# Shoes and Pedals for road AND mtb



## Cleanneon98

Hey guys, so I was looking at the Shimano SPD SL pedals and shoes, but realized that SPD and SPD SL are different. So here is the deal.

I have a Fuel EX 29er that I ride and want to go clipless
I also have a Fuji GranFondo 2.5 that I want to go to clipless

I would like to use one pair of shoes for both activities, but am not sure whether the regular SPD will suck at road, but am certain that SPD SL will suck on the trail, especially when i need them to grip to walk up a hill I can't ride up. 

The only cost effective idea i have is to get SPD SL pedals for the roadie, and SPD pedals for the MTB, and then swap clips on the shoes when I do different rides. That, or I can just use SPD pedals on both bikes, even though they will look silly on the roadie.

So, suggestions for how to make this work???  thanks all!


----------



## Cartoscro

SPD will be fine for road. Once you are clipped in, SPD perform basically the same as SPD-SL. The difference is in the shoe. Mountain bike shoes are generally not as stiff, and so you may be losing a _little_ in power transfer. But unless you're riding competitively, it won't matter. 

On the other hand, you won't be happy with SPD-SL offroad. Especially if you are doing a lot of walking. They become easily clogged with mud, and can make it a nightmare to clip in/out.

My vote is for SPD/MTB shoes. There are plenty of people that do it.


----------



## Jay Strongbow

Cartoscro said:


> SPD will be fine for road. Once you are clipped in, SPD perform basically the same as SPD-SL. The difference is in the shoe. Mountain bike shoes are generally not as stiff, and so you may be losing a _little_ in power transfer. But unless you're riding competitively, it won't matter.
> 
> On the other hand, you won't be happy with SPD-SL offroad. Especially if you are doing a lot of walking. They become easily clogged with mud, and can make it a nightmare to clip in/out.
> 
> My vote is for SPD/MTB shoes. There are plenty of people that do it.


That's it. There is no other answer.

As to mtn bike pedals looking silly. That's just a bizarre comment. Speedplay pedals look nothing like shimano pedals for example. There really is no standard "road bike look"

And switching cleats (they are called cleats not clips) on you shoes depending which bike you ride is a horrible idea. First off all you can't because mtn bike shoes won't accept road cleats and visa versa. Second cleat placement is very important and sometime difficult to dial in. You don't want to be dealing with that every time you go for a bike ride.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using mtn bike shoes and pedals on a road bike.


----------



## JCavilia

What they said. SPD "mountain bike" pedals will work fine on the road, especially if you get a shoe with a reasonably stiff sole. And swapping cleats is utterly impractical. As for the looks, basically people can hardly even see your pedals when you're riding a road bike, even if they cared to look.


----------



## wgscott

I use Shimano M088 shoes with 2-bolt cleats. Shimano makes a nearly identical shoe with 3-bolt road cleats and no treads. When "clipless" first came out I got 3-bolt cleats, I think made by Look. When 2-bolt cleats came out, I thought they were a better design, and remained oblivious to the fact that they were for mountain bikers until fairly recently.

I mainly want the treads so I don't slip and fall and get a repeat of link 3 in my sig.


----------



## Cleanneon98

So of all the different SPD pedals offered, which would you guys recommend for a road bike? Probably the lightest ones? I'm not worried about a few grams so much on my 28lb Fuel EX, but don't want to bulk up my Fuji, so I'd probably want the lighter/est pedals they offer.

As far as shoes, I know other companies besides Shimano make SPD shoes, any of them worth looking at or just stick to the well known? I was looking at Shimano 056 (or 065) shoes.


----------



## duriel

What shoes you want is dependent on your feet. Look at them, go to a LBS and try some MBike shoes on. They have very stiff ones that you cannot tell diff from road shoes. If you fit into shimano shoes now, they are ok, but there are a bunch others and they all feel different.


----------



## Backdash

Cleanneon98 said:


> So of all the different SPD pedals offered, which would you guys recommend for a road bike?


Shimano PD-A600
And hello! First post for me


----------



## Terrasmak

I tried this for a while, road shoes breath much better and are typically lighter. I just have 2 seperate sets of shoes now. Also my Mtb shoes would develop hot spots at around the 30 mile mark


----------



## Migen21

Backdash said:


> Shimano PD-A600
> And hello! First post for me


To each his own, but could not STAND these pedals. Yes, they are light.. but, one sided, and if you end up on the wrong side of the pedal.. ick... I also had issues with the bearings on mine. Ended up in the recycle bin.










I ended up going to Speedplay Pave on my gravel bike and hardtail, and Speedplay Zero on my roadbikes. Same shoes for all of them.


----------



## wgscott

Cleanneon98 said:


> So of all the different SPD pedals offered, which would you guys recommend for a road bike? Probably the lightest ones? I'm not worried about a few grams so much on my 28lb Fuel EX, but don't want to bulk up my Fuji, so I'd probably want the lighter/est pedals they offer.
> 
> As far as shoes, I know other companies besides Shimano make SPD shoes, any of them worth looking at or just stick to the well known? I was looking at Shimano 056 (or 065) shoes.



After going through a whole pile of them (like approaching $1K worth of pedals), including the A600 below, which I really wanted to like, I wound up with XTR trail pedals. I have a box full of SPD fail, including some expensive Ritches with less than 5 miles on them, and a whole lot of other slightly used or nearly new and some heavily used SPDs (including a bunch of Nashbar specials which were perfectly fine before I broke my ankle).


----------



## Oh My Sack!

Just went through this as a new road rider. I'm an avid mtb'r and have developed a desire for nice gear and currently run Shimano SPD XTR Trail pedals. I wasn't interested in running out and spending another $200+ on road shoes, especially since I wasn't sure if the road thing would stick for me, not to mention that Art's Cyclery just had a smokin' sale price on these very PI mtb shoes so I bought another set waiting for the first to fail. I sprang for a set of Shimano XTR XC pedals which are 2 sided, great for those stop and goes through town while I'm on my out to the roads less traveled. I did a lot of comparison and these are only about 10 grams heavier than their road counterpart so weight is hardly a penalty. The combo is working great and these shoes are so comfortable and easy to walk in, as well as hike-a-bike on the trail, I catch myself wearing them around for a long time after a ride when I'm taking care of bikes and such. Worst case, I figured, was the XTR XC's become a secondary set for my mtb....but I don't think that will be necessary.

If anything, consider upgrading your mtb shoe to a nice stiff carbon sole and you will see the attributes while using them on both platforms. Cheaper, non carbon soles will be crappy for the mtb after they begin to soften and will probably be a nightmare on the road bike at that point. Spend your money on good shoes.

Shimano PD-M9000 XTR XC Race Pedal


----------



## wgscott

I actually bought a backup pair of the XTR trail pedals (I got the Blue Shimano Limited Edition 20th Anniversary ones to match the decals on my bike.)

Do you have a link for the shoes?


----------



## Oh My Sack!

The killer deal is long done but the PI Project 2.0 or even the 3.0 is great shoes if it fits your foot. Obviously, everybody has a different need and these PI were the magic for me. I used to run Shimano shoes and they fit well so if you're been in a Shimano footbed, perhaps the PI's will work.

Pearl Izumi X Project 2.0 Mountain Shoes Grey/Black

Edit: There is a killer deal on remaining Project 3.0! Not a lot of sizes, though. That WAS a near $200 shoe not long ago.

Pearl Izumi X Project 3.0 Mountain Shoes Black


----------



## wgscott

Oh My Sack! said:


> Edit: There is a killer deal on remaining Project 3.0! Not a lot of sizes, though. That WAS a near $200 shoe not long ago.
> 
> Pearl Izumi X Project 3.0 Mountain Shoes Black


That's a great deal. Thanks for the link and taking a look. I take size 47 Shimano and size 46 Giro. Both are available. Any idea if their sizing runs large or small?

Sorry, I need to learn to read:



> How it Fits
> 
> Runs small, purchase 1/2 size up.


----------



## MisterMike

Maybe I'm in the minority here but I say if you are passionate about both forms of riding then aspire to get different pedals/shoes for mtn vs road. I don't mountain bike anymore but when I did I could not have imagined using the same shoes for both activities. I was a pretty hardcore XC trail rider so mtn shoe had toe spikes in addition to recessed SPD cleats, an extremely rugged sole, and were always wet, muddy, and gross. Sometimes even bloody ! Relatively heavy too. Laces under velcro straps. Road shoes are light, extremely stiff, and have larger SPD-SL cleats which, at my size, I find more comfortable. And when I ride on the road I have no expectation that I'll be walking around so I don't mind they are stiff and hard to walk in.

I get that budget may not let you do this. Really, I do. I was lucky enough that I could afford separate back when I did both passionately. So if you ride _hard _off road I'd say get SPDs and shoes biased toward mtb riding. Later you can get the road specific stuff.


----------



## Oh My Sack!

wgscott said:


> That's a great deal. Thanks for the link and taking a look. I take size 47 Shimano and size 46 Giro. Both are available. Any idea if their sizing runs large or small?
> 
> Sorry, I need to learn to read:


And I would concur with that. I'm normally a 43, maybe 43.5 if available, I'm wearing the PI in a 44 so it's just a touch on the small side.


----------



## tangerineowl

Another option could be Speedplay Frogs.
I've used them on the road for a couple of years.

Was recently looking at the Lake CX237 for a new road shoe, but it was loose in the heel.
The Lake MX237 is a mtb shoe, but with the same sole as the CX.


----------



## looigi

When I use SPD type pedals, they're Xpedo M-Force. R-Force is their very light single-sided SPD road pedal. 

http://www.xpedo.com/products/pedals/mtb/83/m-force-8-ti
http://www.xpedo.com/products/pedals/road/89/r-force-ti


----------



## rm -rf

I like SPD on my road bike.

One advantage of SPD on road bikes is the no-look stomp and go when I take off from a stop light. Most riders seem to look down to clip in to road pedals.

I can use the same shoes on my gravel and touring bike.

I've clipped out once or twice when doing a full effort acceleration from a stop. I think I must have twisted my foot just enough to unclip.

Shoes
My Sidi Dominator shoes have stiff soles for no hot spots from the small pedal, but are still reasonable for walking. Very comfortable for 100 mile rides. And they last forever.

Pedals
The PD-M540 pedals have sealed bearings. Worth the upgrade from the cheaper SPDs.

Speedplay
Some of the local riders use Speedplay pedals on their road bike. I've never tried them, but they seem to work fine.


----------



## Cleanneon98

Thanks for everyone's help. I got a pair of Shimano SH-XC31 MTB shoes, and 2 pairs of PD-M540 pedals for both bikes. Going to switch the road bike over first and once i get used to it I'll switch the MTB over as well.


----------



## Tachycardic

I use the M088 shoes with XTR pedals for road/cyclocross. Great combination, unless you're elite and need the stiffest platform. I tried the A600 pedals, but prefer dual-sided entry as anytime you stomp on the pedal and you know you will engage. If you're on a tighter budget, the M540 pedals are great also. I used those for 3 years and gave them to my wife when she wanted to try clipless. You should be able to find them for under 40 bucks new.


----------



## Lombard

It's really hard for me to justify spending big $$ on higher end pedals when at $25, these give me thousands of miles with no problems:

Shimano PD-M520 Clipless Pedal > Components > Pedals > Mountain Pedals | Jenson USA


----------



## Lombard

Jay Strongbow said:


> As to mtn bike pedals looking silly. That's just a bizarre comment. Speedplay pedals look nothing like shimano pedals for example. There really is no standard "road bike look"


^^^This^^^

Anybody who tells you that you are not a "real road biker" if you use mountain bike pedals/shoes is nothing more than a poseur.


----------



## n2deep

tangerineowl said:


> Another option could be Speedplay Frogs.
> .


Frogs are a great petal and they allow a lot of rotational movement.. I like these much better than the SPDs although they do tend to clog with small rocks from time to time but are easy to clear..


----------



## Lombard

n2deep said:


> Frogs are a great petal and they allow a lot of rotational movement.. I like these much better than the SPDs although they do tend to clog with small rocks from time to time but are easy to clear..



They also cost about $80 more.


----------



## n2deep

Lombard said:


> They also cost about $80 more.


Your absolutely correct, but if I had started with the Frogs I would have saved many times that amount.. But you bring up a great point!! Ask around before you buy the pedals and I'd be willing to bet that several people would loan if not outright give you a set of SPDs to try out.. .


----------



## Mr645

As said prior, SPD like the Shimano M-PD520 is a cheap, tough, reliable lead and Shimano also has stiff mountain shoes that work fine on the road. I have almost 10,000 miles of road riding on mine. Been through a few sets of cleats but the pedals are fine


----------



## Jay Strongbow

MisterMike said:


> Maybe I'm in the minority here but I say if you are passionate about both forms of riding then aspire to get different pedals/shoes for mtn vs road. I don't mountain bike anymore but when I did I could not have imagined using the same shoes for both activities. I was a pretty hardcore XC trail rider so mtn shoe had toe spikes in addition to recessed SPD cleats, an extremely rugged sole, and were always wet, muddy, and gross. Sometimes even bloody ! Relatively heavy too. Laces under velcro straps. Road shoes are light, extremely stiff, and have larger SPD-SL cleats which, at my size, I find more comfortable. And when I ride on the road I have no expectation that I'll be walking around so I don't mind they are stiff and hard to walk in.
> 
> I get that budget may not let you do this. Really, I do. I was lucky enough that I could afford separate back when I did both passionately. So if you ride _hard _off road I'd say get SPDs and shoes biased toward mtb riding. Later you can get the road specific stuff.


I get what you're saying, in theory. But now that I've had a CX bike for several thousand miles of road use, including racing, and have used MTN bike shoes and pedals I'd say in practice it just doesn't matter. I don't at all feel I'm losing anything as compared to my road pedals and road shoes on my other bike.

Of course all bets are off when we are talking about highly specialized gear like toe spikes.

I definitely wouldn't go the other way though and use a road set up on a mtn bike or any bike one rides off road.


----------



## pmf

Lombard said:


> ^^^This^^^
> 
> Anybody who tells you that you are not a "real road biker" if you use mountain bike pedals/shoes is nothing more than a poseur.


Years ago, I was of the opinion that only road bike pedals belong on a road bike. Went on a bike tour in Tuscany with my wife. The guy who owned the tour company, Andy Hampsten, sent us all an email suggesting that we use mountain bike pedals and shoes because they made walking around attractions so much easier. He was right. Ever since then, I've pretty much always used mountain bike pedals and shoes. 

My favorites are Time ATAC X8 with wide Shimano XC90 shoes. My wife like Shimano XTR (although I think XT's are pretty much the same except for the price) with a Sidi shoe.


----------



## flatlander_48

BeBop pedals and the previously mentioned Pearl Izumi X Project 3.0 shoes.

BeBops are fine for both road and off-road. They have no adjustments, so they can't get out of adjustment. They have sufficient float that is not spring loaded. They release with either inward or outward heel rotation. This is an important factor for me as I have to rotate inward. The stack height is low. What's not to like? The stainless steel model shown below is what I have.

Before I got the Pearl Izumis I ran Shimano MO87 shoes. Both worked fine once you did some trimming for axle clearance. The change was related to shoe fit and had nothing to do with the pedals.


----------



## jland

flatlander_48, glad to see someone else using Bebops, a sleeper of a pedal IMO. I've been using them for 5 years and like the float, easy release and durability of the stainless steel cleat (although the cleats are pretty slippery on road shoes, which is how I currently use mine). I've also tried Speedplay and was bothered by my foot canting on those pedals, even with brand new cleats (google "Speedplay rocking"). The Bebops make for a solid platform, although they got a bit of a reputation of releasing too easily. I'm convinced this is due to cleat setup, though. Sometimes the base plate of the cleat will sit slightly bowed on the shoe, which won't allow it to engage properly with the pedal - easily fixed with a coke can shim under each end of the plate. I'm now wanting a walkable shoe and will be considering the models of shoe you mention.


----------



## flatlander_48

I've never had a problem with them uncliping accidentally, but then again I'm not doing banzai accelerations either. Not sure how long I've been using them, but I started right after Crank Brothers discontinued the Quattro road pedal, so that's been quite a while. That had the EggBeater mechanism with a larger platform than the Candy pedals. BeBops were among the few that allowed uncliping in either direction and that's what led me to try them. Turns out that it was a really good move! They don't require as much force to clip in as the Quattros and I suspect they are lighter (pedal + cleat) but I have not actually checked. I also liked that they have WRENCH FLATS!! Always pissed me off that Crank Brothers didn't (at least then).

As far as the shoes go, no problems once you trim for axle clearance, but that is probably true for just about any off-road shoe. One other thing: it looks like Pearl Izumi changed their shoe models and names. Not sure what the 3.0 Project is these days...


----------



## pittcanna

I have put 6000+ miles on my sidi dominator 5 and shimano pd-m520
Shimano PD-M520 Clipless Pedal > Components > Pedals > Mountain Pedals | Jenson USA

Amazon.com: Sidi Dominator Fit Mountain Black- 46.0: Shoes

No real complaints they have been in rain, winter summer and have always performed.


----------



## Camilo

duriel said:


> What shoes you want is dependent on your feet. Look at them, go to a LBS and try some MBike shoes on. They have very stiff ones that you cannot tell diff from road shoes. If you fit into shimano shoes now, they are ok, but there are a bunch others and they all feel different.



Like the poster above said, please don't just go buying shoes based on any specific recommendation or what's on sale. You absolutely have to try them on, and just buy the ones that feel and fit best within your price point.



Backdash said:


> Shimano PD-A600
> And hello! First post for me













Migen21 said:


> To each his own, but could not STAND these pedals. Yes, they are light.. but, one sided, and if you end up on the wrong side of the pedal.. ick... I also had issues with the bearings on mine. Ended up in the recycle bin.


I have used one sided pedals or years and find them easier to get into than the two sided SPD pedals. This is probably because I've used them for so many years and so much more than one sided, so a new user might probably be different.



> I ended up going to Speedplay Pave on my gravel bike and hardtail, and Speedplay Zero on my roadbikes. Same shoes for all of them.


Are the Paves compatable with MTB (treaded) shoes/ two bolt pattern? I thought they were just a different pedal with which you'd use the regular Speedplay road cleat? I thought the Frogs were the only Speedplay pedal that would work with MTB shoes



tangerineowl said:


> Another option could be Speedplay Frogs.
> I've used them on the road for a couple of years.





n2deep said:


> Frogs are a great petal and they allow a lot of rotational movement.. I like these much better than the SPDs although they do tend to clog with small rocks from time to time but are easy to clear..


Frogs are super simple to clip in and out of and are a two bolt cleat that you can mount on MTB shoes. They're the only pedals my wife can use - and I found them to be great to use too. But I didn't feel like switching my several bikes over to that pedal, so I'm using SPDs until they wear out, which will probably be never. The only thing that kind of bugged me was the free-feeling float. I happen to like a little more feeling of connectedness, but then again, my knees don't need much float. 

There's a lot to be said for one cleat-fits-all for whichever bike you have. It's totally impractical to switch cleats to accommodate different pedals, so you either need two pairs of shoe-cleat-pedal combos, or use the same type of pedal on both bikes and a single pair of shoes that will work with them.

As a final note - at a given price point - a company's MTB shoe has probably as stiff and supportive a sole as it's road shoe equivalent. The difference being the MTB will have treads in addition to that stiff sole and therefore heavier (and more walkable). Therefore I don't believe there is any inherent difference in the sole support that the two styles will give. Most riders, even serious enthusiasts aren't going to see any functional difference between the two styles of shoes and pedals. Some of course actually will note a differnce, but most of us, not really.


----------



## PBL450

Just in case you ride crazy... I would never clip in on MTB. I snow ride too much. And I don't mean ride near plowed snow on the side of the road.... I mean snow ride! I go out on snowshoe tracks and in deep snow... I use pinned flats and 510s. I ride post holes and ice... You need your feet!


----------



## Srode

Backdash said:


> Shimano PD-A600
> And hello! First post for me


Yep, this is one of the lighter choices - very nice pedals for a road bike - I use them during the Winter months because my boots are SPD.


----------



## Cleanneon98

So I set up my shoes and cleats and pedals, cranked the tension down. Did a few laps around the parking lot, was easy enough to clip in and out, but I know it won't be second nature for a while, so I am expecting some falls on my Sunday ride on the MTB and wearing an extra layer of thorn protection for WHEN I go down. Hopefully I fall on something soft, not like a rock garden lol


----------



## Camilo

Cleanneon98 said:


> So I set up my shoes and cleats and pedals, cranked the tension down. Did a few laps around the parking lot, was easy enough to clip in and out, but I know it won't be second nature for a while, so I am expecting some falls on my Sunday ride on the MTB and wearing an extra layer of thorn protection for WHEN I go down. Hopefully I fall on something soft, not like a rock garden lol


I believe almost everyone falls early in their automatic pedal experience. Me? I fell at a stop light on a busy street right in front of, and beside many cars. 

I've used automatic pedals for .... hmm... since the early-mid 90s when this pedal was a common road pedal:










I still have the habit of unclipping way ahead of time and kind of letting my unclipped foot dangle as i coast to the stop.


----------



## Lombard

Camilo said:


> I believe almost everyone falls early in their automatic pedal experience.


It's a rite of passage.


----------



## Med956

Cleanneon 98 - no doubt the pedals came with the SM-SH51 cleat as standard? Do not use these but buy the SM-SH56 cleats as they are multi-realease - far easier to unclip. Set the tension of the pedal as low as possible till you get used to unclipping. Unclip in advance with the foot you set down first, especially on your road bike in traffic. No doubt there will be a time when you forget to unclip in time and you take a tumble. Do not take your hands off the handlebars, keep your elbows and and knees tucked in and all your end up with is bruises. Stick your hand out to break your fall and there goes your collar bone. But don't give up on them. Eventually you will feel more secure on your bikes - strange but true.


----------



## Cleanneon98

They did come with the SH-51 cleats. Does multi release mean it allows you to pivot your heel in to release them as well? From what i can tell I can only unclip these twisting my heel outward. No matter, there wouldn't be much room for me to twist inwards anyway.

Of course this is assuming that my assumption is right? If not, how are they easier to unclip? These aren't hard by any means, especially with how I set the tension on the pedal itself. I actually find it harder to clip back in because I'm not used to where the cleat is yet.


----------



## Med956

As you've gathered with the 51s you have to twist your ankle in a horizontal plane formed by the pedal. With the 56s, they will release perpendicular and diagonal to the pedal plane not just horizontally. Depending where the pedal is on the stroke you can rotate inwards but as you say most times there isn't the space.


----------



## Cleanneon98

Med956 said:


> As you've gathered with the 51s you have to twist your ankle in a horizontal plane formed by the pedal. With the 56s, they will release perpendicular and diagonal to the pedal plane not just horizontally. Depending where the pedal is on the stroke you can rotate inwards but as you say most times there isn't the space.


Considering I'll be using them for road and MTB, I'm not sure if I really want the multi release system to avoid accidental disconnection. I'd rather get used to the "harder" 51 cleats and take a few initial falls rather than get the 56 ones, realize they aren't for me, and then have to re-learn how to use the 51s.


----------



## BCSaltchucker

big feet not so good with SPD

OK i was early adopter of SPD 26 years ago. Raced with em, loved em back then. Size 14-15 feet

I put SPD on my gravel bike a couple years ago and found I was getting too much rocking motion compared to my road shoes/pedals. With some Northwave MTB 'walkable' mtb shoes. So I went back to Look style on road and gravel. Love the newer SPD-SL road pedals - very wide platform and solid. Shimano R088 shoes feel right, under $100

Now I run flats on the MTB. Trails too gnarly here for clipless! (unlike back east where I used to race long ago) I just wear Saloman trail runners for MTB, which do double duty as my hiking/bakcpacking shoes.


----------

