FidelCastrovich

Hello all,

I've a nice Pinarello steel roadie, that i ride quite a bit, and i'm wondering whether or not replacing the Shimano 540 pedals to something more "road oriented" would make a noticeable difference in comfort or performance.
Has anyone made the switch and can enlighten me?

I don't have any issues with my current setup - no hot spots, no clip-outs, no knee pains, etc. So it really would be an unnecessary purchase...But hey, it's the unnecessary ones that make things more interesting.
Besides, i'm starting to ride a bit more aggressively, sprinting up hills, climb standing up, so i got to thinking that maybe a tighter, more secure(?), better designed pedal would enhance my experience.

BTW,I tried to use the search option, as i imagined this has come up before, but couldn't find anything.

Thanks for you input.

sogood

I believe the answer in your case is a... NO at present.

You miight also care to consider Crank Brothers' options, especially Quattro.

dcdomain

I had similar considerations. I started off with MTB pedals and shoes because they were recessed and so that I could walk around with them. Haven't done a real analysis regarding the performance benefits vs. my needs in terms of being able to walk around. My first pair of MTB shoes were pretty heavy, I'm sure there are lighter ones on par with road shoes. Has anyone made a similar switch and why? Because of competition?

botto 

a buddy of mine just switched from spd to spd-sls.

unsurprisingly, he says that he feels a huge difference: more power sprinting, climbing, power, etc.

FidelCastrovich

"huge difference"?Really? I was expecting somewhat lukewarm responses, not something so definitive.
Anyone else share this experience?

sogood - what is "my case"? And why are you recommending Quattros? I know they're supposed to be a good pedal, just wondering why them and not Ultegras or Keos. Walkability?

gear

I switched from SPD to SPD SL when they first came out so I have to think back awhile to remember but I do remember the clip-in process being a rather astounding improvement. Oddly the bigger cleat was easier to walk on because the metal SPD cleat was slippery. I had been using the SPD cleats with road shoes so I had already adjusted to that improvement (over MBT shoes). Off hand thats what I remember, if it helps, I would never consider going back.

Shemp

Used SPD's on mountain and touring bikes for 5 years. Picked up SPD-SL's this year and not noticed a huge difference. I never had a big problem with hot spots using spd's, but I definitely not had that issue with the SPD-SL's That said, I also changed shoes, so it's hard to say. I find the spd's easier to clip into for some reason. I ride hard and do some recreational time trials with a group, but I'm not a racer by any means either, so take it with a grain of salt.

grahny

I notice a difference between my road pedals (speedplays and now Look Keo's) and the SPD's on my cross bike (PD-959's). Mainly in power when climbing - enough that I won't be putting SPD's on my road bike anytime soon. They seem to hold better and allow a better pull than the SPD's do which translates into putting more energy to the rear wheel (I've unintentionally uclipped from the SPD's when climbing standing, but never on either road pedals). The SPD's are easier to clip in/out of I think, but it's marginal at that.

Jay Gloab

I'm actually considering going in the other direction.

I have Look pedals currently and they're fine when I'm on the bike, but I hate, hate HATE them when I have to walk around. I want something with a recessed cleat that can fit on a mountain shoe. Which means, I think, SPDs, Speedplay (Frogs only?) and BeBops. I think I'd like the BeBops, but apparently replacement cleats are hard/impossible to come by, which scares me a bit. Speedplays are a bit pricey for me, so that narrows it down to just SPDs, unless there's another option I'm missing.

Any suggestions?

FidelCastrovich

I read here that Ultegra pedals come with cleats that are pretty walkable.

Tmax1

I'm about to make the switch from SPD's to a road specific pedal too. Can't decide between Speedplay or a Look/SPD-L type. Too bad you can't test drive different setups at the LBS.

I guess I could find a riding buddy that wears the same shoe size and try all the systems out before the investment. Hmmm, gets me thinking...dangerous thing for me to do.

noisebeam

I went from SPD (Shimano M-520 pedal) to Time ATAC (also a doubled sided mtb pedal) with the resulting benefit of better retention (no more unwanted unclipping when pulling up hard, ouch), but kept the benefit of doubled sided, recessed cleat and absurdly easy clip-in/release.

Al

kiteboarder

I'm also on the pedal search. I'm looking for similar feeling pedals for both MTB and Road. Not necessarilly the same pedals, but similar. I'm looking at Crank Brothers quattros and Speed Plays.

Pharmr

I went from SPD's to a Wellgo Look-style pedal....I think they're much easier to get in and out of, but other than that didn't notice any major performance differences....then again, I don't have that much power!!