New Road Shoes--Now Need New Pedal Recs

[HoddyToddy]

Hi all,
Santa brought me some new entry-level road shoes--Shimano R075s, which feel great. But now I need some new pedals and need some advice on which pedals to get.
They are compatible with SPD and Look-style pedals, but frankly, I know nothing about road bike pedals. I currently use Shimano mountain bike pedals.
Hubby says Speedplay are the way to go...any input or advice?
TIA,
Jenny

[Possegal]

i have no idea - but your screen name has me asking if you are an ole miss grad? which i am, which is why i'm asking.

as to shoes and pedals, i know zip. sorry! :)

[HoddyToddy]

:D
Why, yes Ah am! Go Rebs!
Most people think it refers to alcohol or an overdeveloped sense of my own hotness! HA!

[VeloVT]

In addition to reading responses here, it would be worthwhile to go to your bike shop and chat with the folks there. This is one area where I've found employees to be universally helpful.

I think it comes down to personal preference, kind of like saddles.

I'm very happy with the Ultegra SPD-SLs (look-style pedals) on my road bike. Easy in & out once you get the hang of it, very solid feeling, and I have the sensation of good power transfer (who knows though?). One drawback to this style of pedal is that float is either quite limited or non-existent, which can aggravate knee problems if you have them (I am lucky to have healthy knees). There are a lot of folks out there who love their Speedplays and Crank Bros -- which is great -- but sometimes I feel like look-style pedals get an unfairly bad rap from people who LOVE whatever other pedals they use -- and I would encourage you not to rule them out automatically because other people say that Speedplays or Candies or Frogs or whatever are THE BEST PEDAL EVER.

I have Crank Bros. Eggbeaters on my commute bike. They are better suited to the purpose than the road pedals (they allow me to wear mountain shoes, which are more comfortable for walking any distance, and this cleat/pedal combination does well in snowy or muddy conditions, when road cleats would get clogged). And they are very easy to clip into/out of. However, I like the SPD-SLs better and if walking some distance/mud/snow were not issues, I'd at least consider putting them on the commute bike. (Though I confess part of the reason I put eggbeaters on the bike is that it's a cross bike, and it would be a little weird to put road pedals on it... silly I know, but someday, maybe I'll actually try a cross race???).

The eggbeaters have more float, and are smaller, and both of these factors contribute to a **sensation** that I'm not getting as much power transfer, especially when climbing. (Though my roadbike has longer cranks and higher gearing, and this probably affects my perception of "power transfer" as well). Plus I like how solid the clip-in action on my road pedals feels. This is totally an idiosyncratic and unimportant thing for me to care about -- it doesn't affect the function of the pedal -- it just "feels" better to me. But once you're in, you feel like you're locked in, and I like that too. I've never come out of my eggbeaters accidentally, but it feels like you **could**, for instance, when standing to get started at a light when you're in slightly too big of a gear to comfortably start from a dead stop and you really have to jump on the pedals.

Remember you can always change pedals, and assuming your shoes are compatible with both systems, changing cleats is a snap and doesn't require new shoes. So it's not as big of a decision as say, getting a new bike :). Of couse you know this, but I think pedals are one of those decisions that people get really super focused on for some reason (I certainly did for both bikes, and my bf obsessed about pedals to an extent that drove me a little crazy), and I think that can make it harder to make a decision.

Good luck!

[Zen]

Speedplays or Candies or Frogs or whatever are THE BEST PEDAL EVER.




Frogs are the BEST PEDALS EVER :D ;)
(don't pay any attention to me. they're not SPD compatible anyway)

[HoddyToddy]

;)
Thanks for the input.
I think my two main concerns are:
Cost--the thought of spending big bucks on a pedal I'm not sure about is daunting. I guess that is what eBay and craigslist are for!
Ease of use--I'm a big ole weenie about getting in and out. Want easy, but not so easy I'm going to pop out.

I know this has probably been talked to death, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and don't know the best approach to determining what I'll like best. I guess it is a lot of trial and error?

And honestly, I don't even *know* for sure what the shoes are compatible with! I'm fairly new to cycling, and have always let hubby do the research and shopping for me (how un-feminist of me! He likes to feel needed!) Everything I read just says "SPD-SL and LOOK-style" pedals (ski type?). But hubby says, no, they can use Speedplays or any three-hole configuration.

[Andrea]

The original SPD is the usual MTB style with a 2 bolt mounting system. SPD-SL is a 3 bolt style that's most popular with road shoes. Look and Time (among others) will attach directly to the 3-bolt pattern and Speedplays come with an adapter plate that allows you to attach them to the 3 bolt pattern. Crank brothers also makes an adapter plate that allows you to mount 2-bolt SPD cleats to 3-bolt SPD-SL shoes.

Personally, I like speedplays because I've disintegrated a majority of the lateral-collateral ligaments in both of my ankles. If I use pedals with no or re-centering float, they cause me to have ankle discomfort (it feels like the resistance holding my foot straight is also causing my anklebones to separate).

I've got the Speedplay x5 now, and I'm planning on upgrading to the X2 or 1 in the near future

Oh yeah, and I've never had an issue with them disengaging when they shouldn't, and I've never had a problem getting in/out when I want to

[Aggie_Ama]

I have never used Speedplays... My concern was the "walking on ice" sensation many describe when you are first gettng used to the amount of float. We have a fair amount of hills and my DH used to ride Speedplays and said climbing was awkward at first. I consider myself a slow learner on the bike, so I need something as simple as possible! Maybe you should try the Speedplay Light Action, which are supposed to be their most user friendly model (and come in fun colors :)).

I ride Look Keos- $99/pair. They are easy to engage and have adjustable tension, which is a must for me. I feel like I have better power transfer and climb better than my old SPDs (mountain style 2-bolt). My husband just made the switch to Look Keo Sprints and really likes them. I have two complaints: 1. They sometimes flip and you have to try to flip them. No big deal and I find the can be ridden on upside down when needed. ;) 2. The cleat is a bit slick.

I would just talk to your LBS. That is how I ended up with the Looks after considering other pedals.

[rij73]

Sorry I'm so late to this thread... What did you wind up doing?

I have Speedplay Light Action pedals. They are very easy to get in and out of. My only complaint is how humongous the cleats are. They are big and slippery. Can't do anything except put a foot down at an intersection. Forget walking more than 10 or 20 feet.

[HoddyToddy]

Hubby let me borrow his Speedplay X2s to get a feel for those. I liked them, and didn't have any problems getting in or out. I did "miss" the pedals twice and slipped off, but it wasn't a big deal. Still working on the muscle memory from my mtb pedals.
The only issue they may present is that they can't be mounted far enough forward...I'll probably try them a few more times to see...

[rij73]

How do you like the big metal cleat on your shoe? I like how my Speedplays work, but that humungous cleat is really starting to bug me. Hubby uses Look pedals, and the cleat is smaller and also plastic. I like it better, but I scared to switch to a pedal with more restricted float and a tougher action to get in and out.

[Andrea]

How do you like the big metal cleat on your shoe? I like how my Speedplays work, but that humungous cleat is really starting to bug me. Hubby uses Look pedals, and the cleat is smaller and also plastic. I like it better, but I scared to switch to a pedal with more restricted float and a tougher action to get in and out.
I switched briefly to Time pedals (very similar to Looks w/an even smaller, lighter cleat) and my ankles did not agree with the re-centering float (see the previous post!) I did like the feeling of not having the extra mounting plate between my shoe and pedal. I feel like I was spoiled by the ease of clipping in to the speedplays- I was all over the place at first when I put the Times on, and it took me about 500 miles to get proficient at clipping in without fumbling. The size of the speedplay cleat doesn't bother me because I don't walk around in my shoes other than to run in to a gas station bathroom or something...

I just got some used-once speedplay X2s off of ebay for a killer deal :D