Which CHEAP clipless pedals?

Bill H. wrote:

I suppose the other option is to wait until I can afford some really
GOOD pedals and just stick with the stock platforms for now. That's
fine too, but I was hoping there'd be a good, cheap pedal that will
work for what I need and won't fall apart after two months.

Go for the Shimano 525 pedals. I just got a pair. I have been using SPD
on & off road for almost 10 years now. I have a dozen or so family
bikes set up with SPD. I have bought several pairs of Nashbar clones
and several grades of Shimano. The Nashbar pedal on special is not
Shimano compatible. That may not matter to you, but with so many bikes
and shoes, I have to worry about it. They do make a clone which is
compatible, which occasionally comes on sale for $20-25. If I remember
right the pedal you linked has cleats which work with Shimano pedals,
but the pedal won't work with Shimano cleats.

My impression of the 525 is that it's a very nice pedal (it does come
with cleats). It should serve you well for many years. It is smoother
operating than the clones (typicall Wellgo pedals). I've found Shimano,
even the low end, more durable than the Wellgos.

Oh yeah, I was lucky enough to get a "one time" 20% discount, so I got
them for $24. If you look around (Google) you may find a 10% discount
code.

Dennis P. Harris wrote:

this is one of those areas where you need to look for what works
for you, and ignore the price. i started with ritchies, and then
went for the wellgo clones, but neither one really had the float
my knees needed. last summer i bought a pair of speedplay frogs
and now i wondered why i waited for so long! it was worth the
extra money to have pedals that don't make my knees hurt.

If you need float then you've got to drop the $$ for the pedals. Most
people don't need float. Unfortunately the only way to find out is to
try.


the same goes for shoes. you probably won't find a pair that
comes close to comfortable for less than about $80, even on sale.
if you have wide feet, the problem is worse.

Diadora makes some pretty wide shoes, often found on sale for $40 or
so. You can often get spectacular deals on shoes if you have the right
size feet and get lucky. I got a new pair of Sidi Megas ($220 list) for
$75, have made similar scores for members of my family. The Sidis are
wonderful shoes (as they should be), but the Diadoras aren't half bad.

I am running Shimano spd type and I have Specialized shoes that are
made for spin classes at my gym. The shoes work fine on th ebike also I
paidabout $150 for pedals clips and shoes at my LBS.

this is one of those areas where you need to look for what
works for you, and ignore the price. i started with
ritchies, and then went for the wellgo clones, but neither
one really had the float my knees needed. last summer i
bought a pair of speedplay frogs and now i wondered why i
waited for so long! it was worth the extra money to have
pedals that don't make my knees hurt.

If you need float then you've got to drop the $$ for the
pedals. Most people don't need float. Unfortunately the
only way to find out is to try.

Which are the symptoms for someone that needs
float? I'm kind of curious as to how much
float for which pain. Is there some in depth
science to this?

What hurts and where and how does that indicate
how much float?

thanks
Bill