jersey to match my helmet and
> frame.
>
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

When I was younger I rode with the cage type toeclips. When I got back
into riding I first used two bikes with plain pedals, and wore running
shoes. I really felt I couldn't pedal as steadily, fearing my feet
would slip off the pedals (though they never did). I bought a new bike
and went all the way to bike shoes that click onto the pedal, and it
really is a freer feeling. I bike for exercise though I am fairly
interested in going faster and farther in order to get in better shape.

Pam

09-12-2004, 08:10 AM

Bob Marley wrote:
> I bike for exercise; nothing serious, maybe 25 miles per day. No racing and
> very little off road stuff. I have a very early MTB which is sturdy enough.
> I just want to get my miles in every day and am not interested in saving a
> few grams on weight here and there or having a jersey to match my helmet and
> frame.
>
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

When I was younger I rode with the cage type toeclips. When I got back
into riding I first used two bikes with plain pedals, and wore running
shoes. I really felt I couldn't pedal as steadily, fearing my feet
would slip off the pedals (though they never did). I bought a new bike
and went all the way to bike shoes that click onto the pedal, and it
really is a freer feeling. I bike for exercise though I am fairly
interested in going faster and farther in order to get in better shape.

Pam

09-12-2004, 08:10 AM

Bob Marley wrote:
> I bike for exercise; nothing serious, maybe 25 miles per day. No racing and
> very little off road stuff. I have a very early MTB which is sturdy enough.
> I just want to get my miles in every day and am not interested in saving a
> few grams on weight here and there or having a jersey to match my helmet and
> frame.
>
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

When I was younger I rode with the cage type toeclips. When I got back
into riding I first used two bikes with plain pedals, and wore running
shoes. I really felt I couldn't pedal as steadily, fearing my feet
would slip off the pedals (though they never did). I bought a new bike
and went all the way to bike shoes that click onto the pedal, and it
really is a freer feeling. I bike for exercise though I am fairly
interested in going faster and farther in order to get in better shape.

Pam

09-12-2004, 09:08 AM

Bob Marley said...

> I bike for exercise; nothing serious, maybe 25 miles per day. No racing and
> very little off road stuff. I have a very early MTB which is sturdy enough.
> I just want to get my miles in every day and am not interested in saving a
> few grams on weight here and there or having a jersey to match my helmet and
> frame.
>
> I was wondering, however, about the shoe/ pedal clip things. Is there
> really enough advantage for a casual rider like me to invest in them?

You didn't explain what you are using now or what you mean mean by
shoe/pedal clip. There are the old style toe clips and straps which are
only used by a few hold-outs now, and clipless shoes and pedals. The
clipless pedals have a mechanism to bind the shoe to the pedal much like
a ski binding. You need special cycling shoes which allow a cleat to be
bolted to the shoe to fit the pedal mechanism.

For your description of your riding, don't waste your money. Clipless
has a painful learning curve which will have you falling down and
cursing for a while until you get proficient with them. Oh, and your new
pedals are the first thing to hit the ground when you fall over,
although it might actually be the rear derailleur. You can spend
anywhere from $50 to $400 for a set of clipless pedals and shoes. Like
anything else, you more or less get what you pay for, but good sales on
shoes especially are easy to find. If you ride fast and hard and try to
explore your limits, which doesn't sound like your description, then
clipless definitely adds to the high performance experience...until you
have to take your foot off the pedal.