SPD or Look Pedals?

[Catrin]

thank you all for the great ideas and advice--my friend is a guy with large feet so i can't borrow his cleats--i was having a hard time clipping in (he thought it was taking too long--he is my triathlon partner)--he suggested LOOK--thought they would be faster to clip in...i'm still investigating...

Your SPD cleats can be adjusted so that they are easier to clip in/out, that spring tensions can be very light.

[Aggie_Ama]

I like Look over SPD for the more substantial platform. I have mine on the lightest tension and they clip in fairly easy but they can fall forward so it isn't that fast. I can unclip fairly quick. The cleats themselves can be slick, I switched to some with grippers and I like them better.

[indysteel]

I have Look Keos and I've used SPDs, too. I prefer the Keos for the larger platform and "the feel" of clipping in/out. The "speed" at which you clip in, at least in my opinion, is more a question of how adept you are at using them than the pedals themselves. It does take some degree of coordination. Even when I have trouble with it, it doesn't slow me down to the point of it being a problem.

[alpinerabbit]

I've used Look, SPD and now Speedplay.

I would stick with SPD if I did not have that newly confirmed leg length discrepancy and the buildup under the cleat nixed comfortable walking in the Mountain shoes.

Look is not significantly quicker getting in, although the slightly weighted pedal means it is "in position" for you to engage most of the time. but it's one-sided entry only. Most SPD pedals except the "pseudo" roadie model, and Speedplay are double-sided.

Speedplay offers a kit to adjust for the leg issue and so I went for that: I really like how easy it is to engage, but walking on these is a cinch and I just got the cleat covers to make walking a bit more secure.

[Owlie]

DBF has Looks and loves them. I got SPDs--I walk around too much and am terrified of having to hike back home or to the nearest bus stop.

Get what you're comfortable with. My purist boyfriend didn't dump me for putting SPDs on my road bike.