Got some shimano road pedals on road bike
I find them really difficult to get into
Anyone else have problems
Is there any reason I can’t use some xt trail pedals

First no reason why you can’t, but tools for the job, road pedals do the job better than off road pedals, assuming the job is riding and does not involve much walking.

If your touring then spds probably make more sense.

AS for problems, i assume you have slackened the tension right off? sometimes the cleats need a little wear to bed in.

How old are the cleats? Difficulty getting feet in and out is usually a symptom of worn cleats.

Road pedals are better, they spread the load over a wider area to aid stability and reduce hotspots. Seems to bother some more than others. Only way to find out if its a problem for you or not is to try your spd’s.

If you got stiff soled shoes, it makes little difference what clipless pedals you use.

I can get out of them ok, it’s a flipping the pedal round that I struggle with .
Might just swap my xt for a while and see how I go
Its a road bike for racing, not tourer
Just wondered if its a fashion thing re pedal choice, or do road pedals actually work better

Road pedals do work better. Give yourself a chance to get used to them.

Learn to track stand so you don’t have to clip back in at every traffic lights 😉

I like speed play pedals for the two sided entry, although you need to keep up the maintenance, and they are expensive.

Ride what makes you comfortable. If you have some shoes and xt pedals to try, then give it a go. It might work for you.

I agree that road specific pedals are much better for road cycling. It can be a pain to clip into them when trying to pull away from lights, but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

How about a nice compromise with PD A600 pedals and Spesh Carbon shoes; best of both worlds.

Why is that a compromise? They are still single-sided.

Au contraire. I use double sided SPD’s for touring and have done a couple of 4000 plus mile tours on them in floppy shoes without issue. They are even better in stiff soled road shoes. I do use road pedals on my road bike but only cos I caved in, to me they don’t make a great deal of difference.

If you’re happier in SPD’s use them. If you want to use road pedals, get used to flipping the pedal over. It’s a bit of a faff but you’ll soon get the knack. However, if this is spoiling your road riding, ditch them and go SPD as there’s no real reason not to.

I’ve just fitted a set of Dura-Ace pedals to my road bike, I’ve only ridden once, but I pretty sure I’ll soon get the knack of flipping the pedal and clipping in.

Try speedplay pedals – double sided and designed for road use

Personally I’d always recommend spds for road riding. Get a decent pair of shoes and they’ll be great.

Coming from eggbeaters my road pedals wound me up a treat trying to engage at lights, it’s just s question of getting used to them. I much prefer the stability (or perceived stability) of the larger road specific pedal and now have no issues getting into them.

mikey74 – Member
Why is that a compromise? They are still single-sided.

I meant for the folk that think you have to get road pedals because of the larger surface area, or say that you don’t get as much power through MTB shoes on smaller pedals. Caged touring SPDs and stiff soled shoes mean the power thing is still there, and you can walk in them. Flipping them over becomes habitual.

I spent a while riding with M530 SPD’s and my MTB shoes on my road bike, couldn’t afford some nice pedals and shoes at the same time as I bought the bike! Besides, it was winter, and have Gore Tex boots to keep my tootsies warm.

Got hold of some Look Keo Max’s cheap and some SIDI Genius 5 Pro shoes, and immediately, the performance difference is hugely noticeable. My avg speeds have gone up, and I’m faster up climbs. You don’t think they’ll make a big difference until you swap!

And clipping in to single sided pedals is a PITA, but you get used to it.