hutch993 said:
I'm coming from toe clips and straps, just getting back into the sport. There seems to be a lot of different pedal companies all telling me they are the best? What are the advantages if any of the different pedals or do the all do the same thing and just look different.
The different systems vary in
- Whether the cleat can be recessed in the shoe sole for easier walking
- How much float your foot has to move rotationally and side to side plus how much centering force there is.
- Cleat/pedal contact area. A larger contact area might mean less rocking as the surfaces wear.
- The directions the cleat will release in
- How far you need to move your foot for the cleat to release
- Whether there's a connection between how secure the pedal is and how much force it takes to release
- Shoe compatibility (SPD 2-hole/3-hole/4-hole)
- Whether you can clip-in on one, two, or four sides of the pedal
- Mud resistance
- Cleat around the pedal or the normal way (at least some of the cleats which go around the pedal like Bebop and Speedplay don't allow the mating surfaces to come in contact with hard ground).
- How much freedom you have in cleat positioning on your shoe
- Bearing count/quality
where some of the options are interconnected (a large cleat can't be recessed; a floating pedal with no resistance needs to have more float and movement to release so you don't come out accidentally when your foot wiggles; etc).
There's also cost, weight, and cost per gram of weight saved....