Newbie here. I searched for pedals and came up with a lot of names such as "SPD", "SPD-SL", "Eggbeaters", but no conclusion as to what brand I can use, or if what I am asking is even possible.

I am hoping to have 1 type of clipless attachment for these 3 bikes:

2008 Marin Mill Valley (on order)
2006 Giant Cypress DX (vacation bike out of state)
1985 Specialized Allez SE (still with the American Flyer's toeclips!)

I was thinking that there are different pedal types that use the same clip. Perhaps road pedals for the Allez, and road/MTB for the Mill Valley, while a platform pedal/clip combo for the Cypress?

Has someone done this or is this impossible? I would like to have a pair of shoes that I can use for all bikes AND be able to walk into a store without destroying their floors (like the old SIDI kangaroo leathers I have for the Allez). What have others done? And is there a better way?

Any advice on specific models within a brand line would be great, if you have a favorite.

Thank you in advance.

I have SPD on both my road bike and mountain bike - just easier as a relative newbie to get my feet in and out in a hurry. For the mountain bike, I got SPD pedals from Nashbar that work clipless or just regular shoes (the pedal has a metal platform around the clip) because I also use the mountain bike for riding with the kids on our community golf cart paths. Link is here:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000108&subcategory=60001078&brand=&sku=10018&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20ATB%20Clipless%20 Pedals

My MTB shoes have the cleat recessed - as I believe many do - so you can walk in the shoes with little or no scrap from the cleat.

If you don't care about the fashion police, you could get a good, rigid mtb shoe and put some variation of the crank brothers (http://www.crankbrothers.com/) pedals or Speedplay Frogs (http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.frog) on everything. You are trying to keep from needing a second pair of shoes correct?

Why not clips and straps for all 3?

If you don't care about the fashion police, you could get a good, rigid mtb shoe and put some variation of the crank brothers (http://www.crankbrothers.com/) pedals or Speedplay Frogs (http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.frog) on everything. You are trying to keep from needing a second pair of shoes correct?
I'm with Placebo Effect here. I'm in the midst of a similar search right now. I've been riding Speedplay Frogs for a number of years now. They are great, but there are some things that I'm not totally happy with. So I am on a pedal system search.

I also ride Mtn shoes, regardless of what bike I am on. The upper level Mtn shoes basically have the same sole as the upper level Road shoes. Only difference is they add treads for hiking and walking. So, I see no issue with using Mtn shoes on all bikes, regardless of what terrain you are on or how wide or thin the tires on the bike are.

I just received some Crank Brothers Eggbeaters as recommended by many of the folks here. I'm going to try them and compare with my current system. Other systems I would consider would be the Time ATACs and Look Quartz (brand new product). Depending on my experience with the Eggbeaters I may try these other systems, or just stick with my Frogs.

So, get some Mtn shoes and any number of the various Mtn pedal systems for each of your bikes and you should be set.

If you use egg beaters, you could use MTB pedals on your MTB, and Quattros on your road bike and use the same shoes with both. {The quattros are the road version of the egg beater MTB pedal. Another option, which is what I use, is a Shimano M520 pedal on my MTB and a A520 on my road bike. The A520 is simply a road version of the M520. They use the same cleat, so you are good to go with the same shoe. Of course, almost any shimanp MTB pedal will work in this senario, as most all use the standard SPD cleat, but the A520 is the only road pedal from Shimano that is compatible with the SPD cleats.

the tread of the shoes could possibly interfere with the spindle or even the pedal itself. Have you tried that?

I am a noob, but I was considering doing the same thing when i was on the fence about doing both road and mtb. I never had the budget/time to dig into mtb, so I just got road shoes instead and quattros. I haven't tried another clipless system so I don't know quite how to feel about them.

Thanx so much for the info. A lot to digest.

It seems that the Shimano and Crank Bros. seems to be the choices of the forums, perhaps with the Crank Bros. ahead by a bit.

When you say "eggbeaters", do you actually mean that EXACT model? I was hoping to wear normal shoes on occasion; especially with the Cypress and sometimes with the Mill Valley. Would the Crank Bros. work with that?

Thanx again. I'm going to the store to look around a bit and actually see what you are all talking about

go for mallets then i linked you to the manufacturer's website.

Thanx so much for the info. A lot to digest.

It seems that the Shimano and Crank Bros. seems to be the choices of the forums, perhaps with the Crank Bros. ahead by a bit.

When you say "eggbeaters", do you actually mean that EXACT model? I was hoping to wear normal shoes on occasion; especially with the Cypress and sometimes with the Mill Valley. Would the Crank Bros. work with that?

Thanx again. I'm going to the store to look around a bit and actually see what you are all talking about
Don't forget the Speedplay Frogs as well. They are great pedals. I'm just exploring what else is out there to see if there is something I like better.

As for the Eggbeaters, yes, that is a specific model line (various models within the general line). If you want to use regular shoes sometimes, I'd probably look into something with a larger platform than the Eggbeaters provide (they are very minimal), such as the Candy or Quattro on the bikes you may use regular shoes with. If you stay in the Crank Brothers lines of pedals, you can use the same bike shoes with all pedals.

Before you hit the shop, I'd personally check out each manufacturers website to familiarize myself with the product lines and features. Once you have some better understanding of each systems features, then hit your local shops, get their opinions and see what they typically stock.

you know not of what you speak. I've tried putting around the block with regular shoes on my quattros and that was beyond sketchy. Candies will be just as bad. The platform on those pedals are just for pressure distribution. the truth is I don't either as I've never owned mallets, but they do have some studs that would bite into your shoe's sole for traction. You could pottentially back them out or get longer ones to that end, but the lobes of the pedal mechanism are going to obstruct the platform surface. The alternatives are to find regular shoes that house recessed spd cleat: like THIS one from Lake (http://www.lakecycling.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=MX60) or to buy clips and straps that will clip into the pedals similar to THIS. (http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PE401Z16-Dimension+Universal+Road+Instep+Adaptor.aspx) Nashbar even has platforms that can clip into pedals LINK (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000108&subcategory=60001077&brand=&sku=10990&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Pedal%20Accessori es) There are so many sources for solutions like these.

As an owner though, my biggest motivator to purchase crankbrothers pedals was the ease of ownership. there is no mainenance to speak of and my understanding is it can be rebuilt with a kit from the manufacturer and common tools.

you know not of what you speak. I've tried putting around the block with regular shoes on my quattros and that was beyond sketchy. Candies will be just as bad. The platform on those pedals are just for pressure distribution. the truth is I don't either as I've never owned mallets, but they do have some studs that would bite into your shoe's sole for traction. You could pottentially back them out or get longer ones to that end, but the lobes of the pedal mechanism are going to obstruct the platform surface. The alternatives are to find regular shoes that house recessed spd cleat: like THIS one from Lake (http://www.lakecycling.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=MX60) or to buy clips and straps that will clip into the pedals similar to THIS. (http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PE401Z16-Dimension+Universal+Road+Instep+Adaptor.aspx) Nashbar even has platforms that can clip into pedals LINK (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000108&subcategory=60001077&brand=&sku=10990&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Pedal%20Accessori es) There are so many sources for solutions like these.

As an owner though, my biggest motivator to purchase crankbrothers pedals was the ease of ownership. there is no mainenance to speak of and my understanding is it can be rebuilt with a kit from the manufacturer and common tools.

Never said I had tried it. Was just suggesting something with a larger platform than the Eggs if he were to ride sans dedicated bike shoes. Probably is pretty sketchy, but probably less sketchy than Eggs. Just an educated guess on that one.

Another option, which is what I use, is a Shimano M520 pedal on my MTB and a A520 on my road bike. The A520 is simply a road version of the M520. They use the same cleat, so you are good to go with the same shoe. Of course, almost any shimanp MTB pedal will work in this senario, as most all use the standard SPD cleat, but the A520 is the only road pedal from Shimano that is compatible with the SPD cleats.

I use this same setup on my comfort and road bikes. I only had one pair of shoes for a while that were originally for the off-road bike, but eventually felt that they were too clunky-feeling for the road bike, so I bought a lighter, more stylish pair (Shimano M083?) for the road.

+1 1 for the cheapo nashbar platforms referenced above. They are on all my "non-race" bikes and I usually ride in some cheapo walkable mtb shoes.

Keep in mind, any problem with shoe tread and pedal hookup can be fixed with a bit of surgery. I used a Dremel and blade to make mine compatible, just had to remove / re-shape a couple of tread nubs.

.

-1 on the Nashbars. Like the poster said, you have to pull out the tools to grind the damn nubs off them to get a shoe clipped into them.


Pick up Shimano M324s on EBay for about $40.

http://www.nashbar.com/nashbar_photos/250/WW-DCS-NCL-TOP.jpg

BYOC(leat) and twist off.

Thanx for all your help :)

Just ordered:

SPD A520 - 2008 Marin Mill Valley
SPD M324 - 2006 Giant Cypress DX
SPD A520 - 1985 Specialized Allez SE

Not the most expensive pedals, but with some money left over I bought a pair of nice SIDI's ($239 for shoe's?!? Boy, I have been out of it for a while. But these shoes REALLY felt comfortable, more so than any of the others in the shops I went to. So i think I spent well)