in Beginners, Newbies, Noobz, etc (Moderators: imwjl, TheMayor1)

I am looking to try clip less and am wondering if anyone has any recommendations on shoes or pedals to look at or if they have any negative comments on clipless I welcome them also.

Opinions are going to vary widely and wildly on this one.  Everyone's got their favorites.  Personally, although I won't ride crank bros/eggbeater based pedals again, I think they're an ideal pedal to start with due to ease of entry and exit.  Many others have plenty of adjustability but the crank bros are just simple.  And these days you can get into them pretty cheaply even for new ones, which is the way to go first time around.

Personally, I find Specialized to have just nailed shoe geometry.  I've tried Shimano, Sidi, Lake, and Northwave as alternatives but my Specialized road and mountain shoes just feel like slippers.

As for pedals...like blackbike said, Crankbrothers Eggbeaters are a dead simple way to get started.  In fact, I still ride 'em and love 'em.

In contrast, I far prefer my Sidi MTB shoes to my Specialized road shoes. Shoes are something you should try on - "like a slipper" is a good thing to shoot for! You will know it when you find the brand/model for you, so don't be in a rush to buy.

I will third the Crank Bros recommendation. I started with them, and still ride them on my cross and mountain bikes.

@blackbike: why won't you ride them again? I've been considering giving spd a shot, but I want to keep the same cleat style for mountain/cross so I am a little worried about mud shedding and ease of clipping in. What is better about spd (or whatever you are using)?

I have used Ritchey, Shimano, Crank Brothers and Time.  I find Time Atac to offer the most secure and predictable connection, with no unintended releases even with pedal strikes on rocks.  I would not recommend them as a starter pedal.  The Crank Brothers might best there. 

I run Time ATAC Aliums on all of my bikes for a few years now. Bummed they have been discontinued. Will keep buying Time products.

@blackbike: why won't you ride them again? I've been considering giving spd a shot, but I want to keep the same cleat style for mountain/cross so I am a little worried about mud shedding and ease of clipping in. What is better about spd (or whatever you are using)?

The design is not robust enough for my liking/riding.  I tend to ride fast but sometimes a bit careless - a few well placed rock strikes on the bottom of an eggbeater style pedal will bend and break the bales, and also find that they loosen up intolerably after a lot of riding.  I went through too many sets and gave up.  I ride Times on now on everything except my road bike - similar mechanism, far more robust and reliable design.  But a lot more expensive.

I have been using Crank Brothers for years. As I love to ride in all conditions, on all types of trail (snow, ice, etc), and even off trail, I loved them for never clogging up and always working the way a clipped pedal should. Though I was always frustrated with the pre-release issues on the Eggbeaters. This was usually because I tend to get in the air more than I like to admit.
I threw a Candy on about a year ago and it was a lot better.
Then this spring for a camping trip I put on a pair of Mallets so I could ride clipped or not around the campground and on the trails. I have not taken them off. Big platform to support the shoe. Still never an issue with keeping the cleats clean. And I have not had an unwanted release all summer. Now I am thinking I might be riding clipped on Mallets this winter even in the deepest snow with a pair of winter riding boots.

I love Shimano XTR pedals. Perfect in and out

I love my Crank Bros pedals for midwest riding. They are not great if you strike them on rocks frequently, but if you are constantly smacking your pedals on rocks in the midwest (where they are virtually non-existant) it's better to fix your riding technique.

Shoes are best determined my fit. They all work, but they have to fir YOUR feet.

My setup is actually a commuter shoe with a flat rubber bottom and cleat with Crank Brothers Mallet3s. I like the combination of a larger pedal with it's more surface area, and flat shoe with cleat. Best of both worlds!

Add one more vote for Crank Bros.  I started using them based on all the recommendations for them as a starter clipless pedal.  I went for the candies first because the eggbeaters looked a little scary with 0 platform.  I still use the candies on my around town ss road bike but I've put eggbeaters on my bikes that see more riding time (mtb and CX) because I don't feel like the platform really gives me any more support and does make clipping in slightly harder.  I am curious about the mallets now after reading this thread though.

I like crank brothers for off the road.  easy in/easy out.  I have eggbeaters on my CX bike, Mallets on every thing else.  MTB shoes are some pearl izumi shoes that I got at an REI garage sale.  not crazy about them, but the price was right. 

I like them much better than the Shimambo mountain bike pedals that I have used.

Road bike- gimme Shimambo road pedals and a pair of Sidis- which is what the crosscheck gets in the non-muddy times of the year.

confession: I still keep a pedal wrench and a pair of platforms in the trailhead tool bag- cause im a huge chicken shit when it comes to trying new things (technical ascents, skinnies and the like)

I've been riding TIME ATACs for several years now, mostly road and fixed gear. No problems on the trails this past year or so either.

SPD M540. I have a few pair. They are tough pedals that have lasted 5+ years with no maintenance and going strong. They tolerate rock hits and are easy to clip in/out. The cheaper shimano generally don't have the mud clearance around the center axle and plug. I have never had the M540's plug or fail in any way, ever.

Otherwise, flats are great. Most of my bikes have platform pedals. Get a very thin pedal with lots of surface area and good spikes. You can do a lot with good platform pedals, but I prefer clipless when going really fast to the point where I bounce off the pedals in rough terrain. Being attached to the pedals in those cases is a real benefit! Seriously, platforms can be better for your joints by allowing more motion. And in many cases there is minimal performance gain from riding clipless.

Look up the Clip Less article in Dirt Rag from issue 163, or look up the many online articles about the subject. Clipless won't make you a better rider. Lots of fast riders are on flats. I strained both achilles tendons last year on ragbrai due to clipless pedals and I struggled to finish with that pedal/shoe combo (or walk up stairs), but then I did a 550 mile bike tour hauling gear a week later on flats with no problem (the Dr. definitely did not approve!). I had to stay with platforms for 2 months to recover.

Good point in riding clipless Jeff. Get those cleats back all the way! I can't stress this enough. I did the same as you a couple years ago on the BALLS ride. I could not walk up a single stair after the first 105 mile day. Bear had done the same a year before.
PT said to get the cleats as far back as they will go and keep them there. I have done that ever since and have had no issues. I have no idea what this effect is on power or performance.
I still much prefer to be clipped versus not or the very reason you stated. I really don't like the feeling of flying down a high speed downhill, hitting some washboards, and feeling bounced off the pedals.