mb801

Still fairly new to road biking. I just bought my specialized allez elite about a month ago. Still looking for a set of road pedals and shoes. Just wondering how much difference the dedictaed road shoes/cleats make over the spd? As you can guess I pulled the spd off of the mtb.(all i have for now). Can someone let me know the advantages etc.

munkyv22

There are lots of potential answers for this.

Here is mine. Road Pedals go on a road bike. The real primary difference, IMO, is the shoes that are compatible with the pedals. Road shoes tend to be quite different. No tread, more aero, more breathable, stiffers soles.

Rob P

It's helpful to understand the design differences and how that impacts the pedals.

For MTB the cleat needs to be small in order to allow you to have tread on your shoes. Hence why the cleat is smaller and recessed in the treads of your shoes.

Almost all road pedals however use a much larger cleat because you don't need to run up muddy hills. As such you actually walk (when required) on the cleat.

The major benefit to large cleats is the reduction of hot spots. The larger the cleat the more surface area you have to spread the pedaling force transmitted through your foot to the pedal.

That all said there is nothign stopping you from using MTB shoes/pedals on your road bike until you find something that works for you, or want a change for say Christmas.

DZA_LA

More aero?? LOL

munkyv22

I didn't say significantly. But if I can prove a .0001% increase in aerodynamics, I win. Wanna go there?

recursive

In my experience*, road pedals, (specifically Look in my case) are more resistant to inadvertant pullouts. After I broke my collarbone and ruptured my spleen doing a sprint drill, this has become a rather important issue to me.

*For some reason, this always seems to generate controversy, but given my experience, (multiple inadvertant pullouts on multiple SPD pedal/cleat combinations, including brand new Shimano pedals with brand new Shimano cleats with tension set to max) I can reach no other conclusion.

munkyv22

Agreed. I can get SPDs to disengage in a full sprint.

jccaclimber

Sprint? Yes, they will disengage. For that matter I can generally make them disengage pulling up hard at a standstill just to prove the point. Before it comes up, no I am not twisting my foot, yes the cleat is adjusted and centered.

frischtr

Yes, pulling out at almost 40mph is scary... That's the main reason I went to road-specific pedals (Time RXS Carbons)...

yellowcanoe1

I too use SPD pedals with MTB shoes on my road bike. I started with this setup mainly so that I would be able to walk in the shoes. For recreational riders (not racing) are there any other performance differences that would make it worth buying new pedals and shoes (weight, stiffness), which can be a pretty big investment? Or would I probably not feel any difference other than my wallet being $4-500 lighter? Haven't had any disengagement problems or hot spots, though I sometimes get some toe numbness if I make the shoes too tight.

Stickney

The SPD pedals on a road bike are perfectly fine for a recreational rider. I use the Shimano A-520 touring pedal which provides a nice platform for my shoe. It has really helped with hot spots compared to my other dual sided mountain bike SPD pedals.

I need to be able to walk with my shoe/cleat set-up, hence why I use SPDs. It certainly doesn't hurt that they are cheaper. I haven't found them to disconnect in sprints myself, but a road shoe/pedal combo would be more secure in that regard. Road specific shoes/pedals have a wide platform and the soles are a bit stiffer, both which help to avoid hot spots and to theoretically make a more efficient pedal stroke.

change

You're talking about SPD mountain cleats, right? Not SPD-SL road cleats?

JLauren

The ability to walk is important to me, I don't like skiddering around the office trying to get to the door like my riding buddies . More to the point, some of my solo rides take me 15-20km from home with no one to call for a pickup.

So, yeah, I ride my road bike with SPD A-520 pedals and MTB shoes. I've never been able to pull loose even with the pedal tension at the lowest setting, inadvertantly or advertantly .

DougG

I've got the same setup and it works for me, too. I originally thought it would be nice to just have one pair of shoes, but then decided that my MTB-style shoes were too clunky looking for the road, plus they were usually dirty. So I ended up getting a higher-end SPD shoe that looks a bit more like a road shoe.

ejm876

I have SPD's. A few days ago I was climbing a massive hill, had to be at least a 25% grade, maybe more. The hill got steeper, I rose out of the saddle, then my right foot came out of the pedal, and I fell, giving me some nice road rash on my knee. And this was with the pedal pretty tight. And this is not the first time this has happened.

Cruzomatic

MB801,

Nice choice in bike. I have the same exact one and love it. It's fast, sleek and smooth. I know it's not the best, not the most expensive or the fastest out there, but it's mine and I like it so that's enough for me. Anyway, to your question, I bought some of the Shimano Ultegras for mine with some Specialized BG sport shoes. Nice pedals and nice shoes. I'd recommend them. Best of luck,,,enjoy your Allez Elite.

That Guy

Road pedals have a very wide platform for comfort during long riding times. SPD's were intended to shed mud and dirt easily, though performance will vary between manufacturers. Since you'd likely remain clipped in while riding on the road for long miles and not repeatedly plopping your foot in the mud, road pedals have a nice big platform and a big chunky cleat and make for a combo that's a little more aerodynamic (sorry DZA). The cleat itself also isn't designed to clear debris easily. And road shoes are usually ultra stiff. The SPD's and mountain pedals like it on the other hand, are meant to shed the mucky stuff and be easier to walk in since there's a better chance that you'll be walking with your bike for short stretches. The cleat of an SPD is also recessed to make walking easier. The soles of the shoes also usually have enough give to allow you to run up a hill with your bike should you need to.

I use Crank Brothers Smarty pedals as a sort of compromise of platform and dirt shedding ability on my 'cross bike. I ride a lot of rail trails which can occasionally be muddy in spots and are almost always dusty. The pedals engage easily when dirty and the platform is reasonably comfortable for riding 50 miles at a stretch. My mountain shoes are also easy to walk around in if I stop somewhere along the way.

Road pedals = long distance comfort
SPD pedals = self clearing and easier walking

Chris

noisebeam

As to pull out on sprints, etc...

I used to use Shimano SPD mtb style and I did pull out sometimes, even on nearly new cleats. Enough so I switched pedal as the potential for a crash was too high for my comfort level.

But I did not switch to 'road' pedals and instead to Time ATAC, also a double sided pedal that uses a recessed cleat. These I can not pull out of at all (and others have made similar reports)

I've also heard that Crank Bros Eggbeaters (and similar styles which use same retention mech.) which use a recessed cleat do not accidentally pull out either.

Never had a hotspot or any foot discomfort up to 110mi rides, never tried longer.

Al

ridethecliche

I've had a terrible time finding road shoes that fit me and I've run into everything from too big to too small to in between without finding a good fit.

MY cheap mtb shoes with running gel insoles are comfortable, enough so that I'm thinking of going back to them on my road bike.

mb801

Thanks to all for the comments. I have not had a problem with the spd yet. I have cranked pretty hard during climbs and sprints with my roadie buddies and have not had the shoes pop out. Good info though. I will be cautious until I get the new set up.

nathanielneall

i have some shimano spd's on my fixie conversion with road shoes attached to spd cleats
havent com across any problems

for those with release issues this can often come from the now common function on mtb pedals that involves a multi-release binding

to confront this issue i would suggest getting a special cleat for spd's that are informally known as single-realese cleats. these make it impossible to come out of the pedal any other way besides the latteral system of look pedals.

furtheremore, i have heard rumors of some sort of adapter or guide that goes around an spd cleat when placed on a road shoe. it seems to me to involve some sort of rubber ring that helps to both walk in the shoes without damaging the cleat or shoe in anyway, while also helping the rider to locate a difficult binding placement thus making it easier to quickly get into the pedal without fiddling around untill you find a proper position to clip in to. if anyone has info on such a product, i would love to be better informed

Thanks BF's!

Hendley

Had SPDs on the road bike for quite a while, and they were fine for everything I did on them (basically up to 200 km recreational rides, fairly pacey). Switched to road pedals mostly because (a) I had cheapo MTB shoes that were too tight and starting to hurt and (b) was entering races, and had read here that is was possible to pull out of SPDs (though I never had).

Didn't notice a huge difference after the switch (to SPD-SLs), but now I really like the road shoe-pedal combination. The concern I had about walkability quickly became a non-issue.

noisebeam

I tried both kinds of cleats. Both pull out. Don't risk it.

Al