🚀 go-pugleaf

curt@portal.ca (Curt Sampson) writes:

>I'm starting to look at moving to a clipless pedal system, and I'm
>looking for something suitable for a roadie who does a lot of
>commuting and some touring. I've got a few questions for people out
>there, especially those who've used more than one system.

>1. Are any other systems besides Shimano SPD and the Look MTB easy
>to walk in? I'm interested only in systems that I could walk a couple
>of blocks in without problems.

There are a number of pedals that are very similar to SPD.  These include
Onza, Ritchey, VP, and a few others.  Most of them claim some compatibility
with Shimano SPD.  Since you don't currently have SPD pedals, it doesn't
matter whether one of these brands will work well with SPD.  They all use
cleats that look similar to SPD cleats, so in general, will work with SPD
pedals.

>2. How much difference does pedal area make? I notice that the
>standard Look has a much larger cleat and pedal area than SPDs.

Some people claim that it makes a difference.  I think that the smaller
the contact area on the pedal, the stiffer your soles of your shoes should
be.  But for commuting and recreational riding, it really doesn't matter.
Off-road shoes aren't that stiff, but mountain bikers use them with SPD
pedals which have a small contact area.

>3. Has anyone compared several different clipless systems? What
>are your comments on each?

I've used several.  I currently use Look style road pedals (with the
big triangular cleat) and Shimano SPD's.  I've owned Sampson pedals
before too.  If you want light weight, you'd probably be interested
in Sampson, Speedplay or Aerolite.  I don't think that weight is too
much of a concern for you.  I've walked stores and malls with the
Look style pedals (which don't have a recessed cleat).  I would not
want to walk two blocks in them.  For your purposes, I would definitely
recommend pedals with a recessed cleat.  Its the only way to go when
touring (you never know when you have to push your bike).  I find that
for road riding, I'm not as picky about the engage/disengage characteristics
of the pedals as for off-roading.  You'd probably be happy with any of
the major recessed cleat pedals out there.  One question is whether
you want one or two sided pedals.  Two-sided pedals are definitely
better when off-roading.  On the road, I prefer one sided pedals that
return to a given position in case you mis-engage the first time and
have to try again while crossing a busy intersection.  Most one-sided
pedals are like this.  I actually find it easier to clip into my
one-sided SPD's than my two-sided SPD's (on the road).  This is because
I know the orientation of the pedal, so I do the same motion every time
with my foot and it works (95% hit rate).  With two sided pedals, I
fubble briefly (sometimes not so brief) to get the tip of the cleat
into the right place.  Oh, my experience could be due to the fact that
I use the one-sided pedals much more than the two-sides ones.  With
two-sided pedals though, you don't have to worry about clipping in
right away, you can just pedal while disengaged.  This is tricky
with any one-sided pedal with you're on the wrong side.  

This is one reason why tandemists prefer two-sided recessed cleat pedals.
They can pedal while on the wrong side of the pedal, and they can put
their feet down and get good traction to hold up the heavier bike.  You
ride a recumbent, don't you?  I don't know how easy it is for you to
engage, but you may find two-sided pedals easier to use as well.

Oh, there's one other pedal that I have experience with.  I'll give my
sales pitch while I tell you about them.  Three weeks ago, I bought
the Ritchey off-road clipless pedals from Mtn Equipment Co-op.  I
wanted to use them for my ATB.  I currently use SPD's for commuting,
so it was important that the Ritchey's be compatible so that I could
use the same shoes.  Unfortunately, they're not as compatible as I
would like.  The pedals have otherwise been fine for my limited use.
They engage/disengage smoothly.  They claim to be lighter than Shimano
SPD's, and have three sets of bearings (like Shimano), unlike possibly
some of the cheaper Taiwanese pedals (like VP, I think).  So, if
anyone is interested, I'm offering these "attractive" red Ritchey
pedals for sale.  They retail for $130 at MEC.  I'll sell them for
say, 20% off what I paid.  They've only been used twice.

Good luck with your hunt for pedals!
Regards,
Stan
-- 
-----
Stan Jang <sjang@cs.ubc.ca>, Research Programmer
Imager Computer Graphics Laboratory
University of British Columbia