Originally Posted by mstateglfr

Ha, this reminded me that about 18mo ago I had some creaking in the shoe/pedal interface for SPD that I could not fix. It was infuriating for like 2 weeks. I removed the cleats and reattached them. I oiled the cleats. I oiled the pedal mechanism. I wd40d the pedal mechanism. I took a candle and rubbed wax over the cleat and pedal- none of that worked.
I dont think I ever did anything to fix it, now that I am thinking about the issue. It just fixed itself?...huh. Memory is a frustrating and funny thing.

Originally Posted by Chuck M

I forgot all about the intermittent squeaks. Mine came and went and drove me crazy. They had to be terrible too because I am very hard of hearing and I could hear the squeaks without my hearing aids.

Originally Posted by Rides4Beer

Horses for courses.

I run SPDs on the gravel bike, better for mud and hike-a-bike.

SPD-SLs with red cleats on the road, I want my feet locked in with as little float as possible.

Originally Posted by TiHabanero

I ride both style pedal/shoe combos and find them very similar in feel. The very positive contact engagement of the SPD SL is a benefit as I know for certain when I am connected to the pedal. One thing to note about the SL cleats and walking is that the rubber grips will wear and tear over time. The only walking on mine is when I move the bike from the back door to the walkway and vice versa when finished with the ride. The rubber things are still perfectly fine after 4 years of use. On the other hand my son's wore off after his first season as he was walking in and out of is apartment and walking to his office in a building at work. He replaces his cleats every two years.

Originally Posted by Chuck M

After riding toe cages and straps since I was a teenager, I bought a modern bike a few years ago and decided I needed to go clipless on it. My SPDs were IMHO a waste of money. I had been influenced by online horror stories of how hard clipping in an out was and thought the double sided SPDs were the smart move. The guy at the LBS tried to talk me into SPD-SL or Look compatible but I believed what I read online.

Now I have a heavy pair of SPSs on a shelf in the garage and a composite pair of Look compatible pedals on my bike. I'm not saying SPD on a road bike is wrong as many prefer them, but I wish I would have listened to the guy at the LBS. By the way, this was before I joined Bike Forums so I may have got better advice on how to choose the right pedal for me here. I think what I had read came from a site that can't be typed here.

Originally Posted by eduskator

+1. That noisy ''clack'' when clipping my SPD-SLs makes me feel more secure on my road bike for some reason.

Originally Posted by yaw

Some really good additions and nuances in the comments. I think it is safe to say that both systems can actually work for a wide overlap of applications. It's probably at the extreme ends of usage (e.g., road race vs. city commuting/errand running) where either system starts to shine on its own. For the leisure/fitness/cafe road riders, it's more of a slight preference and priority decision. It's good to have that choice to suit our needs, there is no 'better overall' and the differences are arguably a bit smaller than a newcomer may expect based on reading up on differences for the sake of pointing out differences. As someone who rides near daily with no set destination, hills on the weekend, and the odd gran frondo, I simply should not have gone SPD based on unfounded concerns, that is all.

That said, it is clear that shoes seem very important, regardless of the system, but perhaps a little bit more with SPD given the smaller cleat. I think it's a good idea to spend as much as feasible on foot comfort and sole stiffness, it is simply too crucial of a contact point to cheap out on that interface. I had Shimano XC501s for SPD and switched to Bontrager XXX for SPD-SL, both with arch support insoles and bike fitted cleat positions. Both shoes worked great in that the pedal interface when riding was never top of mind, which is always a good sign. Things you overly notice are often in need of further tuning. The XXX is the better shoe due to the full carbon sole at double the stiffness and bi-directional BOAs which are a great upgrade that allows for easier mid-ride adjustments without popping out the BOA - better be for over twice the price. I do appreciate the new setup when working hard up hills or really putting power down, it is a matter of those slight differences falling into place to make the pedal interface ever so slightly more suitable to my riding. I could totally see myself having both systems, as some here have, if I had more bikes to cater for different riding scenarios.

Originally Posted by 79pmooney

Shoe comfort - for my feet, finding shoes with lasts that feel really comfortable has been a challenge. Nearly 20 years ago I chanced on some cheap shoes at Performance that felt good. Rode them 'till the wore out. Got another similar pair. Same story - happy feet. Somewhere along the line I learned that Lake made both of those pairs. I've been riding cheap Lakes since. The only issue has been the straps.. This isn't because the straps are so bad but because I started riding mountains on my custom fix gear and spent more time pulling up hard against those straps than anyone ever dreamed would happen. Eventually I ripped the straps off, installed grommets and laces. Happy feet! (In shoes I've never paid more than $100 for.)

Oh, I have several far more expensive pair of shoes. But if foot comfort is going to be important, they stay at home and the cheap Lakes go. Periodically (well not since before COVID) I go to bike shops and try on expensive shoes. So far, I keep finding that another $100 or more will be a step down in comfort because they don't fit as well. (Most shops here don't carry the best of the Lakes so I've never had a chance to try those on.)