Pedal Help
 

New member and new biker here. I have a wide foot so my shoe choices were very limited. I went with the Sidi Genius 5.5 megas. Now what pedal should I look for? So many choices and I wanted to get some input before I went to my LBS. Its been a while since I have ridden but my balance is doing pretty well at slow and stopped places. Main purpose for riding now is cross training for running but I woudl like to get into some sprint tris next year. Not sure what other info you need?
Thanks for the help and hope I put this in the right place.

Lots of Speedplay users here (including me). My advice to people starting out is that Speedplays aren't the cheapest, but they have dual-sided entry and completely adjustable float.

What that means is that they will work for 99% of people. With other pedals that do not have completely adjustable float, people sometimes find that they have issues with comfort.

So if you want to buy a set of pedals and not worry about them, go with some Speedplay Zeros.

Look Keo 2 Max.

No to speedplays.

You are going to get as many answers as there are pedal systems on the market. I use plain old standard SPD's, sometimes (erroneously) called "mountain SPD's" by people. They can be fairly inexpensive and are available in a wide range of types to suit different needs. My utility bike has pedals with SPD on one side and platform on the other. The road bike has a 1 sided road style SPD. The tandem has pedals with SPD clips on both sides so I can get clipped in quickly whichever side is facing up. I like the choice and compatibility between all my shoes and bikes.

The speedplays are pricier but do sound appealing.

speedplay zero x1,000.001

Keo 2 Max here as well.

Shimano SPDs. Inexpensive, easy to clip in and out, easy to adjust. Great pedals.

I wonder if these road shoes will accept a SPD 2 bolt cleat? Or even a speedplay cleat??

Look at the bottom of your shoe. If there are 3 holes in a triangle shape, you probably want to stick with SPD-SL or Look Keo.

Any road pedal set will work reasonably well for you.

What's the budget?

Probably.

Of course.

No.

Correct.

The important question!

Didnt have a set budget. Of course I dont want to spend a ton but dont mind spending money if its something that will be extremely beneficial. Ill be stopping by my LBS in the morning to see what they recommend again now that I have shoes and go from there. Looking at the speedplay reviews and site I like the sound of them and your recommendations above.

Speedplay isn't preferred by everyone, and unless you have Speedplay specific shoes you'll need to use the adapter plates but it isn't a big deal. The float can be nice, but I have it mostly locked out. Speedplay offers the most adjustability and lots of fitters recommend them for that reason. Personally, I find single sided entry pedals to be an awful atavism, but lots of people like them so there's no accounting for taste.

It would be handier to not have to kick them over, but I don't find it a major hassle. After a while my feet know the routine.

After more than a season of that crap, I decided I had enough. The Keos have sitting in a drawer ever since. Single sided entry makes about as much sense to me as penny farthings, tweed, and moustache wax.

I went with the Speedplay Zero Stainless models

I think you will be happy with that choice. For sure get some teflon dry-lube spray and give the cleats a quick shot of that once a week.

Take the time to adjust the float to your liking. Start by simply setting the inner stops so you can't hit the chainstay with your heel.

It will take a bit to break in the cleats.

Is there any difference between Keo Classic and Keo 2 Max, other than the metal plate and ever-so-slightly wider platform? They weight practically the same (Keo 2 Max is 9g lighter, per pedal). Look's site says the Classic is for "ROAD - LEISURE" use, whereas the Keo 2 Max says "ROAD - FROM LEISURE TO COMPETITION"...wtf is that even supposed to mean?

Good question.

I suspect the difference is modest. Probably the 2 Max uses better bearings and allows tighter tension on the spring (so when in "competition" you won't pull out in a sprint) , but for most riders I suspect this is not a major difference.

Had the pedals put on yesterday. It will definitely take some getting used to. Totally different ride though, I really like them.

So what did you end up with?

Speedplay Zero stainless.

I went with Speedplay Zero stainless. Might be because the single sided pedals I had were not properly weighted, but I got tired of having to flip them over with my toe to get into them.