Introducing the wife to clipless.
Discussion
lufbramatt said:
Shimano Clik’r
Kind of SPD ‘lite’, easier to use clip than normal spd pedals. My wife gets on well with them. Use 2 bolt compatible shoes with a clear that looks very similar to an spd cleat. The dual sided ones with a platform are easy to get into and the platform is big enough to work with trainers.
Thanks.Kind of SPD ‘lite’, easier to use clip than normal spd pedals. My wife gets on well with them. Use 2 bolt compatible shoes with a clear that looks very similar to an spd cleat. The dual sided ones with a platform are easy to get into and the platform is big enough to work with trainers.
They look like regular SPD cleats would fit them. Do they?
Okay, Lady Balfour now has both road and MTB bikes. She is upping her road mileage weekly and is probably doing 100 miles a week.
The Easter bunny is going to buy her some clipless pedals and he is still undecided as to which route to go. SPDs or road-specific.
The advantage of SPD being that she can have them on her MTB and swap easily between them. Also, when she wants to walk about in them life will be easier.
Any reason not to go with this combo? I am happy to increase the budget if required.
Shimano PD-M520
https://www.highonbikes.com/products/shimano-pd-m5...
PEARL IZUMI Women's W All-Road V4
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PEARL-IZUMI-Womens-All-Ro...
take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:
<shudder>. I can still remember the b
king I got for suggesting my wife adopt spds. What a fun couple of rides that was 
We've been through that. She was initially "absolutely no way!" But, Lady B used to be a competitive runner and likes king I got for suggesting my wife adopt spds. What a fun couple of rides that was A. to be good at stuff and
B. To be better than other people at stuff.
The strategy I used was to casually mention that clips and straps are rather old-fashioned and that most serious cyclists use clipless. I left it at that.
Yesterday, one of my children told me she has been suggesting she would like to TRY clipless.
Bingo.
Okay, it would appear that Lady Balfour intends to do mostly road cycling going forwards and favours a road specific clipless system.
Being an ex MTBer I am out of my depth with road systems.
Which one(s) should she look at for leisure use? Ease of getting in and out is important, but it needs to be a system she won’t outgrow.
Being an ex MTBer I am out of my depth with road systems.
Which one(s) should she look at for leisure use? Ease of getting in and out is important, but it needs to be a system she won’t outgrow.
Sway said:
Spd-r is ubiquitous for a reason, tension can be dialled right back as per regular spd.
Look is similar.
One thing to strongly consider - road clipless systems massively inhibit things like walking compared to spd where there's a whole spectrum of soles/shoes to choose from.
We've discussed the issue with walking. She doesn't think it will be an issue.Look is similar.
One thing to strongly consider - road clipless systems massively inhibit things like walking compared to spd where there's a whole spectrum of soles/shoes to choose from.
Is SPD-R the most common road system?
Okay, Lady Balfour has been using my spare SPDs and her spin shoes for the past couple of weeks. When I first held her bike and let her clip in she was sure that she was going to die in a ditch, unable to unclip. There were, in fact, some minor histrionics.
On return from her first ride - "THAT WAS BRILLIANT! It's SSSSO MUCH BETTER!".
So I said that I would buy her some new shoes and SPDs for Easter instead of a chocolate egg(!). I explained the differences between off-road and road systems and tried to emphasise the benefits of SPD. So after much consideration, "I shall have road pedals" came the decision.
Today I have fitted her new carbon SPD-SLs and cleats and again held her bike whilst she clipped in. She immediately decided that they are far tighter and harder to use. "Why didn't you buy me SPDs?????" she snapped....
Next year it's something from Hotel Chocolat.
On return from her first ride - "THAT WAS BRILLIANT! It's SSSSO MUCH BETTER!".
So I said that I would buy her some new shoes and SPDs for Easter instead of a chocolate egg(!). I explained the differences between off-road and road systems and tried to emphasise the benefits of SPD. So after much consideration, "I shall have road pedals" came the decision.
Today I have fitted her new carbon SPD-SLs and cleats and again held her bike whilst she clipped in. She immediately decided that they are far tighter and harder to use. "Why didn't you buy me SPDs?????" she snapped....
Next year it's something from Hotel Chocolat.
Mastodon2 said:
Louis Balfour said:
Today I have fitted her new carbon SPD-SLs and cleats and again held her bike whilst she clipped in. She immediately decided that they are far tighter and harder to use. "Why didn't you buy me SPDs?????" she snapped....
Just dial the tension adjustment screws right back so the release tension on the cleat is really low and she won't have any complaints.To be fair, the SPDs I have lent her are looser on the loosest setting than the SLs are.
....and after carefully setting up the SPD-SLs and waving Lady Balfour goodbye, I was barely back in the house before she stormed in sobbing. Can't do it, nearly killed by lorry, your fault, should have bought me SPDs...
Think I will use the now surplus SPD-SLs as an excuse to buy myself a new road bike. I mean, you can't have spare road pedals lying about can you.
The shoes were the last pair of Northwave Core in a 37 in the country, so hopefully I will recover my money if I re-sell them.
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