Hi, this question may seem stupid, forgive me if it does. Im not sure clipless is even the right term? I love vintage road bikes, when it’s warm enough Im riding nearly every day. to and from work, around town, etc. Ive always used the cages and straps, they work great for me. leave my lead foot slightly loose in the strap, in and out at stop lights with ease. last year I got a good deal on some Rapha classics. I tried them out with the cage and straps and didn’t like it, put them away. I realize these are made for clip in and not cages, but gave it a try anyway. So, im looking for advice. I’m thinking about trying clipless. I don’t need any meters, etc. in the pedals. Just a solid lightweight pedal, and cleat that will work with the Rapha. Something that’s easy for someone who’s never used them. Please, give me a recommendation. Thanks
by Typical_Counter3959
13 Comments
Shimano PD-RS500.
I use speedplay pedals. I like that you can clip in from both sides, and that your foot can float.
They should work with standard Look pedals and their cleats. You can get the pedals used and they’ll probably work fine. Cleats must be the correct ones for whatever pedals you buy. Also, don’t try spd type pedals, these shoes won’t work with them
any three-bolt shoe will work with the major current standards – SPD-SL, Look, and Speedplay.There are other brands but i’d stick to the official ones for your first pair. Speedplay I have not used, but i have read that they require a lot of tweaking and adjustment.
I have always used Look Keo pedals, specifically the Max due to the larger platform. They come with the medium-float gray “grip” cleats. If you go with Look, don’t bother with the black or red cleats, just stick with the gray. It’ll be basically the same story for Shimano SPD-SL.
As a beginner you can loosen the retention screw on the pedals to make it easy to get in and out, but really you have to get the muscle memory for clipping in and out (i.e. rotating your ankle outwards). Everybody struggles as they learn this, but eventually it’ll become natural and there really is no comparison to straps.
Just get a pair of Shimano SPD-SL pedals.
You can get them brand new at REI or many other stores for $80, and if you wanna wait and scout for sales you might be able to get them cheaper than that. They’re cheaper on eBay, but you run the risk of buying counterfeits if you go that way.
Normally I’d recommend SPD because you can use shoes that you can safely walk around in if needed without damaging the clips. But since you already have those shoes, I like Speedplay.
SPD
a 2 bolt system
you can walk in the shoes
these shoes will not work w spd
you can get shoes for about $50 and pedals for about $40
Back in the old days my cycling shoes had an “L” bracket attached to the sole. The “L” bracket slotted into the pedal and when I tightened down the strap my foot was solidly attached to the pedal.
As you can guess reaching down to loosen the straps on those pedals took a lot more time than just twisting your foot out of clipless pedals. Clipless is one of the best improvements to come along.
Shimano is the most common clipless pedal, easy to use, and you can probably find a used set for cheap. Practice clipping in and out in various pedal positions while propping yourself in a doorway for stability. Even experienced riders will sometimes misjudge their position/ability/timing to “clip out” and fall over. It’s funny most of the time, but can also be dangerous. Make sure you get help adjust the cleats on your shoes, or your knees will feel it.
What you are calling cages and straps are called toe clips.
there are essentially 3 options for the 3-hole bolt pattern, and they are largely similar. they’re not inter-compatible, but they all do the same thing in mostly the same way with about the same level of completeness at about the same price… in all cases, the cleat comes in several levels of “float” (side-to-side wiggle room before it starts to unclip) that is color coded, and you have to kick your ankle away from the bike to unclip. i have Look Keo and i’m happy with it… others have Shimano SPD-SL and like it. there’s also Time XPro which is a little pricier.
I have been riding bikes a lot since the ’60s. I recently decided to try clipless pedals for the first time. Now, I have a great big “owie” on my knee. I think an old dog can still learn new tricks, but there might be some blood.
The “cages” you have on your vintage bikes (good for you on having vintage bikes) were actually called Toe Clips. Hence the name “clipless” when Look first released the clipless pedal in the 80’s. Original we used a cleat on the shoe with a slot that slotted down over the back plate of the pedal. Then one would tighten the strap to hold it in place. The only way to get out was to reach down and flip the strap buckle open to release it. Not the safest idea but it worked for decades. Sorry if you already knew this, just thought it’s interesting. Oh…. Practice getting out of your new pedal system, you will likely fall over.