I have just been devirginated to the world of road cycling and I'm ecstatic. My two friends who ride Madones got me loving it and we're planning on doing some triathlons next summer/fall.

I just got a Masi Vincere (105 front de. and Ultegra rear de.) from a LBS. ($1300 to $850 new with warranty!)

My question is this: I have toe strapped pedals on there now and I'm looking (no pun intended) into some new pedals to race with. I'm between the Speedplays and Look models. What's the input from you veterans? Or is there another style I should consider?

From a physics standpoint I see the Looks being better as they cover a larger surface area, but what's the experienced opinion on this?

Look easy is a popular model and that's what I will be putting on my bike saturday. I am very excited to clip into the clipless world.

I like Speedplay.

IMO, don't buy LOOK pedals if you're new to road cycling.
They're a bi*ch to get on.. and I never used Speedplay, so iono about those.
I would lean to some Shimano 105s or ultegras, if you want a quality pedals for a nice price.

I just use rubber block pedals myself. Bicycling is dangerous enough, without locking your feet to the pedals. MKS Sylvans are as high tech as I desire, and old Raleigh"Red Heron" rubber blocks suit me fine.

I like Shimano SPD-SL.

I put Look Keos on my bike when I first got it last month and almost fell over starting off in traffic, trying to turn the pedal so I could get clipped in. Back in the day, I road Time Mtb. bike pedals which were dual sided so I swapped the Looks out for Speedplays and haven't had an issue since. I definitely recommend starting out with dual sided pedals.

Look Keo are pretty popular but don't have as large a contact area as Shimano though they are lighter than Shimano pedals, however the Keo line now has the Keo Max 2 which has a wider contact area. Speedplay is a good choice if you want a good variety of float to choose from, if I'm not mistaken you can adjust it up to 15 degrees; this is especially helpful for people with knee issues. Keep in mind that with Speedplay the mechanism is in the cleat itself rather than the pedal.

These are my first and current pedal (Shimano SPD-SL)
https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...00_20000_64507
They work pretty well, but it can be difficult to clip into. Sometimes I have to deal w/a lot of traffic, and I've had to spend a few extra seconds trying to clip in with traffic behind me. They are very comfortable though.

Long story short, I think I'll try speedplays next. Hopefully they will help with my clumsiness. This is coming from a noob, but I would recommend trying dual sided pedals to start out with.

The Speedplay Zeros have adjustable float between 0-15 degrees while the Light Action has 15 degrees. As someone with knee issues, I have found it very nice to be able to control the amount of toe and heel float. It makes for a very custom, comfortable ride.

I have the same and haven't had any problems. You can adjust these so it's easier to get in or out.

Well since you mentioned racing, I would go with the Looks (experience). If you weren't racing, ever, just for fun, I would have said some dual sided mtb/SPD styled pedals. As far as surface area, I've heard nice things about the SPD-SLs.

I would not suggest the Look Keo Easy or anything like that. From what I know the clip tension is equivalent to that of the lowest setting on other Look Keos. Yes, it may be easier to clip in and out at first, but you will grow out of that. On the other end of the spectrum, I have hurt myself plenty from not having my tension tightened all the way after cleaning them, something that the Easy's cannot do. Point being you might grow out of them quickly and pulling your legs out when trying to pedal out of saddle wen the red light turns green is not fun.

i used look keo classics. they're great pedals. theyre the 1st and only pedal i use as of now. It has full tension adjust ability so you can clip out easier. if you ski than i feel like you can pick up keos faster because it resembles ski bindings.

I can't tell if this is serious or just a troll.

I have some spd-sl on the 540 pedals I made the switch from spd because the were giving me foot problems even with a carbon sole. The spd where a little easier out but pretty damn hard to get into in a hurry with one sided pedals. Short story spd-sl and not looking back

SPD-SLs here. Love 'em. Looks I have heard are similar and lighter, but SPD-SLs are what I started out with, and will stick with.

dude, get a life.

I have Look KEO Sprints, they have 4 degrees of float and yes, clipping in takes some getting used to. I'm a newbie but I've mastered it...I'll probably fail to clip or unclip tomorrow after making that statement.

Spd-sl

I have and like SPD-SLs. They are very convenient to disengage with. When i first started using clipless pedals i forgot i once forgot i had it on, i was so close to tipping over but i still disengaged from the pedal without knowing

I started with SPD-SL pedals and sold them after three weeks. They were too hard to get in and out of for me and I fell a few times fairly hard. I then bought Speedplay Light Action pedals. They are extremely easy to clip in and out. In three years I have never accidently clipped out, never had a problem clipping in or out and never fell. If you are going to race, I would consider Zeros but if you are a recreational rider, consider the Light Actions

especially when you lose the key.

Did you ever adjust the SPD-SL's tension? I'm sure if you adjusted the tension and perhaps cleat position it would've helped getting in/out...

I have tried the look keo easy and Speedplay light action pedals. I prefer the light action. dual sided entry, self locating cleat, and super easy "no look" engagement. The Look keo easys were good too, but if you are new to clipless pedals, you most likely will have to learn how to flip your pedal over every time you clip in. Which can get annoying if you are not good at it yet.

I'd suggest Shimano SPD for a start- very easy to clip in and out. And you can walk on the shoes at your tea breaks. When you start competing, and want something a bit harder, the Shimano SPD-SL are great.