Cheap MTB pedals + shoes for wifey

[cyclingnolycra]

Hi all,

Was thinking of getting some clipless shoes + pedals for my wife, she cycles with me once a week and is okay with the idea of trying them out. Was thinking SPD pedals + shoes.

1. Are cheap shoes okay? She isn't a serious rider but she's pretty fit. We've done 40+km rides with 800m elevation together and she's fine but she'd average about 19km/h on those kind of rides. I was thinking some decathlon shoes which are pretty cheap: https://www.decathlon.com.au/p/8283630_ ... uk_7_eu_41
If not, what budget MTB shoes would you recommend?

2. What pedals are best? Are pedals with one side clipless, the other side for flats good? At the moment she really just rides for recreation not commuting, so I'm thinking maybe double sided clipless is the way to go.

3. Are SPD pedals that are not shimano a good idea? Given that the Shimano pedals aren't expensive as it is, perhaps it's just best to stick with their reliability... agreed?

[Duck!]

Fit above price for shoes. If they're not comfortable, they're poor value.

Get double-sided pedals (cleat body on both sides); that way she's not going to have to worry if they're up the right way to clip in or not, they're always the right way up. If she's worried about not clippiing in straight away & wants a decent pedal aera to stand on, something like the Shimano M424 is good, because they have a decent-sized platform around the SPD body..

Just get Shimano - super robust yet very affordable. If she's worried about not getting in & out easily, there's the Click'R range as well. These share the same basic design (and use the same cleats) as SPD pedals, but are a lot easier to clip in & out. The trade off is that they're not as secure as SPD on lumpier stuff, and can be more prone to unintended unclipping.

[MattyK]

Is this for road or off road? I can't tell from your post.

Maybe a compromise would be touring shoes? Road looks, but SPD cleats.

Agree that double sided pedals will be easier. I would be loathe to recommend anything other than Shimano, they just do it right. I have A520s on my commuter and you sometimes have to faff to get them flipped over right. Not so much a problem with A530s or M324s, but my older M540s were easier. M520s are the best bang for buck option though.

My current commuter shoe is a Shimano ME2. Previous was a Shimano RT32. Both comfy, true to size, enough flex to be walkable but plenty stiff enough on the bike. Velcro is easier than laces, no getting tangled in the chain... Definitely try on for fit the first time though.

That said, if you're riding on road and want to look the part, there's nothing too difficult about road shoes and cleats.

Cyclingdeal do some decent shoe+pedal packages, though I would avoid their non-Shimano pedals because the bearings are awful.

[bychosis]

Another vote for Shimano pedals. I've got a few pairs and they work well. I've also got some cheaper exustar SPD knockoffs and they work just as well. I tried some single sided pedals once, but found the increased hassle of flipping the pedal and the fact the flat side on mine wasn't grippy enough to go back to double sided - but I do run flats on cruise/shops/camping type bikes and only SPDs on anything that will be used for a long ride.

As above is it for road, MTB or touring type activities? I much pefer to be able to walk OK in my bike shoes, but I only have one pair for all disciplines at this point in time so I've got what looks close to a 'normal' shoe.

[MichaelB]

I recently was doing the same thing, but for a Reid Granite 3 that I am testing so I can do some CX-ing.

Needed something that worked, was cheap and available. The Shimano M520 pedals were my original target, but ended up getting the Crank Bros Candy 1 pedals for $38 and some discounted MTB shoes (Mavic for $70 down from $160) from MTB Direct.

Agree though whether MTB shoes or some form of 'commuting shoes' might be better.

The pedals are working well - clip in is as good as Shimano and clipout is very easy too.

[RobertL]

I use Shimano M424s on my commuter. They have SPD clips on each side, with a wide plastic platform so that you can use them with flat shoes.

The M324 have SPD on one side and a flat pedal on the other. Some people like them too.

[Ancientflatulence]

I have no experience of other shoes or pedals other than these and I have found them to be brilliant. Easy to get in and out of, double sided so they are always there when you want to clip into them, shoes are very comfortable to walk in and are not massive grippy MTB things. I like the design of the pedal in that the load is spread over the pedal platform as the shoes are not as stiff as a board and if the pedal platform was smaller the down force on the more flexible sole may be too great for comfort.

https://www.pushys.com.au/shimano-ct500 ... -navy.html
https://www.pushys.com.au/shimano-pd-ed ... edals.html

All in all ............. love 'em!!

PS There are women's versions too ........

[mikesbytes]

From what you have written, I'd go for SPD's as you can walk around in the shoes. Also they give a better footing when stopped with one foot down.

One of the female members of my race club commented there were no shoes for her at Decathelon however she would of been looking for top end road shoes.

She will need to try on the shoes to check the sizing, in particular the width as the female specific shoes are narrower and these shoes are not female specific

BTY I live 300mtrs from Decathelon so if you want an independent second opinion and/or proper fitting of the cleats then I can assist

[AUbicycles]

Look out for the Shimano Click'R - they also use the MTB SPD system but the shoes provide a lot of walking comfort and it is an easier cleat system.

For newer riders, there can be a bit of stress clipping in and out - the Click'r System provides a broad pedal so you don't actually have to clip in to pedal... and I understand that it is easy to get in and out.

As Duck! suggests, comfort crucial so the priority should not be the cheapest option. When trying the shoes on, you may miss out on actual testing on the bike so it is worth taking more time and really trying to feel how the show is fitting, is it tight at all... or even too loose in parts. Where ever there are issues, this exacerbate on the bike.

[cyclingnolycra]

Thanks all. It is for road biking but I think MTB shoes + pedals are the way to go, easier, and can walk on them. I'll have to take her to a shop to try em on one day.

[Ancientflatulence]

The Shimano's that I use are the Click R system which is a variation of the SPD system but very easy and forgiving for rapid and unschooled unclipping ..............