General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP Rss Feed  
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2013-06-24 11:28 AM

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Subject: Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP
So, I finally bought a pair of clipless shoes from eBay. They have SPD-SL 3 hole bottoms. Does that make sense? Can I just buy pedals from eBay which say SPD-SL, or do I have to be careful? Do I need special cleats too, or just ones that say SPD-SL? Are the SPD-SL shoes/pedals good or bad for an absolute beginner? Never ridden clipped-in before. Are they easy to get in and out of compared to others? Any chance someone has pedals and cleats they would want to part with..............cheap?

Looking forward to your responses, thanks in advance,

FERG


2013-06-25 9:20 AM
in reply to: FERG DADDY

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Subject: RE: Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP
SPD-SL is the pedal/cleat system, so any SPD-SL cleat will work with any SPD-SL pedal. They will work with your shoes just fine. You should be fine learning on them, they aren't any more or less difficult to use in than other systems. As far as the cleats go, if you buy new, your pedals should come with a set of cleats. There are two types, yellow, which will come with your pedals, which offer up to 6 degrees of lateral float, and red which are 0 degree float pedals. You probably want the yellow ones anyway so just use the ones that come with your pedals.
2013-06-25 11:04 AM
in reply to: FERG DADDY

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Subject: RE: Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP
There are two general standards for clipless pedals - 2-hole (SPD) and 3-hole (SPD-SL/Look). Generally any pedal system that supports 3-hole cleats (SPD-SL, Look, Time, Speedplay, etc) will work with your shoes.

This means you are not restricted to SPD-SL pedals. If you prefer another kind (or find them cheaper) you can get them. I have been using Time pedals for the past few years and have liked them. Others really like Speedplay because of the ease of clipping in. Honestly, you'll probably like whatever you choose to go with as the practical difference between systems isn't very much. As Mike said, get a system with some degree of float (the amount you can shift your foot left and right) and you'll be happy.
2013-06-25 1:20 PM
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Subject: RE: Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP
Originally posted by FERG DADDY So, I finally bought a pair of clipless shoes from eBay. They have SPD-SL 3 hole bottoms. Does that make sense? Can I just buy pedals from eBay which say SPD-SL, or do I have to be careful? Do I need special cleats too, or just ones that say SPD-SL? Are the SPD-SL shoes/pedals good or bad for an absolute beginner? Never ridden clipped-in before. Are they easy to get in and out of compared to others? Any chance someone has pedals and cleats they would want to part with..............cheap? Looking forward to your responses, thanks in advance, FERG
Posting is strange today.. I use speedplays and you can get a set for about $100. They are awesome but for tri maybe not perfect as the cleat is different to run in. Just another option; I love them and rode with Look pedals/Cleats for almost 25 yrs... 

Edited by 1_Mad_Madone 2013-06-25 1:33 PM
2013-06-25 1:20 PM
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Subject: RE: Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP
DELETED DOUBLE POST...


Edited by 1_Mad_Madone 2013-06-25 1:21 PM
2013-06-25 4:22 PM
in reply to: 1_Mad_Madone

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Subject: RE: Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP
If you haven't used clipless pedals before, realize and accept that you will fall down, scrape yourself, and it will hurt a bit. And also realize and accept that you will be able to learn how to use them.

To start, find a nice big open space, and spend an hour or so just riding around, not stopping, and clipping in and out, with one foot, then the other. So long as you don't stop, you won't fall. Moderate speed is your friend.

Also, realize that you can pedal even if the cleat isn't engaged.


2013-06-25 5:50 PM
in reply to: mirthfuldragon

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American Fork, Utah
Subject: RE: Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP
Well, I should have the shoes tomorrow, but I don't have pedals yet. I'm hoping to have everything by the weekend. I have a triathlon on the 4th of July and was hoping to use them for that. Or would you guys advise against it seeing as I have zero experience using them? The bike leg is only 12 miles, so maybe it wouldn't be that beneficial to use them anyway, or would I notice a difference?

FERG
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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Bought my first pair of clipless shoes and now need pedals, HELP Rss Feed  
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