Newbie with questions on shoes, cleats and pedals

[SpudGun]

Hi all! I am newbie getting back into road cycling after quite a long time out of the saddle. I recently bought a 2nd hand Trek One series 1.2 road bike to get me started. The last time I was on a road bike I was able to fold my helmet up into my back pocket, and I think the only carbon that my bike had was from the firing of the pig iron that made up most of the frame. Anyway, now that I'm back in the saddle I'm coming to grips with the fact that they have almost literally reinvented the wheel, so a lot of googling has been done to get up to speed, but where I'm coming unstuck is with shoes, cleats and pedals.

I understand the types, but I am not sure how you shop for them. Should shoes or pedals drive the decision making? Now come the real newbist questions. The bike I bought came wit Exustar EPS-R pedals fitted, and a pair of Shimano R087 road shoes that are too small for me. Now some sources say that I should replace the pedals as it's good practice. Is that true? Should I get a pedal, cleat, shoe combo pack (if such things exist)? Or do I buy each separately? In that regard, how do I know if a particular shoe is compatible to a particular system? Is it simply a case of looking at the sole?

The challenge I have is that I work in Sydney CBD and the bike shops are a bit of a trek (boom-tish) away, and those shops tend to be light on both makes and models of shoe. So I'll probably be looking to buy shoes online, are there tips for buying shoes online? What is a good all rounder shoe for a beginner road bike rider?

I appreciate your guidance and advice on this, and in all remedial type cycling threads that I will brazenly and shamelessly deposit in these forums over the coming months.

[Duck!]

Pedals and cleats are a combined system; when you buy pedals the appropriate cleats are included. Exustar are a less mainstream player in the component market, so finding the right replacement cleats may be a challenge. If the cleats fitted to the shoes you've got are in good nick just swap them over to your new shoes when you get them.

When buying shoes, if you're not sure what you want, do the footwork and go and try several on; like all shoes, they're not created equal, different brands will fit differently, and can put you in a world of pain if they're not right. And when you find the right pair, buy them in the shop.

[Derny Driver]

Hi Spud. Welcome to the forum.

First priority is always the shoe. You buy the shoes that fit you nicely and are the correct colour etc. You really shouldnt buy shoes online because sizes vary and so does the fit. You really need to go into a shop and try some on. If you know your size you could take a punt and buy online but they may not fit you nicely. Shoes are a bit like helmets, some fit your head and others just dont feel comfortable.

So get your shoes first. Any shoe you buy will fit any cleat you buy, therefore you can put Exustar cleats on whatever shoes you buy. I dont see any need to throw away perfectly good pedals just because they have been used. I have several sets of Look pedals that are over 20 years old and they still function perfectly. Pedals are just a personal preference and they all do the same thing. More expensive ones might be lighter or have better bearings but a pedal is a pedal in my opinion.

So buy shoes first. Then cleats to suit your pedals. Screw the cleats on to the sole of your shoe. Getting the position correct is tricky, there may be a video on that on youtube.

Cheers
DD

[AUbicycles]

The Exustar system is compatible with Shimano SPD-SLs though you may still spot minor differences. If the pedals and cleats are in good knick then you don't need to change. Cleats will wear first and are replaceable so if budget is an issue - try and source the Exustar cleats. Otherwise, for simplicity you could simply go for new pedals and cleats - the Shimano 105 pedals and yellow cleats will be a good starting point.

With shoes however - if you get a bad fit from online shoes then it is like throwing away money. For peace of mind, a bike store is the preferred option. I don't think any in Sydney city are charging money to try on shoes. Realistically if you are starting out - comfort takes priority over performance and weight so you can budget for well under $130 and focus on the entry level model.

Shoes are essentially independent of the pedal / cleat systems. Road Cycling shoes generally come with 3 bolt holes that fit the most common Shimano SPD-SL system for road cycling. Speedplay requires 4 bolts but also comes with an adapter to convert from a 3-bolt.

It means you can get shoes independently of the system.

[silentC]

The challenge I have is that I work in Sydney CBD and the bike shops are a bit of a trek (boom-tish) away

I would never suggest that someone go to Clarence Street Cyclery, (corner of King & Clarence) and try some on then check prices online.

I have bought shoes online, mainly because nobody within 200km of my house stocks them. The first time, I had to send them back because they were too small. It cost me about $9 to send them back but the retailer gave me a free pair of socks for the trouble.

[redsonic]

The challenge I have is that I work in Sydney CBD and the bike shops are a bit of a trek (boom-tish) away

I would never suggest that someone go to Clarence Street Cyclery, (corner of King & Clarence) and try some on then check prices online.

I have bought shoes online, mainly because nobody within 200km of my house stocks them. The first time, I had to send them back because they were too small. It cost me about $9 to send them back but the retailer gave me a free pair of socks for the trouble.

Don't forget, that if you pay for shoes online with PayPal, they will cover return postage costs up to $45. I have used this system twice (not for shoes though) and it has been a quick, simple deal.

[silentC]

Good tip, I didn't know that.

[g-boaf]

Hi all! I am newbie getting back into road cycling after quite a long time out of the saddle. I recently bought a 2nd hand Trek One series 1.2 road bike to get me started. The last time I was on a road bike I was able to fold my helmet up into my back pocket, and I think the only carbon that my bike had was from the firing of the pig iron that made up most of the frame. Anyway, now that I'm back in the saddle I'm coming to grips with the fact that they have almost literally reinvented the wheel, so a lot of googling has been done to get up to speed, but where I'm coming unstuck is with shoes, cleats and pedals.

I understand the types, but I am not sure how you shop for them. Should shoes or pedals drive the decision making? Now come the real newbist questions. The bike I bought came wit Exustar EPS-R pedals fitted, and a pair of Shimano R087 road shoes that are too small for me. Now some sources say that I should replace the pedals as it's good practice. Is that true? Should I get a pedal, cleat, shoe combo pack (if such things exist)? Or do I buy each separately? In that regard, how do I know if a particular shoe is compatible to a particular system? Is it simply a case of looking at the sole?

The challenge I have is that I work in Sydney CBD and the bike shops are a bit of a trek (boom-tish) away, and those shops tend to be light on both makes and models of shoe. So I'll probably be looking to buy shoes online, are there tips for buying shoes online? What is a good all rounder shoe for a beginner road bike rider?

I appreciate your guidance and advice on this, and in all remedial type cycling threads that I will brazenly and shamelessly deposit in these forums over the coming months.

I think you don't want to go online for shoes, you want to try them on in store. Getting a good fit in those shoes is super important. They'll all take whatever cleats you want to use, but the fit is key - or you'll end up hating riding.

There isn't any one particular all-rounder shoe for a beginner. Just get what fits perfectly for you - your feet will thank you for it for years to come.

As far as shoes and cleats go, you generally buy the shoes and the pedals if you buy them will come with cleats. The Dura Ace carbon pedals I have came with Shimano blue cleats. Out of all the shoes I've tried, it was a set of Specialized S-Works shoes that have been the best I've had. These are not the current latest model, so I cannot tell you what those are like. Saying that, they might be horrid for you. You can use whatever cleats that are compatible with your pedals with the shoes you get.

The other store I think are quite good in Sydney are Jet Cycles - I'd give them a go, and probably Clarence Street Cyclery too, both I've found to be quite helpful.

I would never suggest that someone go to Clarence Street Cyclery, (corner of King & Clarence) and try some on then check prices online.

No, nor would I suggest it. I've found them to be a pretty reliable store and I'm happy to give them business. Sure it might be "okay" (for some people) to do this to local bike stores they don't like, but Clarence Street, they are one of the better ones around the place.

[AUbicycles]

Clarence have a good reputation for service, though you pay for it as well.

On and around Clarence Street there is:
• Jet Cycles
• Clarence St Cyclery
• Atelier de Vélo
• Giant Bicycles Sydney

I have received a friendly reception at Atelier and Giant, haven't been to Jet Cycles before.

[silentC]

CSC has been there for a long time, I bought my first 'proper' road bike there 23 years ago. They were a good shop then. Less so these days in my experience, but I don't go in very often.

Anyway there is absolutely nothing wrong with checking prices online before you buy, I do it all the time. Some people might even think it prudent. Sometimes when you factor in postage it is not much cheaper, other times the bricks and mortar places take the mickey with the mark-up, especially if they are in a high-rent location.

But anyway whatever floats your boat

[SpudGun]

Cheers for all the info! I took a long lunch today and popped over to the far end of Clarence Street. I had resigned myself to pay in-store prices for finding the right shoes. Anyway, they only do Giro and Bontrager shoes and the entry level Bontrager was $139.

https://cyclery.com.au/collections/clot ... -race-mens

He gave me a size 47 which felt good in the width but was a tad too small, and then he said that was the biggest size that they had in any shoe they had in stock. I did my best "that's a shame but thanks for the guilt free online purchase" face and headed off. I really liked the look of their Spectre shoe, but it costs a good bit more.

https://cyclery.com.au/collections/clot ... ecter-mens

Are Bontrager any good? I know that they are Trek shoes, but do you rate them as a manufacturer?

I had a look in Jet Cycles as well, great shop that does Specialized and S-Works only, though they do seem to cost a fair bit. I had expected to walk into one shop and try on a wide variety of shoes from different manufacturers, but to do that you seem to have to visit different stores as the license to sell a brand of bike seems to extend to shoes as well.

[2wheels_mond]

The Exustar EPS-R is compatible with Look Keo (different to Shimano SPD-SL) cleats, for when you need to look for cleats.

[trailgumby]

Jet = Specialized + Cannondale
CSC = Trek and Bontrager and more recently Merida
Giant = Giant
Atelier = a number of boutique Italian and German brands

Bontrager shoes are pretty OK - I have a pair of their carbon MTB shoes that are now on their last legs after years of abuse, and for comfort I rate them. The only downside was the typical cardboard insole which is the same as used in street shoes - not really appropriate for shoes that can expect to get saturated from riding in all weathers. Despite that, they have lasted with a bit of extra care (ie, using the newspaper trick to wick the water out). I would buy again. This despite me being a Trek "hater" (don't like the way they treated Greg Lemond and his bike business partnership with them for telling the truth about Lance).

[grimbo]

Are Bontrager any good? I know that they are Trek shoes, but do you rate them as a manufacturer?

I bought a pair of Velocis https://cyclery.com.au/collections/clot ... locis-mens in their May sale. They fit my feet really well and no problems so far. I like that they have a close fitting heal, are tight across the instep (thanks to the boa) but there is lots of room in the toe area.

[fergy1987]

Well I just got my first set of clipless pedals....decided to practice in the garage clipping in and out.....it ended with me on the floor with a bike on top of me after losing balance leaning against the wall.....my suggestion is practice alot!!

[g-boaf]

I think one thing to do is not panic too much - just relax.

Also, you could try having your bike on a trainer and practicing clip in and clip out as you would riding for real on that. It will at least let you get the hang of where to put your foot to clip in properly and remembering to do this without the risk of toppling over.

You will have to face that eventually, but you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.

[fergy1987]

Well I just got my first set of clipless pedals....decided to practice in the garage clipping in and out.....it ended with me on the floor with a bike on top of me after losing balance leaning against the wall.....my suggestion is practice alot!!

an update on this - went on my first ride with them.....no issues, didn't fall, found the clip in point easily......seems way easier when you're out riding. I have combination pedals, so if it got a bit difficult to clip in at a point or if I was crossing a bunch of rides, just sat on the platform side until I could clip in safely.....seems best thing to do is to just get out there and give it a crack

[g-boaf]

You did it right. If you don't clip in right away, just rest your foot carefully on the wrong side of the pedals and keep turning the cranks until you've got some speed going. It is usually only a problem with one foot, not both. With one foot clipped in that will give you sufficient ability to get up to 25km/h and then you have time available to get the other foot clipped in.

Jet = Specialized + Cannondale
CSC = Trek and Bontrager and more recently Merida
Giant = Giant
Atelier = a number of boutique Italian and German brands

Bontrager shoes are pretty OK - I have a pair of their carbon MTB shoes that are now on their last legs after years of abuse, and for comfort I rate them. The only downside was the typical cardboard insole which is the same as used in street shoes - not really appropriate for shoes that can expect to get saturated from riding in all weathers. Despite that, they have lasted with a bit of extra care (ie, using the newspaper trick to wick the water out). I would buy again. This despite me being a Trek "hater" (don't like the way they treated Greg Lemond and his bike business partnership with them for telling the truth about Lance).

You can hate Trek as a company, but at the moment they are doing awesome bikes. And I agree their shoes are good. The newspaper trick is good, I do that with my shoes too, not just cycling shoes but my work ones (Loake leather boots).

[SpudGun]

So I did another round of the cycle shops in Sydney CBD and ended up ordering a pair of Shimano R171's at Atelier de Velo. The advice to try before I buy was brilliant as I ended up ordering size 49's. The biggest pair he'd ever sold so he said. If I'd got them online, they wouldn't have fit as my cycle shoes are 2 European sizes bigger than the shoes I am wearing now. I also got new Shimano PD-R550 pedals as well so I don't have to worry about Exustar compatibility.

Well I just got my first set of clipless pedals....decided to practice in the garage clipping in and out.....it ended with me on the floor with a bike on top of me after losing balance leaning against the wall.....my suggestion is practice alot!!

I'm not far away from doing this as well. I'm sure I'll be in the same boat with coming to grips with it.

[trailgumby]

I'm not far away from doing this as well. I'm sure I'll be in the same boat with coming to grips with it.

\
My suggestion is to back the preload off to minimum, put a drop of chain lube on the contact points of the cleat, and go to the local park and ride around on the grass practicing unclipping *before* you come to a stop, and then clipping in again as you take off. Use a tree or play equipment pole to hold yourself up to start with.

It's OK to favour one side over another to start with, but you will need to be able to unclip both sides, so it's good to practice both.

When you suffer the inevitable tumble, keep your elbow bent and aim to turn it into a sideways roll - hand->elbow->hip/butt->(if necessary)shoulder

[grimbo]

You can hate Trek as a company, but at the moment they are doing awesome bikes.

Hi g-boaf - why do you hate Trek - just curious, as I thought they were fairly strong on bike advocacy?

[g-boaf]

You can hate Trek as a company, but at the moment they are doing awesome bikes.

Hi g-boaf - why do you hate Trek - just curious, as I thought they were fairly strong on bike advocacy?

Me, hate Trek? Not really. I've got one of their bikes. I know some people dislike them over the whole Lance Armstrong thing. Which means they should also boycott US Postal Service, Discovery channel and all those others who were sponsors.

[grimbo]

You can hate Trek as a company, but at the moment they are doing awesome bikes.

Hi g-boaf - why do you hate Trek - just curious, as I thought they were fairly strong on bike advocacy?

Me, hate Trek? Not really. I've got one of their bikes. I know some people dislike them over the whole Lance Armstrong thing. Which means they should also boycott US Postal Service, Discovery channel and all those others who were sponsors.

Oh, gotcha. Yeah, they didn't come out of that whole Lance Armstrong thing smelling so sweet, and according to Duck their BB90 standard is just a complete fail. Still love my Trekkie, though.