MTB - v - Road shoes & pedals (on a road bike)

wersal gummage

Am using sidi SPD mtb shoes on the commuter bike. they're a great job.

got a road bike a few months ago that i couldn't afford really so i just stuck another set of SPD pedals on it to save me buying shoes i couldn't afford.

Have put a few hundred kms on the road bike, shoes and pedals feel grand - slight bit of play in the shoes in fairness (a sort of to the left and right play).

Is it worth upgrading to Look pedals and a proper pair of road shoes ???? i've googled a fair bit and not getting any consensus really.

Thanks:)

serendip

Is this not just a case of adjusting the pedals? http://stason.org/TULARC/sports/bicycles/8h-3-Adjusting-SPD-Cleats.html

Gavin

I use spd on all my bikes. Whatever system you use, it just makes things easier to use the same one on all bikes. Although I think track racing doesn't allow spds

joker77

wersal gummage wrote: »

Am using sidi SPD mtb shoes on the commuter bike. they're a great job.

got a road bike a few months ago that i couldn't afford really so i just stuck another set of SPD pedals on it to save me buying shoes i couldn't afford.

Have put a few hundred kms on the road bike, shoes and pedals feel grand - slight bit of play in the shoes in fairness (a sort of to the left and right play).

Is it worth upgrading to Look pedals and a proper pair of road shoes ???? i've googled a fair bit and not getting any consensus really.

Thanks:)

Same position as yourself - SPDs on both my commuter and 'proper' bike

Mainly because I ordered the wrong pedals when getting the road bike...

I was happy enough starting off with the SPDs, they're handy for getting used to and I'll definitely be hanging onto them for the commuter. I have the road bike since last October, absolutely love it, but when I get a little bit of cash together I'll be investing in a decent pair of shoes and a set of Look pedals. I tried on a mate's pair of shoes at the weekend - the difference between them and the entry level ones I have was huge.

BostonB

joker77 wrote: »

...- the difference between them and the entry level ones I have was huge.

In what way?

C3PO

I have always used SPDs on my mtbs and also on my aging and rarely used Giant OCR. I recently bought myself a nice new carbon road bike and bought new Look pedals and Sidi shoes for it. First off the Look pedals took a bit of getting used to - particularly the way they hang upside down when not in use! But having got over that hurdle I really like them now - they feel much more stable and positive then SPDs! In my opinion an upgrade well worth doing!

tawfeeredux

Similar to the OP, I started off using SPD pedals on my road bike, cos of cost & convenience. I tried a pair of Look pedals for a while a couple of years ago, but ended up going back to the SPD pedals. I hate the way if you don't get the correct side of the Looks first time, your foot just slides off the underside of the pedal. If i go for a pair of road pedals & shoes again, i'd probably try Speedplay cos they're double-sided.

joker77

BostonB wrote: »

In what way?

The fit mainly. They seemed well made, nice and snug, and very solid.

Here's what I have, here's the ones I tried on (although they were blue, so maybe a newer/older version)

petethedrummer

I have used both SPD and SPD-SL on the road bike and definitely prefer SPD-SL. They just seem stiffer and more correct for the job.

wersal gummage

Thanks very much for all the comments. I know this subject has been done to death so I do appreciate the advice.

I'm kinda as I started though - inconclusive.

There doesn't seem to be anyone shouting out at me that I have to upgrade to road shoes and pedals for some major advantage. I'm not cycling in any serious way. I hope to do the WW200 and maracycle next year but I cant say that my current pedals and shoes are holding me back.

c montgomery

wersal gummage wrote: »

Thanks very much for all the comments. I know this subject has been done to death so I do appreciate the advice.

I'm kinda as I started though - inconclusive.

There doesn't seem to be anyone shouting out at me that I have to upgrade to road shoes and pedals for some major advantage. I'm not cycling in any serious way. I hope to do the WW200 and maracycle next year but I cant say that my current pedals and shoes are holding me back.

My 2 cents.

I had spd on both road bike and MTB for about 6 months and found them great.
About a month ago i got spd sl's for the racer and once i got used to them i timed myself on my usual route.

I was 2 minutes faster using the spd sl's that the spd's over a 40minute course( now a 38min).
I think the reason is more power going into the pedal per rotation but maybe its just i feel good in my new shoes so i go faster:D

deandean

Before changing OP, I suggest you try playing with pedal spring tension:

On MTB, better to have springs quite loose (at least for off road stuff);

For road bikes, the tension can be set so the shoe is clipped much more firmly.

Adjusement is done with a small Allen Key.

wersal gummage

deandean wrote: »

Before changing OP, I suggest you try playing with pedal spring tension:

On MTB, better to have springs quite loose (at least for off road stuff);

For road bikes, the tension can be set so the shoe is clipped much more firmly.

Adjusement is done with a small Allen Key.

thanks.

i'm going to stick with the spd shoes and pedals till next spring anyway i think so i'll give that a go.

Tau

I use SPDs on my road bike.

As far as I can see, if I switched to SPD-SL or something else, I might be slightly faster / more comfortable / more efficient while cycling at pace. I doubt its as significant as 2 mins off of a 40 min route (5% increase in speed = (very approx) 15% increase in power?!). I have read that old SPDs were not nearly as good resulting in a far bigger difference between SPDs and SPD-SL.

On the other hand, you have to consider the advantages of SPDs - the main one being that if you don't clip in right first time, you can still cycle away and you'll get clipped in on the second or third rotation. With SPD-SL your foot just slips off. Also consider the "walkability" of SPD shoes. I think these are pretty big advantages, especially if you're doing any touring / relaxed cycling or commuting.

rp

I have regular two-sided SPDs for commuting / MTB, and the single-sided A520 on the road bike (not the -SL, which isn't compatible with regular SPDs) - this gives a better platform and seems less tiring on long distances, and is every bit as good as the Looks I had before. Big plus is having shoes for all seasons and all bikes: sandals, winter boots and lightish MTB shoes that you can still walk in (unlike the looks)

**Timbuk2**

I use SPDs on my road bike. I find them great and I love that I can walk in them.

I have the pedal tension the lowest it can go - I have never came out of the pedals unintentionally. I think if your cleats are adjusted correctly you don't need to up the pedal tension. I could be wrong though.