Sennis

I'm fairly new to road cycling, and I have been riding for about the past month with platform pedals and my nike running shoes. Its not terrible, but I am looking to purchase a new set of pedals with shoes. Clips obviously. I was wondering what would be a good set for somebody who is just starting to seriously get into riding and doing triathlons. I don't want to spend too much, but I'm not going to buy cheap stuff and have it last no longer than a couple months.

generalkdi

buy 105 SPD pedals, they are cheap and works well. For the shoes, go with what comfortable and fits your budget. Carbon sole is nice, but if it's out of budget, just go with plastic, it does the job.

Elduderino2412

tons of combinations. Make sure if you buy 3 hole cleats you buy 3 hole compatible shoes. The 2 hole configuration is usually used for mountain biking cleats.

MegaTom

Shimano SPD-SL for pedals. Buy a shoe locally to make sure it fits your foot as well as your budget.

KevinF

All the systems (SPD, SPD-SL, Speedplay, Look, etc) work well.

Two hole bolt pattern cleats (SPD and other variations) have recessed cleats which gives you the advantage of being able to walk "normally". The pedals are also dual-sided, meaning it's easier to clip in when starting up. Just stomp and go. Some people experience hot spots because of the small pedal platform.

Three-hole bolt pattern cleats (SPD-SL and Look) have larger cleats and larger pedals, which helps distribute the pressure on your foot which can help alleviate the "hot spot" problem. Three-hole bolt pattern cleats have a big cleat hanging off the bottom of them which makes walking "interesting" until you get used to it. Also, SPD-SL and Look pedals are single-sided, meaning the pedal has to be oriented correctly for you to clip in, and it can take some practice until you can do it without looking. Again, it's not "hard", but it takes some practice.

The two and three-hole cleat patterns both work -- you're not going to inadvertently release from either one. I've ridden many, many thousands of miles on both SPD (two hole) and SPD-SL (three hole) cleats. To this day, I have two road bikes, and one is outfitted with SPD-SL, the other with SPDs. I can't tell any performance difference between the two.

AK404

I'm going to assume that for distances less than 50 miles or urban routes with constant stops, SPDs are the way to go, but for long distance runs, SPD-SL is preferable?

cqcumber

I'd suggest speedplay zero. very forgiving for new riders with flawed pedaling mechanics.

mvnsnd

If you are going to be doing triathlons, get a road specific pedal. There are also triathlon specific shoes that are easier to get in and out of. Look at Shimano shoes and pedals to start.

FPSDavid

SPD-SL if you are a roadie, SPD if you are not.