Pedal - Noob Question
 

Hello,

I just got into cycling this season and purchased a Trek 1.1. My LBS put on a pair of double sided pedals similar to this http://goo.gl/g56v4
At this point I am looking to upgrade my pedals to something like the Shimano 105, any recommendations are welcome. Here are some the questions I have:
1- Will I notice a difference in the pedals?
2- Will it be smoother pedal stroke?
3- Will my current shoes be compatible with the Shimano 105? http://goo.gl/ga2ut

Thanks

1. Probably not.
2. Probably not.
3. No.

I suggest you stick with the current setup for now. The road-type shoes may be slightly lighter and have more pedal contact but you would need a new set of shoes along with new pedals....I advise you to ride the heck out of what you have and consider new road-based shoes and pedals next year.

You'll notice at least one change: clipping in and out will be different. The MTB pedals you're using are dual-sided and have a platform surround, so clipping in and out is pretty bullet-proof. The 105s are single-sided, so you have to kick the pedal over to the correct side to clip in; not saying it's hard, but it takes a little practice. I just transitioned from double-sided SPD pedals myself. I started with Shimano Ultegras (same design as the 105s, using SPD-SL cleats) and hated them. I thought they were clunky as far as clipping in, but ultimately the deal breaker was the lack of float - I switched to Speedplay Zeros and put the Ultegras on eBay.

IF you like cycling so far and think it is something you will stick with for a while and IF you can afford to do so i would recommend selling the pedals and shoes you have on CL or to a friend. Then go out and get some road shoes and shimano 105 or look keo or speedplay clips. like said above, they are single sided so clipping in just means you have to pay more attention.

Will you notice a difference? depends on which grade you get. If you jump into a higher quality set, you may notice a smoother rotation in your stride since the bearings will be better and the pedal itself will be lighter. Does this mean what you have isn't gonna work? absolutly not. What you have will get you from point A to point B, but if you end up getting more serious about your riding, you may want to eventually upgrade a little.

Thank you for replies, I will keep an eye on deals for pedals and shoes and keep riding what I have.