# Pedals: Look Keo 2 Max or Shimano 5700 C?



## SwimCycle09 (Apr 22, 2014)

I've read a lot of reviews both on this site and elsewhere on the web on these two pedals and it appears they are pretty similar. Common problems complained about included Look cleats wearing faster than Shimanos and both pedals not rotating to a clip-in friendly position when unclipped.

I am coming from single sided SPD pedals and want give some true good quality road pedals a try. Any other thoughts would be appreciated or just simply vote!


----------



## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

What's wrong with what you've got?

For me, this is about shoes, mostly, then insoles, with pedals being pretty much in last place as long as they're fit for purpose.


----------



## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

My toes seem to rotate both brands to the clip-in position equally as well. :wink:


----------



## SwimCycle09 (Apr 22, 2014)

A) Nothing. I plan on moving my current pedals to a different bike for more casual riding/ commuting and want to put something else onto my road bike that will be more comfortable clipped in/efficient than the A530s I am currently running.

B) I bought some road/tri shoes (with both 3 bolt and 2 bolt cleat mounting options) on clearance that I really like and I am currently running them with the A530s via the shimano SPD to SPD-SL adaptor...this is not working as well as I thought it would.

C) I want to try actual road pedals because I never have and these two seem to be good performance value.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

If your shoes have both mounting patterns, wouldn't that make them natively compatible with whatever the normal cleat is for the A530? I thought the SPD-SL cleat was for a road pedal, which the A530 isn't exactly.

FWIW, I do use road pedals on three of my bikes. Shoes and insoles aren't quite enough to line up my feet well enough for a MTB pedal, so using Speedplays, which have a ton of float, gets me the rest of the way there. But I gotta say, if I could make it work, I'd love to retire my road pedals. I could potentially ride any of my bikes in MTB shoes, but running up a crumbling bank (or really just trying to walk) with a road cleat on sucks. And multiple pairs of shoes are just kind of annoying. I have to stock spare parts for both systems. I have to buy insoles for both.

So I guess if you insist on trying road pedals, I like my Speedplay X-Pedals. But mostly because they have a specific attribute that really helps me. Which I guess would be my non-facetious advice - road pedals are somewhat varied. Look for one that you have a good reason to believe will actually do something better than your A530s.

The discomfort is probably a shoe thing, especially now that I've looked up the A530 and see that it's got a big honkin' cage. If the soles of your shoes are mating with that right, you should have as big a power transfer area as most road systems. More than most MTB pedals or Speedplays.


----------



## Sundog (Sep 25, 2013)

You may find this article worth a read:

ROAD PEDALS – WHICH ARE BEST? » Bike Fit » Steve Hogg's Bike Fitting Website

I like speedplay too. Zeros (cr-mo).


----------



## SwimCycle09 (Apr 22, 2014)

Thanks for your input, its brought me back to my original line of thinking that I might want double sided entry pedals (but I seem to be doing alright with single side now though). 

I know Speedplay is the road way to go for this but Speedplays seem expensive to me. I can get the 105 pedals in their Carbon version for $80 and the cheapest Speedplays I have found are $114. I'd like to keep it under $100

I went with the adaptor because the very first pair of road shoes (its was a stupid buy for a first time road cyclist, on clearance with a partial carbon sole...) I had was 2 and 3 bolt compatible so I mounted the SPD cleats right onto the shoe. Result after less than 300 miles was disasterous...the carbon part of the left shoe sole splintered causing the cleat to become loose from the shoe and left me unable to unclip. I had to get my foot completely out of my shoe to get off my bike. I think this happened cause I may have mounted the cleats wrong or there was a manufacturing defect in the shoe. Either way, I will never buy a carbon fiber soled cycling shoe, (partial or whole) again.

After this happened I returned the shoes, luckily REI gave me a full refund and I bought some Bontrager Solsitce shoes...which have been fantastic for general riding and walking off the bike, perfectly comfortable with the A530 pedals. I just want to move that setup to a different bike and go with something more road oriented for the actual road bike for road riding/tri training now that I have road/tri shoes I really like.

Riding the road shoes with the adaptor on the A530s hasn't been bad but clipping in is a little harder and on longer rides...my knee doesn't like it (And yes i have been properly fit for my bike).


----------



## Sundog (Sep 25, 2013)

SwimCycle09 said:


> Thanks for your input, its brought me back to my original line of thinking that I might want double sided entry pedals (but I seem to be doing alright with single side now though).
> 
> I know Speedplay is the road way to go for this but Speedplays seem expensive to me. I can get the 105 pedals in their Carbon version for $80 and the cheapest Speedplays I have found are $114. I'd like to keep it under $100


I'd skip two lunches and get the zeros!

Good luck with whatever you choose.


----------



## SwimCycle09 (Apr 22, 2014)

Interesting article and lol yea I already pack a lunch everyday...I just can't see justifying going over $100 for pedals for my uses.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I rode secondhand Speedplays for years. The pedals can last a pretty long time. The cleats are still very expensive, so if you consider this route, make sure to consider that cost too. The retail packaging has everything you need to set up a bike and a pair of late-model shoes, but buying used pedals demands reading ads closely, to understand what you're really buying.

Or just get some M530s. They shouldn't have the weird habits of the A530s, and I hear you can get them for $35. I use a different system on my mountain bikes.


----------



## SwimCycle09 (Apr 22, 2014)

Thanks everyone. I decided to go a slightly different direction with the Shimano R540's for $34.99. Figured if I hate the SPD-SL system I will only be out $35 vs $80 for the 5700 C.


----------

