Originally Posted by
TomD77
I'm into my 3rd year of SPD use and occasionally wonder just what road cleats could offer on the bike that the SPD's don't. I suspect that any improvement is marginal and, in my case anyway, overwhelmed by the walking difficulties.
What would you do if you encountered, as I observed locally just 2 days ago, a bike problem bad enough that a set of tire levers and a tube won't cut it?
To me, the improvement has been much more than marginal: power transfer and contact area are both noticeably better. And, as I said above, IMHO the "walking difficulties" associated with road shoes (at least SPD-SL) are greatly exaggerated. For a complete system failure, which I haven't experienced in 100s of bike rides, there is always the cell phone... or use the multi-tool to remove the cleats and walk to your hearts content. Or just walk in the cleats... it really isn't a big deal.
Originally Posted by
volosong
Donn, I want to caution you about walking too much in your cleats. Those things are not inexpensive to replace and wear down real quick if you do any amount of walking. That is the one criticism that I hear about these Shimano SPD-SL cleats.
... snip....
On another note, I just scored a pair of Sidi shoes during one of the on-line vendor's TdF sales. Nice shoes! Since I was able to order a pair in a half size, they fit perfectly. 46 is very snug on my feet and 47 is a tad loose. 46 and a half is a perfect fit ... at least in Sidi. I'm already bummed because I know that they will get all scratched up after a couple of months. They are so pretty right now!
Last Saturday, I pulled them out of the box, attached the cleats, and took off on my century ride. Wouldn't you know it that the left cleat was about 1 degree off from the right. Not having any tools, I rode fifty miles with my left foot toed in. When I got to my turn-around spot, I went to a LBS and borrowed a wrench to tweak the cleat to be like it should. (Please, no jokes about riding a self-supported century without any tools. I did change a flat on the ride.)
Volo,
Congrats on the Sidis... they are really great. Report in on how you like them! I have a set of cleat covers that I never bother to take along. But perhaps I should. I do take at least a multi-tool on every ride and (wagging my finger) you should too.
I made a cleat adjustment about five minutes into my first ride with the SPD-SLs and have never changed anything since. You can tell immediately when they aren't right. Yes, I can confirm that the cleats do wear out from walking...
...these may be due for replacement but they still work perfectly on the bike. I've bought pedal sets for four road bikes and you get cleats with them, so I have a stash of replacements on hand.
Originally Posted by
George
Cool tool George... I've always considered pedals pretty much an install and forget item, but I do think I'll get one to investigate the inner workings of these things. Thanks!
PS to Volosong: try a set of the 10mm extended cleat bolts from Western Bikeworks. They're recommended for Sidi shoes and you don't have to torque the bolts as tight because you have extra threads in play. Probably not absolutely necessary, but nice.