# SPD v. Road Pedals



## tbsurf (Apr 15, 2010)

I have only used SPD, both on my road bike and city bike. Thinking of getting road pedals for the road bike with new shoes. Is there much difference in feel or performance? My friend tells me that the eggbeaters on my Synapse 3 are a downgrade for the bike. Thanks, Terry


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## eg1vin (May 6, 2008)

Are you using road shoes also or mtn bike shoes? I use the SPD-SL's and you'll see an increase in contact area and stiffness.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Oops. Double post. Never happened to me before...


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

The pedals are not that big a deal. The shoes matter a lot.

Get some mountain bike racing shoes and you'll notice a lot more difference than spending the same money on some so-so road pedals and so-so road shoes.

For the sake of disclosure, I put Speedplays on my "good" road bike. I'd like to have all my bikes use the same pedal system, and since I do a lot of mountain biking and some 'cross, I need mountain pedals on some bikes, but I have a dodgy knee and it does better with Speedplays for the long rides.


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## dgeesaman (Jun 9, 2010)

I believe the SPD-SL (or any other large-cleated design) is superior to SPD for long distance riding. The reason is because it demands less of the shoe, and statistically speaking most shoes are not the stiffest and most expensive design available.  

With the SPD and a very rigid shoe you might not notice a difference. But for any shoe less than that your comfort may be compromised.

David


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## kmunny19 (Aug 13, 2008)

agree that shoes will likely make a bigger difference. however, my finding was that even fairly simple 105 road pedals spread the pressure out better than egg beater style, notably. I went from mild foot soreness at the contact point for the day of riding, to no discomfort. I really believ both shoes and pedals should be addressed, because anything that makes you more likely to skip a ride or cut one short or regret one, is worth eliminating.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

kmunny19 said:


> agree that shoes will likely make a bigger difference. however, my finding was that even fairly simple 105 road pedals spread the pressure out better than egg beater style, notably. I went from mild foot soreness at the contact point for the day of riding, to no discomfort. I really believ both shoes and pedals should be addressed, because anything that makes you more likely to skip a ride or cut one short or regret one, is worth eliminating.


I agree. Sole stiffness is of _primary_ importance, but being a pedal _system_, cleats/ pedals can affect performance/ comfort as well. When coupled with good quality shoes, road specific systems like Shimano's SPD-SL's seem less prone to cause hot spots.


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

How much walking around in cycling shoes will you be doing, or do you do? 
If it is not much, then go with a dedicated road pedal and shoe.
If you do a moderate amount or more, then stick with the SPD's.


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## jswilson64 (May 20, 2008)

Can someone point me to an explanation of the different pedal/cleat types? I'm not exactly a "beginner," but the last time I put new pedals on a road bike, Ronald Reagan was President. I'm shopping for a new road bike after riding mountain bikes for the last 10-15 years. My current ride has SPD pedals, and I don't know jack about which road pedal/cleat systems are compatible with each other. Somehow I just stopped paying attention...


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

jswilson64 said:


> Can someone point me to an explanation of the different pedal/cleat types? I'm not exactly a "beginner," but the last time I put new pedals on a road bike, Ronald Reagan was President. I'm shopping for a new road bike after riding mountain bikes for the last 10-15 years. My current ride has SPD pedals, and I don't know jack about which road pedal/cleat systems are compatible with each other. Somehow I just stopped paying attention...


Pedals come with cleats. They're a matched pair. You must mean cleats and shoes, right? Everything is pretty much standardized to a 3 hole pattern these days. Almost all cleats require a three hole drilling and almost all shoes have it.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

pmf said:


> Pedals come with cleats. They're a matched pair. You must mean cleats and shoes, right? *Everything is pretty much standardized to a 3 hole pattern these days. Almost all cleats require a three hole drilling and almost all shoes have it*.


Not in my experience.

jswilson64, here's a pretty good explanation of MTB/ recessed (2 bolt SPD) and road/ non-recessed (3 bolt Shimano SPD-SL and LOOK).
http://www.caree.org/bike101cliplesspedals.htm


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## tbsurf (Apr 15, 2010)

I'm the original poster of this thread. I bought the new shoes & pedals, have ridden 2x since. There is a noticeable increase in power transfer, at least 10-15% over my MTB shoes & SPD pedals. Well worth the change IMO. Thanks for the input, TB


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

I changed from mushy shimano shoes to some very nice northwave shoes and felt a similar gain.. same SPD pedal though. A good sole makes such a big difference.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

PJ352 said:


> Not in my experience.
> 
> jswilson64, here's a pretty good explanation of MTB/ recessed (2 bolt SPD) and road/ non-recessed (3 bolt Shimano SPD-SL and LOOK).
> http://www.caree.org/bike101cliplesspedals.htm


I was referring to road shoes and pedals. Mountain bike pedals and shoes are relatively standardized too. Just don't but road pedals and mtn bike shoes, or vice versa.


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## GumbyN (Dec 6, 2010)

tbsurf said:


> I'm the original poster of this thread. I bought the new shoes & pedals, have ridden 2x since. There is a noticeable increase in power transfer, at least 10-15% over my MTB shoes & SPD pedals. Well worth the change IMO. Thanks for the input, TB


thanks for the update.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Based on the amount of extra hardware that comes with a pair of Speedplay cleats, I'd say that road shoes are not that well-standardized at all. For me, the shoe's more important, so buy that first, and then if a pedal's not compatible, choose a different system.

This is before getting into exposed carbon soles and the protective plates that many cleats need for them. Which isn't new, just outside my pricepoint.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

I hope that you're aware that SPDs can be used in road applictions as well. In fact, I use SPDs on all of my road bikes and my mountain bike. In fact, years ago, Shimano had SPD road pedals too. I should know since all of my road bikes use the old Dura Ace SPD road pedals.While, I'm a fan of Look pedals, I've found that SPD cleats last much longer thanLook (and Speedplay) cleats. Also, I believe that Wellgo uses an SPD design as well for one of their road pedals.BTW, I used SPDs with road shoes.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

My Look cleats last usually 6-8 months. I usually ride a lot and tend to replace them before they're worn out. If I weren't as picky, they'd last all year.


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