Which pedals should I buy? And what is the difference between these two?
 

So I am fairly new to cycling and have been looking to buy a pair of clipless pedals. I have done a lot of browsing and there are two brands and pedals that have stood out to me. I know they are different but don't know how...other than the price. I have hear that the free floating pedals are easier to get out of and better for beginners. These are the two:

http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-SPD-SL...=3PBD64XSZERA2

and these

http://incycle.com/product/speedplay...ly-65495-1.htm

If you are new to cycling .. i would get the Shimano SPD-SL's you linked. If you start to ride more / race, start looking into other options. No need to spend extra money on something that you cant utilize.

I am also new to cycling and recently purchased the chromoly Zeros. I was originally looking at the Shimano SPD-SLs like you but decided on Speedplay for a couple reasons.
1) They get about 99% rave reviews from everyone who uses them which is very reassuring.
2) They offer 15 degrees of free float that is fully adjustable down to 0 degrees. This was a selling point because I am new to clipless and had no idea what I would prefer or how my knees would react to zero or limited float.
3) I felt very confident that, had I purchased a cheaper pair of pedals, I would want to "upgrade" to something higher quality before long and couldn't see wasting the $50 now.

Also, at around 200lb I have had zero issues entering and exiting out of the system like some people have claimed.

Speedplays are well known as a high quality pedal that is quite unique when compared to most every other road pedal, including the Shimano. Unlike the conventional road pedal, Speedplays will allow you to clip into either side of the pedal, which is a luxury previously reserved by clunky and uncouth mountain bike pedals. http://www.masherz.com/images/produc...esl-cr-big.jpg

Speedplay is able get away with this innovative design by drastically changing the cleat as well, from something like this:
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/glorycycles_2139_65268460

to THIS!
http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com/wp...-cleat-med.jpg
^^Whoa.

Although you are too new to the sport to realized that you are too fat for this sport, you should note that the difference in weight between these those two pedals is somewhat deceptive. The Shimano pedals are indeed heavier than Speedplays, but the cleats they require are much lighter than Speedplay cleats.

If you are going to be a true roadie, then you are on the right track by posting these two options. Mountain bike pedals and shoes, as everyone here knows, have no place on a road bike, no matter their practicality or ease of use. That said, Speedplay would be the better choice if you're into things like practicality and ease of use. While I have never owned a pair of Speedplays, I hear that it's nice to be able to clip in to either side of the pedal, and the cleats have better traction as you tap-dance across the coffee shop pre- or post-ride. Personally, I enjoy using my non-Speedplay pedals to demonstrate my pro-level clipping skills at my local hammerfest (Hammerfest: a sort of group ride where pain takes priority), and similarly, I view walking with non-Speedplay cleats as an opportunity to practice balance and mental focus.

There are drawbacks however. No one really "owns" a pair of Speedplays. Speedplay "owners" have simply purchased the license to use the pedals and cleats, but under no circumstances are you allowed to consider yourself the owner of said pedals. View this thread for more information.

After a 30 year lay off I took up cycling, again, in 2006. I bought Durace SPD-SL pedals and hated them. I had a hard time getting in or out of them. On hills the pedals would hang in a way that I needed to kick them with my foot to try and get in. I went down a few times with them and put a few new scratches in my bike and my arms. I sold them on eBay and bought Speedplay Light Action pedals and I haven't had a problem getting in or out of these pedals since. You don't need to look down, just step down and your are in. SPD-SL require that you hook the pedal with the front of your cleat and then step down.

I use Look cleats in my spin class and they are fine for a stationary bike but I prefer Speedplay for my road bike.

It seems that the Shimano pedals are easier to walk in. True? How much easier?

I would get the speedplay and not like I did. I got the shimano first and then moved onto the speedplay. I wish now I would have gone to speedplay from the get go. Just saying. Good luck in what ever you do. They are both good, but the SP are so much better.

I put Shoe Goo on the cleats and it makes them easy to talk in. This was a Speedplay recommendation. You can also use cleat covers which also make them easy to walk in.

I just got into cycling and I purchased the SPD-SL R540's. At first, I murdered the inside of my thighs because I kept slipping when trying to clip in (these pedals always seem to go upside down whenever you unclip). But now I'm starting to get the hang of it... Start peddling lightly, tap the loose pedal "forward" and then hope there's a *click" when I press down.

PROS:
Normal pedals (so i can ride my bike without clipless shoes)
It's a platform to step on, therefore more natural to me
I feel like I can transfer more power
Lots of shoes

CONS:
The pedals aren't weighted so they might be up, might be down
A bit of lost time to get clipped in
If you slip while unclipped and pushing full speed, make SURE to slide to one side or your junk won't be happy

I use the clunky, two-sided Shimanos.....

but I'm thinking of upgrading.
+++

Started off with the Shimano SPL-SL, gave myself a couple of weeks to become more proficient clipping in by feel, but I still wasn't happy, given my riding conditions (daily commuting in NYC, frequent clip-in/clip-out, traffic scrum). I was much, much happier after changing to the SpeedPlays. FWIW, if my bike didn't do double duty as a commuter, I don't think that I would have changed from the SPD-SLs.

Not true (as to "everyone here knows") and merely opinion, as to MTB pedals on a road bike.

This is precisely why I use them on my road bike. Then again, I don't race or anything.

I use Shimano mtn SPD's on my road/tour/mtn bikes.
I wouldn't mind more float, but it will be a cold day in hell I give Speedplay any money.
The Bebops look attractive since they also have a lot of float and use the same 2-bolt mount as mtn SPD's.

Whooosh

oh man! well, with this type of stuff, it's a fine line between sarcasm and hardcore roadies being full of themselves ;)

dang internet and its hard to detect sarcasm... also, i didn't read the whole post, it's laid on pretty thick

let it die already. quit your crying. I own speedplays and love them.

I have 2 friends who crashed hard, because they pulled out of their speedplays while riding hard. Coincidental or not, I don't know, but I'll stick with my shimanos.