BoaxClipless system recommendations anyone? I'm going to pick some up over winter sales and get comfortable on them in spring before the real riding starts next summer. Only been riding properly for 3 summers now but I feel confident enough to clip in now.
Most of my friends ride Shimano because they like the locked-in feeling but I'm not sure if the extra float of Crank Bros or Time would make me feel more confident, or if I'd end up cranking them tight in the end anyway. Thoughts?
I've spent time on both SPD's (clones and Shimano branded) and Time's.
I thought the flotation the Time's and Crank Brothers add would be a good thing, but I could never feel as comfortable as I would with SPD's. I really like the solid connection between pedal and shoe, and found the Time's/Crank Brothers lacked any solid feeling whatsoever.
It really is personal preference, but I would recommend starting with the SPD's and see how well they work before trying the Time's/Crank Brothers. Just turn the retention screws all the way down and get a good feel for how far you need to rotate your heel to eject your foot.
If you do go with SPD style pedals, do not get the multi release cleats. Yes, they will allow you to unclip easier than the standard single release cleat, but they will also result in you frequently unclipping when you don't want to.
I started my wife out on Shimano M530's last summer and she picked it up quicker than I expected. Now she doesn't ever even want to switch back to flats. You can get the M530's for around $30 new.
Tingathe egg beater sheds mud better than the spd platform and also offers four entry points rather than just one. I ride candies myself and I love them. I would opt up for the candy 2s so you get an actual metal pedal. I would ride your friends shimanos and see how you like being tightly clipped. I like a bit of float because my knees don't exactly go straight.
You can easily mitigate the lack of straightness with your knees by adding a slight cant to your cleats before tightening them to your shoes. Most people I've set up on clipless for the first time move their cleats around 3-4 times before they feel comfortable enough leaving them in one place, this is especially true with SPD style pedals.
ThaLoraxWhat kind of shoes do you use for resort riding with clipless? I have a really old pair of SPD platform padals that have been sitting in a box literally since 2007 because I haven't been able to find a pair of shoes that both fit my foot and that is affordable (I have a narrow heel and really wide toebox). I've been thinking about finally trying the pedals out with the skate shoe style ones but don't know how worth it it is to get those shoes for 7 year old pedals.
Old Shimano DX pedals?
I've been using the Five Ten Maltese Falcons for the past 2 years. For a skate style shoe they have a more aggressive tread pattern that I was looking for. Helps when hiking in the wet conditions we get out here, and the treads don't get clogged as easily as a standard skate style SPD shoe. The soles were stiffer than I expected, but they are nowhere near as stiff as a race styled shoe. Comfortable to wear driving to and from the trailhead, going out for beers after riding with no awkward strides due to a sole being too stiff, or the awkward shuffling required for glossy floors when wearing stiff race cleats.
