I know that everyone will say it is all personal preference. But I really don't want to buy pedal a cleat sets to figure out which one. So I am looking for advice from those that had tried different types.
I commute on a hybrid and bought MTB shoes and SPD compatible pedals (one side is standard flat pedal and the other is the SPD), did this so I could ride to lunch without having to change shoes. Went with the MTB shoes to make walking easier from the bike lockers to my desk.

I have a 1982 Nishiki road bike that I am rebuilding. So now I come to deciding which clipless pedal to install (to replace the clip pedals). This bike will be for long distance riding so I want to stick with road shoes and pedals.

Look, SPD-SL, Frog ..... Not sure of all the types. Give me your opions. Looking for: "I like X better than Y because..."

Thanks

I love my new Look Keo. Light, easy to use with a big platform.

look

look keo they seem pretty popular with the pro's but there are plenty of choices no clear cut winner.

I like my Speedplays...

+1

+1
I've been using Shimano 6400, Look patent, since 1990 and genuine Look now. Great pedals and every shoe known to man is drilled to accept their cleats. Plenty of float you can't go wrong.

Tim

I like the Speedplay Zeros because they're pretty tough pedals and cleats, they are double-sided, have a low stack height, great cornering clearance, pretty lightweight, operate very similar to my MTB pedals (stomp-and-go) and they have independent inboard/outboard adjustable float. They're also simply yet elegently constructed. Downside: price. However you may be able to find some good deals out there and they do offer entry level Zeros which aren't that much more expensive than comparable models from competitor's pedals.

I like Look because:
a) I've had them for 20 years and am used to them.
b) They have a relatively large platform which is good for my size 12 feet.

My wife uses Frog (mountain pedal on road bike) because:
a) They are very easy to get in and out of.
b) They have lots of float.
c) She can easily walk in the shoes.

So there's two views. Hope it of some help.

Look Keo, carbon cro-mo.

I like them so much, I ordered another pair for my next bike.

For commuters, it is also nice that because they are two sided, you don't have to look down when starting off from a light or stop sign.

M2 Racer Orb Titanium's.

'Cause they're lighter. :D

Speedplays. 1) extremely light; 2) unlimited float; 3) very steep cornering angle;
4) impossible to inadvertantly pull out of in a sprint (which does happen with some other pedals particularly with worn cleats)5) two sided, ease of entry.
The knocks on speedplay are 1) too much float, and 2) allegedly small contact area. Most people riding them get over the float issue in a couple of rides, and if you don't there are always speedplay zeros with limited float. The contact area issue I think is a red herring. With a stiff shoe it just doesn't matter, and besides the effective area of contact , the pedal and the cleat together is bigger on speedplays than most pedals.
The best endorsement for speedplays is that very few people that ride them change to other pedals.

I like the SPD-SL. My bike came with SPD's. I didn't like them at all and they were my first clipless pedal. I got hot spots and they felt funny on my feet. The SPD-SL's are great and easy to clip into.

The biggest Duh in cycling for those of us who have sworn by these for a decade or more. Mtn AND Road. 3 pairs. I'm buying a another pair in 2006. Speedplays ROCK.

On the recommendation of others, I when with the Speed Play X series & do not regret it one bit. Bob

On my Mtn bike I have the Crank Brothers Candy C Eggbeaters. It has a small platform and 4 sided entry. Very very easy to clip in and out.

There may be other reasons to focus exclusively on road shoes and cleats, but, to my knowledge, long rides isn't one of them. I use Speedplay's MTB system, Frogs, on centuries with absolutely no drawbacks. I like them for the same reasons that TNoodles wife uses them (see post #9), especially the float: my knee issues disappeared once I switched from SPDs to Frogs. They are also reasonably lightweight, or at least comparable to various road pedal/cleat combinations. And I don't have to carry cleat covers for use at the rest stops.

I *love* my Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL PD-6610s. Granted, they're my first clipless pedal, but they are ALL SORTS of WAY better than toe-clips.

My brother (AngryRooster) just upgraded to them from some... I don't know what kind of pedals he got but to me they looked like MTB pedals, and he loves them as well.

*shrug*

Crank brother pedals. I use them on all my bikes. The best part is that you only need one pair of shoes no matter what type of bike you are riding. I wear MTB shoes and have found that for city walking when out doing whatever with my bike you don't get too much of the crunch sound that is common when you walk in your bike shoes.

speedplay... they are easy to get in and out of...

Look +1

I've used Performance brand Look copies (heavy pedals but they get the job done) but when I bought my Felt F65 I decided I wanted something lighter and sexier so I went with the Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals. They are lightweight and function perfectly for me. The cleats are mounted on Specialized road shoes with rubber tips on the heel and toes so walking/standing around in them isn't difficult (although, I would still keep walking to a minimum). I have about 900 miles on my road shoes/pedals and the shoes are looking a little beat up on the bottoms but the cleats themselves are holding up well.

I have SPD pedals on my mtb and have used those quite a bit as well but I prefer the Look style pedals as they don't give my feet hot spots like the SPD pedals do.

I am going with Look Keo Carbon pedals on the LeMond Zurich I'm building up though since that will be a Campy bike I just can't put Shimano pedals on it. ;)

Coombe pedals. www.coombe.com.
Light, low profile (aero, high cornering clearance), cleats last a year. Strong, all steel.

Yep, Speedplay X series, X1, X2, X5, depending on your budget and weight.