davethelefty

Not sure exactly where to pose this question but I'll start with my 50+ peer group...


I am debating changing pedals. I have a flat bar road bike with SPD pedals which I like except they're big and I want to go smaller/lighter In prior road bikes I've had Look or SPD-SL pedals.


I'm trying to determine if there is any benefit from one pedal vs. the other, or is it simply a matter of preference. All I know is years of riding with Look pedals and don't know if I ever gained proficiency when I was in a hurry, such as stopped at a traffic light turning green. I seem to have better luck with SPDs though I can't explain it. I haven't experienced any difference in float or unclipping between the two pedal styles.


I need new shoes and I'm looking at road shoes that have both 2 and 3-bolt patterns to accommodate whatever cleat/pedals I choose, just need some thoughts and feedback and your personal experience. Thanks.

bpcyclist

I find the Looks no real problem at lights or on hills, once I had practiced a few million times. I've never used the SPD's.

Crambie

It really depends how much walking you are going to do. If it's any appreciable amount then it's a no-brainer, spd's. If you are just riding then I find spd-sl's a bit more efficient, you do notice it if you've been running spd's on a bike for a while then swap over. But I think that's probably more down to the shoes than the pedal. Obviously spd shoes tends to be more flexy so you can walk in them and also compress more than road shoes. There are some part carbon soled spd shoes though which should improve things but I haven't tried them. Some also find mtb shoes more comfy than road shoes.

spd's are easier at lights and junctions as you've two sides that you can put your foot on and click in to but you soon get used to spd-sl's.

If I had to pick just one that just works whatever I'm doing then it would be spd's. Of course you could get both if you can afford it and you think it would be worthwhile as it's trivial to swap them over.

kingston 

SPD's all the way on this one. The gains from switching to road pedals will be minuscule, and you're riding a flat-bar so I know you're not racing. A600's and Sidi Dominators are a nice combo for a walkable road setup.

bikeme

Looks or SPD-SLs are a more stable and solid platform than 2-bolt SPDs but this is only a concern to folks that want max connection to their bike for power transfer. I like 2-bolts only on my mtb and use Look Keos on my road bike. My daughter uses 2-bolts on both her mtb and road bike.

Rajflyboy

Use Crank Bros 👍

Carbonfiberboy 

With double-sided SPDs I clip when the pedal comes up every time, no looking. With single-sided sometimes the pedal doesn't come to rest just right and I have to look. I sure see a lot of experienced riders still missing their clip with other pedals.

I think shoe sole stiffness is what matters, not pedal size. I don't see how one can feel the pedal size through a stiff sole.

davethelefty

One thing I've noticed -- true MTB shoes with 2-bolt pattern have a recessed area where the cleat mounts, so when you walk you're striking the ground with the sole of the shoe more than the cleat. With SPD-SLs you're walking on your cleat, but the cleats usually have rubber tips/bottoms to walk on.

Many new road shoes that have 2 AND 3-bolt patterns do not have any kind of recessed area, so if you bolt an SPD cleat on there, it sticks out and you're walking on it just as you would an SPD-SL cleat, but you're walking on metal, not a protective rubber pad. Probably I'm just over-analyzing because I don't walk that much. I'm really focused on a stable pedaling platform, clipping in/out easily, and having good power transfer.

And BTW I have been looking at the Shimano PD-ES600 Ultegra pedals which are single side SPDs, not dual side, so they have the same "find the right side to clip in" problem as SPD-SLs.

kingston 

SH40 cleat adapters solve that problem

I use A600's which are the earlier version of the ES600. They are weighted so they always hang exactly the same way, so it's not that tricky to find the right side.

79pmooney

Efficiency gains once your foot moves as one with the pedal are very, very small. The gains from the traditional clotted aluminum cleats, toestraps and clips to anything now is basically zero UNLESS your feet, knees and body need float to do their best or not suffer injury. (Or you are one who will suffer crashes and injuries from the mechanics of toestraps.)

SPDs give you that solid connection. All other systems can do is offer different amounts and types of float which may or may not matter to your feet, knees and body, give you different releases, different weights, pedal clearances, sex appeal and cost. (And walkability a+nd convenience).

For me, float is not good. I can ride SPDs if I crank the toe-in a lot on the left cleat and to full max on the right. Black no-float cleats and LOOK Delta copy pedals work very nicely for me. So do the old clips, cleats and straps. Once I am riding the pedals don't matter until it is time to stop. I can do the same 60 mile loop on my fix gear with toeclips and my good bike with LOOK cleats and have the same comfort, efficiency and power (except one is fix gear and the other geared; now that is a huge difference! I could swap the pedal and that wouldn't change the ride. I might however crash - from not remembering on my good bike or pulling out on the fix gear. )

Look at whether the SPDs are serving you well for foot, knee and overall comfort. Also how these shoes fit into your life and riding style. Think that last part through for any changes you are considering, If you change, keep your old shoes and cleats set up. Keep the pedals. You may even consider swapping pedals for different rides. SPDs most of the time, the new ones of weekend long rides and events. (Swapping pedals is easy and fast IF you don't honk on the wrench when you put them on, In fact, pedal threads self-tighten. A 6" hex wrench and ordinary hands will get them plenty secure. Pedal wrenches are huge because mechanics see everyday bikes with pedals honked on decades ago.)

The old custom bike of my username now runs fix gear with traditional toeclips but I've been known to swap out pedals and shoes to SPD to ride it in town when I am spending that day indoors. Toughest part of the swap - remembering so I put on the correct shoes!

Edit: And yes, there is a learning curve to getting your foot into any pedal systems and some are easier than others. It often take me half a ride to re-calibrate after I switch pedals or bikes. Second edit: For many of the LOOK cleats and similar form other manufacturers, KoolKovers makes rubber covers you slip over the cleat when not riding. Huge benefit! The cleats last much longer and yo are much less likely to break your tailbone sitting down hard on a waxed supermarket floor. Going down stairs is much less scary. They come with a clip; basically a huge paperclip, but the little key ring carabiners from REI work much better. I hand them from the back of my toolkit. Yes, it looks dorky. I put them in my jersey pockets for years, resisting the dork bit, Finally switched, So much easier! Less hassle. No dirty pockets or plastic bags to mess with. More room for other stuff (and better on-ride access). So I look like a dork. A dork with a tailbone. Oh well.

Ben

deacon mark

I used SPD s at first crank brothers egg beaters. They are easier to get into the pedal compared to the SHimano SPD-SL s I now use. The difference is for me I like the power transfer and the bigger platform of the Shimano 3 bolt shoes. I don't like much float either and prefer the pedal to be solidly engaged. The only advantage to SPD pedals was the 4 sided entry made things faster and easier, also they were better for walking around.

The negative is that the Crank Brothers eggbeaters would only last about a year and the bearings go bad. They can be replaced but about as easy to buy a new set of pedals for just a few bucks more. The Shimano 105's I now have much better they have been going strong at least 4 years zero maintenance. The pedals work great and I do wear out cleats about every 2 years. The pedals themselves just keep running for sure. I do at times even now get a bit slow clipping in if things are busy but in the end I like the solid feeling much better. If I was only riding around town or lots of stops maybe SPDs, but then probably better to simply have open pedals if stopping all the time at intersections.

August West

I made the switch over to SPD-SL's last spring. For me, I have found them easier to clip into than SPD's although I don't think that most people would agree with that. Also feel more connected to the bike and secure although I don't think they have made much, if any, difference in my speed. I'm just as slow on one type as the other. The Boa on one of my shoes is acting up so I might have to switch back to the SPD's until the repair part gets here which will be interesting. And, I'd like to add power so am thinking of moving to Favero Assioma pedals which are Look Keo.

jppe

I use both types. Look Keo’s are lighter and I prefer lighter on road bikes. The gray cleats have plenty of float. They are a little more difficult to clip in but nothing significant after practice. Eventually you can clip in without looking down at the pedal. I use their rubber shoe covers when walking. They greatly extend the life of the cleat and keep the cleats clean except when going through really mushy soil. If you get even tiny miniscules of dirt on them they will squeak like nobody’s business. Thus best to keep them clean.

The spd’s are outstanding. I use them on my gravel bike. They’re easier to get in and out of and you can walk in dirt on their cleats. Plus they are two sided. There is plenty of float on those as well.

Most major shoe companies make shoes for both types of cleats.

Classtime 

I have an urban commute where spd is preferred. SPD-SL for road rides.

John_V 

OP,

Clipless pedals have but one purpose in life - foot retention to the pedal; nothing more, nothing less. They all do that, no matter what make or style pedals/cleats you use. From there, it's just a matter of preference. If you have tried both style pedals and prefer the SPD style more, stick with them. Changing back and forth can get very expensive over time. I personally use SPD pedals and cleats. I prefer the Shimano PD-M530 pedals as they have a cage around the outside where the soles of my shoes rest on when clipped in. This gives me more shoe to pedal contact as well as retention. They're also user serviceable so I can grease or rebuild them when needed.Easy to do and saves from buying new pedals when the bearings start making noise.

Lazyass

I like SPD's and have them on multiple bikes, but what I don't like is they all end up squeaking in the cleat area and I have issues with scuffing my crankarms with my heels.

Speedway2

I'm a recreational Rider and have been using SPD's for ~20yrs on all my bikes.
Last summer I picked up a hybrid with flat pedals with "teeth" and decided to ride it with runners. Long story short....my foot came off the pedal after hitting a ninja pot hole. It could have been serious if I had lost control in traffic. The hybrid now wears a set of SPD's. Why?.....cause I'm use to them and I wear the same shoes/cleats on all my bikes (except for the Cruiser)

Crambie

They are not that experienced then or just haven't learnt the basics. I and anyone I can think of don't miss clipping in any more than not clipping in to spd's first time which is very rarely. There is a bit of technique involved with spd-sl's but it's not rocket science.

Climb14er

I use Look Keos with comfortable Shimano racing shoes on my high performance Waterford road bike and SPD's with Bontrager mountain bike shoes on my spin class machine. Very satisfied with both.

Carbonfiberboy 

As I said, "with other pedals."

Koyote

I'm actually thinking of switching to SPDs on all of my bikes. It's just so much easier to walk in mtb shoes.

davethelefty

I've ridden with Look, Crank Brothers Egg Beaters, and SPDs, and I'm probably more concerned with unclipping than clipping in. Just today I took a tumble because I couldn't unclip in time. I was standing still on a patch of grass by the roadside, straddling my bike. I had one foot clipped in, and went to lift my bike up and pivot it around. Lost my balance and tipped over. I'm rethinking my practice of standing still at a traffic light with one foot clipped in. Maybe better to keep one foot on the ground and one loosely on the pedal (unclipped), and begin clipping in once I start moving???

bpcyclist

I am so sorry this happened to you. For some reason, I have managed to set up my Keo Max pedals so they are super easy to unclip. I think I must have them on the lowest tension (it's been so long since I adjusted them, I don't even remember what excatly I did). Anyway, I almost fell crossing some rail tracks very, very slowly because of pedestrians the other day right in town. As soon as the front tire struck the front rail, it immediately slipped out from under me like ti was ice (was very wet that day). I knew I was going down. No time to unclip. No time to do anything. It was over.

But when I looked down a moment later, my right foot was on the ground. It had somehow unclipped itself, a reflex, I guess, as I did not consciously do it. I stayed upright. Having that tension set where I do had saved me. So, if you have not done it already, you might just look again to see how tight you have the release set. It could be that you have some more play there. Good luck to you!!

thehammerdog

If you want to chill at coffeehouse and or the local store post ride.....go spd.

TiHabanero

Been a Look Delta user since 1986. Used SPD on the mountain bike after using Look EVAC pedals for a decade. Just this summer I installed SPD on my new touring bike and was pleased with the ability to walk about in the shoes with real ease. No more duck waddle walking as needed with the road pedals. Go with the SPD pedals. In the future if the Look pedals ever wear out, it will be SPD on all my bikes.