VTSEAL

Just bought a road bike - first one after almost 20 years. I've been mountain biking exclusively for years.

So I took the plunge and put Time mag road pedals on the road bike, and bought road specific shoes (Sidi Genius). Ahh, new road pedals -- I hate them, I hate them, I hate them... I hate the finicky nature of clipping into road pedals, (love the adjustable float), but most of all I hate the slick soled shoes, w/ the huge cleat that make them largely unwalkable. Almost wiped out in the coffee shop. Had a flat on my am commute yesterday and was about to give up and walk barefoot.

So after 2 days I'm going back to mountain shoes, and want to pick the best pedal compatible w/ mountain shoes... Guess I'll put the shoes/pedals up on ebay... Can I get some advice from others w/ similar experiences???

Here's my background/guidelines:
- I love my Time ATAC Carbon pedals on my mountain bike - but I don't know if they make good road pedals - how do they stack up against say the Speedplay Frogs for road use? Seems like the Frogs might offer better contact w/ the shoe - less hot spots?
- I've ridden eggbeaters on a road bike and they were a bit too 'loose' in their unrestricted float -- didn't like the feel vs. the ATACs. The new ATACs have adjustable float -seems like an advantage over the Frogs...
- I'm a huge fan of my Sidi Dragon shoes - so I may simply keep the pair I'm currently using - which would mean putting ATAC pedals on the road bike. But I'm not opposed to picking up a pair of Dominators and using them w/ different pedals if the other pedals are better for road use...
- Road biking mostly for cross training, occasional group rides, and bike commuting to work 2-3 days per week.
- I'm 200 lbs and live in rolling hills, so I'm not looking at any ultra-lightweight ti/carbon pedals...

Thanks.

blandin

I wear Sidi Dominators with SPD cleats and use them with the Forté Pro Mg Ti Road Pedal pictured below. They weigh 200 grams for the pair and are on sale now for $69.95.

cmcenroe

I wouldn't trust a $70 pair or mag/ti pedals, that's just me. Seems like asking the axles to shear, but I could very well be wrong.

If you want to keep your current shoes and just get new pedals, you might consider the shimano SPD-SL line. The cleats are very walkable. They put rubber pads on them in all the right places and this combined with a very low profile makes a great cleat to walk in if necessary. You won't slip in these. They definitely aren't as walkable as the MTB shoes, but if you want to save some money and just change out the pedals instead of the whole setup, this is something to consider.

blandin

I would never advise against appropriate caution and safety in regards to any cycling equipment, but I can tell you that I run these pedals, actually manufactured by Wellgo, on all seven of my road bikes and have done so for several years with no problems of any kind. Also, Performance would discontinue any product that would make them liable to the consumer in very short order if anyone was having safety issues, their insurance carrier would insist on it. All that being said, I find this pedal to be of very high quality and to be totally reliable.

velordrone

I have been riding my road bike for years with Mtn. shoes and Speedplay frogs. GREAT pedals! Nearly maintenance free and lots of float. However, I, like you, decided to make the overdue jump to road shoes last week. I splurged for the Sidi Genius 5 and Speedplay Xs. Haven't ridden them outdoors yet--only on trainer. I bought the cafe covers for the cleats which help a little bit but they're nowhere near as walkable as a mtn. shoe. I've slipped on them a couple of times, too. I'm going to try to stick with them but I may end up going back to the frogs. If you like float in your pedals, the frogs are the way to go (they're as light as most road pedals, too.)

barba

I am with you. I tried Looks earlier this year. I loved the pedal (felt solid, disengaged well), but the moment I got off the bike I felt like I was going to kill myself. I even had problems putting my foot down at a stop light. The slick cleat and no tread shoe just slid sideways. I will keep trying, though, because I do like the feel of the pedal once I am in and going.

14max

I'm running Shimano M120 shoes with Shimano M520 pedals. Nice connection, easy clip in/out, and so far, on my short rides do dial things in, no hotspots...

cminter

I'm starting to think I may be the only one with these Shimano A520 I've had them for a year and like them alot, no hot spots in touring shoes for up to 100 miles.

SpongeDad

My wife has ATACs on her road bike and likes them just fine. I will soon be putting them on one of my commuter road bikes so that I can ride in walkable shoes. All in all a great combination.

As for other road pedals, I like Speedplay Zeros and use the cafe covers to walk in.

I'd hold off on dumping the Sidis. You may find yourself going on long club rides or supported / organized rides where the whole walkability thing isn't an issue. There's lots of them in PA.

curt in denver

+1