LOOK OR NEW SHIMANO PEDALS?

dttlincs

I have been using the 2 sided mtb spd pedals on my road bike and have decided to go for "proper" road pedals. Look seem to be popular and are recommended by my lbs but as I will get shimano shoes I quite like the idea of the new type shimano 6620 ultegra pedals. Any opinions on the two types please?

Lucky Luke

I'd say go with the Shimanos . The old Ultegras were very good . The new Ultegras are excellent . No experience of Looks myself but they seem harder to walk in than SPD-SLs and judging from the noise from my clubmates that use Looks they can be prone to creaking and squeaking .

wildmoustache

have got both systems...

the new keos are not prone to squeaking, but the older Looks are.

they are a little bit different but both systems work well. SPD-SL are slightly easier to walk in, but only slightly.

the Keos are significantly lighter than SPD-SLs.

somekindofwizard

I have the Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL after them being recommended on here and they are great, plus they are fine to walk on as i found out after walking 3 miles home when I got a puncture and realised I had put my saddle bag with the spare tubes and repair kit on my other bike...

redddraggon

I'm sure not the SPD-SL cleats are suitable for walking on. I've been using them for only a week and the cleats look a mess, I'm sure how long they will actually last. It's not as though I'm walking long distances in them.

Can you get steel cleats? I can't see these plastic spd-sl ones lasting me a full year.

wildmoustache

no, you can't get steel cleats!!! just stay off them as much as possible. they do still work even if they look a mess. they are past it once the red/yellow bits have gone.

Stwutter

I use Look Keo Sprints, and have done for over a year. They're smooth, reliable and easy to clip in and out of. They're also very light, as are the normal Keo's, which are £30 less.

As for walking, you can look like a lemon, but I use cleat covers (rubber covers that you clip into the same way as the pedals) if I'm going anywhere where I'm likely to be off the bike for any length. You make hardly any noise then, and extend the life of your cleats by about 10 fold I'd guess. Most cleat wear is caused by walking on them, not clipping in and out.

maddog 2

I tried SPD-SLs a while back and decided to stick with spuds.

Didn't like the float, rubbish to walk in, clipping in/out is harder and the "bigger contact patch" is a myth - spuds with a carbon sole are easily comparable.

In short, plenty of downsides and the improvements are marginal.

Spesh carbon mtb shoes and XTR spuds. Light and effective.

dttlincs

Thanks for the replys.
A bit of a split response so far though!

nmcgann

I use Keo Sprints on my training bike - very good pedals. I find them a lot easier to clip in to than spd-sl. The cleats last fine provided you use cleat covers when off the bike.

I also use spd on my audax and town bikes where I will be walking significant distances.

Neil

grazer

i have crandy bros (mtb pedals) on my road commuter bike, which are great. I thought i would get some "proper" road pedals for my new Look 585. So the obvious choice was a pair od look keo carbon.

So far i hate them compared to the candy bros. Nightmare to walk on the cleat, 1 sided clip in is a pain and you have to use road shoes which i find can slip when i am trying to clip in.