Winter shoes - DC area - Need to be SPD-SL compatible

Hi. I've been struggling with the right winter shoes for my SPD Ultegra pedals. It seem that the only winter/less ventilation shoes you can buy out there are compatible for plain old SPD pedals. I upgraded to the Ultegra this year on all of my bikes.

Do many of you gals just change pedals for the season so you can use a winter shoe that only allows an SPD cleat? (I'm trying not to have to change pedals -I have Look (same problem) and the plain old SPD pedals).

Do you us shoe covers?
I was on a ride last week using neoprene booties and it was a wee bit too warm and the squishy sound from the rubber meeting the pedal was too much for me. To have that sound while you are training with others is not so cool.

Winter riding makes me cringe. I need to take notes on what I wear at certain temps so I can refer to it later (note to self). It is such an art and science; especially with the drastic change in temperature here in DC from the morning to the afternoon. I usually avoid it except I am a little more intent to not be such a weenie this year. :rolleyes:

I switch to SPDs on my road bikes for the winter. That way, I can use the same winter boots for both mountain and road riding. It also allows me to walk in less-than-ideal conditions if need be....

On a related note, Sidi does make a road boot that should be compatiable with SPD-SLs.

I have Lake winter bike shoes that I use with mtb SPDs, but they also make a road shoe. Check out the Lake cxz301 or 302.

Becky - thanks for your reply. Does changing out the pedals bi-annually affect the threads on the cranks at all? It seems rather frequent for me.

I'd rather not have to think about changing the pedals - and it requires a change in seat height. All of my road bikes have Ultegra pedals except for my mtb - which is seldom usedtha.

I expected that I would have to buck up and do this if I was committed to riding through the winter ((speaking to myself) - which Ms. Chinook is way easier in DC than AK and MT!!!), I just wanted someone else besides myself to tell me that....sigh. I love the SPD-SL pedals, except they are not compatible with winter shoes. :rolleyes:

MDHillSlug - do these Lake shoes work for you with the diurnal temperature changes (32 degrees morning - 45 degree afternoon commute home)?

I have the Lake MTB winter shoes/boots, and I regularly wear them when the temps are in the 40s (just wear lighter wool socks w/them instead of the heavier socks you might wear for temps in the 30s and below).

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Originally Posted by Chinook

Becky - thanks for your reply. Does changing out the pedals bi-annually affect the threads on the cranks at all? It seems rather frequent for me.

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Not at all. I actually find that it's a good thing, as there's less opportunity for the threads to seize up. Just be careful to put the correct pedal on the correct side, use a little grease, and use a pedal wrench. Easy as pie :)

I had DH change my pedals on the road bike for the first time this week, to wear my PI winter shoes. Last year, I used them only on my hybrid, which has spd pedals. Though I was not cold using my road shoes, toe covers, booties, and wool socks, it was a pain putting on all of that gear. Though I won't take my road bike out once the roads are full of salt and slush, I figured I might want to use the boots for my first few rides in March. I am debating whether to leave them on for when the bike goes on the trainer.

I ride my roadbike all winter long in the DC area with my regular shoes. I'll wear wool socks and heavy weight booties (I have an old Adidas pair, but many companies make them). No need for different shoes or pedals.
Caveat: I do stick to dry weather riding in the cold of winter, however.

In the past I would pair my Frog pedals with the Specialized Defroster shoes. I now have platform pedals that allow me to wear my waterproof, insulated hiking boots on really cold days. Are there many choices in road type winter shoes for a three bolt cleat? :confused: