Turbo Vado 4.0 Pedals

[RobEich]

I'm looking at upgrading the pedals on my Turbo Vado 4.0 2020. I mostly do on road / bike path commuting, 20km to 40km trips.

I'm looking at hybrid pedals - one side flat for regular shoes for the short trips to the local store and the other with clips for MTB shoes for longer trips.

Which is the better system; Shimano SPD (PD-EH500) or Crank Brothers Double Shot 1?

 

[Sierratim]

I'm looking at upgrading the pedals on my Turbo Vado 4.0 2020. I mostly do on road / bike path commuting, 20km to 40km trips.

I'm looking at hybrid pedals - one side flat for regular shoes for the short trips to the local store and the other with clips for MTB shoes for longer trips.

Which is the better system; Shimano SPD (PD-EH500) or Crank Brothers Double Shot 1?

My two youngest sons raced MTBs in high school and college. They started out with SPD pedals switching the Crank Bros 'egg beaters' after a couple of years. They rode they for maybe a season then switched back. What I remember them saying was that there was too much lateral movement with the 'egg beaters'. They both still ride MTBs now and still use SPD pedals.

My wife and I also use SPD pedals. We chose the Shimano EH500 pedals for our ebikes for the same reasons you're interested; flats for local errands and clips (clipless? so confusing!) for longer rides. We even take them on the supported bike tours we do (or at least did before C19). We're very happy with them.

 

[RobEich]

Thanks @Sierratim I've ordered the Shimano PD-EH500

 

[Deacon Blues]

Good choice on the EH500 pedals. I have an older pair of Shimano XT Deore pedals (similar to the EH500) on both my road bikes and love them. When it heavy traffic or situations where I'm stopping a lot I like being able to use the flat side and not clip in.
I've ordered a new ebike and I think I'll also buy a pair of EH500s.

 

[RobEich]

Installed the EH500s and have done a few rides, a couple of longer rides using the clips and a short ride using the flat side . They work great - I'm really happy.

 

[RobEich]

 

[AdminUC78]

I've used the Shimano SPD system for a long time now and it has always been very reliable and easy to disengage. You can adjust for "float" so you can compensate for your pedaling motion relative where you heel preference is. I have an order in for the EH-500 too for my 3 week old Vado 3.0.

 

[AdminUC78]

My Shimano EH-500 clipless pedals arrived early. Installed them on my Turbo Vado with my trusty Park Tools pedal wrench, greased the pedal threads in order to avoid seizing while torquing down the pedals. I ended up using the provided Shimano SH56 SPD cleats since the sticker warned me to use them. No big deal: removed my old SPDs and installed the brand new SH56 Multi-Release cleats. Practiced clipping in and out while stationary just to wear a "groove" into the top plate. The multi-release cleats engage with a very subtle click. I did have the pedals set on the second easiest tension release. I tried the tightest release setting and getting out was still pretty easy; the click-in engagement as expected with the higher tension was a little more affirming. Since I am relatively new to E-biking, I ended up setting the tension release back to the second easiest release. After all, I am moving from a 23 lb (10.5kg),MTB to a 48lb+ (21.8 kg) motorized bike. Honestly I am still a little wary thinking about crashing with this thing landing on-top of me. The description for the SH56 cleats indicated "0 Float" but I felt like I had the usual 5%-6% lateral float The pedals are relatively light and machined very nicely. Unless your feet are huge, the platform size is just right (my shoe size is 9.5-10 or 42cm). The 16 provided burr screws for the platform side were easy to install and were coated with blue loctite, a nice touch. The burr screws gripped my biking shoes with a claw-like feeling with absolutely 0 slippage. Some folks have complained the pedals are not black but sort of a "gunmetal blue". I personally think the color looks great, but thats just my opinion. Shimano SPD's (knock on wood) have been good to me in terms of reliability, universal use with other non-Shimano SPD pedals, simplicity of operation and maintenance and the fact after 25+ years of use, my original SPD pedals on my older bikes sill work like new. Would recommend the EH500 for any e-bike pedal you would like to swap out.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I own Shimano PD-M324 pedals with SH56 cleats, and don't use them. These pedals are advertised as the ones with the easiest release, and you can release the shoe by outward, inward or upward heel movement. Yet, I have found the pedals offering no gain but only pain. First of all, clipping in is not obvious; the pedal seems to be always rotated on the wrong side. The "clipping in" foot movement needs practising. Yes, the release is easy but there are emergency situations such as a bike fall during which you don't have the time to react. So: "no".

Clipless pedals were important for mech bikes where the pedalling efficiency was very much important. Since, the spiked platform pedals and matching MTB shoes have been invented. The only drawback of the spiked pedals is these can hurt your shins or calves but falling with the bike while clipped in is not to my taste.

YMMV.

 

[AdminUC78]

Good point. I did try my other SPD cleats on my older bike shoes and they did clip in with a much more authority. I suppose the SH56 are really for relatively new riders just getting into SPD's. I think I will continue to use the SH56s for now until I become more at ease about clipping in and out of my heavy E Bike.

 

[Sierratim]

When my sons raced cross country MTBs falling was part of every race. To minimize injuries they were coached to "stay in the cock pit" when they'd go down; stay clipped in, don't let go of the grips and tuck elbows and knees into your core. The bike takes the brunt of the imapct. They'd get up and keep racing.

It worked so well for them I try to emulate the technique. I've cracked 3 helmets in as many crashes, each time being clipped in. The bike has dings and scratches on the grip ends, pedals and some frame scratches, but I got to get up and walk it off each time. In the most serious crash the 2nd cyclist took a turn too fast, saw me and extended a leg to try to do a faster turn to miss me. Didn't work out so well. Hit me and tore the heck out of his knee when it buckled. I heard my helmet hit the pavement but did manage to "stay in the cockpit". I had a bruise on my shin where his bike hit, but I rode the remaining miles to the car. An ambulance came to get him.

With bad knees clipping in also offers the advantage of helping to develop all the muscle groups around my knees. This is helpful to add a measure of stamina on long rides but this really helped with my one knee replacement surgery. My recovery was much faster with all the conditioned muscles supporting the new knee. I was back to spinning within two weeks and cycling again in 4.

Clipless pedals aren't for everyone. They take practice. Some report pain with the fixed foot position. I find them advantageous, as does my wife.

Ride On!...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Tim,

It is true what you say about the "stay in the cockpit" technique. I have managed to master it for many years. I was able to survive a 30 km/h crash on my Lovelec almost unscathed because I stayed in the cockpit. Same with two recent falls on my Giant in Warsaw. If you must fall, stay in the cockpit. In my youth, I avoided very serious damage on my road-bike by staying on the bike, using clips at that time.

However, you do not need to fall at all. Many falls occur when the bike gets unexpectedly stopped. If that happens at the standstill, it is doable to let the bike fall down under you and you just jump over. That's impossible while clipped in. At least two times recently, I was able to avoid a crash by letting the bike fall down alone. I could see how it happens on my ride with "Mr Jagger" in Lublin. We were very slowly riding a crowded mall. Suddenly, Jagger had to stop to avoid riding into a pedestrian. Incidentally, he blocked the 203 mm front brake. I could see him "dancing" to avoid the fall. He would hit the ground if clipped in.

Another scenario is cornering in hard technical terrain (mud, for example). The rider would ride with the seat at least partly dropped and sometimes it is necessary to support the body with the extended leg, like in motocross. If you are an experienced rider, you clip out before. You don't need to think about it when riding spiked platform pedals.

You Ride On, too!

 

[Marcela]

I don't know. I was crossing a street at a busy intersection, upon getting to the sidewalk at the other side at a little too high of speed, not making the turn quick enough, my front wheel caught on the lip of the sidewalk upon reentry. I high sided, left the bike and did a complete 360, complete to a standing position, and raised my arms in victory to a cheering crowd..... well there wasn't a crowd and no one was cheering, except myself, unscathed and same for bike. Leaving the scene of the crime is not to be dismissed. Same for karts. This wasn't too long ago on the Sequoia.

 

[RobEich]

I, fortunately, have not had to do an emergency ejection from the bike (yet). Usually I average 25km/h on my rides and find that being clipped into the pedals makes me feel more stable on the bike when I hit small bumps etc. on the road.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Oh, Rob. Ever ridden spiked platform pedals with MTB shoes for flat pedals? The feet stay glued to the pedals but you can easily change the feet position by lifting them slightly.

 

[RobEich]

Oh, Rob. Ever ridden spiked platform pedals with MTB shoes for flat pedals? The feet stay glued to the pedals but you can easily change the feet position by lifting them slightly.

Maybe my comment is a bit unfair - I moved directly from the stock Vado pedals with sneaker / running shoes to SPD clips on MTB shoes.

 

[rochrunner]

Oh, Rob. Ever ridden spiked platform pedals with MTB shoes for flat pedals? The feet stay glued to the pedals but you can easily change the feet position by lifting them slightly.

I rode mine on a short outing last night with non-SPD shoes and on the spiked side and was reminded about why I prefer riding clipped in. When I coast up to a stop, waiting for the light or traffic to clear or whatever, I like to position the right-side pedal at about 90 degrees to get a good push-off when I have a chance to go. With the platform pedals, I can't pull up on the pedal to get it where I want it. I suppose there might be some technique or new habit I could get into to get around this, but I definitely find it inconvenient.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I rode mine on a short outing last night with non-SPD shoes and on the spiked side and was reminded about why I prefer riding clipped in. When I coast up to a stop, waiting for the light or traffic to clear or whatever, I like to position the right-side pedal at about 90 degrees to get a good push-off when I have a chance to go. With the platform pedals, I can't pull up on the pedal to get it where I want it. I suppose there might be some technique or new habit I could get into to get around this, but I definitely find it inconvenient.

I put the top of the toe below the pedal and delicately raise the pedal to the correct position. The single-sided SPD-MTB pedals make me infuriated because the cleat side is always rotated downwards. If I wanted to standardise on SPD-MTB pedals, I would buy the dual-sided ones as these are always ready for clipping in.