I know the answer, but I’ll ask the question anyway; do roadie pedals make any difference?

For the first time I have a ‘nice’ road bike, and, tbh, it has ‘nice’ pedals on it (Time ATAC XC8 Carbon jobbies). But they’re obviously ‘MTB’ ones, not ‘road’, and I still dither as to whether I should get proper roady ones (and shoes).

I’m not going to start shaving my legs though. Well, probably not.

They can do but usually not much. The main thing is that the big platform can be more stable and if you do get hotspots on your feet with mtb pedals, they can help.

SPD-SLs are my pick FWIW – decent value, work well and the cleat design means that they engage well right until they’re worn out (eg the yellow protectors wear out)

Yes, a small amount. Stiffer. More stable.
Probably more the shoe then the pedal itself, as it’s purely designed for pedaling, not compromised by having to be OK for walking too.
And it looks right on your good bike 😉

Trying to be a tight wad, I refused to buy new shoes AND pedals so fitted some MTB pedals to the road bike. A few months later my road powah and awescumness saw me breaking mtb pedals on the road bike. So I made the switch.

Cheers chaps.

And if (if) I were to go for it, I’d have to think about float in the pedals (dicky knee is why I use Times at the moment). How floaty are the different roadie pedal brands?

For a few years I used Candy pedals and Giro carbon-soled MTB shoes on the road bike without any perceived problems. At the start of this year I moved to Speedplay Zero pedals and Bont shoes and noticed a difference immediately in feel and comfort. As said above it was mainly in the shoe and there was less lift of the foot inside the shoe and I found myself not having to clench my toes when pulling hard on the pedals.
Whether this resulted in me being faster is unclear, but it certainly feels a lot better on the bike and I feel like more power is going to the pedals. Certainly pulling on the pedals when climbing is better and also maintaining a smooth rhythm.

Speedplay pedals have the advantage of being dual sided and you can dial in the float as per your needs.

Times have good float, speedplay are the daddies by many accounts, I’m currently using shimano ultegras with the standard yellow cleats and have plenty if not too much float, other less floaty cleats are available if you find an ideal position where you don’t move much.

For me the biggest benefit over MTB pedals is the weight of the shoes. Without all that heavy rubber the shoes are much lighter.

Probably not worth it. MTB pedals/shoes are good because you can walk around off the bike much easier.

Get some good MTB shoes and go from there. I would say the pedals are the least important part.

If you suffer “hot spots” in mtb shoes then there is something wrong with your setup and/or shoes, not your pedals.

I used MTB spuds on my road bike,just thought the knee soreness on 100km+ rides was due to the length of the ride. Mate recommended Speedplays, so tried them.
Complete night and day, couldn’t swear they’re stiffer or more efficient, but have had zero knee aches since. Only downer is they’re apparently a bit of an arse to warranty, if that’s a concern.

…actually, Brakes makes a really good point about toes, now I think about it the Speedplays have meant more comfort in that sense too.

Probably not worth it. MTB pedals/shoes are good because you can walk around off the bike much easier.

If you’re walking you’re doing it wrong.

Roadie pedals are far larger and therefore stiffer, and more stable. Shimano have some float and are probably the most popular as the cleats last much longer than Look (dunno why, they just do). Look have a bit more float, speedplay are the daddies of float but £££ to match (and to get the most out of them you need speedplay specific shoes rather than an adapter).

I don’t think more float is necessarily a good thing with cleats, the right amount is a good, but more isn’t better, if your foot doesn’t move much during the pedal stroke then a zero degree float will keep it in the optimum position, where float would allow it to flop around.

I sheared an XTR SPD off its shaft, they were fitted new a few months earlier, pedal still attached to shoe. Put some Xpedos on and they went south. Fitted new Ritchey MTB pedals, creaking within a month.

I bought Shimano road pedals and yellow cleats. I also got lucky on a pair of Rapha GT shoes. Job done!

If you get a pair of shoes like Shimano R107 that can take both SPD-SL and SPD cleats you can at least try some cheap road pedals knowing that you can always go back to SPD’s IF YOU WANT TO.

If you’re walking you’re doing it wrong.

I’m a sportive rider; walking is in my blood.

FWIW I use Sidi Ergo and Genius 6 carbon shoes, Esole Efit footbeds, carbon SPD-R pedals and blue cleats and they’re very comfortable.

Stiff, well fitting MTB shoes are also very comfortable, and they’re easier to walk about in.

Ive not noticed any issues using SPD’s on the road bike with many 70 mile + rides.

I have thought it would be nice to get a lighter, stiffer pair of mtb shoes though.

I do notice the difference in weight and platform size between mtb and road pedals/shoes. For that reason to do decent road speed and/or distance I prefer a true road setup. However for commuting or touring mtb pedals and shoes are the better option.

If your knees are dodgy I’d recommend Time RXS if you get on with Time on the mtb already.