Pulling The Trigger On Clipless Pedals

Between commuting, weekend riding out in the county, training for RAGBRAI, and riding RAGBRAI, I'd estimate that I logged about 1,500 miles last summer. Over the winter, I began to ponder whether it was time to pull the trigger on clipless pedals. The increased efficiency afforded by clipless doesn't matter much when I'm bebopping around town, so my little halfsy clips with All-City pedals are perfect for that type of riding. But a bit of increased efficiency over the course of an 80-miler is non-trivial, so I decided to buy a pair of clipless pedals.

After suggestions from a couple friends - my sister's fiance, Steve, in particular - I decided to go with the Shimano A530 pedals. They can be used with SPD cleats, or flipped to be used as platform pedals, so they're very versatile and are highly recommended for touring. Plus, they look great and will work with my existing shoes, which require the two-bolt SPD-style cleats.

I received the pedals in the mail this week, put them on my bike yesterday, and took my inaugural ride with clipless pedals last night. I'm proud to say I didn't fall over! But give it time...it's bound to happen eventually. At some point, I'd like to build up a touring rig and transition these pedals over to it, so I can go back to my All-City pedals for commuting and around-town riding on my Peugeot. For now, I'll probably switch out the pedals on an as-needed basis until I can hunt down a suitable frame or project bike.