PD-M505 Pedals
 

I recently acquired a Giant ORC2 from a friend and he left the pedals on there. The model number is that which is stated in the title. I googled said model number and found out that they are MTB pedals.

My question to you is, which shoes will work with these pedals? Only MTB pedals, or road shoes as well? Any suggestions on cheap compatible shoes? Also, is it worth upgrading these pedals on an entry level road bike?

Oh and how do these shoes fit size wise? I wear size 9.5-10(US) in a running shoe.

Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

If you're just starting out and are concerned about shoes you can also walk in then consider mountain bike shoes to go with the pedals. If you want road shoes however you can buy adapters for some shoes (I know Sidi has them for Shimano SPDs). If you know what brand they are check the internet for compatibility as there are different types of MTB pedals. I would recommend just getting road pedals if you're interested in road cycling, especially if you're not planning on doing lots of walking in the shoes.

Those pedals are fine. Did your friend give you the cleats that go along with the pedals? If not, be sure you get compatible ones, like this:

http://www.moruyabicycles.com.au/con...ia/sm-sh56.jpg

They're two-hole, mtb cleats. Most road bike (three-hole) cleats won't work. Not sure about the adaptors roadiejorge mentioned.

I've got similar pedals on my road bike and they're fine. You don't need to worry about upgrading unless you want to race or road shoes have a huge appeal for you. The mtb shoes are much easier to walk around in. Shimano and Pearl Izumi have some cheap but decent mtb shoes, possibly on sale this time of year, too. Shoe sizes vary by company, so I'd suggest going to an LBs and trying some on.

I don't have the cleats. I don't know exactly how this whole clipless deal works. I probably need to do a bit of research before I make any purchases.

THis is really not difficult at all.

Your pedals are SPD pedals. Go to any bike store or on line and buy Shimano SPD cleats. They'll cost about $15-20 or so. There are totally compitable cleats made by other companies that are a little cheaper, but some are similar but not compatible. Therefore, for a beginner, just buy Shimano brand.

Then buy any shoe that is compatible with "2 hole" or "SPD type" cleats. This means SPD, not SPD-SL, or SPD-R. All shoe descriptions will specify this if it is true for that shoe.

Any mountain bike shoe will work. Most (all?) shoes marketed as "touring" shoes will work. Many "road" shoes will work, but you just have to make sure they specify they work with the "2 hole" or "SPD type" cleat.

My recommendation is to buy shoes locally to ensure comfortable fit. That is WELL worth the extra 0-25% you might save mail order. Fit is EVERYTHING. Buy the best fitting best quality shoes you can afford. Buying locally will also ensure you get the right shoes for those pedals, although like I said, it's not complicated at all.

My recommendation is also to go with a mountain bike type shoe at least to start. They're much easier to walk around in and have no meaningful downside at all. I've ridden road bikes with mountain bike pedals and shoes for 15 years now. I had "road" shoes once, but never liked them and they provided no advantage to me.