JustinNY

I have one bike and that's not going to change for a while. 95% of the time I'm in a jersey, bibs spd shoes, etc.

But occasionally I just want to ride a couple miles to friends/family house and be dressed in normal clothes.

The spd pedals seem to have a big enough surface to ride somewhat comfortably for a few miles with regular shoes or sandals. Anyone actually do this?

John_V 

I use SPD pedals on my road bike and use Decksters that clip into the pedal to convert them to platform pedals. Several of the guys in my Saturday riding club have made their own similar version of the Decksters from pieces of aluminum or plywood with non-skid material on the top side to work with their particular pedals. You will need to have an extra pair of cleats so you don't have to take them off your shoes each time. An old, worn out pair will do if you happen to have a set lying around. You'll need to be careful not to twist your foot on the platform if your pedals don't have tensioning screws or they will unclip from the pedal.

Ooompa Loompa

I rode 2 miles of mostly down hill in my regular tennis shoes on my Shimano M520 pedals a week and a half ago. Even though it was such a short distance and it was mostly downhill it sucked. I'd look into getting something like this for riding in regular shoes https://www.amazon.com/Exustar-Compat.../dp/B004MLDID4

Edit: John V beat me to it.

daredevil

spd sandals are pretty cool...

John_V 

Shimano also makes a similar product and I bought a set before buying the Decksters. They work really well, but if you use them often, the material they are made of wears down really fast and it becomes difficult to keep them locked in the pedal. I use the Decksters a lot because my Saturday rides are usually in the city with very heavy traffic and a lot of stops. I just don't feel like spending my time unclipping more than riding.

milkbaby

I've ridden 30+ miles on SPD-SL pedals while wearing regular running shoes. It's not a problem. Just don't bunny hop unless you are good at MTB style bunny hopping (not just pulling up on clipped in pedals).

sqroot3

back when i used spd sl pedals i used to bike all the time in my sandals and running shoes to and from camp. now i use spd and it's a lot harder to bike without clipless cleats and shoes!

vermilionx

I do every now and then.

I don't have huge feet though.

rat fink

Same. It's really not my preference, but I do for about 50% of my short commutes. I can still bunny hop with just shoes on, but I avoid it, because it's too easy for my feet to slip off. As far as riding with dress shoes, I'd be careful. A lot of good quality dress shoes don't have rubber soles and are so slick that I would prefer just to bring a another pair of shoes along.

Also, if you are going to riding in a suit, be aware that you risk destroying it. Just the friction from spinning along is enough to make the legs of your slacks threadbare in short order, not to mention any crash, fall, rub with the chain/rings, or puddle splash an suit is ruined. Since most suits are ~$400 and up new, I stopped riding in them all together. If I want to take my bike somewhere where I plan to wear formal attire, I carefully pack it into a backpack or don't take a bike.

Mike F

Cant believe this thread hasnt been referenced...

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ding-a-Cervelo

caloso

The OP said SPD-SL, not SPD. This:



Not this:



And yes, I do it all the time: running to the store, easy riding around the park with the kids, or even commuting when I am feeling too lazy to change my shoes. I wouldn't recommend it with leather soles, flip-flops, or in the rain. But with decent rubber soled shoes for a mellow and dry ride, it's no problem.

Ghost Ryder

In the title yes, but in the post he says SPD.


I used these as a noob, & still use these on most of my rides.
They work great for my normal shoes, & flip flops.


Shimano PD‑A530 Road Pedal

https://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...road-pedal.jsp

I also have Look KeO's for most recent bike build, there's no way I'm wearing flip flop on these.
There's no grip if you use the flip side, & you'll slip off in no time.

JustinNY

Thanks for clearing that up. I have spd-sl pedals and shoes. I'm honestly shocked that theres no commercially available platform adapter. I may actually try and make some. I the meantime, I'll try riding around the block with regular shoes and see how it feels.

fishymamba

I do it all the time with my SPD-SLs, it doesn't damage the pedal, and if you go slow your foot doesn't slip off.

hairnet

never had a problem doing it but it feels like riding on platforms with the saddle too high.

moppeddler

A buddy showed up for our 40mile weekend ride last Saturday with tennis shoes and those same pedals. It was his first time out this year and couldn't find his shoes. Oh, and he had no water bottle either. Luckily, one of the guys carries 2 and gave one up. To his credit, he did the whole ride. He was a little slow, But I would have went back to bed. We ride at 6 so bed's pretty appealing.

gladiator13

I do it for short flat rides. As long as there aren't big hills or I don't have to go in a big hurry it works fine.

fstshrk

Short rides with Look Keo pedals and tennis shoes work fine for me. It is invigorating to jump on a bike with street clothes and just ride. Reminds of being a kid again.

ILUVUK

yes, I do it.

StanSeven

My wife and I go away every weekend with just one car. I often ride my weekend bike with regular shoes/flip flops to go to the store. After a few rides, I don't even notice they are spd's.

SkyDog75

I ride SPD-SL's in sandals or sneakers a few times a week -- running errands, accompanying my daughters to school on their bikes, or whatever. I wouldn't want to do a century that way, but haven't had any problems at all up to 10 miles or so.

JTGraphics

I made something like these for Speedplay pedals
What I did for the kids on my tandem I wanted their feet to stay on the pedals I have speed plays on it, I picked up some universal toe clips with straps I tool some J-B Stik Steel-Reinforced Repair Putty Epoxy molded it into the bottom of them and made them flat. I then took some speed play cleats and drilled holes to mount them onto the toe clips when I need them I just snap them on the pedals put the kids feet in the straps and I'm good to go.

dissident

I don't, but use SPD so I can one... mindlessly clip into the double sided pedals without having to think... two... walk in the shoes as the clips are recessed. I hiked 2ish miles in the last weekend actually when I forgot my hiking shoes. No problemo. The pedals don't seem to hurt performance, or that is to say, they are the one thing I have never 'noticed' while biking, so I'll keep em until I find something better that's not SPD-SL for it's one sided pedals with non-walkable shoes.

Elad63

Yes I do it myself all the time

bitingduck

Sure. I've even done it with eggbeaters, though that's a bit suboptimal.