Road Cycling - look vs spd

I have ridden look system for oh so long, my last pair of look pedals went out on me in a 50 mile ride.
I heard so much about spd and seen so many riders with even mtb spd pedals on their rode bikes I thought i would give them a try.
So I bought some Ritchey Pro spd. I took a ride and found that I dont like them.
Is this normal, will I get used to them? Or should I just try to get a few bucks out of them and go back to look system?
Am I just so pro look that its all in my mind???
any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thanks and ride safe....

I had spd's and hated em. Just won some speed play x3 pedals on ebay. $67.00 total. And they are in great shape. I say go back to what you like. See what the spd's are going for on ebay. Then try and sell em on ebay.

I started with SPDs, then switched to LOOK. HOLY COW! I wouldn't swich back to SPD on my road bike for anything! I still use them on the knock about bike, because you can use mtbike shoes and walk when you are off the bike. I love the LOOKs myself!

1 vote for go back to the LOOKS! :)

Glad to hear that guys... Good thing I had a pair of old looks in a box in the closet....
I just wasnt sure if SPD was something I had to get used to or give more of a chance to, i hear people talk about spd is so great, but honestly i didnt think they were. Looks are more comfortable in my opinion, or maybe its just i have used them so long its all I am used to...
Thanks again and ride safe :D

Don't get me wrong. I can ride SPD, but I am more comfortable on the LOOK system. Their easier to clip into and out of than my spds. Keep in mind that there are two kind of spd cleets, I have used both,the silver one I pull out of on up strokes if I really put the power on. I think the LOOKS are easier to adjust than the SPD and have smother float, spd always wants to "bring you back to the middle" so you have to have them adjusted just so,so or their always moving your heal back to the center of the cleet.

Another way to look at this question. If the SPD system is soooo goood then why do top of the line Shamino road bike pedals look like ------LOOKs! I even bet they pay royalties to LOOK for the right to sell the new pedals.

I think most of the roadies that are "going to" spd type pedals are the egg beater type, because they weigh almost nothing!

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=41142&highlight=Look

Read away

I just picked up a pair of the SPD SL or what have you by Shimano. I sure hope they are comfortable. I guess I will soon find out. I have always used Greg Lemond and Look.

I use SPD because I have to , I need a cleat that permits me to build up the heel about 4 cm ( big leg length problem , polio ) and a soft release ( limited / no ankle movement ) and a good spd is cheaper than almost any other system , for me it works as it does for people who ride off road ..... remember that´s what it was invented for and it does it very well but for the road Look has more advantages ( remember that Shimano used to make a Look compatible pedal for the road ) except you can´t walk in them : not good for touring .

i can't go back to SPD after usink LOOK. I went MTBing with my friend a while back, and I kept holding him up cuz it took me forever to clip into the SPDs. LOOK is great!!

I just picked up a pair of the SPD SL or what have you by Shimano. I sure hope they are comfortable. I guess I will soon find out. I have always used Greg Lemond and Look.
I definately wasnt happy with the ritchey pros spd, Look is what i am going back to and sticking with

uciflylow:

Actually I went to egg-beaters because they are easier to keep clean, and I wanted to experiment with the 4-sided engagement.

They turn out to be excellent road pedals! And Because I do many solo rides that are 150-180 miles long I want a comfortable walking shoe when I stop at the road side diner. Anything like the Dominator SIDI (I use the Gaerne King) is stiff enough to handle these pedals.

The beaters also have a fair amount of float, which I tend to like, and the cleats are even smaller than the SPD so I don't get that gravel crunch sound when walking on the sidewalks!

(Plus as you say they are light!)

I have used both. The look has a larger platform and that is what I normally ride so initially the SPD feels a little funny. I generally ride SPDs in situations where I may want to do a little walking in the bike shoes. They have worked fine for me.

Look is the most used road pedal in the world. This is the reason that Sidi provides a Look compatible cleat, free. This did not happen by accident. And it is also the reason that Shimano, a couple of years ago redesigned their Ultegra and Dura Ace line to be more "Look-like".

I just switched to the CX-6 pedals because I can move them out from the pedal as I like my heels turned a bit inward and the additional space keeps my heel from sometimes contacting the chain stay.

I have been using Look pedals for over 10 years and will never switch to anything else!

I currently use the CX-6 and there just great!

uciflylow:

Actually I went to egg-beaters because they are easier to keep clean, and I wanted to experiment with the 4-sided engagement.

They turn out to be excellent road pedals! And Because I do many solo rides that are 150-180 miles long I want a comfortable walking shoe when I stop at the road side diner. Anything like the Dominator SIDI (I use the Gaerne King) is stiff enough to handle these pedals.

The beaters also have a fair amount of float, which I tend to like, and the cleats are even smaller than the SPD so I don't get that gravel crunch sound when walking on the sidewalks!

(Plus as you say they are light!)
will these pedals work with road shoes?

i like the larger platforms of the Looks. and they are hard to pull out of (if dialed correctly) when climbing standing.

i'm just not an eggbeater guy or a speedplay guy, but i know plenty of people who like these sexy pedals.