idcruiserman

I bought a used Felt F3C that came with Speedplay X2 pedals. I run Eggbeaters on all of my bikes and use MTB shoes. I like being able to walk, and I don't do a ton of regular road riding. Mostly commuting to work and riding trails and maybe 1 road ride a week. Would it be worth the money to get road shoes and cleats for the Speedplays?

I can see me doing more road rides, especially since the warmer weather is here, but not sure if the Speedplays will be better than the Candies I have on there now.

thx, eric

luker

I use speedplays on my road bikes and like 'em. A lot. I use eggbeaters on the mountain bikes and like them too. I think you'd be happier with road bike shoes on the road...you shouldn't be walking much...except maybe when you're commuting, I guess. I have eggbeaters on my commuter, too, come to think of it (although it is still crappy enough here that I haven't done any commuting as of yet).

The cleats are about $35 if you shop. I probably have some unused eggbeaters to trade if you don't want the X2s and want to trade.

idcruiserman

Thanks. I'm going to look around and see if I can find some road shoes for a decent price.

C_Heath

sidi bullets are......

#1 hot and look kool
2 super popular
3 cheap as dirt on ebay, $89

word

kwrides

Are you going to use this bike for commuting? If so, how much walking will you be doing? If much walking is involved, I would not recommend the Speedplay over EB's. You might want to consider Quattros. A bigger platform than EB's, but I think you can use the same cleat, so you would only need 1 pair of shoes for everything you do.

If you get into Road much, you will want to switch to a road specific shoe for the stiffer sole, and then you may also prefer the Speedplay.

Full disclosure - I ride Quattros. I just bought some used Speedplays to test, but it will be a month before I get them on the bike because I don't want to change my cleats yet.

Spookykinkajou

I use both pedals, too, although eggbeater SL and not candies.

I would never consider using the speedplay for commuting. Even for regular riding I think the eggbeaters are perfectly fine. last year i saw a few people using egg beaters during a 24 hour road race and also on a brevet 300km long.

Personally, unless you really have money burning a hole in your pocket, it's probably not worth spending a bunch of money on cleats and new shoes when the egg's work perfectly fine.

if you find yourself, eventually, riding significantly longer rides where walking is not a concern, then the speedplay's may be just the ticket.

Spookykinkajou

quattros, imo, are not as good as speedplay pedals. And he already has the speedplays...

Also, road shoes are not stiffer than most mtb shoes.

kwrides

He's a commuter.

False

idcruiserman

This bike will be my dedicated road bike. I have another bike for commuting. That's why I'm considering keeping the speedplays. My shoes are Spec BG (non-carbon), which are stiff, but not nearly as much as a carbon road shoe.

Anyone got size 48 or 49 road shoes with Speedplay cleats I can borrow for a test drive ?

Spookykinkajou

I'm a commuter, every day, what's your point?

quattro: cheap plastic cleat base, dc'd so lack of parts in the future...

full carbon sole mtb shoes widely available. they have lugs, there's the main difference from road shoes.

kwrides

That walking a 1/2 mile on speedplay cleats would not be fun. Nor would walking on highly waxed floors.

You are aware that carbon fiber is a fancy name for plastic, right?

wrong

BarracksSi

idcruiserman, you've already got CB pedals on everything else, so stick with the Candy pedals you've got. You can get roadie shoes and Quattro three-hole cleats for the weekly road rides while still being able to use your MTB shoes the rest of the time.

In case you hadn't spotted the cleats yet:
https://www.crankbrothers.com/3hole_cleat.php?itemId=

And, no, CB is not discontinuing production of the cleat. The Quattro pedal is discontinued, yes, but not the cleat in my link.

idcruiserman

I hadn't seen those. Thanks for the tip.

JeffS

Please kwrides... feel free to explain the difference between these shoes, beyond the tread attached to the sole.

Psydotek

All depends... Do you want to spend ~$100 on new road shoes or another set of pedals?

Personally, if you have shoes that fit you great and aren't at risk of wearing out anytime soon, going with another set of Candy pedals is probably better.

I have Crankbrother pedals on all 5 of my bicycles (all road and CX bikes). 3 with Candies, 1 with Quattros, and 1 with Eggbeaters. I do have 2 pairs of shoes (one MTB and one road) but only because I was able to get them for real cheap (I love those Cannondale Diadora shoes, was able to snag the $300 MTB shoes for $90 on Nashbar about 2 years ago). However i can use both pairs of shoes with all my bicycles, well almost... MTB shoes don't work so well with the Quattros. Otherwise, I find myself using the MTB shoes almost all the time.

mrvrsick

^^^
I'm not sure I would use those on a trail if they were as stiff as the road version.
Usually mountain shoes flex more so you can perform an act that more closely resembles walking...

BarracksSi

FWIW, when walking from a road, over some dirt and grass, and through some leaves and pieces of twigs, the Quattro cleats add a usable amount of traction to my smooth-soled road shoes -- and without having any gunk-related engagement problems when getting back on the bike.

foresthill

i've been using the 3-hole cleats with some eggbeaters on my road bike for a couple of years now. I've got no complaints and highly recommend them

idcruiserman

I don't need any other pedals. It's a choice between the Candys or the Speedplays. I'm using Candys right now. I'll probably get road shoes anyway.

Ih8lucky13

I used to be a Speedplay fan until I bought my Time Rxs.

YOJiMBO20

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=2122

Maybe not good for a half mile, but why would I walk a half mile when I have my bike?

luker

for a roadbike, you'll find that speedplays are as easy on your knees as anything, and lighter than most. I am messed up enough that I can't find anything else that provides me with the same level of comfort.

simplify

You can't see the soles on these two shoes, but MOST shoes have a thinner sole in addition to (and sometimes because of) the tread on the mountain version. Every shoe I compared when deciding between road and mountain, had that difference. It's more difficult to see the difference in sole thickness and design, because of the tread/lugs/whatever you call them. But a mountain shoe is NOT just a road shoe with extra rubber stuck on the bottom.

JeffS

Based on what? Do you have a copy of the design specs for these two shoes that you can share with the group?

I'm not talking in vague generalities here. Vague statements like "road shoes are stiffer than mountain shoes" are complete and total BS.

I'm not saying that these soles are identical. I'm saying that noone else has proof that they're not. At the high-end there's no flex in a mountain shoe. They're not designed to go hiking through the woods.

I happen to own both of these shoes and I'll guarantee you that you won't tell the difference between them on the bike.
--------

There's three reasons to buy a road shoe

1) to save weight
2) because you prefer a 3-screw cleat system
3) because people will make fun of you for showing up to a group ride in MTB shoes.

kwrides

Because commuters do a lot more in their shoes than pedal a bike. If you're as comfortable walking around in Raod shoes with Speedplay cleats as you are MTB shoes with SPD or Quattro pedals, you're the exception.