I notice a lot of fixies use toe clips instead of clip in pedals. Is this so you can slide out easier, so you can wear street shoes or for some other reason?.
I use cheapo Wellgo spd style pedals and my mtb shoes. That way I can walk around and they're 2-sided so it's a no-brainer to clip in. Toe clips would be a PITA IMHO. Eggbeaters would be good, too.
Originally Posted by tetter
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Conceptually, the "best" pedal is as thin as possible top to bottom, and as short as possible side to side, all else being equal (such as crank-arm length). Both of these attributes will reduce the catastrophic effects of a pedal strike.
Practically, the "best" pedal is whatever gets you out the door and on the bike [grin], because pedal strike is not that big an issue for most of us.
I use Crank Bros. Candy's. I also have them on my MTB and really like them. Plus they come in yellow, which looks cool on my bike. Performance usually has the yellow ones oon sale for about $60.
I don't know what's the "best" anything, really, but I really like my MKS GR 9 platforms with clips and straps. I like not having to put on different shoes just to go for a ride, and being able to wear regular shoes encourages me to run errands by bike. If you do go clipless, I recommend a mountain bike pedal because of the dual-sided entry. With road clipless (with the exception of Speedplays et al), flipping the pedal over adds complication when starting from a foot-down, dead stop. The MKS's have a large tab that lets you perform this manuever flawlessly. And at $30, they're darn economical.
I rode with toe clips when I was a kid and while at the time I was pretty good at getting in and out of them I never liked them. I have eggbeaters on all my bikes now including a pair of the standard 4 sided SS ones on my fixie. They work real well for me, I get in easy, out easy, and they are reasonably cheap.
May God continue to grant me the health to ride my bike..........and the wisdom to get out there and do it!
I 2nd the Crank Brother Candy's. I had them on my old fixie and will be putting them on my new fixie...once I buy it. I also have them on my mtb and cx (SL's) bike.
Speedplay Zeros (Track Special). Great clearance. I have not pulled out of them once.
You can always put on the rubber covers over the cleats if you need to walk around the infield between races.
Virtually every modern single sided clipless pedal is designed so you don't have to flip it over to clip in. It's easier to clip into a clipless pedal than it is to get into toe clips. I understand the desire to use street shoes, and platform pedals and straps are a good way to go for versatility. I solve the problem by having different bikes (one set up with clipless pedals and one with platforms, but no toe straps). It's more expensive but also more fun. You could also go with clipless pedals that have a platform. Time Z's are my choice on my SS mountain bike but there are several others.
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There are your fog people & your sun people, he said. I said I wasn't sure which kind I was. He nodded. Fog'll do that to you, he said.
After struggling for a while with clips & straps I switched to Speedplay Frogs. Effortless getting in and out. Not going back to clips & straps.
Seconded. Clips and straps are a learned skill that never seems perfect. Had generic spd's on for a while, switched to the Frogs when a component upgrade on another bike made them available. They might be my favorite pedal, though the cleats aren't great with road shoes, and the pedals aren't great with street shoes. I wear mtn shoes for riding fixed, so no big deal.
If you do want clips and straps, it's my opinion that track-style "quills" flip and enter better than mountain-style "beartraps."
When I was occasionally successful at getting my right foot into my MKS Sylvan Track pedals with MKS clips & straps, it was because I did NOT look at it while doing it. If I looked at it, my foot would chase that pedal around in a circle for blocks, flipping it over, oops too far, repeat.
I use performance comp mtb pedals with clips and straps. I can ride in any shoes on either side of the pedals. You can't do that with a road pedal with clips and straps. And if the toe clips scrape the pavement every now and then, who cares. This is a $5 item to replace. I am able to run errands and I am saving gasoline.
It is said that it will take the moose 10,000 years to learn that the automobile is dangerous. By then the automobile will be extinct.
With a fixie, there's no way to coast and flip over your pedal if it's upside down while clipping in. I use Speedplay Zeros for track (same as my road bike), but mtn pedals would work for a commuter, too. Zeros also have great clearance, as has been mentioned, since you'll be pedaling through corners.
Shoes that are only good while on the bike are fine for nonstop fitness rides, but if you're a commuter, a student, or shopper who has to actually walk inside a building, clips & straps make more sense. I suppose you could carry some extra shoes in your bagpack, but I'm all about simplicity. That's why I ride a fixie in the first place. I really like not having to change my clothes just because I'm going by bike.
Shoes that are only good while on the bike are fine for nonstop fitness rides, but if you're a commuter, a student, or shopper who has to actually walk inside a building, clips & straps make more sense. I suppose you could carry some extra shoes in your bagpack, but I'm all about simplicity. That's why I ride a fixie in the first place. I really like not having to change my clothes just because I'm going by bike.
ditto
It is said that it will take the moose 10,000 years to learn that the automobile is dangerous. By then the automobile will be extinct.
I notice a lot of fixies use toe clips instead of clip in pedals. Is this so you can slide out easier, so you can wear street shoes or for some other reason?.
It sort of depends on how you intend to use the fixie. I get on mine and ride, and Look CX-7s (just like the main geared bike) suit me just fine. If I were hopping on and off the bike throughout the day (like a messenger, for instance), I might want Mtb pedals and shoes and, depending on the walking or on other priorities, I might want a platform. I'll never go back to toe clips on a road bike.
Some folks seem to have terrible concerns about clipping in with one-sided pedals at lights, but frankly, I just don't get it. If you're accustomed to your pedals, by and large, it's just not hard at all.
My Lemond road bike (now sold) came with Shimano SPD M515's which are a double sided SPD pedal. The cool thing for your application is that it came with a set of "platforms" clipped in on one side, so you could use your SPD cleats on one side or flip them over if wearing regular shoes.
Tyler, you are by far the most interesting single-serving friend I have ever met.
Some folks seem to have terrible concerns about clipping in with one-sided pedals at lights, but frankly, I just don't get it. If you're accustomed to your pedals, by and large, it's just not hard at all.
It isn't that it's difficult, it's that the penalty for error is greater when the cranks can't be repositioned or held still for the second attempt. I used to ride a fixie with Campy Chorus pedals, and while I was able to clip in 99 times out of 100, the one time I wasn't (slight uphill, lots of fast-moving cross-traffic) was significant and memorable.
Plain Eggbeaters for me. I never understood the purpose of the little plastic platforms on the Candies. I'm putting Mallets on my sons bike and I may try them on my fixie because the platform would be nice with street shoes. I picked up some Shimano clipless sandels which are great in the summer.
Feel totally confident on them and can pop out so easily. They've saved my ass many times allowing me to popout where I would have otherwise fallen. I also use them on my road and mountain bikes but they shine the most on my fixie.
Have also used Shimano SPD's, Ritchey, Speedplay road pedals, shimano 7800's, Atacs... But for me, frogs blow them away.
It isn't that it's difficult, it's that the penalty for error is greater when the cranks can't be repositioned or held still for the second attempt. I used to ride a fixie with Campy Chorus pedals, and while I was able to clip in 99 times out of 100, the one time I wasn't (slight uphill, lots of fast-moving cross-traffic) was significant and memorable.
Fair enough, I suppose, but I guess I can picture situations in which anything can go wrong. I don't tend to dash out into heavy cross traffic when I can avoid it, whether I'm riding the fixie or not. I gather the hill has to be at least moderately steep to prevent you from just doing a one-legged drill through the intersection, but, then, I have to allow that there are steep hills out in the world. I think folks shouldn't ride pedals that make them feel uncomfortable in any way, so if Mtbs or platforms or quills provide some sort of ease or relief, then that's good too. But, personally, I feel fine with my road pedals. Every so often, I'll stop in a place that makes me really think about the mount, but mostly it's just the usual clip in and go.
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Originally Posted by michaeln
