I rode the Virgin Money Cyclone yesterday (7:05 for 104 miles, it’ll do)
All’s good, but my feet suffered from hot-spots from my cleats. I’ve got a pair of Time ATACs on the road bike as that’s what I’ve always used on the mtb. I was wearing cheap Aldi “race” mtb shoes.

2 questions: which is the best road bike pedal/cleat system in your opinion/experience?

If I kept the ATACs (which I’d like to do so I can ride the road bike in “normal” spd shoes too, would a pair of really stiff quality mtb race shoes help distribute the load better?

I did it too well done it was blowy.

I use look keo classics they are lower middle range. You can get fancier or less fancy ones depending on budget.

You get a nice wide platform and they are lighter than shimano.

I have them combined with s-works road shoes and they are very comfy.

I rode 6:09 which was disappointing as I wanted a sub6.

My advice go 100% road setup leave the MTB stuff for the MTB. You can get cheap ish pedals for £40 and cheap ish shimano shoes at £50

Road shoes are far stiffer than even the stiffest MTB shoes. Road pedals have a much wider platform as well since there’s no danger of them clogging up with mud. It supports the foot much better and the big cleats give a really positive lock into the pedals.

I’ve always used Shimano – firstly the SPD-R (an old “standard” which never really caught on) now the SPD-SL. You can still ride the bike in normal trainers for short trips, the pedals are wide enough and flat enough to work OK if you’re just popping to the shops/pub etc

Look Keo here too. Using them with Bontrager carbon soled shoes (50 quid in a sale).

Does anyone else find the Keos dont rest in a great position for clipping into? They’re all I’ve used as a road pedal and they’re great for actually peddling, but I don’t like city centre stop go riding on them. My dad uses the old delta cleat looks, bought some Keos and hates them because of the difficulty getting clipped in.

Keos here too. Great pedals, hot the Ti axle ones off here super cheap and they are really light. Cleats wear if you walk
much but so do most. Nice wide platform and very positive.

Yep they can be a pain for stop start. The answer don’t stop start seems to be my solution

Used to use SPD-Rs, then SPD-SLs, been on Keos for 8 years, but to be honest think SPD-SLs are better, cleats last far longer, easier entry/exit, bearings last longer.

I’m another fan of the SPD-SL. I tried Keos for a whole year and they were ok but I prefer the very positive engagement of the Shimanos and found that the Keo cleat wore down very quickly.

I have recently switched over to speedplay Zero pedals and speedplay specific shoes. I choose them for a couple of reasons but mainly the dual sided entry and the fact you can adjust the float so your knees get some comfort back without getting a loose feeling when clipped in.

Only my personal experience so sure others will think differently.

I ride on the road with a cheap pair of road shoes and 105 pedals.

I really like shimano pedals as they seem to work well and last forever – mainly hold this opinion after getting burned by crank brothers stuff.

Proper shoes are probably more important than pedals as they will have a beter sole distributing the pressure more evenly.

Have a look at the dhb range of shoes as they are generally very good in my experience.

I ride a lot of road rides on my cross bike. I use standard mtb spd pedals and dhb mountain bike shoes which are pretty stiff. I’ve done centuries with this setup with no foot problems.

I’d think that good shoes would make just as much difference as changing the setup completely.

Oh and 5h50m but I was on my own all the way back from Bellingham.

I’m an SPD-SL user too, we were sponsored by Look for a couple of years so had to run Keos but as soon as I could I got shot of them and back on the Shimano’s. Like Njee, I found the Look cleats wore out silly fast and I could not get them in a comfy enough position for my liking.

Speedplay zeros are by far the best pedal out there at the mo far superior than keos

I struggle with long sentences but I use spds (yes!) on all bikes and decent shoes make most of the difference…carbon soled road shoes and never had problems, even on decent mtb shoes I can tour all day comfortably too.

So if you want to keep the pedals IMO decent shoes will resolve the issue.

On a few occasions I’ve used my S-Works MTB shoes and pedals and would still choose road shoes every time personally.

So would I unless I was touring and needed to be able to walk.

I started using MTB pedals on my road bike but soon switched to road pedals. I’ve got Shimano 105 pedals and the cheapest Specialized road shoes and they work very well together.

Ah – for touring, when I am likely to be off the bike more, I use CB Candies and an MTB style shoe or my more recent Specialized BG Tour shoes.

I use normal spds and Shimano RT82 “touring” shoes.
Fine for all day use, haven’t had any issues with sore feet.
I also have a small saddle pack, bottle cage pump and unslammed stem 😳

Time IClics are my pick. Dreadful name, great pedal.

Quebrantahuesos, 205km / 8:11 / big hills, with Time Atacs. Better shoes or MTFU.

🙂

(Damn I feel all manly grrr)

I got some carbon soled Shimano shoes (& new cleats!) for £28 off ebay and some 105 pedals for £16. Fully sorted for £44 😀 Keep your eyes peeled.

Compared to my various eggbeaters/standard Shimano MTB spd and either Spesh or Shimano entry MTB SPD shoes it’s loads firmer, stiffer and more connected. The carbon sole means there’s no hotspot, the big cleat probably helps on flexible soles too.

It’s not as easy to clip in though and the lack of sole behind the cleat feels weird if you miss it, especially on a fixed!

Thanks for advice.
IME Shimano shoes fit my feet nicely (narrow) so I’ll go down that route, and I’ll stick a wtd ad up for some pedals.

I was on my own all the way back from Bellingham

As for the Cyclone, it was my first road-event. I tried to ride in a group but really struggled. I got dropped instantly (twice) at the start, then plodded along at a comfortable pace. The whole 100 miles went along the lines of:

Catch someone.
Sit on their wheel for a while.
Gradually pass so they could sit behind me, but they’d dissappear.

On the occasion I’d fall in with a better paced group, I’d keep passing them on the descents as they minced down, then they’d pass me on the climbs again.

what’s the best technique?

On the occasion I’d fall in with a better paced group, I’d keep passing them on the descents as they minced down, then they’d pass me on the climbs again.

what’s the best technique?

Go faster up the hills 🙂

Go faster up the hills

🙂
Good job they minced down so I stood a chance to keep up! going faster is to be worked on over the next 12 months.

Seriously, I couldn’t believe how slow some people descend, the difference was worse than in a MTB race!

Shimano 105 pedals – on offer at lots of places – good value

find that shimano cleats are slightly better to walk in.

if you get on with Time pedals off road why not use their road pedals too ? That was my philosphy when getting road pedals earlier this year, and I went for the Time RXS First ones.