I live in Forest Hill and my commute home is all uphill. I have a shite power to weight ratio (which I’m working on!) so I think it’s time I switched to clipless pedals. I’ve done some research and the Shimano Click’r system looks perfect for me - my dodgy ankle means I’ll need pedals I can get out of quickly and easily.
My silly question is: what shoes do I need?! I’ve looked and can’t figure out if I need specific shoes or just specific cleats - can any shoe take any cleat?
My budget for the shoes is around £35 and I’m a size 6. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
@Leroy Ambrose I'm currently struggling along mate and wonder whether you have any words of wisdom.. You can see the TrainerRoad work I'm doing on the Strava feed, but it's not translating at all out on the road.. I find my legs aching very quickly, knees in particular, and then as soon as I hit a hill I've got nothing...lowest gear, legs spinning but getting nowhere (other than dropped).. Went out on Sat and set about 30 PRs on the way out through Kent as I tried to keep up with my mates but then headed home on my own and all back to slow norm... I'm following a training session on TR, but I just have no power....any advice?? (note: I'm not wanting to race, but I am in the Alps next weekend and then in the Pyrenees in June for a week, so I'm looking at sustained climbing and I just feel 'empty'... Bike is set up right as had it fitted, so know it's not that causing the aching legs/knees..). Cheers boss.
You might not be fuelling properly @“Charlton Charlie” ?
I’ve just learned to take a bite of an energy bar every 10 mins and it revolutionised my cycling. I used to bonk at 50 or 60kms, but did 107kms on my first fuelled ride, and could have carried on as I wasn’t really tired. I don’t start eating the bars until about an hour into the ride. @Leroy Ambrose will know more about this than I do. I used to take 2 or 3 energy gels on a long ride, not realising than you can require up to theee an hour!
I’m doing this ProstateCancerUK charity ride to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks, so this has given me encouragement. I’m 61 so need all the help I can get.
Get Shimano M520 spd pedals. About £25. Go to Decathlon they have spd compatible shoes from about £30. That's how I started clipless.
Thank you! But I want the Click'r pedals for the easy clipping out - I think 2 bolt SPD cleats look right, I'll just go for those and the cheapest compatible shoes I can find.
My regular solo training rides are around 120km, usually takes me just under 4 hours - which is less than I'd take playing a round of golf. The longer rides obviously take longer - I did a couple of 350km rides last year that took me 12 hours, plus a couple of hours' stop during the ride for food etc
So, after stopping following a training programme and - instead - going on a couple of long rides over consecutive weekends (150km to Framlingham in Suffolk and then a long weekend in the Alps with 2 x 120km odd days and 2/2,500 metres of climbing) coupled with gentle daily commuting, I feel great :-) Have accepted that I'm not going to feel as great as I did ten years ago, as I'm pushing old age now, but general fatigue has passed and I'm looking forward to the mountains in June...
Am going to try and get out 2 or 3 times a week for 80 - 120km rides from next week, worry less about hammering it for an hour on the turbo and then see how it goes...
The bad news is that my bike service cost nearly £400 yesterday and I still need new hubs :-(
So, after stopping following a training programme and - instead - going on a couple of long rides over consecutive weekends (150km to Framlingham in Suffolk and then a long weekend in the Alps with 2 x 120km odd days and 2/2,500 metres of climbing) coupled with gentle daily commuting, I feel great :-) Have accepted that I'm not going to feel as great as I did ten years ago, as I'm pushing old age now, but general fatigue has passed and I'm looking forward to the mountains in June...
Am going to try and get out 2 or 3 times a week for 80 - 120km rides from next week, worry less about hammering it for an hour on the turbo and then see how it goes...
The bad news is that my bike service cost nearly £400 yesterday and I still need new hubs :-(
wowza - that's an expensive trip to the shop. What didn't you get done?
tell you what @olster that was just a service (£150), with new cassette, cables and chain. I paid RRP on the items, whereas they'd have been about 25% cheaper on wiggle, but I'm trying - where I can - to support local/indie bike shops... Not cheap but bike does run well now though (apart from - as said - need for new wheels... So, just in case anyone is thinking...DON'T EVER BUY ZIPP WHEELS...their hubs are useless...mine have less than 3000km on them and they're shot...bloke in shop showed me a bucket of hubs he has that he has had to re-build/replace...a search online shows 000s of complaints too...gutted as they weren't cheap in the first place..)
Get Shimano M520 spd pedals. About £25. Go to Decathlon they have spd compatible shoes from about £30. That's how I started clipless.
Thank you! But I want the Click'r pedals for the easy clipping out - I think 2 bolt SPD cleats look right, I'll just go for those and the cheapest compatible shoes I can find.
The spd shoes at Decathlon, any spd shoes really, should be compatible with these pedals.
Good luck and don't forget you will probably fall over as you try to unclip at least once But it becomes second nature to unclip very quickly.
Thanks @iainment, I plan on practicing on the turbo trainer and then somewhere quiet (like the waterlink way) before attempting a commute for just that reason
Get Shimano M520 spd pedals. About £25. Go to Decathlon they have spd compatible shoes from about £30. That's how I started clipless.
Thank you! But I want the Click'r pedals for the easy clipping out - I think 2 bolt SPD cleats look right, I'll just go for those and the cheapest compatible shoes I can find.
The spd shoes at Decathlon, any spd shoes really, should be compatible with these pedals.
Good luck and don't forget you will probably fall over as you try to unclip at least once But it becomes second nature to unclip very quickly.
Indeed. Laying on your side at traffic lights does concentrate the mind.
So, after stopping following a training programme and - instead - going on a couple of long rides over consecutive weekends (150km to Framlingham in Suffolk and then a long weekend in the Alps with 2 x 120km odd days and 2/2,500 metres of climbing) coupled with gentle daily commuting, I feel great :-) Have accepted that I'm not going to feel as great as I did ten years ago, as I'm pushing old age now, but general fatigue has passed and I'm looking forward to the mountains in June...
Am going to try and get out 2 or 3 times a week for 80 - 120km rides from next week, worry less about hammering it for an hour on the turbo and then see how it goes...
The bad news is that my bike service cost nearly £400 yesterday and I still need new hubs :-(
Looking to get out for 50-60 miles on Bank Holiday Monday if you fancy a slightly slower (15mph average) trundle round Kent.
Get Shimano M520 spd pedals. About £25. Go to Decathlon they have spd compatible shoes from about £30. That's how I started clipless.
Thank you! But I want the Click'r pedals for the easy clipping out - I think 2 bolt SPD cleats look right, I'll just go for those and the cheapest compatible shoes I can find.
The spd shoes at Decathlon, any spd shoes really, should be compatible with these pedals.
Good luck and don't forget you will probably fall over as you try to unclip at least once But it becomes second nature to unclip very quickly.
Indeed. Laying on your side at traffic lights does concentrate the mind.
I recommend practicing on grass. But it very quickly becomes automatic.
Not sure if I am allowed on this thread, but recently moved work to Canning Town. Didn't fancy the rail commute, so converted my mountain bike to electric. Shooters hill is an absolute breeze. Maybe one day I won't need it, but for a fat fucker trying to get a bit of exercise, this is the way forward.
Not sure if I am allowed on this thread, but recently moved work to Canning Town. Didn't fancy the rail commute, so converted my mountain bike to electric. Shooters hill is an absolute breeze. Maybe one day I won't need it, but for a fat fucker trying to get a bit of exercise, this is the way forward.
More exercise without the electric though. Aim to be self sufficient! But well done anyway.
Idea is to step down on battery requirement levels. But without it, it would have put me right off from the start
Just go for it. Cycling is the best and if you need a boost use it. But try to do more as you go along and don't rely on electricity too much. Chapeau.
Not sure if I am allowed on this thread, but recently moved work to Canning Town. Didn't fancy the rail commute, so converted my mountain bike to electric. Shooters hill is an absolute breeze. Maybe one day I won't need it, but for a fat fucker trying to get a bit of exercise, this is the way forward.
Out of interest, how much did the conversion cost you?
Bumped into Dulwich CC in Gravesend. They were at the end of a gravel portion of NCN1. It's rough for about 1.7 miles. They decided not to go there. One saw me booting it to where they were at about 15mph. He wanted to look at my tyres. They're Schwalbe Mondial. He then understood why he had to turn away but I on my proper touring bike with proper touring tyres could just roll through! Nice man.
Dulwich CC or Dulwich Paragon? Didn't know there was a Dulwich CC if its the former - a lot of D Paragon riders are arseholes, but the fast lads (racers) are generally ok
I've ridden gravel on 25s - Armadillos. Provided you run low pressure on them, you can get away with it (did Paris Roubaix on them too). They roll like shit on better roads (though the road surfaces in Britain hardly count as 'better' anyway)
Dulwich CC or Dulwich Paragon? Didn't know there was a Dulwich CC if its the former - a lot of D Paragon riders are arseholes, but the fast lads (racers) are generally ok
I've ridden gravel on 25s - Armadillos. Provided you run low pressure on them, you can get away with it (did Paris Roubaix on them too). They roll like shit on better roads (though the road surfaces in Britain hardly count as 'better' anyway)
Paragon probably then. They were ok although a bit us and them.
I’m sure you lot talk in riddles. In other news I did my first 40+ miler today taking in The Valley to boot. I’ll catch up with that old pensioner @JamesSeed sooner or later....
Comments
I’ve got the bike, now I need the gear.
I live in Forest Hill and my commute home is all uphill. I have a shite power to weight ratio (which I’m working on!) so I think it’s time I switched to clipless pedals. I’ve done some research and the Shimano Click’r system looks perfect for me - my dodgy ankle means I’ll need pedals I can get out of quickly and easily.
My silly question is: what shoes do I need?! I’ve looked and can’t figure out if I need specific shoes or just specific cleats - can any shoe take any cleat?
My budget for the shoes is around £35 and I’m a size 6. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I’ve just learned to take a bite of an energy bar every 10 mins and it revolutionised my cycling. I used to bonk at 50 or 60kms, but did 107kms on my first fuelled ride, and could have carried on as I wasn’t really tired. I don’t start eating the bars until about an hour into the ride. @Leroy Ambrose will know more about this than I do. I used to take 2 or 3 energy gels on a long ride, not realising than you can require up to theee an hour!
I’m doing this ProstateCancerUK charity ride to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks, so this has given me encouragement.
I’m 61 so need all the help I can get.
I'm retired so have time.
Sorry for the obvious questions, I just have no idea how clipless works
That's how I started clipless.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1588177155
https://www.strava.com/activities/1569026671
About three hours, without a stop
My regular solo training rides are around 120km, usually takes me just under 4 hours - which is less than I'd take playing a round of golf. The longer rides obviously take longer - I did a couple of 350km rides last year that took me 12 hours, plus a couple of hours' stop during the ride for food etc
Am going to try and get out 2 or 3 times a week for 80 - 120km rides from next week, worry less about hammering it for an hour on the turbo and then see how it goes...
The bad news is that my bike service cost nearly £400 yesterday and I still need new hubs :-(
Good luck and don't forget you will probably fall over as you try to unclip at least once
But it becomes second nature to unclip very quickly.
https://www.evanscycles.com/northwave-sonic-3s-road-shoe-EV251448?lsft=esvt:54764-GOUKE2370646,esvq:,esvadt:999999-0-1221630-1,esvcrea:189699077222,esvplace:,esvd:c,esvtg:pla-298200017976,esvo:EV251448-36-BLK,esvaid:50080&esvt=54764-GOUKE2370646&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-1221630-1&esvcrea=189699077222&esvplace=&esvd=c&esvtg=pla-298200017976&esvo=EV251448-36-BLK&esvaid=50080&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgJKnv4-c2wIVTrXtCh1X8gu-EAQYAyABEgLSoPD_BwE
Didn't fancy the rail commute, so converted my mountain bike to electric.
Shooters hill is an absolute breeze.
Maybe one day I won't need it, but for a fat fucker trying to get a bit of exercise, this is the way forward.
But well done anyway.
But without it, it would have put me right off from the start
Chapeau.
He then understood why he had to turn away but I on my proper touring bike with proper touring tyres could just roll through!
Nice man.
I've ridden gravel on 25s - Armadillos. Provided you run low pressure on them, you can get away with it (did Paris Roubaix on them too). They roll like shit on better roads (though the road surfaces in Britain hardly count as 'better' anyway)
In other news I did my first 40+ miler today taking in The Valley to boot.
I’ll catch up with that old pensioner @JamesSeed sooner or later....