I'm picking up my very first road bike in a couple weeks and am trying my best to research and get the best deals and equipment while staying financially responsible. I'm a newbie; I haven't regularly ridden a bike in about 20 years, and definitely not a clipless pedaled bike. I live in the city, and that's primarily where I'll be riding, though hopefully I'll be able to get out to the suburbs occasionally. My biking goals are really just about fitness. I don't have any aspirations of winning races or anything...just getting my in shape and enjoying the biking thrill I remember from childhood. I'd like to get the best components I can afford right now, so I don't have the itch to upgrade so soon.

I was originally planning on going with Shimano's SH-R088 shoes and their PD-A530 SPD Dual Platform Bike Pedal, as I think I'd like to be able to wear my sneakers from time to time, especially while learning how to shift properly, ride in traffic, etc. I am also toying with the possibility of getting the SH-M088 mountain biking shoes as they would easier to walk on for times when I ride more casually.

Well, this morning, ChainLove had Shimano's SH-R191 shoes on sale, which seem to be a lot better a shoe than the SH-R088s. They are currently sitting in my cart, so I have a little time to decide. This would require me to scrap the Dual Platform pedals and go with something like the 105s. I've read that the 105s would still sort of be big enough to use with sneakers, at least when it is dry outside.

I've read that sometimes SPD cleats give riders uncomfortable hot spots, but many seem to think they are easier to clip in and out of (I have no experience with either; not sure if that matters).

So, for a newbie, would you go:
1) SH-R088 + PD-A530
2) SH-M088 + PD-A530
3) SH-R191 + 105 SPD-SL pedal

I'm looking for a little advice. In picking out all of my new gear, this is the most unsure I've been, and would like some assistance. I apologize for what is probably yet another thread with the same issue; I did a search, but couldn't find much (perhaps I'm an idiot!). Thanks in advance.

EDIT: All three options would be about the same cost.

If you are going to be walking much, SPDs are better. The "hotspots" tend to reduce the stiffer your show soles are (usually more expensive means stiffer and carbon fiber being stiff). SPD-SLs are designed for road use and are a little more efficient and eliminate hot spot issues. The downside is walking isn't much fun with them.

You could start cheaply with SPDs and dual sided pedals and see what you like.

Hi there, I am also new to cycling.
i recently purchase the shimano m540' double sided mountain bike pedals, and a pair of Mavic fury mountain bike shoe with carbon fibre sole. Never used clippless pedals before and like that fact that I would still be able to walk. Shoes should be here this week, will keep you updated. Eventually, if I get more hardcore with ride. I will the. Move on to some road pedals.

As a newbie, I'd go with SH-M088 + PD-A530.

I put several thousand miles on a similar combo (Specialized Comp MTB shoes and PD-M520 SPD pedals.) It is heavy, but bulletproof, and you can walk in those shoes almost as if they were sneakers, because cleats are recessed into the sole (there's still some clacking on hard surfaces, but it's not a big deal.) It's technically a mountain bike combo intended for people who need to carry their bikes at times over all sorts of terrain, but many road cyclists use it too. It would be easier to learn on reversible pedals like A540, so I'd suggest to get those unless you really want to be able to wear sneakers.

Recently I "upgraded" to "real" road pedals (Mavic's SPD-SL clones). I saved somewhere around 200 g, but it's harder to walk, cleats are made of flimsy plastic (I'm about to put on the third set of cleats since January), and they are non-reversible. To clip into a reversible SPD pedal, you step on the pedal with the right spot on the foot and press down, and you're done. With one-sided SPD-SL's, it's trickier.
On a few occasions, I tried to step on the wrong side of the pedal and my foot slipped, resulting in a painful bruise on the shin. You really don't need this kind of grief as a beginner, not to save 200 g of weight.

I'm new to cycling too, and I went with the Shimano 105 SPD-SL pedals. I did the recommended practice between a door frame, tried unclipping once, and it was very intuitive. Went out on the road, and had no issues clipping in/out. They felt like I had a very solid connection to the pedals, however, I obviously can't compare that to a SPD pedal. The walking part is definitely a bit awkward though. If I had to walk any significant distance, I would not want to do it in SPD-SL shoes. For me though, I knew going in that I wouldn't have to walk any real distance for what I want to use the bike for, so that's not a significant issue.

I haven't tried using the pedals with sneakers, although they probably are big enough to be doable, I'm not sure how stable it would feel though.

I just switched to clipless last week. I am using 105 pedals and Shimano R-106 shoes. REI was blowing these shoes out @ $60 bucks (in store only). So far pretty happy with this combo.

Make sure when you buy shoes that they fit very snug. you don't want your foot moving around too much in the shoe.

edit: also when you install the pedals use an anti seize type grease. Most likely your cranks are aluminum and your pedals will have a chromoly steel axle. like this

Mt. Bike shoes FTW, based on your parameters..

"I've read that sometimes SPD cleats give riders uncomfortable hot spots"

I call BS/confirmation bias and all humans aren't exactly the same when it comes to tactile perception. If this were generally true, few would purchase SPD gear. The reason it's not true for most people is because of stiff soles.

What is the magic size of a cleat that would banish hot spots? Think about it: cleat sizes vary, so larger cleats would simply mean some people should experience larger hot spots.

If there wasn't a stiff sole in between the foot and the pedal, cleat size would indeed matter, but since we have a stiff sole, it wouldn't matter. This is all based on the assumption that the soles are stiff enough so that they don't flex. I think people who get hotspots have poor shoe fit, inserts, or are overtightening their shoes (I had the latter problem when I first started using clipless pedals, couldn't go more then a mile and the bottoms of my feet were screaming in pain, now I can go 40+ miles at a time without issue).

Thanks for the replies, guys and gals. Keep them coming. I appreciate all of them.

Yeah. IMO, hot spots are due to fit issues unrelated to cleats or sole stiffness. Shoes too tight or too narrow can cause hot spots, regardless of sole stiffness or cleat type.

The 105 SPD-SL type pedals are big enough for me personally to ride on in regular shoes, but to be honest, I almost never do that. And I don't walk around much in my road shoes, so I've basically put SPD-SL pedals on most of my road bikes. I do have an old campus bike with the dual platform PD-A530 pedals (one side SPD, one side small platform), but the platform side isn't necessarily all that great either IMHO. It's fine for short jaunts to the market or cafe I guess, but I prefer being clipped in for everything else.

I didn't realize my response wasn't right about hot spots until I saw Looigi's post above. "Hot spots" aren't related to the the type cleats or soles. I responded too quickly thinking you asked about the uncomfortable "lump" or "walnut" type bump from the smaller contact area of spd's especially with soles that flex.

SPDs and 8,000 miles later no regrets. Remember a good deal is only good if it for a product you want and/or need. If you want to walk around, the SPDs are the way to go.

Thanks for the input, everyone. Thanks to the sale at Nashbar, I decided to go with the SH-M088 + PD-A530 combination. For the price, I think I'll be pleased.

I'd be interested in an after-action report. I just switched shoes (Sidi Bullets to Bontrager road shoes) and pedals (M520s to 105 SPD-SLs) but have relegated the new stuff to my indoor trainer for now. I like the feel of the new pedals but they feel harder to click out, and I have the tension set all the way down.

I made the move because of hotfoot. I think it'll work, but I'm a bit skeered.

As a newbie I went with SPD-SL, and Shimano's with carbon soles. I couldn't be happier. Since I don't have any experience with anything else I can't really comment or give fair comparison, but I don't have anything to compare with. I do like how my SPD-SL pedals are large enough that I can commute to school without the cycle shoes

I like to do spin classes 2-3x per week in addition to riding on the weekends and the spin bikes have SPD pedals so I went with Shimano A600 pedals and XC30 shoes. The combo has worked out great on my bike. The stiffness of the XC30 shoes are close to that of a SPD-SL shoe, but with the ability to walk around on them. Contrary to the reports, I do not get hotspots with these. However I do like to have the cleat behind the ball of my foot.

If you think you would like to wear gym shoes sometimes, then go with the combo pedals.

I like spd's. Only ever had hot spots with really cheap shoes. Century s are not a problem in spd's.

SPD-SLs are a little harder to clip in. You also have new cleats which wear down a little bit with use. They get easier very soon. After some riding you will be unclipping without even noticing.

Uh...what's a hot spot?

For in-town riding with lots of stops and some walking, I recommend MTB shoes and multi-release SPD cleats.
I am not comfortable riding platform pedals, so I got the double-sided Shimano M540 pedals.

I wear my Keen commuter bike sandals year-round, thin socks in summer, thick wool socks + a toe cover in winter (between sock and sandal).
They get great traction and are very comfortable.
With the recessed cleats, I don't worry about walking on the hardwood and tile floors at my house in them.
They also work with the spin bikes at the gym.

They are a little heavier shoes and not as stiff as road shoes or MTB shoes, but I still find them comfortable on rides 100K or so.
I had hot spots with a different pair of MTB shoes, but that was fixed by repositioning the cleat and loosening the shoe to allow toes to wiggle.

Burning area in the bottom of your foot when you are riding long distance.

Thanks 10...Sounds like good shoes do the trick. Used to get the same marching.

Good shoes as well as proper fitting socks.

I use SPD's & A530.
I walk a lot so this setup works for me.
My shoes carbon soles are some of the stiffest, they're rated higher than most of the roads in the same price range so I don't suffer any hotspots, even when I'm on my MTB.