# SPD vs Road pedals?



## sinister_designs (Aug 26, 2011)

*MTB vs Road pedals?*

So I have ridden MTB for many years with SPD's and now I am starting out on a road bike and at the moment i use my MTB shoes with SPD pedals, what is the difference between both shoes and pedals compared to road stuff?
Currently I have MONTANA XT2 SHOES :: Louis Garneau shoes and just Product pedals.
What sort of changes or improvements would I see switching to road stuff if any?
Thanks


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## Jett (Mar 21, 2004)

sinister_designs said:


> So I have ridden MTB for many years with SPD's and now I am starting out on a road bike and at the moment i use my MTB shoes with SPD pedals, what is the difference between both shoes and pedals compared to road stuff?
> Currently I have MONTANA XT2 SHOES :: Louis Garneau shoes and just Product pedals.
> What sort of changes or improvements would I see switching to road stuff if any?
> Thanks


First, a lot of road pedals are single side entry, a few like Speedplay are double. So that will be something you might have to get used to.

Road pedal offers wider platform, ie more surface contact. This lessen the chance for hot spots. But a good stiff sole on a on a pair of mtn shoes will solve hot spot issue most of the time.

Road shoe are normal lighter, but less walkable. The cleat is not recessed on road shoe.

Some people say that the large contact area of the road pedal = better power transfer. Personally, I haven't notice that, but then I don't put a lot of wattage.


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## sinister_designs (Aug 26, 2011)

I guess i can understand the hot spots issue and truth be told I do get a little bit of that, just not sure the wife will think spending another few hundred on shoes and pedals is a good idea at the moment ( baby on the way ).
My MTB shoes are pretty ridgid so that helps.


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## Waxbytes (Sep 22, 2004)

I use MTB shoes on the road for their walkability, walking more than a few yards in road shoes is a pain and bad for the exposed cleat. I don't race so the weight is not an issue. 
Stay with your MTB setup for a while and then if you feel the need you can change to a road setup.
This will also give you time to look over the different road clipless systems as there are a few different types.


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## Doolab (Feb 13, 2008)

In addition to the good points Jett made, you'll also appreciate the wider road platforms such as SPD-SL & Look Keo 2 that allow you to get a more stable and confident out-of-the-saddle pedaling/climbing/sprinting experience.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Doolab said:


> In addition to the *good points Jett made*, you'll also appreciate the wider road platforms such as *SPD-L* & Look Keo 2 that allow you to get a more stable and confident out-of-the-saddle pedaling/climbing/sprinting experience.


Agree that Jett pretty well covers it. 

One minor correction to the second bold statement. Shimano's current road pedal system uses the SPD-SL designation.


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## Marzo92 (Apr 15, 2010)

sinister_designs -
I'm in the same spot as you, just a year further along. 
I went to Shimano road shoes with 2 botl spd cleats
(Shimano SH-R087GE Road Bike Shoes - Men's) with the Shimano pontoons (Shimano-PD-7410-Cleat-Pontoons-Pair) 
Reasonably decent to walk with (heel is still hard), saved right at a pound over the entry level MTB shoes I had, and, not to get in trouble with your wife, under $100.
Still looking for a better setup, but IMO not a bad alternative.
Marzo92


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

sinister_designs said:


> just not sure the wife will think spending another few hundred on shoes and pedals is a good idea at the moment ( baby on the way ).


Think about the A-520 road/touring SPD pedals. No, they're not like full-on road pedal/cleat systems. But they're much, much better for the road than MTB SPD pedals. 

I find them to be a reasonable compromise. They could work for you as a bridge until there's money in the budget for full-on road shoes and pedals. They're $45 at Nashbar, $35 at the UK places.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

There's a particular reason I do better with Speedplays on my road bike.

If not for that, I'd standardize all my bikes on one pedal system. Since I ride mountain bikes too, it would be a MTB system.

IMO, most of the difference is in shoes, and can be eliminated if you get racier MTB shoes. You certainly don't have to, though. If you're not noticing problems related to sole flex or cleat pressure, just ride and be happy.


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## craigh-krph (Aug 14, 2011)

I use SPD cleats with MTB shoes because I have to do a bit of walking to get from my house to the road. I've got a pair of Specialized MTB shoes with carbon soles and an insert and ride Shimano A-520 pedals. Zero problems with hotspots. Road shoes just wouldn't work in my situation but I don't miss them. The walkability factor seals the deal for me.


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## red elvis (Sep 9, 2010)

it's all about preference. i've been using speedplay X5 for almost a year but the float is too much. i have a bad habit of sticking my right heel to the right when pedaling and as a result, i was having discomfort on my knee. last weekend i tried using my friend's extra spd pedals. the pedal disengage every time my heel stick out to the right. so now, i'm not sure if i should switch to SPD or should i try the speedplay zero first.


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## vicg (May 10, 2010)

*Keo/SPD-SL*

I previously had SPD's on my road bike (Shimano A530) and used MTB shoes it was working well for me. My brother gave me a pair of Keo road pedals. I didn't care for them much, especially when you have to stop at a red light & when it's time to cross the intersection you spend most of the time fumbling around trying to get clipped in. 
Trying to get clipped in is a pain, my brother told me that the Shimano SPD-SL road pedal's were different and alot better when trying to clip in, I see no difference I should've stuck with my SPD's ,you learn from your mistakes. I'll give it more time but if it's still troublesome I plan going back to the SPD's maybe I'll try the Shimano A520 road/touring pedal.



sinister_designs said:


> So I have ridden MTB for many years with SPD's and now I am starting out on a road bike and at the moment i use my MTB shoes with SPD pedals, what is the difference between both shoes and pedals compared to road stuff?
> Currently I have MONTANA XT2 SHOES :: Louis Garneau shoes and just Product pedals.
> What sort of changes or improvements would I see switching to road stuff if any?
> Thanks


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## Mr645 (Jun 14, 2013)

I am using the A520 pedals and really can't say anything bad about them. Light, solid feel, clip in and out easily, yet provide a solid connection for hard acceleration, pulling and pushing to over 30 mph and no issues.


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## JoePAz (Jul 20, 2012)

sinister_designs said:


> So I have ridden MTB for many years with SPD's and now I am starting out on a road bike and at the moment i use my MTB shoes with SPD pedals, what is the difference between both shoes and pedals compared to road stuff?


I mtn bike on spd pedals and when I got a road bike I got A520 SPD pedals. These are the same mtn bike SPD system, but are single sided with a larger platform. I don't need dual side on the road bike and larger platform allow my foot a greater contact to pedal with should in comfort. Plus they are lighter than my mtn pedals. 

I use the same shoes for both bikes. I see no real need to change to dedicated "road" pedals. I can use the same shoes and have the same uncliping motions so low risk of falling over. Most of my rides are about 1 hour, but I also have done a few 50+ mile rides too and they are fine.


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## UrbanPrimitive (Jun 14, 2009)

Zombie thread. Check the date fellas.


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