So I commute on my road bike and for the last couple of years I have used toe clips. On my mtb I ride on flats. I have decided 2016 is the year I am going to get fit and I plan on doing a bit more road cycling. I am debating getting me some clipless pedals but am at a loss as to whether I want road or mtb pedals. All the shoes that look like every day shoes seem to be spd compatible and I hear people saying road shoes are horrible to walk in so as my commute ends with 4 flights of stairs with the bike on my shoulder am I best just getting a set of spd pedals a pair of trainer type shoes for commuting and a pair of something a bit more dedicated for proper rides or will I regret not getting proper roadie shoes?

Ps I don’t really plan on going clipless on the mtb but who knows, I may love it and convert.

Stick with the SPDs. They are perfect for commuting. Roadie shoes are a nightmare to walk in, second only to ski boots

They are also easier to get back into at the traffic lights, because the pedals are double sided (or quadruple sided if you chose to go for egg beaters)

SPDs for commuting, with the clipon reflective bits for night time visibility.

They also then make it effectively a flat pedal for popping out at lunchtime.

I recently converted to spds on cyclocross bike and went with shimano m424 mtb pedals which have a resin cage and shimano mtb mt34 shoes, which are comfortable to walk in. With shimano shoes go two European size bigger

roadie SPDs are a nightmare if you have to clip in very much – really dangerous I would say / IME. Because one sided and the hooking in is a bit more involved than just rubbing your sole on a MTB SPD. Then there is the walking about and to cap it off you will wear through roadie cleats really quickly and have to replace quite often. They protrude from the sole so get worn v quickly.

Mtb definitely. I was unsure when i started commuting again a few weeks ago, day three I had two punctures on the way in but didn’t have enough tubes, had to walk 3 miles to the office. Wouldn’t have fancied that in my road shoes.

SPDs and touring pedals? Thinking of this route myself. I got some Specialized defrosters for crimbo, so thinking of doubling/tripling their use. Washed-out roads and the odd sustrans route in the winter sometimes require a bit of hike a bike which would ruin a set of road cleats in no time. My commute is short but through town which often means a quick stop and foot down which I find easier, grippier and less damaging with SPDs. Touring pedals would still look like I know what I’m doing on the Sunday morning Road club-run.

😆
Are you really really that unaware of your own extremities and what they are doing?

And if it’s only for commuting and not much else, nothing wrong with mtb SPDs and mtb shoes/boots.
If it’s for training as well, it’d need more thinking about.

I have crank brothers on all my mtb and shimano Road pedals on the roadie, the crank bros win for ease of use, some comfy flat soled style shoes help too

If you slip off a shimano riad pedal on a steep uphill start the little grippy buts on the side can hook onto the spokes and it hurts when you scrape yourself up.

Ask me how I know.

I commute in mountainbike pedals unless i’m doing a longer ride in.

On the very rare occasion I commute atall 😀

road SPDs wear out if you walk on them a lot, MTB SPDs will be fine

In all honest; road spds are a waste of time for almost any type of cycling.

MTB pedals are all you really need.

Crank Bros for me on everything – MTB, Road bike, Folder

Road spds are only for pro’s and Associate Directors on sportives

Associate Directors on sportives

😆

I think they come with the territory. Makes it all the funnier watching them waddle up hardknott pass.

4 flights of stairs with the bike on my shoulder

When riding it doesn’t make much difference, road pedals are just as easy to clip into as MTB pedals but waking up stairs (and any other unscheduled walking i.e. breakdown, is awful.
Even walking in MTB shoes isn’t great if ending up with an unscheduled 3 mile walk.

I’ve ridden past (and checked they’re alright!) a couple of folks on my commute who had roadie SPDs and were finishing the walk in to work in their socks.

I know damn well i’d have taken a tube off a stranger at that point

suggest you go with decent, fairly stiff soled, mtb shoes, because you’ll want the support that gives if you’re doing longer road rides. stuff like spesh’s tahoe is ‘ok’ in that they’ll attach you to the bike, and look ok in the pub, but they’re a bit too flexy, particularly if you go for the smaller platform pedals that don’t have much support.
suggest you give crank brothers products generally, and their pedals in particular, a very wide berth. utter, and unadulterated, crap. all their stuff comes in a lovely box though. 😀