Pedals and Shoes for the TransAmerica

[canalligators]

Ok, that’s pedals.  Let’s move on to motor oil, vitamins, chain lube...

[Westinghouse]

The best most power producing shoes I have ever used cost $25.00 in Wal Mart. They are steel toed boots with thick very stiff soles. They are a bit heavy but they do make a big difference that you can feel. They are stitched together so they will not delaminate when wet. I once bought a pair of shoes specially made for cycling. It was a big brand name shoe. It was pretty good for power and the added efficiency was especially noticeable going uphill with a load. The pair cost over $80.00. After getting wet they fell apart. I had to keep repairing them with shoe goo. Buy and repair? For $80.00? The cheap boots are every bit as good as the expensive cycling shoes. They will not fall apart when wet.

[ray b]

I am all for pedals and shoes.  Going barefoot is too rough for me.

On this, I would highly recommend you do what you like best as this is a highly personal area.  Just note that you will be doing more walking than say on a club ride. I personally use Speedplay Frogs (lots of float) with Sidi mountain bike shoes. 

Tailwinds, John

Just saw this thread. I'm also an old Speedplay Frog fan, but am running out. When touring offroad, I usually bring an extra pair or at least an extra body as I've cracked more than my share of housings. (And not that one size fits all, but I'll note that as an old guy with beat up feet, I'm in cleated sandals, molded Bonts, or winter Sidis - depending on the tour.)

That said, all the positive (and negative) comments on Frog pedals become moot if they are no longer being manufactured. 25 y is a long time on one type of pedal to suddenly change. (I'm currently working on how long uphill miles and off-road work feel with some Crank Bros. Mallets)

For what it's worth, John's comments on the merits of keeping thoughts on this topic simple and basic in on target. As long as you have pedals and shoes you've used before, you're in good shape. I still remember a strong rider (some of you might recognize) show up to lead an ACA GDMBR tour in Canada, with Converse All-Stars and flat pedals, well before it was fashionable. I don't recall seeing him walk any of the usual hike-a-bike hills.

Any ideas on where to source the Frogs? Any dealer with an unwanted stash? Some laments noted among the mountain bike fora, so not surprising, surplus looks taken and beat up used products are appearing on-line at greater than original retail.

[jamawani]

Okay - - so I'm the fly in the ointment.

I have always toured with a good quality platform pedal and toe clips.
And I wear a light hiker - or sometimes Tevas.
I usually do lots of backcountry hiking on my tours so I want the hiking shoes.
I've crossed the Grand Canyon a half dozen times, deep backcountry of Banff & Jasper.
All as part of bike tours - six time to Alaska & the Yukon, all by bike.
And I've never had a single twinge in my knees or my feet in 33 years.
So I'm willing to take the trade-off in efficiency.

(Then again, it could just be peasant genes.)

[staehpj1]

I usually do lots of backcountry hiking on my tours so I want the hiking shoes.

That is an important point.  How much and what kind of hiking you will do is a big factor.

For me there may be different answers on different tours.  On some of tours I may hike very little to the extent that bike shoes with spd cleats may be okay.  On others I may hike a lot more.  Sometimes the hiking may be all in one place like a week in Yosemite where I might pick up a pair of trail runners and send them home after.  Other times I may carry them the whole way.  I have always found the trail runners sufficient for any hiking I have done on tours so far.  In any case I always ride in cleated bike shoes.

[Pat Lamb]

Any ideas on where to source the Frogs? Any dealer with an unwanted stash? Some laments noted among the mountain bike fora, so not surprising, surplus looks taken and beat up used products are appearing on-line at greater than original retail.

FWIW,  I found out late last year I'd gone too long without rebuilding a pair of Frogs, and severely scored the spindle.  (I say scored, more like ground that sucker down around the inside bearing.)  I was able to find a 'bay dealer with a set of spindles, only half the price of a new set of Frogs when they were available.  I took inventory, and I think I've got enough cleats to go through the end of '22 before I have to do something.  I'm hoping Wahoo will come to their senses and restart the Frog production line and spares. 

I've got Crank Bros. Eggbeaters on my travel bike, but I doubt I'll switch the rest of the fleet over because I'm not impressed with the plastic spindle cap that can't be unscrewed.  Anyone have experience with the Time Atac?  I really want to keep the free float I've got with the Frogs (and Eggbeaters).

[HikeBikeCook]

I have toured with Time Attac on the C&O and the GAP. I had them on my Scott Scale. I used them for years on my mountain bikes, Thinking about running them on my Disc Trucker for touring but don't love the plastic on them. I may go back to double sided SPD's since the is what my wife rides with and what we have them on our Peloton. We have the original single-sided Ultegra SPD's on our fast bikes. I also have a pair of SPD-SL's from when I had a foot problem, but I am not a big fan of them or the huge cleat they require.

[froze]

I personally use Speedplay Frogs (lots of float) with Sidi mountain bike shoes. 

Tailwinds, John

Just saw this thread. I'm also an old Speedplay Frog fan, but am running out. When touring offroad, I usually bring an extra pair or at least an extra body as I've cracked more than my share of housings. (And not that one size fits all, but I'll note that as an old guy with beat up feet, I'm in cleated sandals, molded Bonts, or winter Sidis - depending on the tour.)

How long have you been using Frogs?  I've been using mine since 2013 and they've have not cracked yet, so your cracking thing has me concerned.  How many times have your Frogs cracked?

[Rixtoy]

I am all for pedals and shoes.  Going barefoot is too rough for me.

Tailwinds, John

While I am guessing this was said with tongue in cheek - when I rode the Bike Across Kansas in 2019 (508 miles Colorado to Missouri border), there was a Mennonite woman with a teen-age daughter and son who all rode. The girl wore a traditional Mennonite dress when riding, albeit with white leggings/tights. and, she rode barefoot all the time. Every day about 1 PM or so, she would blow by me with an entourage of  teenage guys who were smitten with her (truth be known - I was too . . .). An amazing sight with her just speeding by barefooted.

will look for a picture of her and post it.

[ray b]

How long have you been using Frogs?  I've been using mine since 2013 and they've have not cracked yet, so your cracking thing has me concerned.  How many times have your Frogs cracked?

You're a better, smoother rider than I. An old rider, I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that anything labelled mountain bike can be abused in the name of fun.

Five and counting. It usually shows up as a surface crack while pumping in the official Speedplay grease with the official Speedplay grease gun. Only one crack while accidently hammering a large rock in a stream bed was sufficient to cause failure on tour, and I had an extra pedal set on that trip.

I've also knocked the metal fitting for the cleat off two pedals through the years. (Of course, they're two sided, so not a big issue,especially if sufficiently greased as recommended, so the pedal does not spin freely to keep the lighter, useless clipless side on top).

Never broken a spindle, though I've bent two of the stainless steel versions - irritating, but useable.

And to keep the thread somewhat on task - yes, I like the float. I'm testing all options to include good platform pedals and my Keen sandals and hiking boots.

[froze]

OK, I thought the Frogs were just breaking after spending time on them, sorry I should have thought that through more, yeah I'm an old guy!  LOL!!!

We have a lot of Amish people around where I live and I see them pedal barefoot too, it's sort of crazy considering the side of the road is littered with horse poop, and they just ride along merrily without considering the tires kicking up some of that crap onto their feet...or maybe they have considered that prospect and it's easier to clean feet then it is shoes?  I have a lot of stories about the Amish!

[froze]

The Speedplay Frogs are obsolete, and people want over $200 for the cleats, idiots, all we have to do is buy new pedals for less the cost of the cleats!  So when my cleats go kablooey, then I'll have to get new pedals.

The problem is, I like a free float without a spring to return my foot back, I'm using the Frogs on my road bike so I can have the option to walk around if I want to without taking off the cleats, Not sure if such a pedal exist because none that I've looked at have said free float design.  Argh!

[Pat Lamb]

Two more sets of cleats to wear out here...

FWIW, as I noted up-thread, I've got Crank Brothers Eggbeaters, now on two bikes.  IME they're not as easy to clip in or out as the Frogs, but they're better than SPDs for a bit of float.  I've read, in another forum, that Time ATAC are even better for float.

[froze]

Two more sets of cleats to wear out here...

FWIW, as I noted up-thread, I've got Crank Brothers Eggbeaters, now on two bikes.  IME they're not as easy to clip in or out as the Frogs, but they're better than SPDs for a bit of float.  I've read, in another forum, that Time ATAC are even better for float.

I am considering the Crank Brothers Candy 7 when mine go bad, but the guy at the bike shop didn't know if the float has a spring return or is it a free float like the Frogs, and the Crank Bros website doesn't say either.  Do you know?

[Pat Lamb]

I am considering the Crank Brothers Candy 7 when mine go bad, but the guy at the bike shop didn't know if the float has a spring return or is it a free float like the Frogs, and the Crank Bros website doesn't say either.  Do you know?

I don't know if the Crank Bros. are completely free float -- there may be a slight residual from spring pressure on those transverse bars.  However, I do know that my Eggbeaters are much, much lower than the lowest spring pressure I ever felt on the SPD pedals I used briefly before I found Frogs.