Defo. I have SPDs and Shimano MT3 shoes which look like a trainer but are surprisingly stiff. Saves taking spare shoes on my commute or getting to the start of a long ride like the DD. Unless your racing the weight or aero gain just ain't worth the wally walk in the pub😅
For the recreational rider I would definitely recommend the SPD pedals with platform pedals on one side. Not only do they give you the option of riding in sneakers (sorry, “trainers”), but also when starting though an intersection you can power through before clipping in once safely across. Faffing around trying to clip in in the middle of a busy intersection is… not fun.
I was taught pedalling at the cycling school of the Paris Jacques Anquetil velodrome 50 years ago, on track and road. We used clips with leather straps and cleats that had to be nailed to the shoes. I stopped biking in the 80s and when I returned, I discovered the clipless systems with joy gratitude. Having experience of the 3 systems (including the ancient one ;) ) and being more on the touring than racing practice, I confess a preference for the MTB system, for walking in particular, whether in town or on muddy or rocky paths. The greatest virtue I find in the road system is that the platform being longer and wider, pressure feels like it is more directly applied to the pedal and energy gets more efficiently transferred to the bike. Sorry to be long, but one thing more: I'm not nostalgic of the ancient system at all, especially as now I'm in my mid-60s and my leg joints have undergone much wear and tear. Being able to fix the cleats and pedals with a bit of lee way allows my feet to twist a bit on the bike to avoid excessive tension in the oinees and ankles, and this I am thankful for.
I went clipless (SPD-SL) when I bought my first road bike. I liked so much being clipped-in, so I bought a set of SPD pedals & a pair of shoes for my MTB. Then I realised that SPD is the way to go: it's nicer to be able to clip in from both sides of the pedal and you can walk in those shoes. For now I still use SPD-SL on my road bike, but after I'll upgrade to a new one, I'll go with SPD for sure.
@@Countrystock Totally agree. There is an added benefit that because of the recessed cleat, the SPD shoes/cleats don't damage floors in the house, which has been a saving grace, especially to my wife. I am totally a road cyclist, but with hi-end gravel racing shoes, who needs SPD SL (which I used for years before I saw the light)???
Logically, the time to switch would be when buying a new shoe, not a new bike. Pedals can be moved between bikes, but when buying a shoe, you are locked into the 2 bolt or 3 bolt systems (with a few dual exceptions).
You can also get SPD / Flat pedals, which I personally love in stop and go traffic. Sometimes I don't want to fuss w/ clipping in and out at every light or behind every car, so I can just put my foot down on the flat and get ok power. Once I've got some road ahead of me I can clip in and get focused riding.
Me too! For all the reasons you articulated, the are amazing especially in traffic or wacky off road bits, plus I can just hop on the bike with my regular shoes for a short shopping jaunt!
This is the best pedal for everyday riding and for beginners learning how to use cleats. Both myself and my father started with this before shifting to SPD SL cleats/pedals.
The hybrids are nice for having options or to not wear your bike shoes for a quick ride somewhere, but they are staggeringly heavier. On my old bike I kept the hybrid ones, but when I upgraded I just got SPD's.
I am a triathlete and I really like SPD pedals because it allows walking or even running on short distances. While the others are struggling with their road bike shoes being already clipped on the pedals and having to run barefoot, I can just zoom past them in my SPD shoes. And getting on the bikes with the shoes already on the pedals can be really tricky, I've seen really nasty falls caused by the shoes hanging from the pedals. I love and would absolutely recommend SPDs for short course triathlon, because its more comfortable and doesn't or hardly looses any time in transition compared to road shoes.
Having tried both, my absolute favorite is SPD. I have Specialized mountain bike shoes with the SPD cleats because they’re recessed in the shoe, and the shoe itself has great grip to the ground. I can clip and unclip out of the SPD much faster. I tried the Wahoo Speedplays at one point, but I had the worst time clipping in and out of them, so those were an expensive fail for me. EDIT: I use SPDs and mountain bike shoes on a road bike, and I’ve never been more comfortable.
@@gcn I don’t! If anything it feels like a gain. My toes can spread out and aren’t so cramped, the bottoms of the shoes have a lot of grip, so when I unclip and put my foot to the ground, it’s not sliding around (and even better for walking if needed). They feel much more stable on the pedals than road shoes for me.
Fun fact. Shimano originally marketed SPD pedals as road or MTB pedals. They were trying to avoid paying licensing fees to Look. When Look's patent ran out, they rebranded SPD as mountain bike pedals.
I use spd es600. Spd pedals but with road cleat sized platform, the best of both worlds. Can walk normally when off the bike which is a must when commuting!
Me too. They even come with special SPD cleats that cannot be unclipped by pulling up hard, effectively canceling out one reasons I often hear people claim why SPD-SL is better.
@@headlessmike You got it backwards, the single-direction release version (SM-SH51) came first, and the multi-direction SH56 came after as an “improvement” to the problem people crash not being able to unclip. Most Shimano pedals bundle SH51 as the default cleats.
This. If only there were more road shoes with a clean and sleek design that hold recessed SPD cleats. And no, I don’t think those Shimano adapters are an adequate solution.
I’ve used both systems and it’s SPD all the way for me. One pair of shoes for my road bike and my XC bike. They’re plenty stiff enough for the road, don’t get wrecked off road and you can walk in them. What’s not to like.
One point that wasn’t mentioned was that for a beginner using clipless for the first time, the MTB system is the way to go. There are two types of Shimano cleats with the silver ones easier to clip out of than the black ones that were shown in this video.
I bought the SPD/flat pedals when I was first learning to use clipless shoes. I've stuck with them because the shoes are easier to walk in. Helpful if you ride in traffic to be able to use both sides even with clippers spd shoes. 😊
I know this video is sponsored by Shimano, but Crankbrothers makes some awesome mtb and gravel pedals as well. Specifically, the eggbeaters still feel fast on the paved sections, but offer much more versatility when off-roading.
I started with a mountain bike and when I got into road biking it was easier to keep the SPD pedals on everything. That said, I have never felt the need to get road pedals. Thanks for your explanation, it was well done!
I agree that the gravel or MTB shoes with their respective SPD Pedals are most practical. One key advantage is the use of SPD MTB system in the city, as it allows one to use both sides of the Pedals. The road shoe&pedal system to me is quite dangerous. At the traffic lights, if I failed to clip on my other side at the start, the road shoe WILL slide off the pedal if on the wrong side. Better yet, Shimano EH500 with one sided clip and flat on the other side is fantastic for city and town. Because the flat side will allow the MTB shoe to lodge into the Pedal's flat side without clipping (little known Shimano EH500 feature). That means one can unclip one side ahead to a stop, yet the MTB shoe won't slip out coming to a full stop or following start.
I use road SPD-SL (PD-R8000) mainly, because they are much more stable, less float/play and larger surface area. But i switch to SPD (EH-500) during the Finnish winter. Ice and snow builds up in the pedals and/or cleats, and sometimes can't clip in instantly, hence the combo pedals.
@@gcn Yes i do. Canyon Endurace AL for the winter. Takes 35mm CX tyres for the snow and even studded tyres for the most slippery part of the winter. Also the city takes great care of the cycling paths through the whole winter. This is actually a quite nice video of the winter upkeep of our cycling infrastructure in Oulu, Finland. ua-cam.com/video/Uhx-26GfCBU/v-deo.html
I think it's worth mentioning that on the mountain bike system you have "float", a little bit of movement of the shoe whilst still being clipped in. That could make it more comfortable especially if you have joint problems.
This is the video I have been searching for!!! I started with SPD on both road and mountain bikes for cost purposes but always wondered if I had a made a mistake. The technical side of me would love a more in depth video though maybe with motion analysis to see the performance differences ( if there are any) Pretty easy to do the same ride with same shoes and just different cleats.
I use the Crankbrothers Eggbeaters 3 for both and they are fantastic. 4 sides to clip in to and they are very light as well. The grip is good. I’m always thinking about trying the Look Keos but then again I don’t want to give up on the comfort of walking. I have stiff shoes with carbon soles btw so the power transfer is very good.
Got my first set of clipless pedals a couple of years ago for my road bike - got mountain bike kit as it's more practical for commuting, get groceries, etc.
I use pd-es600 pedals. They are technically a touring pedal, so look and work like a road pedal but use spd cleats. Really light and slow me to use one pair of shoes for both road and mountain.
I decided to go with Shimano PD-ES600 for my only gravel/road bike. They are being marketed as for commuting, but in fact are great for both road and gravel rides as they are one-sided SPD and that cuts down some weight + somewhat aerodynamic. A recreational cyclist like me would benefit from an SPD type because of their versatility.
Touring, single sided SPD with platform. Platform for riding from the hotel to the chippy in plimsolls. Commute, double side SPD. Road & TT, SPD-SL. Vintage rides, usually plates, clips and straps. Some bikes rubber block pedals.
For the longest time, I didn't own a road bike and had no experience of any road pedal system. Yet every time I rode on road for any longer period of time, I wondered why there is always so disturbingly much play in the system. I also tried Crankbrothers' pedals, but they weren't any better than SPDs. Then I bought a road bike and decided to also buy road pedals (which happened to be Look Keos), and new shoes as well. What a difference it made! A stiff and stable platform with no unwanted play whatsoever and very efficient power transfer, even though my shoes had nylon soles (not carbon ones)! Nowadays I would never even consider riding a road bike with anything other than road pedals anymore; there has to be a significant risk of having to walk for me to choose the MTB pedals. Still, if you're not on the road, or just touring or commuting. it is like Manon says: the MTB pedals win out.
I'm using SPD on my road bike. Important things to mention: There ARE one-sided clip SPD pedals that weigh pretty much the same as SPD SL pedals. And there ARE shoes (my Giro Savix road shoes for example) that are compatible with bith systems.
Hi. I've seen a couple of comments about Giro Savix or other shoes supporting both SPD and SPD-SL. Forgive me, but I am not following - isn't it the cleat that you put on the shoe supports SPD and/or SPD-SL? I see that the Savix supports both the 2-hole (SPD) and 3-hole (SPD-SL) cleats directly, with no need for an adapter, but you still need attach one or the other cleat, is that correct? Hopefully I am missing something, as I'd like to find a way to choose either one system or the other on the fly. Thanks.
@@timauch2044 Yes, you have to attach the right cleat on the shoe. The cleats usually come with the pedals by the way (Spd pedals with spd cleats, compatible with 2 hole shoes, and spd-sl pedals with spd-sl cleats, compatible with 3 hole shoes). I think there is no adapter from Spd to Spd-Sl or the other way around. Anyways I wouldn't use an adapter. So either get the right shoe or a shoe that works with both systems (like the Savix). Did that answer your question? 🙂
@@chrisl.6158 Thanks. My goal is to use 2 different shoes interchangeably with two different bikes with different pedals; I posted that as a generic comment to this video as well. So I think you did answer the question - and my search continues. :) I actually used the adapter approach in the past and it didn't work, as I was missing a plate (it was for a Wellgo adapter) needed to make a smooth and tight connection from shoe to pedal (if that makes sense.) I rummaged around my parts bin and found that I actually had the needed plates. I added the them and tried them on my ride this morning - it worked quite well. I also found that I had a Shimano SH41 adapter and that worked even better (more stable to walk with) , so I wouldn't rule out the adapter approach, but I do agree that an SPD-SL cleat and pedal would be best for both stability and power transfer. Thanks again!
@@timauch2044 Interesting. Now I have a question: I thought those adapters have to be quite thick and would mess with my position on the bike. But is it just a thin metal plate? And yes, the SPD-SL may be a more pro solution if you ride in supertuck position etc. but for me SPD pedals are just fine on the road bike. With my torn ligaments on both feet I thought I have less mobility and therefore should first try SPDs. With the Savix shoe I could "upgrade" to SPD-SL at a later point, but actually I think I'll stick with SPD on my road bike.
Cleat covers for SPD-SL/Look pedals work reasonably well to provide some traction on road bike shoes (and keep the cleats from getting dirt in them if you're not just walking on pavement/floors). Probalby not a substitute for gravel/MTB riding but good enough for the cafe run or other brief walks while on a road ride.
Good video. Walking into the coffee shop scene - keeping it real!! After years using a road shoe / pedal system, I switched to a mtb shoe / pedal. It's really nice to be able to walk around.
Stopped using clipless on all my bikes, MTB, road, gravel . Switched to flats. So much better than clips, power transfer surprisingly same, lots more freedom. Only took me 30 years to figure it out!
Strongly disagree... riding flats on my commute bike and spd-sl on my normal and I got to say, clip less is sooo much better, so much more comfortable not so slip on the paddle all the time and so much more secure when out of the saddle
I cycled in the late 80s early 90s was on toe clips and went to look and did use a shimano look cleat pedal and then gave up cycling for a years 2 years bought a tourer and had the Shimano SPD one side and the normal pedal I really liked them so much I got a small pair of Shimano SPD for my road bike and I think will stick with them for my road bike. Great video
My first pair of cycling shoes had the mounting holes for both, after trying both it's SPD for me. One aspect that is useful is that there is enough inherent "float" so that if you don't get the cleats set up perfectly, you have a reasonable hope that you won't end up putting undue stress on your knees, etc
Just did the transition from SPD to SPD-SL, coming from gravel/mtb i just stuck to the spd‘s on my first road bike. After a year only riding my road bike and getting a second one now I got SPD-SL pedals for both of them, and I gotta say, it just feels way better and safer and more effective with the SPD-SL. It’s probably just subjective, but I’m happy I made the transition.
This is one of the great aesthetic debates of cycling and seems to be peer-group driven. I’m nowhere near any decent level of cycling and ride for fun and exercise and I’ve tried both systems. However, for ease of engagement and longevity (things are bombproof!) SPD pedals for me.
I started with mountain bike peddals and kept them for road biking. I only need 1 pair of shoes and the clip in feel is the same for all my bikes. I would consider upgrading peddals to the larger platform if it improved stability
You'll get way more benefit from upgrading to stiffer shoes than to SL pedals. in stiff shoes, the difference is not perceptible. SL pedals only real benefits are marginal weight and aero gains, but if that's what you need, you're probably already using SL pedals.
Road cleats allow for better adjustment if you have knee or foot issues. For that reason I use them for any type of distance biking. The only time I use spd is for full on trail riding where I need to get the foot off the pedal quickly to avoid a crash or into the pedal easily due to terrain issues.
As a roadie, I use MTB SPD with road shoes. I live in the Bay area, CA so we run into stoplights quite often. Being able to clip in/off on both sides really help.
7:07 Did I heat things correctly ? "but now there's lots of gravel pacific shoes" - rather the "specific". Might just be me but i have listened a few times and even the subtitles suggest "pacific"
Thanks so much for this episode! I have been wanting to see GCN cover this topic for a long time. I was introduced to Time's Link, MX and CX series pedals at a local bike repair shop and liked them alot! Subsequently I discovered (and switched to) a series of Crank Brothers pedals. I have Mallets, Candy's, and egg-beaters -- the latter my current favorite for their simplicity, comfort and flexibility in riding style. They also look kuul!
I have begrudgingly moved to SPDs for some of my riding. Flats have been absolutely fine but clipless pedals have helped me manage knee pain, presumably because of the narrower stance.
SPD's all the way! As Manon articulated so well. They do everything. I tour, commute, do off road bits, coffee stops, radonneuring, bikepacking (try setting up a tent in road shoes!). Even for strictly road, I find SPD's more practical. I must say that in our Canadian winters, once the snow really packs up, you really want flat spikey pedals and winter boots without cleats! Sorry Si, not enough reall life advantages to merit the expenditure on a single purpose (otherwise useless) shoe!
No matter what clip in style you choose. Don’t forget to clip out when coming to a stop. When in doubt nothing beats a good old fashion flat pedal. As always happy riding everyone.
Learned on SPDs, stayed with them. Wear very light carbon-soled S-Works XC shoes and use XTR pedals which have a platform cage. Work brilliantly together. Usually/always riding road.
Very thorough treatment of this subject. I started road cycling with metal cleats hammered onto leather soled shoes clipped into quill pedals with toeclips and Binda toestraps, including track stands at traffic lights. Skipping some steps, I road Speadplay zeros on my road bike with cafe covers in my pocket. Given that my cycling is now best described as touring speed, I find that MTB pedals and shoes works best for me on all my bikes-road, gravel, mountain. I don‘t notice any difference from a smaller contact surface with the latest Shimano XTR pedals and Sidi shoes. I felt a bit scandalous for some years but now can‘t see it any other way, for me that is.
Recently switched from SPD to SPD-SL because I couldn't find any MTB shoes that could comfortable fit my ultra wide feet. Because MTB shoes are reinforced at the toes to protect them from rocks, which caused numbness for me on long rides. My new shoes (Lake CX201) are pretty much a carbon sole wrapped with an elastic mesh. Finally my feet are comfortable when riding. I thought walking in them would suck, but tbh it doesn't feel too different.
Shimano once produced an SPD-style urban pedal with a unique design - it was one-sided. The primary advantage of this model was its integration of a sleek, road profile pedal with footwear that offered practical walking comfort. This combination made it an ideal choice for extended, week-long cycling events such as RAGBRAI, where riders often disembark to explore towns on foot.
I use Crankbrothers Candy pedals on all of my bikes - being able to walk off the bike is much more important to me than saving a tiny bit of weight or a tiny bit of power transfer.
@5:19 I have Giant Bolt shoes and they can be used with either SPD 2 bolt or SPD 3 bolt cleats! Both plates are built into the shoes. I know there are adaptors, but they look clunky.
I’ve always used SPDs on my bikes but fitted some SLs on my road bike earlier this year and love them. Clipping in always feels far more positive than the SPDs, they feel more secure and comfortable and I don’t miss the grinding of metal on metal. Only problem I’ve had is one of the cleats came loose enough to have to remove my shoe whilst clipped in, possibly due to the extra force required to unclip?
Riding in coastal North Carolina, where it is often hot and very humid, SPD pedals and Shimano SD5 sandals keep my toes happy. At any temperature above 55, the shoes come off and the sandals on. The SD5 sandals are stiff enough to transfer effort onto the pedals, yet comfortable enough for walking about town. I'm cycling in sandals 9 months a year.
Always used spd. Originally as i was starting out they were easier to get the hang of. Then as i upgraded my road bike realised the range had expanded so i could have the look of a road cleat pedal but with the practical elements of spd and no need for new shoes!
I agree that MTB pedals are the only logical choice for the vast majority of riders and I have ridden many centuries in them, but I do find that my feet are more comfortable on very long rides with road cleats. I don't know if it's the larger platform distributing force or something else, and I would love to learn if there's any basis for this other than my experience. It would seem reasonable that a stiffer sole would help even the score, but then the shoe would be more awkward to walk in, reducing the benefits of the MTB system. You have to hand it to Shimano that they came up with an excellent system in SPD that has continued essentially unchanged for decades. They resisted the engineering foolishness that caused Look to release Keo, which offered no substantial improvement at the cost of compatibility.
I use Look Keo road pedals on my road bike and Crank Bros MTB pedals on all my others. The Fizik Vento Overcurve is a nice off-road shoe that has a very slim profile sole which you can get away with using on the road, looks-wise. It's what I use on my all-road bikes with MTB pedals. Cafe stops, no problem.
@@gcn I have two sets of shoes. The Vento Overcurve only has the 2-bolt system. So, I have road shoes and off-road shoes but if I was going to go with one system I'd use the off-road pedal/shoe just for convenience of walking about and of course, the cafe stop. I'm not racing and I don't need to be super aero so it's more practical, but like Si, I tend to setup my road bikes for the road.
I've learned from my bigger size to go big with the pedals. I started with rattrap / toe clips for over a decade (yes I'm that old). After one broken collarbone I moved up to Looks that are a bear to walk on then speedplays which are great to pedal with for quieting your pedal stroke but not the greatest for us 200 lb+ riders even with Carnacs. From my early Hoo-Koo-E-Koo riding I learned that a bigger pedal platform seemed to help with foot pain. Now I've standardized on DA-SPD's with the surrounding platform. I've learned that even carbon shoes have some flex in the soles so you're better off with a larger pedal platform for all my bikes be they fixed cog, cyclocross, commuter, Xcountry 26, Xcountry 29 and one road. My '84 Fisher still has big flats and my 90 Neenan still runs lollypops.
I'd been looking forward to this video since it was mentioned in the GCN show. I was really hoping for some data on the power differences between SPD and SPD-SL.
I just switched to SPD, in my case they are holding my foot even better. I couldn't find any reason why they would be any worse. Nice to heqr that this video confirms it. Also got the Shimano RX8, which hold my foot really well. For anyone not racing its probably the future
While working in a bike shop in Toronto I met a guy on the Newzealand road team he introduced me to Kevin pedals and I’ve been using them ever since I tried shimano look and time pedals all gave me knee problems but since the swap nothing
Been riding SPD pedals for at least 25 years, bike commuting, rec riding and thousands of miles/kilometers bike touring. They are mounted on easily walkable mountain bike shoes. Before SPDs it was toeclips with various shoes.
The majority of what I do is road cycling even so the SPD or MTB pedals are the obvious choice for me. I do a bit of indoor cycling, commuting, touring, road and trail riding. Having the same across bikes just makes everything easier. Since the majority of my rides involve a little bit of walking having the MTB shoes just makes that part of the journey more stable and pleasant.
@gcn not really, I get all the major benefits. The possible marginal gains just aren't worth the expense and added complexity of having multiple systems,l for me.
1st May 2024 was my first use of SPD pedals from pedals with open toeclips. The Shimano pedals came with SM-SH51 clips, but even with pedals set to the easiest release, I found it difficult to clip out! I had a couple of falls, the first practically outside my house. Then I found out about the multi-release clips SM-SH56 and they are a game changer. I have 3 pair of shoes and one, the Giant Bolt can be used with the two or three bolt systems.
I'm in my 70s and used the old toe clips with leather straps in my teenage years and beyond. Probably ten years ago I moved to SPD pedals and now have them on my four bikes, road and gravel leg powered and road and mtb e-bikes. I swap between flats and SPD on the e-mtb, depending on the terrain I'll be riding. On the gravel bike I have SPDs but with a larger body that almost mimics flats. I ride a few times a week with a bunch of retired friends and most are on SPDs. Two or three are on the LOOK style road pedals and a few don't use cleats at all.
I like SPD-SL for road racing due to stronger engagement, but for touring, SPD is the way to go. I'm not looking to win any sprints and being able to walk around is a major bonus.
I have been using Shimano A600 and E600 pedals on my road bikes for years. They are one sided alloy bodied and use SPD cleats. Comfy, support like a road SPD SL pedal, but absolutely indestructible and can use touring shoes.
I have a gravel bike with SPD platform pedals, flat on one side so I can use regular shoes if I want a quick spin around with the kiddos. I have a cheap road shoe to go with it.
I got KEO pedals when I bought my first 2nd hand road bike, so I got used to them. Perfectly fine, they work well and I like them. I did have some prior experience with SPDs from occasional MTB trips, and I agree they are much more comfortable in terms of clipping in/out and walking around. Now I have a new bike onto which I transferred my KEO pedals. But since the frame can be fitted with gravel bike wheels, I'm tempted to buy a set of SPDs + shoes for when I'm converting my road bike to a gravel bike...
mountain bike clipless are 100% the way to go unless you're a serious racer. the "platform" doesn't matter much if you get a stiffer cyclocross style shoe.
8:20 that's where I stand... Want to tell you that is mostly my approach to ultra distance and touring... Is about comfort and the stuff off the bike is easy to be done... Walk around. But I am also finding myself the other way around 😅
I use 4 different types currently. SPD on my rigid Mnt bike & gravel bike, pegged flats on my full susp Mnt bike & FAVARO KEO on my climbing road bike then Speedplays on my TT bike. I use to use Sampson pedals in 1990’s….just look them up and see how it was for the lightest pedal of that time!
I use spd on my road bike. Handy for commuting and when I do triathlons and feel perfectly happy when just doing long road rides. Currently use the Specialized Recon SL, which are essentially a road gravel shoe
After slipping and sliding like a penguin through a cafe on a slightly oily patch I ditched road bike shoes & went mountain bike pedals & shoes. Newer model gravel shoes have all the benefits of a road bike shoe, come in wider options but allow off bike ease of walking. Handy not just for cafe stops but when hill steepness defeats & need to push bike uphill are a saviour.
On the subject of slipping in road shoes, definitely don't take the stair in them. Learned that lesson the hard way taking the pedestrian bridge over a railway line.
My first clipless is SPD, so easy to walk around, no hassle in clipping in and out. After 2 years, I use Keo pedal for roadbike and find out it's easy enough since I'm used to SPD, but have to admit it's not as practical as SPD. It's a trade betwern comfort and performance
Still riding my Onza MTB pedals I bought in 1995. Still riding in the Shimano SPD shoes I bought at the same time. I ride nearly daily. I haven't even had to change the laces in the shoes!
Wahoo speedplays on my road bike , Time Atac pedals on my gravel bike . Really like the float of the Speedplays and the convenience , durability of the Time Atac pedals
@@JonathanHairDo you mean the PD-ES600 pedals, that are marketed as Ultegra level? Availability seems quite good right now, are you sure they are OOP? Or is it a recent change and the stock is still good.
When I first started cycling I got the Ultegra pedals and cleats I came to stop couldn’t unclog in time and went crashing down! Now I use Mtb double sided pedals and cleats never had a problem much easier all round as a senior cyclist.
I've ridden road for 10+ years and still use SPD pedals - the single sided lightweight ones. The bigger challenge is finding SPD compatible shoes that aren't too overbuilt. Shimano used to make a perfect pair of 'touring' shoes - the RT82s - but these arent around anymore.
SPD on Gravel, but will fit SPD to the Road bike when I'm climbing in wet conditions just for safety reasons. Have both Road shoes & Gravel shoes for any given condition.
@@philipcooper8297 Yeah there's been studies as well. If you're going flat (no pun intended) out, yes they are significant. For Joe Commuter, use whatever you're comfortable with.
use MTB pedals on my road bike. I had a few pairs anyway so no need to buy new ones. Also they have an amazing amount of float which is good for my knees and I can actually walk in the shoes without sliding on my arse. TIME ATAC pedals. Also means I can use my winter MTB shoes on the road bike and have dry warm feet.
The fist pedal video that I’ve seen that is actually helpful. Been using cheap mtb shoes which are not stiff, looks like it’s a pair of Gravel shoes for me then..
I have both in the form of my Garmin Vector 3 dual sided "watt-pedals", with a mountainbike/SPD conversion kit. Due to commuting I'm only using the mountain/SPD pedals, since grocery shopping is a total nightmare in road/SPD-SL pedals + walking in the road/SPD-SL clamps sound like you are walking in high heels. With that said, I feel and see a significant difference in performance when it comes to the 5-10 second sprints. It feels like the mountain/SPD pedals only offers 80% feeling of stability and ensurance that you won't unclip, where the SPD-SL pedals feel rock solid and it is the bending bones that set the limit (at least that is how it feels). I actually see a 500W difference in peak power, and 100-150W difference in a 10 sec sprint - and it is the road/SPD-SL pedals that wins in performance. But I am still loyaly only using my mountainbike pedal setup, because they win in all other categories than the sprint :)
Single side Road SPD's (ES600) on the roadbike and same shoes for both, I love the little bit play they have and they feel more comfy also with cliping in/out (one sided clipping in needs some practice and the paint is banged of the pedal during clipping in after a while), only negative is that the "white" shoes like a lot of road cyclist prefer (like the pro's) are not easy to get in a SPD version, but fancy colors like green, brown are more available in SPD version shoes.
I had Look pedals for years, I wanted to get a power meter having looked into all the options I went with the Wahoo power play. For my commute and casual road riding arguably I should have gone SPD but I am very happy with my choices. There is also something to be said for my pedals, head unit, speed sensor, heart rate monitor all being in the same ecosystem.
Currently on SPD-SL on my road bike. Will go back to SPD when I need new shoes as I’m much more of recreational, Audax, bike packing type rider these days.
Which type of pedals do you use? 👇
I struggled with MTB SPDs due to the lack of adjustment. It lead to knee pain on longer rides.
The switch to road pedals allowed me to resolve this.
Speedplay, also doublesided, quite intuitive and relatively walkable
Normal, flat ones. I don't want to be tied to them and fall over at a busy intersection, with cars speeding all around me.
Shimano SPD MTB flats on the Kona XC bike and Shimano flat/SPD on the gravel bike. No complaints 😊
Flats😂
Always used SPDs on my road bike. Can actually walk in them when I need to.
Defo. I have SPDs and Shimano MT3 shoes which look like a trainer but are surprisingly stiff. Saves taking spare shoes on my commute or getting to the start of a long ride like the DD. Unless your racing the weight or aero gain just ain't worth the wally walk in the pub😅
And one doesn't trash the cleat doing so.
Same here. SPDs on my road bike.
Unless you’re a super serious racer who doesn’t care about ever getting off your bike, this is really all you need to know.
@@ChrisBeard I have same shoes, really comfy, love them. Just started to use spd pedals and have not regretted at all.:)
SPDs for 3 decades - the only pedal similarity between my different bikes.
Shimano nailed this.
For the recreational rider I would definitely recommend the SPD pedals with platform pedals on one side. Not only do they give you the option of riding in sneakers (sorry, “trainers”), but also when starting though an intersection you can power through before clipping in once safely across. Faffing around trying to clip in in the middle of a busy intersection is… not fun.
How right you are!!!
I was taught pedalling at the cycling school of the Paris Jacques Anquetil velodrome 50 years ago, on track and road. We used clips with leather straps and cleats that had to be nailed to the shoes. I stopped biking in the 80s and when I returned, I discovered the clipless systems with joy gratitude. Having experience of the 3 systems (including the ancient one ;) ) and being more on the touring than racing practice, I confess a preference for the MTB system, for walking in particular, whether in town or on muddy or rocky paths.
The greatest virtue I find in the road system is that the platform being longer and wider, pressure feels like it is more directly applied to the pedal and energy gets more efficiently transferred to the bike.
Sorry to be long, but one thing more: I'm not nostalgic of the ancient system at all, especially as now I'm in my mid-60s and my leg joints have undergone much wear and tear. Being able to fix the cleats and pedals with a bit of lee way allows my feet to twist a bit on the bike to avoid excessive tension in the oinees and ankles, and this I am thankful for.
It makes more sense if you are not racing. Most of us are recreational cyclists. Practicality dictates the MTB pedal hands down.
I went clipless (SPD-SL) when I bought my first road bike. I liked so much being clipped-in, so I bought a set of SPD pedals & a pair of shoes for my MTB.
Then I realised that SPD is the way to go: it's nicer to be able to clip in from both sides of the pedal and you can walk in those shoes.
For now I still use SPD-SL on my road bike, but after I'll upgrade to a new one, I'll go with SPD for sure.
Completely agree with you on this one, I'll be doing the same
@@Countrystock Totally agree. There is an added benefit that because of the recessed cleat, the SPD shoes/cleats don't damage floors in the house, which has been a saving grace, especially to my wife. I am totally a road cyclist, but with hi-end gravel racing shoes, who needs SPD SL (which I used for years before I saw the light)???
Logically, the time to switch would be when buying a new shoe, not a new bike. Pedals can be moved between bikes, but when buying a shoe, you are locked into the 2 bolt or 3 bolt systems (with a few dual exceptions).
You can also get SPD / Flat pedals, which I personally love in stop and go traffic. Sometimes I don't want to fuss w/ clipping in and out at every light or behind every car, so I can just put my foot down on the flat and get ok power. Once I've got some road ahead of me I can clip in and get focused riding.
Me too! For all the reasons you articulated, the are amazing especially in traffic or wacky off road bits, plus I can just hop on the bike with my regular shoes for a short shopping jaunt!
Another good option! We also compared clipless to flats 👉 ua-cam.com/video/aVLfqjcTbnU/v-deo.html
I have those on my second bike. Great combination - I can go in any shoe for shorter trips, or bike shoes, as I feel it.
This is the best pedal for everyday riding and for beginners learning how to use cleats. Both myself and my father started with this before shifting to SPD SL cleats/pedals.
The hybrids are nice for having options or to not wear your bike shoes for a quick ride somewhere, but they are staggeringly heavier. On my old bike I kept the hybrid ones, but when I upgraded I just got SPD's.
I am a triathlete and I really like SPD pedals because it allows walking or even running on short distances. While the others are struggling with their road bike shoes being already clipped on the pedals and having to run barefoot, I can just zoom past them in my SPD shoes. And getting on the bikes with the shoes already on the pedals can be really tricky, I've seen really nasty falls caused by the shoes hanging from the pedals. I love and would absolutely recommend SPDs for short course triathlon, because its more comfortable and doesn't or hardly looses any time in transition compared to road shoes.
Having tried both, my absolute favorite is SPD. I have Specialized mountain bike shoes with the SPD cleats because they’re recessed in the shoe, and the shoe itself has great grip to the ground.
I can clip and unclip out of the SPD much faster. I tried the Wahoo Speedplays at one point, but I had the worst time clipping in and out of them, so those were an expensive fail for me.
EDIT: I use SPDs and mountain bike shoes on a road bike, and I’ve never been more comfortable.
I’ve got the same setup. Shimano shoes were too tight for me and MTB cleats are so much easier to use.
I totally agree!! My eggbeaters are super easy to clip and unclip.
I agree also. Tried road shoes. But never had confidence to un-clip. And the soles seem slippery
Do you feel like you're lacking anything with the MTB shoe?
@@gcn I don’t! If anything it feels like a gain. My toes can spread out and aren’t so cramped, the bottoms of the shoes have a lot of grip, so when I unclip and put my foot to the ground, it’s not sliding around (and even better for walking if needed). They feel much more stable on the pedals than road shoes for me.
Fun fact. Shimano originally marketed SPD pedals as road or MTB pedals. They were trying to avoid paying licensing fees to Look. When Look's patent ran out, they rebranded SPD as mountain bike pedals.
Also they still offer "road specific" SPD pedals. Or more like one offering, Ultegra PD-ES600.
SPD / Platform in one pedal. Only ride urban/ commuting and the ability to walk in the bike shoes or to be able to use any shoes is invaluable for me.
I use magpeds Magnetic Pedals. And they are great.
That's indeed a fun fact! I laern new things every day. Thank you.
fun fact? fun fake fact. not true.
I use spd es600. Spd pedals but with road cleat sized platform, the best of both worlds. Can walk normally when off the bike which is a must when commuting!
Me too. They even come with special SPD cleats that cannot be unclipped by pulling up hard, effectively canceling out one reasons I often hear people claim why SPD-SL is better.
@@headlessmike You got it backwards, the single-direction release version (SM-SH51) came first, and the multi-direction SH56 came after as an “improvement” to the problem people crash not being able to unclip. Most Shimano pedals bundle SH51 as the default cleats.
This. If only there were more road shoes with a clean and sleek design that hold recessed SPD cleats. And no, I don’t think those Shimano adapters are an adequate solution.
100%! I love these!
I’ve used both systems and it’s SPD all the way for me. One pair of shoes for my road bike and my XC bike. They’re plenty stiff enough for the road, don’t get wrecked off road and you can walk in them. What’s not to like.
One point that wasn’t mentioned was that for a beginner using clipless for the first time, the MTB system is the way to go. There are two types of Shimano cleats with the silver ones easier to clip out of than the black ones that were shown in this video.
I bought the SPD/flat pedals when I was first learning to use clipless shoes. I've stuck with them because the shoes are easier to walk in. Helpful if you ride in traffic to be able to use both sides even with clippers spd shoes. 😊
I know this video is sponsored by Shimano, but Crankbrothers makes some awesome mtb and gravel pedals as well. Specifically, the eggbeaters still feel fast on the paved sections, but offer much more versatility when off-roading.
I don't like that they don't have release adjustment.
@@The2808erik You can change the float and release angle based on what cleat you purchase.
@@ColKlim98And based on your installation orientation (whether you install one cleat on the other shoe or vice versa).
@@sbccbc7471 Yeah, definitely. They lend themselves well to customization based on shoe size, etc.
And crank brothers shoes look so much nicer, you can wear them like they are some adidas or bike shoes
I started with a mountain bike and when I got into road biking it was easier to keep the SPD pedals on everything. That said, I have never felt the need to get road pedals. Thanks for your explanation, it was well done!
I agree that the gravel or MTB shoes with their respective SPD Pedals are most practical. One key advantage is the use of SPD MTB system in the city, as it allows one to use both sides of the Pedals. The road shoe&pedal system to me is quite dangerous. At the traffic lights, if I failed to clip on my other side at the start, the road shoe WILL slide off the pedal if on the wrong side. Better yet, Shimano EH500 with one sided clip and flat on the other side is fantastic for city and town. Because the flat side will allow the MTB shoe to lodge into the Pedal's flat side without clipping (little known Shimano EH500 feature). That means one can unclip one side ahead to a stop, yet the MTB shoe won't slip out coming to a full stop or following start.
I use road SPD-SL (PD-R8000) mainly, because they are much more stable, less float/play and larger surface area. But i switch to SPD (EH-500) during the Finnish winter. Ice and snow builds up in the pedals and/or cleats, and sometimes can't clip in instantly, hence the combo pedals.
Do you still ride a road bike throughout the winter?
@@gcn Yes i do. Canyon Endurace AL for the winter. Takes 35mm CX tyres for the snow and even studded tyres for the most slippery part of the winter. Also the city takes great care of the cycling paths through the whole winter.
This is actually a quite nice video of the winter upkeep of our cycling infrastructure in Oulu, Finland.
ua-cam.com/video/Uhx-26GfCBU/v-deo.html
I think it's worth mentioning that on the mountain bike system you have "float", a little bit of movement of the shoe whilst still being clipped in. That could make it more comfortable especially if you have joint problems.
You get that with road shoes too, depending on the cleats. You can have up to 6 degrees of freedom, I believe.
This is the video I have been searching for!!! I started with SPD on both road and mountain bikes for cost purposes but always wondered if I had a made a mistake.
The technical side of me would love a more in depth video though maybe with motion analysis to see the performance differences ( if there are any) Pretty easy to do the same ride with same shoes and just different cleats.
It boils down to: do you get discomfort or hot spots? If not, carry on with SPD!
I use the Crankbrothers Eggbeaters 3 for both and they are fantastic.
4 sides to clip in to and they are very light as well.
The grip is good. I’m always thinking about trying the Look Keos but then again I don’t want to give up on the comfort of walking.
I have stiff shoes with carbon soles btw so the power transfer is very good.
Got my first set of clipless pedals a couple of years ago for my road bike - got mountain bike kit as it's more practical for commuting, get groceries, etc.
I use pd-es600 pedals. They are technically a touring pedal, so look and work like a road pedal but use spd cleats. Really light and slow me to use one pair of shoes for both road and mountain.
Using hybrid flat/spd pedals on my hybrid bike. Love them!
I decided to go with Shimano PD-ES600 for my only gravel/road bike. They are being marketed as for commuting, but in fact are great for both road and gravel rides as they are one-sided SPD and that cuts down some weight + somewhat aerodynamic. A recreational cyclist like me would benefit from an SPD type because of their versatility.
Same here. Good coverage at the bottom of the shoe compared to other SPDs.
Touring, single sided SPD with platform. Platform for riding from the hotel to the chippy in plimsolls.
Commute, double side SPD.
Road & TT, SPD-SL.
Vintage rides, usually plates, clips and straps. Some bikes rubber block pedals.
For the longest time, I didn't own a road bike and had no experience of any road pedal system. Yet every time I rode on road for any longer period of time, I wondered why there is always so disturbingly much play in the system. I also tried Crankbrothers' pedals, but they weren't any better than SPDs. Then I bought a road bike and decided to also buy road pedals (which happened to be Look Keos), and new shoes as well. What a difference it made! A stiff and stable platform with no unwanted play whatsoever and very efficient power transfer, even though my shoes had nylon soles (not carbon ones)! Nowadays I would never even consider riding a road bike with anything other than road pedals anymore; there has to be a significant risk of having to walk for me to choose the MTB pedals. Still, if you're not on the road, or just touring or commuting. it is like Manon says: the MTB pedals win out.
I'm using SPD on my road bike. Important things to mention: There ARE one-sided clip SPD pedals that weigh pretty much the same as SPD SL pedals. And there ARE shoes (my Giro Savix road shoes for example) that are compatible with bith systems.
Hi. I've seen a couple of comments about Giro Savix or other shoes supporting both SPD and SPD-SL. Forgive me, but I am not following - isn't it the cleat that you put on the shoe supports SPD and/or SPD-SL? I see that the Savix supports both the 2-hole (SPD) and 3-hole (SPD-SL) cleats directly, with no need for an adapter, but you still need attach one or the other cleat, is that correct? Hopefully I am missing something, as I'd like to find a way to choose either one system or the other on the fly. Thanks.
@@timauch2044 Yes, you have to attach the right cleat on the shoe. The cleats usually come with the pedals by the way (Spd pedals with spd cleats, compatible with 2 hole shoes, and spd-sl pedals with spd-sl cleats, compatible with 3 hole shoes). I think there is no adapter from Spd to Spd-Sl or the other way around. Anyways I wouldn't use an adapter. So either get the right shoe or a shoe that works with both systems (like the Savix). Did that answer your question? 🙂
@@chrisl.6158 Thanks. My goal is to use 2 different shoes interchangeably with two different bikes with different pedals; I posted that as a generic comment to this video as well. So I think you did answer the question - and my search continues. :) I actually used the adapter approach in the past and it didn't work, as I was missing a plate (it was for a Wellgo adapter) needed to make a smooth and tight connection from shoe to pedal (if that makes sense.) I rummaged around my parts bin and found that I actually had the needed plates. I added the them and tried them on my ride this morning - it worked quite well. I also found that I had a Shimano SH41 adapter and that worked even better (more stable to walk with) , so I wouldn't rule out the adapter approach, but I do agree that an SPD-SL cleat and pedal would be best for both stability and power transfer. Thanks again!
@@timauch2044 Interesting. Now I have a question: I thought those adapters have to be quite thick and would mess with my position on the bike. But is it just a thin metal plate? And yes, the SPD-SL may be a more pro solution if you ride in supertuck position etc. but for me SPD pedals are just fine on the road bike. With my torn ligaments on both feet I thought I have less mobility and therefore should first try SPDs. With the Savix shoe I could "upgrade" to SPD-SL at a later point, but actually I think I'll stick with SPD on my road bike.
Cleat covers for SPD-SL/Look pedals work reasonably well to provide some traction on road bike shoes (and keep the cleats from getting dirt in them if you're not just walking on pavement/floors). Probalby not a substitute for gravel/MTB riding but good enough for the cafe run or other brief walks while on a road ride.
Just something else to carry around. Pockets already are full.
@@paulmcc2006 Cleat Covers don't take up much space in your pocket.
I use my clip covers at work when I commute with no problem (and it gives me plenty of opportunities to talk about cycling and my bike!).
Good video. Walking into the coffee shop scene - keeping it real!! After years using a road shoe / pedal system, I switched to a mtb shoe / pedal. It's really nice to be able to walk around.
Stopped using clipless on all my bikes, MTB, road, gravel . Switched to flats. So much better than clips, power transfer surprisingly same, lots more freedom. Only took me 30 years to figure it out!
For most riding, I'd agree, but for out of the saddle hard efforts there's absolutely a benefit to being attached to the pedal.
That's what we found was generally the case when we did a comparison a little while ago! 👉 ua-cam.com/video/aVLfqjcTbnU/v-deo.html
Flat pedals for me as well. 850 miles tour around Scotland cycle camping, no problems
Strongly disagree... riding flats on my commute bike and spd-sl on my normal and I got to say, clip less is sooo much better, so much more comfortable not so slip on the paddle all the time and so much more secure when out of the saddle
I cycled in the late 80s early 90s was on toe clips and went to look and did use a shimano look cleat pedal and then gave up cycling for a years 2 years bought a tourer and had the Shimano SPD one side and the normal pedal I really liked them so much I got a small pair of Shimano SPD for my road bike and I think will stick with them for my road bike. Great video
My first pair of cycling shoes had the mounting holes for both, after trying both it's SPD for me. One aspect that is useful is that there is enough inherent "float" so that if you don't get the cleats set up perfectly, you have a reasonable hope that you won't end up putting undue stress on your knees, etc
Just did the transition from SPD to SPD-SL, coming from gravel/mtb i just stuck to the spd‘s on my first road bike. After a year only riding my road bike and getting a second one now I got SPD-SL pedals for both of them, and I gotta say, it just feels way better and safer and more effective with the SPD-SL. It’s probably just subjective, but I’m happy I made the transition.
This is one of the great aesthetic debates of cycling and seems to be peer-group driven. I’m nowhere near any decent level of cycling and ride for fun and exercise and I’ve tried both systems. However, for ease of engagement and longevity (things are bombproof!) SPD pedals for me.
4:40 That was a lovely eye-roll, Manon! 👀
I started with mountain bike peddals and kept them for road biking. I only need 1 pair of shoes and the clip in feel is the same for all my bikes. I would consider upgrading peddals to the larger platform if it improved stability
You'll get way more benefit from upgrading to stiffer shoes than to SL pedals. in stiff shoes, the difference is not perceptible. SL pedals only real benefits are marginal weight and aero gains, but if that's what you need, you're probably already using SL pedals.
Road cleats allow for better adjustment if you have knee or foot issues. For that reason I use them for any type of distance biking. The only time I use spd is for full on trail riding where I need to get the foot off the pedal quickly to avoid a crash or into the pedal easily due to terrain issues.
As a roadie, I use MTB SPD with road shoes. I live in the Bay area, CA so we run into stoplights quite often. Being able to clip in/off on both sides really help.
I ended up going with a knockoff version of speedplays for this reason right here.
@5:20 Whoa whoa. Plenty of shoes out there with mounting holes for both SPD and SPD-SL cleats.
7:07 Did I heat things correctly ? "but now there's lots of gravel pacific shoes" - rather the "specific". Might just be me but i have listened a few times and even the subtitles suggest "pacific"
Thanks so much for this episode! I have been wanting to see GCN cover this topic for a long time.
I was introduced to Time's Link, MX and CX series pedals at a local bike repair shop and liked them alot! Subsequently I discovered (and switched to) a series of Crank Brothers pedals. I have Mallets, Candy's, and egg-beaters -- the latter my current favorite for their simplicity, comfort and flexibility in riding style. They also look kuul!
I have begrudgingly moved to SPDs for some of my riding. Flats have been absolutely fine but clipless pedals have helped me manage knee pain, presumably because of the narrower stance.
SPD's all the way! As Manon articulated so well. They do everything. I tour, commute, do off road bits, coffee stops, radonneuring, bikepacking (try setting up a tent in road shoes!). Even for strictly road, I find SPD's more practical. I must say that in our Canadian winters, once the snow really packs up, you really want flat spikey pedals and winter boots without cleats! Sorry Si, not enough reall life advantages to merit the expenditure on a single purpose (otherwise useless) shoe!
No matter what clip in style you choose. Don’t forget to clip out when coming to a stop. When in doubt nothing beats a good old fashion flat pedal. As always happy riding everyone.
track stand
track stand? I usually don't need to clip out even when the rest of my group does
We've all had that dreaded unable to unclip moment! 😂
Learned on SPDs, stayed with them. Wear very light carbon-soled S-Works XC shoes and use XTR pedals which have a platform cage. Work brilliantly together. Usually/always riding road.
SPD for me - essentially same efficiency, and easy to wander round a cafe, around a shop, up some stairs. I don’t race, so it is a no-brainer.
Very thorough treatment of this subject. I started road cycling with metal cleats hammered onto leather soled shoes clipped into quill pedals with toeclips and Binda toestraps, including track stands at traffic lights. Skipping some steps, I road Speadplay zeros on my road bike with cafe covers in my pocket. Given that my cycling is now best described as touring speed, I find that MTB pedals and shoes works best for me on all my bikes-road, gravel, mountain. I don‘t notice any difference from a smaller contact surface with the latest Shimano XTR pedals and Sidi shoes. I felt a bit scandalous for some years but now can‘t see it any other way, for me that is.
Recently switched from SPD to SPD-SL because I couldn't find any MTB shoes that could comfortable fit my ultra wide feet. Because MTB shoes are reinforced at the toes to protect them from rocks, which caused numbness for me on long rides. My new shoes (Lake CX201) are pretty much a carbon sole wrapped with an elastic mesh. Finally my feet are comfortable when riding. I thought walking in them would suck, but tbh it doesn't feel too different.
Shimano once produced an SPD-style urban pedal with a unique design - it was one-sided. The primary advantage of this model was its integration of a sleek, road profile pedal with footwear that offered practical walking comfort. This combination made it an ideal choice for extended, week-long cycling events such as RAGBRAI, where riders often disembark to explore towns on foot.
Es600
I have those very pedals on my touring/go everywhere bike and they are a
I use Crankbrothers Candy pedals on all of my bikes - being able to walk off the bike is much more important to me than saving a tiny bit of weight or a tiny bit of power transfer.
@5:19 I have Giant Bolt shoes and they can be used with either SPD 2 bolt or SPD 3 bolt cleats! Both plates are built into the shoes. I know there are adaptors, but they look clunky.
Since I do 50/50 Mtb and road, spd is the obvious choice. And since I am not a racer, I prefer practicality and comfort over performance.
Thanks for this. Straight and to the point and exactly what i needed.
I’ve always used SPDs on my bikes but fitted some SLs on my road bike earlier this year and love them. Clipping in always feels far more positive than the SPDs, they feel more secure and comfortable and I don’t miss the grinding of metal on metal. Only problem I’ve had is one of the cleats came loose enough to have to remove my shoe whilst clipped in, possibly due to the extra force required to unclip?
Riding in coastal North Carolina, where it is often hot and very humid, SPD pedals and Shimano SD5 sandals keep my toes happy. At any temperature above 55, the shoes come off and the sandals on. The SD5 sandals are stiff enough to transfer effort onto the pedals, yet comfortable enough for walking about town. I'm cycling in sandals 9 months a year.
Always used spd. Originally as i was starting out they were easier to get the hang of. Then as i upgraded my road bike realised the range had expanded so i could have the look of a road cleat pedal but with the practical elements of spd and no need for new shoes!
I‘m still using SPD-SL for like sporty rides, when commuting I simply put on some pedal adapters and e voila: you can use every sneaker you want.
I agree that MTB pedals are the only logical choice for the vast majority of riders and I have ridden many centuries in them, but I do find that my feet are more comfortable on very long rides with road cleats. I don't know if it's the larger platform distributing force or something else, and I would love to learn if there's any basis for this other than my experience. It would seem reasonable that a stiffer sole would help even the score, but then the shoe would be more awkward to walk in, reducing the benefits of the MTB system. You have to hand it to Shimano that they came up with an excellent system in SPD that has continued essentially unchanged for decades. They resisted the engineering foolishness that caused Look to release Keo, which offered no substantial improvement at the cost of compatibility.
I use Look Keo road pedals on my road bike and Crank Bros MTB pedals on all my others. The Fizik Vento Overcurve is a nice off-road shoe that has a very slim profile sole which you can get away with using on the road, looks-wise. It's what I use on my all-road bikes with MTB pedals. Cafe stops, no problem.
Do you have two sets of the shoe or do you switch over the cleats depending on which bike you're riding?
@@gcn I have two sets of shoes. The Vento Overcurve only has the 2-bolt system. So, I have road shoes and off-road shoes but if I was going to go with one system I'd use the off-road pedal/shoe just for convenience of walking about and of course, the cafe stop. I'm not racing and I don't need to be super aero so it's more practical, but like Si, I tend to setup my road bikes for the road.
I've been using a mtn bike set up on my road bike for over 10yrs. On my mtn bike, I use flat pedals.
I recommend pinning a comment of the longer form video! I went looking for it as I’m interested but not everyone would! Love the content GCN
I've learned from my bigger size to go big with the pedals. I started with rattrap / toe clips for over a decade (yes I'm that old). After one broken collarbone I moved up to Looks that are a bear to walk on then speedplays which are great to pedal with for quieting your pedal stroke but not the greatest for us 200 lb+ riders even with Carnacs. From my early Hoo-Koo-E-Koo riding I learned that a bigger pedal platform seemed to help with foot pain.
Now I've standardized on DA-SPD's with the surrounding platform. I've learned that even carbon shoes have some flex in the soles so you're better off with a larger pedal platform for all my bikes be they fixed cog, cyclocross, commuter, Xcountry 26, Xcountry 29 and one road. My '84 Fisher still has big flats and my 90 Neenan still runs lollypops.
The end if the video said it best, road pedals do one thing well, use it for road. For everything else, use min. Great job as always!
5:25 - There are shoes that support both SPD and SPD-SL - e.g. Giro Techne or Savix.
I'd been looking forward to this video since it was mentioned in the GCN show. I was really hoping for some data on the power differences between SPD and SPD-SL.
There is none, why would there 😂
I just switched to SPD, in my case they are holding my foot even better. I couldn't find any reason why they would be any worse. Nice to heqr that this video confirms it. Also got the Shimano RX8, which hold my foot really well.
For anyone not racing its probably the future
While working in a bike shop in Toronto I met a guy on the Newzealand road team he introduced me to Kevin pedals and I’ve been using them ever since I tried shimano look and time pedals all gave me knee problems but since the swap nothing
Been riding SPD pedals for at least 25 years, bike commuting, rec riding and thousands of miles/kilometers bike touring. They are mounted on easily walkable mountain bike shoes. Before SPDs it was toeclips with various shoes.
The majority of what I do is road cycling even so the SPD or MTB pedals are the obvious choice for me. I do a bit of indoor cycling, commuting, touring, road and trail riding. Having the same across bikes just makes everything easier. Since the majority of my rides involve a little bit of walking having the MTB shoes just makes that part of the journey more stable and pleasant.
Switching easily between bikes is great. Do you feel you're missing out by not having road specific pedals?
@gcn not really, I get all the major benefits. The possible marginal gains just aren't worth the expense and added complexity of having multiple systems,l for me.
1st May 2024 was my first use of SPD pedals from pedals with open toeclips. The Shimano pedals came with SM-SH51 clips, but even with pedals set to the easiest release, I found it difficult to clip out! I had a couple of falls, the first practically outside my house. Then I found out about the multi-release clips SM-SH56 and they are a game changer. I have 3 pair of shoes and one, the Giant Bolt can be used with the two or three bolt systems.
I'm in my 70s and used the old toe clips with leather straps in my teenage years and beyond. Probably ten years ago I moved to SPD pedals and now have them on my four bikes, road and gravel leg powered and road and mtb e-bikes. I swap between flats and SPD on the e-mtb, depending on the terrain I'll be riding. On the gravel bike I have SPDs but with a larger body that almost mimics flats. I ride a few times a week with a bunch of retired friends and most are on SPDs. Two or three are on the LOOK style road pedals and a few don't use cleats at all.
I use SPD-SL for 99% of my riding - I’m not hot on hike a bike, and I use the Shimano cleat protectors when I have to walk. So much better to ride in.
I like SPD-SL for road racing due to stronger engagement, but for touring, SPD is the way to go. I'm not looking to win any sprints and being able to walk around is a major bonus.
I have been using Shimano A600 and E600 pedals on my road bikes for years. They are one sided alloy bodied and use SPD cleats. Comfy, support like a road SPD SL pedal, but absolutely indestructible and can use touring shoes.
I find Crank Brother Egg Beaters the best for MTB. Lighter than most Road pedals and triple sided clip ins.
I have a gravel bike with SPD platform pedals, flat on one side so I can use regular shoes if I want a quick spin around with the kiddos. I have a cheap road shoe to go with it.
I got KEO pedals when I bought my first 2nd hand road bike, so I got used to them. Perfectly fine, they work well and I like them. I did have some prior experience with SPDs from occasional MTB trips, and I agree they are much more comfortable in terms of clipping in/out and walking around. Now I have a new bike onto which I transferred my KEO pedals. But since the frame can be fitted with gravel bike wheels, I'm tempted to buy a set of SPDs + shoes for when I'm converting my road bike to a gravel bike...
mountain bike clipless are 100% the way to go unless you're a serious racer. the "platform" doesn't matter much if you get a stiffer cyclocross style shoe.
8:20 that's where I stand... Want to tell you that is mostly my approach to ultra distance and touring... Is about comfort and the stuff off the bike is easy to be done... Walk around. But I am also finding myself the other way around 😅
I use 4 different types currently. SPD on my rigid Mnt bike & gravel bike, pegged flats on my full susp Mnt bike & FAVARO KEO on my climbing road bike then Speedplays on my TT bike. I use to use Sampson pedals in 1990’s….just look them up and see how it was for the lightest pedal of that time!
I use spd on my road bike. Handy for commuting and when I do triathlons and feel perfectly happy when just doing long road rides.
Currently use the Specialized Recon SL, which are essentially a road gravel shoe
SPDs for recreational cyclists, especially on a budget (or in a coffee shop) are definitely the way to go. The SPD/flat models have great versatility.
Manon, you've got me at "sole purpose in mind". Love you!
After slipping and sliding like a penguin through a cafe on a slightly oily patch I ditched road bike shoes & went mountain bike pedals & shoes. Newer model gravel shoes have all the benefits of a road bike shoe, come in wider options but allow off bike ease of walking. Handy not just for cafe stops but when hill steepness defeats & need to push bike uphill are a saviour.
On the subject of slipping in road shoes, definitely don't take the stair in them.
Learned that lesson the hard way taking the pedestrian bridge over a railway line.
I wear mountain shoes and use mountain pedals on all my bikes. It was much easier to find mountain shoes to fit wide feet.
My first clipless is SPD, so easy to walk around, no hassle in clipping in and out. After 2 years, I use Keo pedal for roadbike and find out it's easy enough since I'm used to SPD, but have to admit it's not as practical as SPD. It's a trade betwern comfort and performance
Still riding my Onza MTB pedals I bought in 1995. Still riding in the Shimano SPD shoes I bought at the same time. I ride nearly daily. I haven't even had to change the laces in the shoes!
Wahoo speedplays on my road bike , Time Atac pedals on my gravel bike . Really like the float of the Speedplays and the convenience , durability of the Time Atac pedals
Shimano makes some nice Ultegra SPD road pedals. People seem to forget that SPD is not purely intended for MTBs.
I think these are no longer in production. I have a set. But now the SPD road offering is intended for low performance bikes.
@@JonathanHairDo you mean the PD-ES600 pedals, that are marketed as Ultegra level? Availability seems quite good right now, are you sure they are OOP? Or is it a recent change and the stock is still good.
@@kekkonenprkl ahh yes, you are right. Didn't realize those were Ultegra branded. Still exist.
My pair are older and look different.
When I first started cycling I got the Ultegra pedals and cleats I came to stop couldn’t unclog in time and went crashing down! Now I use Mtb double sided pedals and cleats never had a problem much easier all round as a senior cyclist.
I've ridden road for 10+ years and still use SPD pedals - the single sided lightweight ones. The bigger challenge is finding SPD compatible shoes that aren't too overbuilt. Shimano used to make a perfect pair of 'touring' shoes - the RT82s - but these arent around anymore.
SPD on Gravel, but will fit SPD to the Road bike when I'm climbing in wet conditions just for safety reasons. Have both Road shoes & Gravel shoes for any given condition.
I use flat pedals on my road bike, and I'm not even ashamed.
Good for you. :-) my mate just did 120 miles on flats. We ribbed him bit he was fine and still make it just fine
Same
@@ChrisBeard Years ago, the GCN did a comparison video between flat pedals and clipless pedals on a road bike, the difference was negligible.
@@philipcooper8297 Yeah there's been studies as well. If you're going flat (no pun intended) out, yes they are significant. For Joe Commuter, use whatever you're comfortable with.
Once I made the transition to clipping in I find it more comfortable over longer distances. I had to endure a few embarrassing falls first though.
use MTB pedals on my road bike. I had a few pairs anyway so no need to buy new ones. Also they have an amazing amount of float which is good for my knees and I can actually walk in the shoes without sliding on my arse. TIME ATAC pedals. Also means I can use my winter MTB shoes on the road bike and have dry warm feet.
The fist pedal video that I’ve seen that is actually helpful. Been using cheap mtb shoes which are not stiff, looks like it’s a pair of Gravel shoes for me then..
I have both in the form of my Garmin Vector 3 dual sided "watt-pedals", with a mountainbike/SPD conversion kit. Due to commuting I'm only using the mountain/SPD pedals, since grocery shopping is a total nightmare in road/SPD-SL pedals + walking in the road/SPD-SL clamps sound like you are walking in high heels.
With that said, I feel and see a significant difference in performance when it comes to the 5-10 second sprints. It feels like the mountain/SPD pedals only offers 80% feeling of stability and ensurance that you won't unclip, where the SPD-SL pedals feel rock solid and it is the bending bones that set the limit (at least that is how it feels).
I actually see a 500W difference in peak power, and 100-150W difference in a 10 sec sprint - and it is the road/SPD-SL pedals that wins in performance.
But I am still loyaly only using my mountainbike pedal setup, because they win in all other categories than the sprint :)
Single side Road SPD's (ES600) on the roadbike and same shoes for both, I love the little bit play they have and they feel more comfy also with cliping in/out (one sided clipping in needs some practice and the paint is banged of the pedal during clipping in after a while), only negative is that the "white" shoes like a lot of road cyclist prefer (like the pro's) are not easy to get in a SPD version, but fancy colors like green, brown are more available in SPD version shoes.
I had Look pedals for years, I wanted to get a power meter having looked into all the options I went with the Wahoo power play. For my commute and casual road riding arguably I should have gone SPD but I am very happy with my choices. There is also something to be said for my pedals, head unit, speed sensor, heart rate monitor all being in the same ecosystem.
Currently on SPD-SL on my road bike. Will go back to SPD when I need new shoes as I’m much more of recreational, Audax, bike packing type rider these days.