Which Pedals???
I ride generally for fitness (on the road with a mountain bike with slicks and rigid fork) - 20 to 30 miles at a time with many hills. I ride a mountain bike because I’ve always been a mountain bike person. I’ve tried road bikes and ALWAYS break spokes and need the rear tire trued constantly. Yes – I’m hard on the equipment.
I currently use SPD Pedals and don’t really think they’re the proper pedal for me (my wife hates the fact that I’m clipped in). I believe the SPDs have too small of a contact area and don’t give adequate comfort or performance on the road. But – on the other hand – I don’t know if a platform pedal is the answer – as – I’m not the most efficient when it comes to pedaling (I think I might tend to “chop” on the platform pedals).
I’m thinking of either going to platforms (with replaceable pins and trail shoes) or to SPD-SL (with dedicated cycling shoes). I hate the fact that you can’t walk in these SPD-SL cleats.
I’ve also tried Power Grips, Toe Clips with mixed results.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Many choices here:
https://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

Speedplay Zero Stainless

/thread

I've tried SPD, Speedplay, Look, and my most recent (and most comfortable) are SPD-SL. I have wide feet and like the wide platform. It does a good job of supporting my feet.

How big are you? A properly built wheel should have none of the problems you describe (continual need for spokes and truing) unless you are jumping curbs all the time.

As for pedals, why not get some MTB shoes? The cleats are recessed in the shoes (i.e. walking is easy). There are some downhill options with very large platforms.

However, it really sounds like you have a shoe problem with your current SPDs. Either the shoes are too flexible (you can feel the cleat through the shoe) or they don't fit correctly. Go to a shop that knows what they are doing and have them take a look.

If you really just want something different then I'll cast my vote toward Time MTB pedals. I have a set of the Roc ATACs and really like them. You might like the larger platforms on the 'Z' series. Note that these require MTB shoes.

Thanks much Greg

I'm 6'3" - 170lbs
On my Bianchi Strada I purchased an extra strength back rim ($500) and still had broken spokes. I'm on my second Trek 4500 - I broke the frame on my first one - just riding on the road!!!! My bike shop joked that I should be employed by the bike companpies to do R&D (pound the bikes). It's probably my motocross background.

I've given up the road bike and am just concentrating on the mountain bike. I curently have an old pair of Diadora mount. shoes and they have always been a little large. As you say, they're probably not stiff enough. But I still don't like the small "platform" of the spds.

Thanks again

Thanks Ron

I've been considering the type that you've posted. The only thing is that can't walk in them (I guess I'll just have to get used to them). They look like they have the best "area".

Lots of spud,recessed cleat type shoes & pedals in the MTB Category..
I have time Atac.. Keens fishermans sandals and some Shimano Sandals.
Shimano pedals have a wide range, including 2 that are SPD
and platform , back to back on the same pedal..

After using Froggs then Eggbeaters I'm back to Forte Platform pedals. I just like their simplicity

I used these for years they are light and agile. Found them only at one place in Texas. I think Texas Cyclesport is the only one that carries these.

https://www.texascyclesport.com/store...idProduct=4583

Geez- you're a skinny feller, aren't you? I'm 6-foot-4, 220 lbs, and I ride a recumbent. I'm really hard on wheels. I've also built my own wheels for 30 years, so I know how to build them right. I don't break spokes- usually I wear out the rims first if I don't get bored and rebuild them for the heck of it.

As to pedals, I've ridden SPD's since they came out. That's on-road and off-road. I've found that more expensive shoes have a stiffer sole, which alleviates the problem of a small platform.

I've had my Look Keo Max2 Carbon pedals for about 6 months now, and love them. Clip in/out is easy, and I've never unclipped when going hard up a hill or sprinting, during my training rides. I've had some close calls at stop signs/intersections, and have always been able to unclip just before losing forward momentum, without falling over. (I still looked silly to onlookers).

Any pedal on this site will do fine and allow you to get rid of the G*D Damn clip in's before they hurt or kill you! (You wife has cause to worry about your riding with them)

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/pedals.html

I've been riding clipless for 20 years. I ain't dead yet.

If by "clipless" you mean no stinking clip in's or other such devices then great.

If not......the clock is still ticking.

I'm partial to both the Crank Brothers Egg Beaters, and the SPD pedals.

I wear a pair of the Shimano MTB shoes and have found them to be comfortable to walk in. And haven't (to date) gotten the cleats caught in/on anything.

I'm about 5'6" - 5'7" and (summer weight) 180lbs (winter weight) 210lbs and I haven't broken a single spoke on my Hardrock. Actually, I can't remember ever breaking a spoke on a bike. And growing up as most of us in the '70s I was a tad hard on my bike.

Even when I was run off of the road and into an overturned wood & concrete bus stop bench I never broke a spoke or even tacoed my front wheel. And I was riding a box store bike at the time.

You need to get some edification if you don't recognize "clipless" as the common bicycle vernacular for a pedal + cleat system that mechanically locks the shoe to the pedal yet allows for simple (heel-turn) release.

As I said, (above) I've been riding Shimano SPD pedals and compatible shoes for 20 years. They've never been an issue- either in normal riding or in emergency stops or in crashes.

Do a search on Shimano PD A-600 pedals. This is what I use on my road bike. The wider platform/contact area helped with some numbness and comfort issues.

But you don't deny that the clock is still ticking for your first time not unclipping in time. Tick,tick, tick,tick............

FWIW, Spinning Classes, have been popular enough, to spawn their own shoe..

it uses a 3 bolt look road cleat type, with a built up edge, so walking across the floor
from the stationary bikes to the locker rooms , is better than regular road shoes would be
with the cleat extending far above the sole of the shoe..

In time for what??

Sure the clock is ticking, but I've been riding clipless for a decade now. Also still alive.

SPDs with MTB shoes and a road bike.

No broken spokes here either.

I've used SPD pedals for 6 years now. They're great. My shoes has a hard sole, I think that probably makes a huge difference. I guess they're racing shoes, which means they're not good for walking around in. I wonder if you could get a mountain bike style shoe with a harder sole.

Nightshade, the pedals are called "Clipless" because the cages that go around your feet with straps are called "Toe Clips". Clipless pedals might seem dangerous to people who haven't learned to use them. Usually you fall down once or twice when you're learning, just like learning to ride a bike. It takes a fraction of a second to clip out of them.