I use SPDs on my mountain bike, but over winter I got a turbo and a cheap road bike. Currently using SPD pedals off the MTB on it, but have a set of road pedals as well. Would I see much difference using a full road set up, rather than the SPD, apart from the full darkside contingency frowning on SPD useage (and peaked helmets!) is there any benefit? If so, where is best for road shoes?

Watches as in the same boat.

Would I see much difference using a full road set up, rather than the SPD, apart from the full darkside contingency frowning on SPD useage (and peaked helmets!) is there any benefit? If so, where is best for road shoes?

It’s not night and day, but I do find a proper road set-up more comfortable and stable. For shoes, I’d go to your LBS and try a few on. Alternatively, Wiggle’s DHB shoes are very good for the money, and they do Collect+ for returns.

Shimano pedals are cheapish and durable.

It’s not night and day, but I do find a proper road set-up more comfortable and stable

This. It’s more stable, which feels better. It’s not life changing. But it’s better.

I like the twisty floaty feeling of SPDs on a mountain bike, but on a road bike, I like to be as solid as I can.

I use Look pedals with the black cleats which have zero float. If your position is good, no knee problems and your shoes/cleats are good, the last thing you want is any lateral movement. (obviously, my opinion only – some people like float).

I’m another one using black cleats with look keo (max for me). I got hotspots with eggbeaters and MTB shoes which was why I went to road shoes

It’s not night and day, but I do find a proper road set-up more comfortable and stable

Agreed. I don’t like the slightly vague float you got with MTB pedals, I also don’t like the small surface area that gave me hot spots. It’s not revolutionary but it’s a big enough difference for me to be worth doing.

Look Keo’s are cheapish and reliable, and as said before they give a larger platform for the foot, which is nicer if your foot is pressing on the pedal for 4/5 hours at a time and rarely clipping out.

I run everything as spd – I just have a really stiff pair of mtb shoes for the road bike.

thanks folks. Think I will start looking out for a shoe in the sales/classifieds!

Cheers

I run everything as spd – I just have a really stiff pair of mtb shoes for the road bike

Doesn’t matter, still feels different. Float is much more free on MTB pedals. Have used S-Works and Bontrager RXL Carbon MTB shoes, would still sooner have road shoes/pedals.

Been a clipless user since Looks were first available in the mid-80s – the main benefit with a road pedal is the larger pedal engagement area and the lower stack height – particularly if you’re really cranking it. I prefer Time pedals – decent float, robust and cleats don’t need constant maintenance. I use clipless mtb pedals (Look & Time) for CX and MTBs – the smaller cleat engagement means that you do feel your foot rocking more. For more general riding (not high intensity) then you’re less likely to notice the difference, plus the convenience of being able to walk-about and not wear out your cleats is a bonus.

Personally, unless you really need the 9 degree float available with the red cleats, then I would stick to Shimano. The cleats are harder wearing, the contact surface is bigger, they don’t have the “Look Squeak”, and the bearings are better.

As a long term Keo user I agree with matts, I’d recommend Shimano!

I find the shimano yellow cleats have just the right amount of float, and as you say the pedals are very durable. I’m still running 6600 series Ultegra, they must be on their third bike by now.

I was a long term Time user but they’ve buggered around with their pedal systems too much recently which has meant foreced obsolescence for perfectly good kit, and the new cleats have well under half the lifespan of the previous ones.
So we’ve both moved to speedplay.

Njee – It might feel different, it might be better – but I run everything as spd with a stiff mtb shoe and never think about my feet (in that, no complaints, good way – I should have put that in my original post tbh).

Unless he gets hotspots or dislikes float in his pedals (i never notice tbh) the mtb are better as he can go for a pee/coffee across a cafe floor without looking like bambi on ice/crapped himself 😉

yetidave – what size?

I started with shimano then moved over to Look Keo.

Prefer the look as I found the shimano ones too slippy if you didn’t quite get clipped in. The look cleats have rubber pads on them that stop you doing yourself an injustice whilst trying to set off from traffic lights.

chowsh, Im a size 48 in generally in shimano. I do have a pair of 47 but they are a little marginal.

Cheers

Saccades – Member

Njee – It might feel different, it might be better – but I run everything as spd with a stiff mtb shoe and never think about my feet

So, you’ve never tried road pedals or road shoes and feel able to offer advice?

Personally, unless you really need the 9 degree float available with the red cleats, then I would stick to Shimano. The cleats are harder wearing, the contact surface is bigger, they don’t have the “Look Squeak”, and the bearings are bette

Yep, Shimano is the way for me, R550’s are good, cheap and the bearings last for a long time. In fact, they’re a great stater pedal.

Another vote for ‘noticably better but you won’t soil yourself with glee at the difference’.

My experience is that shimano pedals are less prone to squeaking than look.

Njee – It might feel different, it might be better – but I run everything as spd with a stiff mtb shoe and never think about my feet (in that, no complaints, good way – I should have put that in my original post tbh

Blissful ignorance then? Why advise when you don’t actually know…? I’m sure the OP realises they’ll be marginally harder to walk in. I’ll suck that up. Fine you don’t want to, but a bit of a pointless contribution unless you’ve actually tried both?

I think the shoe makes as much if not more difference than the pedal. You have a more rigid, sculpted footbed which would be useless for scrambling up rocky escarpments, but are actually brilliant for holding your foot tightly and comfortably whilst grinding out long miles.

Road shoes and pedals are the right tool for the job. Mountain bike shoes and pedals, whilst capable up to a point, are the wrong tool for the job.

MTB shoes look crap on a roadie too, a sure way to mark yourself out as inexperienced. 😉

🙂

I think I’m on a different wavelength from everyone today, certainly need to be thinking my answers through a bit more.

Apologies.

I have tried spd-sl but with some cheap and not well fitting/comfy aldi/lidl shoes, I didn’t notice any massive improvement over my comfy mid-range spd shoes, this maybe because the shoes weren’t very comfy and I probably didn’t give them long enough to break in (I think my feet would have broken first tbh). I quickly reverted back to spd for all my bikes with a mixture of touring/winter/xc-y shoes as appropriate. As the amount of road miles I do has increased (>160km a week nowadays) I have found that a stiff soled mtb xc-racer type shoe is very good and I’ve never suffered with hotspots or worried about the amount of float (using double sided cleats). In fact I never really think about my feet when cycling.

So my advice would not to try spd-sl with cheap shoes that are not comfortable, and that spd shoes with a stiff sole work really well for me and is a “Potential” cheap option that’ll work.

talc on the pedal/cleat interface stops the Look squeak

I prefer the MTB SPD’s on my road bike due to the double sided clip in. Find with the road peddles they are always upsidedown so have to try and flick them over with my toe first. Not ideal when your surrounded by cars. On the other hand, I get hot spots on the balls of my feet on longer road rides using SPD’s. Doesn’t seem to happen with road peddles and shoes.

Shoes I have are only 46 so a bit small, if you want to try SPD-SL I’ve got a set of 105s and could probably find some cleats as well. Cheap! email me.

I have a set of pedals which came with the bike, but no shoes or cleats. Cheers

are these any good?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-r10-road-cycling-shoe/

Cheap pedals and expensive shoes as most people seem to be saying.

All my roady mates insisted I should get Keos instead of my normal spds but after a couple of years I have had enough and have returned to spds. Too many iffy moments scrabbling into Keos! I am hardly likely to road race so comfort and convenience far out way any advantage ( if any ) in pure road pedals.

OP, are you going to be using the road bike away from the turbo? If so get a road set up, if not, I would just stick with SPDs unless you have a reason not to.

it all depends on how you like your float, IMO.

I’ve tried roadie pedals (and shoes) but I actually prefer SPDs, for the float. With single-sided PD-A600s and carbon MTB shoes they are tad heavier than a road setup but close enough.

Weight weenie question..
Would you be able to tell the difference between the cheapest spd-sl pedals (about 330g) and some carbon ultegra spd-sl (260g)..
Ive got the cheap ones and need some new cleats (also theyre looking worn and a bit tired)

cloudnine – someone asked a similar question on here a while back and the consensus seemed to be that performance wise there’s no difference but the cheaper SPD-SLs can have poor longevity. That was my experience too.

Another long-term KEO user here. Much better engagement and feel to my XT-spds. But if choosing again, i’d probably go with Shimano too. Look cleats wear much faster. Shimano are also easier to engage.

I get my practice by road riding fixed with KEOS. No coasting really hones ones clipping in skills for the inevitable daredevil attack off the line in a crit!

Cloud, as above, you probably won’t feel the difference immediately, but try bearings in store. You can usually feel a smoother bearing quite easily, and that will translate into longer life.

Nylon shank road shoes with foot correction provided by shimano or similar custom footbeds with tuneable arch support, and varus/ valgus wedging as part of a comprehensive bike fit will provide real and measurable advantages to rider comfort, production of power and minimisation of injury, compared to fancy carbon shoes with no correction or fitting.

For me? Spd for the mountain bike, spd-sl for the road bike with blue (2 degree float) cleats; massive difference in riding performance, especially if you ride hard and like sprints and hills

On the MTB the cheap SPD 520 work fine, the 6800 ultegra on the road bike are bombproof and have great feel under foot, I found the 550 and 105 did not last the distance with bearings going sloppy quite quickly