i need some explanation on this whole clipless pedal idea?

Question

im extremly new to this sport and trying to learn everything i can. I understand the concept of you have shoes that clip into these pedals but what i dont understand is do all pedal and all shoes work together or do u need specific cleats for each type of pedal to srew onto your shoes? Whats the difference between look style and spd? basically tell me all you know about this idea. thanx

Answer 1

Each brand of pedal, even within a certain type, will require a specific cleat.
Shimano SPD pedals will require Shimano SPD Cleats, etc...
Aftermarket companies like Welgo (an OEM mfg for more inexpensive products) will require a Welgo cleat for best function, even though the Welgo will be SPD Compatible. It is true that some brands cleats will fit in other brands pedals, but never as well as the same brand products will.
The rule of thumb is whatever type and brand of pedal your bike comes with, stick with that brands cleats. Any respectable shop (especially the one that sells you the bike) should stock the appropriate parts for your bike!
If you haven't already bought a bike or pedals, then you need to determine what exactly you want to do while cycling...
If you are strictly going to be riding on the road for longer distances, then Look style and SPD-SL type pedals are ideal. They require a flat sole shoe with no or nearly no tread on them at all because the cleats take up a large portion of the bottom of the shoe. These are great because it puts a large contact area between you and the pedal, making for a very stable and comfortable platform as well as being the most efficient for delivery of power.
If you want to ride primarily on the road, but aren't as concerned about putting a lot of miles under your tires, then standard SPD style shoes and pedals will work. SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) is simply a term which has come to mean smaller cleat size. This allows for more traditional looking shoes which you can walk around in and not look like a complete bike nerd.
For mountain biking, the only real choice is an SPD compatible system in my opinion. There were several pretenders to the throne a few years ago, but none of them left a lasting impression. SPD offers better mud shedding capability and generally allows your foot to float a bit on the pedal, which is a good thing considering the dynamic nature of mountain biking, as well as being somewhat kind on your knees.
As you can see, there are a number of factors to consider when making a choice in cleat/shoe combinations.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I just wanted to add a little to Roberto's answer, he gave a great overview...

Speedplay Frogs are what I think he was going for...

He described the mountain bike clipless pedals very well. If you go to a forum, like another responder linked to, you will see that everyone has a favorite type for various reasons. I know people who swear by eggbeaters because of their mud shedding ability and light weight, and put up with the fact that they break a lot and have to be rebuilt occasionally (though Crank Brothers has great customer service, from what I hear). I also know people who will use nothing but Time Atac pedals (including my boyfriend and a number of people I ride with). I use SPDs because they were cheap when I first got them, they have adjustable tension, which I like, they have always worked really well for me, and with 4 bikes and 4 sets of shoes, changing at this point would be too expensive.

The three above pedals all work similarly...you have a small cleat on the bottom of your shoe (they come with the pedal and also can be purchased separately, since they wear out before the pedal or shoe does in most cases). The cleat attaches to the pedal between two little bars that are spring loaded. To pull your foot out, you twist your heel outward and this pushes the cleat against the bars and the spring allows the cleat to come out...or something like that. It is a little hard at first, but after a few rides, you will be able to do it without even thinking about it.

Some people swear by the Speedplay pedals because they have a different system which allows for unlimted float (the amount your foot can move from side to side) which is supposed to be better for your knees. I don't really know how these work, but they look totally different from SPD, Time and Eggbeaters.

Road pedals are completely different than all of these to allow for a larger platform, and I assume lighter weight. And road shoes are different from mountain shoes because they have no tread on the bottom (though you can wear mountain shoes on a road bike and use mountain pedals on a road bike, but I would not recommend the other way in case you have to get off the bike and walk anywhere on the trail.)

An example of road pedals are LOOK pedals. Shimano and Time also make road specific pedals.

If you decide to go clipless, which I highly recommend if you do much riding, before you go out for a ride, balance on your bike against a wall and practice clipping in and out about 50-100 times with each foot to build some muscle memory so when you go for your first ride you don't just tip over when you stop.

Answer 3

Clipless pedals offer the cyclist the freedom to just twist their foot to release from the pedal. Before that pedals had straps on them that you had to yank on to tighten and fiddle with a release tab to get the strap loose. When stopping or need to get your feet down to the ground fast, clipless are the way to go.
SPD and LOOK pedal/cleats are two different styles. There are others. I prefer Speedplay pedals system.
Generally road cycling shoes will accept SPD and LOOK style cleats. Mountain bike shoes are more SPD styled.
LOOK clipless pedals were the first mass produced pedals that came out about the time Greg Lemond won his first Tour. I also have a pair of those dinosaurs.

Answer 4

There are several standards for clipless:
-Shimano SPD
-Time/Attack
-Candy Bros / Eggbeaters
-Frogplay (or something similar)

Usually, you buy a cycling shoe, and when you buy the pedals they come with a cleat that you attach to the shoe. If your bike came with the pedals, then it's very liketly that you would need to buy the cleats separately.

The most common standard is SPD, which was developed by Shimano. It's a good one, and you can find pedals cheap and expensive.

Crank brothers have a crazy look where there is something like an eggbeater where you clip in (hence the name, eggbeaters). I think one advantage of this system is that they're easy to clip in and out in mud (on SPD, some pedals are good, some are bad for mud).

Time is also one that seems very good. And frogplay, I have no idea.

Answer 5

Your best source of information is your local bike store where you can touch and feel. You really need to see and try it out before making a decision. It's like buying clothing without ever trying it on for fit.

Think of clipless pedals and the shoes the way you would a ski boots and the binding on the ski.

Both work essentially the same, improving your efficiency by locking you into the pedals.

Some people feel it's easier to walk around with SPD because of the recessed "cleat." Some think the Look rig is more comfortable on the bike, (the pedals are bigger typcially) but it really is more of a personal preference. The trade-off is that the shoes are slippy and harder to walk around in.

To make things more complicated, Campognolo also has their own system that is neither Look nor SPD.

I attached a discussion thread for you...

Answer 6

CLIPLESS ALL THE WAY!!! Yes, people tip over when getting used to clipless pedals. EVERYONE does it at least once, and it's a rite of passage for a cyclist. Bruises the pride more than anything, but if you're going out in public wearing lycra, then personal embarassment is not an issue for you. Clipless pedals are more efficient and allow you to have better bike control. Besides, when you get used to them, clipping in & out becomes an unconscious act. There are many reasons you don't see road bikes with platform pedals; think about it. Are you a cyclist, or just some guy with a bike?

Answer 7

SPD pedals are way different than look or even speedplay styles. And yes you must get the right shoe. Some are only spd or Look/speedplay compatible. Just go to your local shop they will hook you up.

Answer 8

They do not all work together. There are a couple of different styles.

Most bike shoes are designed to accomodate different clip types (cleats). So you buy the shoe, buy the pedal and buy the cleat and make sure they all work together.

Answer 9

Like anything, pedal manufacturers have their own proprietary design based on the engineering and protecting their product design.
They don't all fit, but most fit all shoes.
Benefits of one design to another vary from how close the design puts your foot to the pedal spindle to cornering clearance and weight.