Pedal help?

Question

Hi!

I'm new to cycling and was just windering what the difference between clipless and road bike pedals with clips are. im a bit confused. Which are better? Is there much risk in buying pedals off the internet?

Thanks for your time

Answer 1

The disadvantage of cleat or clip-in is that you need 'spd' shoes which go with the clip (shimano pedalling dynamics). Straps mean you can nip to the shops and secure normal trainers in to the strap. I bought some great pedals and straps from Ebay just recently.

I would say they are both as good.

Answer 2

If you have clips on your road bike then that means that you have shoes that clip on to your pedals which is what most riders do there shoes clip onto the pedals and clipless pedals do not do that.

Answer 3

Buy your pedals at a reputable bike shop. Clip-type can be a bit dangerous if you are manuvering and need to put your foot down on the ground, as these clips are straps to keep your foot on the pedal, and are mainly for road racing.

Answer 4

My road bike came equipped with toe straps and they suit me just fine. I've had it going round a cycle track at 39 mph and having cleats wouldn't have made me go any faster but they're always good for cycle snobs who think putting fancy parts on their bike suddenly makes them into good cyclists. Toe straps are perfectly adequate for anyone but professional cyclists.

Answer 5

you almost never see toe clips and straps now days.  clipless pedals have pretty much replaced them, except for a few old timers or recreational riders that want to wear thier tennis shoes to ride in.

clipless are so much better.  i started riding before clipless.  when coming to a stop you had to reach down and flick the strap loose so you could remove your foot for a stop.  not to mention the extra pieces on your pedals just cluttering it all up.

i would say any system you choose will serve you well.  i use looks, and with thier new bimaterial cleat they seemed to have solved the creaking that was always a downside to them.  spd is good as is time.

generally i shop the internet, but i didnt always.  once you kind of learn what you like and want, you can shop the internet with good results.

Answer 6

The benefit of pedal with clips:

Your foot wont slide around when pushing

You can exert force on the pedal through the full rotation of the pedal

The problem:

There is a bit of a knack to clipping in to and out of the the pedals. Which will lead to some embarasment until you get used to it.

Before you buy off the net research what you think you want, pick a brand and compare the price, and all will be ok

Answer 7

Clipless pedals are what most all serious cyclists use. They actually have a clip-in mechanism built into the pedal and you must put cleats on a compatible cycling shoe to use them.

Clips are a cage type clip that is attached to a standard looking pedal and go over your shoe. straps are used to cinch down the clips and hold your foot in place. these were used by all racers until the clipless were invented by Look about 20 years ago.