[Closed] mtb style spd's on a road bike, why not?

Specific roadie pedals are not only a massive 1.5% more aerodynamic than the easier-to-use MTB SPD pedals, they also channel your chikra energy into making you faster and more assertive.

Why not indeed, just do it. geez if your that bothered that you wanted to ask for help on here before doing it, you may indeed want a set of dura aces...

I use Time MTB pedals on my road bike. The only problems I've had is clipping the ground on sharp corners as the clearance isn't as good. Otherwise they work fine. I'm sure the added rigidity of road pedals/shoes would make a bit of a difference but I'm not sure how great it would be in the real world.

You will get frowned at by other roadies but the helmet peak, and occasional baggies & camelbak have that effect too 🙂

c-b: jeez, i was only asking...

I have done but find that I get hot spots on my feet using the tiny MTB cleats. I've swapped back to Shimano SPD-SLs and the pain has gone. This isn't an uncommon problem, but I don't think most people suffer from it so if you do find that MTB pedals hurt your feet on road you can swap.

None at-all.

I posted the exact same topic on bikeradar road section the other day and the general opinion is, if you've got SPD's on other bikes stick with them.

It also means you can walk around easily and not wear out expensive road cleats by walking on them.

Have you considered single sided SPD's like the Shimano A520's, bigger area to give you some support under the shoe, and kinda look like proper road pedals.

Wellgo also do the RC-715's which are about £40, and the RC-713's at about £32, the latter is slightly heavier and chunkier - also available in Decathalon as one of their b-Twin pedals for £20 😀 All are single sides SPD's BTW

I have always used mtb spds on my road bikes precisely to avoid shoe-spawning.

People reckon the proper road cleats are more comfortable, and I'm sure that's right - but I've never found the mtb cleats [i]uncomfortable[/i] particularly, so I don't miss the supposed advantage.

geez if your that bothered that you wanted to ask for help on here before doing it, you may indeed want a set of dura aces..

Someone's obviously had a long day 😉

Thanks guys, all very helpful. I've a confession to make, I already have a 'cheap' road bike with spds on, and I'm just about to purchase a full carbon planet x road bike on my work's scheme, and was wondering if now was the time to make the leap to roadie pedals and shoes. Given that my current mtb shoes are comfy and carbon soled, I think I'll be purchasing some more spuds, think I'll have a look at the single sided ones steve b recommends.

if you have to ask then.......

Norfolk-In-Chance - Member

geez if your that bothered that you wanted to ask for help on here before doing it, you may indeed want a set of dura aces..

Someone's obviously had a long day

thanks, that pretty much describes it.

sorry headfirst. 😳

M520's on all the bikes cant be arsed with messing about with making sure the right shoes are being ridden on the right bike etc etc

More to do with shoes in my experience. I have £50 road shoes and £50 mtb shoes and the road shoes are a lot lighter. Not much in the pedals.

Personally if I didn't have all the kit already I'd be running SPDs on all my bikes so I didn't have so many pairs of bike shoes around.

You can get single sided spds that are very light and look as good as something hidden under your shoe needs to.

There's no reason not to run spds, but there are reasons to run proper road shoes/pedals.

Does that make any sense? Put another way - spds=perfectly fine. Roadie shoes/pedals=better.

Just do it. I have - and if you have some decent XC shoes the sole will be stiff enough to prevent the smaller pedals causing 'heat spots'

A520's it is for me then... simplicity and beauty, and only 38 grams more than the Look Keo ones I was contemplating getting.

Feel free to carry on without me.

I have SPDs on my Tricross which I only use on road and had no problems with foot pain/hotspots when wearing my mtb shoes. I did a sportive this year and they were nice and comfy the whole time.

you can get spd compatible specific road pedals, for this exact situation...... (off to crc, standby)...

find my specialized mtb shoes fine on the road - my fancy northwave w/carbon soles have terrible hotspots. fine on the mtb though.

have road shoes for the road bike they are a lot more comfy after a couple of hours.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28051

[img] [/img]

single sided, low profile, probably marginally porkier than proper road pedals, but not a lot i wouldnt have said.
clicky clicky!

of if you are worried about weight, those horribly light ritchey spd replicas i used to have, come in a "half a pedal" version

[img] [/img]

I have Time ATACs on my Planet X carbon jobbie - look OK. Had Look Keos on previously and they are better for long rides (slightly) but I was commuting and going through roundabouts on them and they were potentially lethal. You would commit to starting into the roundabout and then not clip in first time - scarey. Traffic lights are OK because things are comming by you but setting off across the traffic flow was just not for me. The ATACs seem not to transfer the power quite as well on a run over the 20 mile level, but its marginal and for the extra confidence thay give me there really is no contest.

I used to use regular MTB ones, and got hot spots like superstar, tried those 520's and they were just the job.

might be a disadvantage if you only have one pair of spd shoes, as if you go on an mtb ride in the wet and get your shoes soaked then want to go on a ride/commute on the next day it's not going to be nice. If you already have numerous spd shoes then this isn't a problem.

Iain

If I commuted on my road bike in stop start traffic I would put on spds as so much easier to engage and disengage, (I stop at red lights - sorry). On the open road i accepted pressure from bike shop and fashion police to have road spds due to er fashion, larger contact area and stiffer shoes. Road spds have less play than mtb so saddle height and general set up is more key than ever but then one doesn't often drop ones road saddle for a descent.

Please explain ? how an mtb spd and a roadie cleat have differing ground clearance as in enough to effect ridding !! Sounds like bollocks to me.

[b]RIDING!!!![/b]

ffs 😡

LSD, you getting flash backs?

i ended up with the road shoes and pedals after having mtn pedals on both bikes because i found that i was making do with a shoddy position on the road if i used the same shoes for both.