Essential Road Cycling Decision: To Use Clipless Pedals or Not?

January 2nd, 2009 • Cycling/Fitness

Pedals are an important part of a road bicycle, and most serious cyclists chose clipless pedals. Photo by bryanpearson on Flickr.
-Photo by bryanpearson on Flickr.

Pedals are one of the most crucial contact points in any bicycle. For cyclists, this raises an essential question. To use clipless pedals or not. Most bikes come with no pedals at all, leaving the buyer to decide which types of pedals to use. By far, clipless are the most popular. However, the cost and complexity of use drive some riders away from these pedals. The other road-based options are platform and toe-strap pedals. These types of pedals offer various advantages and disadvantages, and are all used by many riders because of these. However, I believe that for any type of serious cycling, clipless pedals are by far the best choice.

Platform Pedals

Platform
-Photo by square_eye on Flickr

Of the three choices, platform pedals are by far the simplest solution. Basically the same type of pedals on childrens bikes, they are a flat, two sided platform where you simply put your foot on the platform and ride.

The major advantage of these types of pedals is that they allow you to ride in any type of shoe, are very easy to use, and are the cheapest of the three major options. However, they can limit your power output as you have absolutely no ability to pull up on the pedal in the second portion of the pedal stroke. This means that you are only outputting power when pushing down on the pedals and not when the pedals are moving up. This can theoretically decrease your power output by up to 50%.

Who are platform pedals good for?

  • People who want to get one and ride, with little concern about performance
  • Newbie cyclists who want an easy to use pedal system as they adjust to the rest of their bike
  • Commuters who do not wish to deal with seperate cycling shoes

Who are platform pedals not good for?

  • Serious cyclists concerned with power and performance
  • Long-distance cyclists serious about comfort and stability
  • Cycling-geeks who want the latest and greatest cycling “gadgets”

Toe-Strap Pedals

Toe-strap pedals offer a good balance between performance and price. Photo by CounterBreak on Flickr.
-Photo by CounterBreak on Flickr.

Toe-Strap pedals come on some mid and lower range bikes and are the types of pedals I began cycling with. They consist of a basic platform pedal with either metal or cloth straps to hold your feet in.

Toe-strap pedals allow for the same flexibility as platform pedals, but allow you to get some of the pulling up power that is only truly utilized when using clipless pedals. In my opinion, they are a great option for beginning cyclists. They are easy to get in and out of, and offer a middle ground between platform and clipless.

Who are toe-strap pedals good for?

  • Commuters who do not wish to deal with seperate cycling shoes
  • New cyclists who want pedals that are easy to get into for intersections
  • New cyclists unsure about making the investment in clipless shoes and pedals

Who are toe-strap pedals not good for?

  • Serious cyclists concerned with power and performance
  • Cyclists concerned with the “look” of their bike (toe-strap pedals are quite ugly)
  • Cyclist who truly want the easiest to use pedal system

Clipless Pedals

Clipless pedals are the choice of serious cyclists. Photo by Joe Chang on Flickr
-Photo by Joe Chang on Flickr.

Clipless pedals are the ultimate in road cycling pedal systems. They are used by almost all serious cyclists and offer the ultimate in performance and looks. They feature a 3 part system including the pedals, shoes, and cleats. The cleats attach your shoe to the pedal so that all of your power is transfered to the motion of the cranks, and thus help to power the wheels. Furthermore, clipless pedals allow you to completely utilize the power in your upstroke so that you are using all of your legs muscles.

For newbies, they can be intimidating as clipping in and out can offer a challenge. However, once you get the hang of how the system works, it becomes second nature. Clipless pedals offer the ultimate in performance, and are the choice of serious cyclists.

Who are clipless pedals good for?

  • Serious cyclists who want the ultimate in power and performance
  • Cyclists concerned with the “look” of their bikes
  • Long-distance cyclists who want to utilize all of their muscles

Who are clipless pedals not good for?

  • Newbie cyclists worried about clipping in at intersections
  • Cyclists on a budget who do not wish to invest in shoes/pedals
  • ommuters who do not wish to deal with seperate cycling shoes

Which did I choose?

I choose Shimano Ultegra-Sl pedals for my road bike.

When I began cycling, I started off with toe-strap pedals. They came on my road bike, and since I was on a budget, I did not have to invest in other shoes, or expensive pedals. They allowed me to get my feet wet in the cycling world without having to learn a whole new pedal system. Toe-strap pedals worked, but not for long.

After I became more serious about my cycling, and began to strive for performance, I knew that an upgrade to clipless pedals was a necessity. I asked for some Shimano Ultegra-SL Pedals for Christmas, and thankfully, I was lucky enough to receive them from my Mom (thanks!). I have been loving them so far, and am very glad to have made the switch.

With that being said, I do still believe that there is a place in this world for both platform and toe-strap pedals. Maybe you don’t want special shoes, or maybe you are tight on cash, whatever the reason, use what fits your lifestyle. Don’t go with clipless simply because they look cool. However, if you are serious about cycling then making the transition to clipless pedals is a no brainer.

Which type of cycling pedals do you use and why? Let me know in the comments!

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    I've used Speedplay Frog pedals for ten years on both my road and trail
    bikes. I liked the traditional metal toe cages on my old road bike just fine.
    I switched to clipless because the cheap plastic toe cage on my
    then-new hardtail trail bike was rubbing through my leather athletic shoe
    to give me a sore on one toe. Also the soles of the shoes were wearing
    out, making the soles of my feet a little achey on long road rides. I figured
    it was time for the more efficient inflexible soles of real cycling shoes.
    A friend loaned me a pair of shoes and SPD pedals to try.
    Despite one unglorious fall, I loved the concept
    but not the SPD design. Research led me to Speedplay Frog.

    - almost no entry resistance
    - easy entry without exact foot placement
    - no exit resistance
    - generous float to preserve knees
    - no moving pedal engagement/disengagement parts to be fouled by mud
    - almost impossible to disengage inadvertently
    - double sided

    I use trail shoes even on the road. When I dismount I can walk like
    a human because the cleat is recessed into the lugged soles.
    My friends' clunky gait walking on Look cleat road shoes makes me chuckle.

    Straps on top of lace closure make for a superior uniform fit.
    I started with a pair of Nike shoes. I later bought a pair of Axo shoes
    to be backups as the Nikes aged. Purchased both pairs on clearance.

    For a long time I just moved the pedals between my road and trail bike
    until I mothballed the road bike. When I started riding the road bike again,
    I installed the never-used cheap one-sided SPD pedals that came with the bike,
    using the old Nike shoes. I am so spoiled by the Speedplay, I hate the SPD.
    Maybe a better quality SPD would be better, but I'm not interested.

    Just for variety, I bought a cheap set of Time ATAC pedals and Answer shoes
    on clearance. I use them only on my commute bike, the hardtail with slicks.
    This model of the pedal (they have many) is too big and heavy.
    Spoiled by the low profile of the Frog and SPD, I've scraped them on
    pavement and curbs. I rate them a little above SPD for engagement and
    disengagement.

    A coworker just asked me about clipless pedals. He rides only on the road.
    He is very fit, but he's not a bike nut like us. To be fair, I told him
    that personal preference can border on the religious. Of course, I told
    him to join the Church of Speedplay !

    Sorry to be longwinded. The monks make me do it.

    ...Dave
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    Wow Dave, thanks for the awesome comment! I really appreciate it! As for the part about strap pedals wearing into shoes and causing discomfort, the same thing was actually happening to me, and was another reason why I wanted to switch to clipless pedals. I have never used the Speedplay Frog Pedals, but the recessed cleat design looks awesome, and it would definitely be helpful when walking, especially for commuters. Thanks again for the awesome comment!
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    The Frog cleat is a little bigger than the SPD and ATAC cleats, but they all are recessed because MTB shoes have a lugged tread sole like a hiking boot.
    The lugs are thicker than the cleats.
    All two-bolt cleats have to fit in the space provided by the standard sized cutout in the MTB shoe sole. Sometimes I have to use an Xacto blade to trim the lugs surrounding the cutout to fit the Frog cleat properly.
    ...Dave
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    My first week having clipons was a challenge, My funny story is one day after a ride I rode up in my driveway and slowed, I forgot I was cliped in. I fell over in the middle of my driveway, that was embarasing , I looked to see if any neighbors was watching. Preciding weeks I paid more attension to the dismount.
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    Haha, great story Brock. I've yet to use my clipless pedals on the road, just on the rollers. I haven't had many issues with them there, but we'll se what happens come spring time.

    Thanks for the comment!
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    I use Clipless pedals, after doing some research I found that the "LOOK Pedals" are hard to beat. I went out and bought some LOOK Carbon, and so far some 2000mi. Ive rode on them thay have been flawless and extremily light. BP
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    Ya, I have heard a lot of good things about the Looks. I went with the Ultegra's because they wee at my local bike shop, and looked cool, but I would love to try some of the Look pedals some time in the future. I have had no problems with my Ultegra pedals, so I would recommend them in addition to the look as a solid set of lightweight clipless pedals. Thanks again for the great comments!
 

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