Spd's for a roadie beginner!

dot1

hi guys, ive just bought a new road bike (20 mins ago) and want to get some cheap clipless pedals and shoes to go with it. im quite an experienced mtb'er but ive never used spd's before. am i right in thinking that mtb and road spd's are different? would i be best off buying mtb or road ones? i dont really want to spend more than 40 notes as the bike is just going to be for training purposes or for some nice road rides in the summer. i wont be covering any epic distances, so im not too fussed about comfort with the shoes either. ideally id like a pedal that is easy to get in and out of as possible.

so any recommendations for pedals and shoes?!

cheers!

hosta1

I have been using platform pedals with spd's on my road bike. It works ok, but does look a bit naff. I think mtb shoes look nicer than roadie shoes, but I haven't checked out the full range of foot apparel, maybe?

Monty Dog

Basic SPDs - Shimano M520s on ebay for £15 are a great option.

FSR_XC

M520's from ebay are probably the cheapest way of getting the pedals. This is cost around £17.
Alternatively look at Merlin Cycles (£15 for pedals if bought with shoes) or Ribble (10% off orders over £50)

Unless you can find a pair in Lidl etc, you'll probably be looking at £40+ on shoes.

Mister W

I used SPDs on my road bike for a long time and even raced with them with no problems. They're much more user friendly than Shimano road pedals (SPD-SL) as you can buy shoes with recessed cleats, which means you can walk around in them.

maddog 2

+1 for the M520s

Look for bargains on Spesh, Shimano MTB shoes, or s/hand on ebay if you know you size. I picked up some carbon Spesh shoes for £35 the other day.

alfablue

Agree, Shimano M520's, for shoes, DHB mtb shoes at Wiggle for £28. They don't look like road shoes but they are cheap, apparently good, and you can walk in them.

dot1

awesome, looks like ill be getting the 520's then! i had seen them before when i was debating whether to go spd on my mtb but decided against it. at least this was i can put them on my mtb aswell if i want! im gunna have a look on crc and wiggle for some cheapish shoes and go up to evans in london and try some on. i dont really want to buy any shoes without trying them first!

andrewjoseph

dot1 wrote:

.. so im not too fussed about comfort with the shoes either.

this is the most important issue! if they are not comfortable, then it's a waste of money no matter how cheap. Always put comfort first.

I like eggbeater pedals, the float suits my knees. i have eggbeaters on my road bike and mallets on my mtb.

i think you will struggle getting shoes and pedals for less than £100 for both.

Most decent mtb spd pedals are around £30 and cheap shoes are same again, depending on what you want.

I use mtb shoes on my road bike as i need the grip on the sole.

alfablue

andrewjoseph wrote:

dot1 wrote:

.. so im not too fussed about comfort with the shoes either.

this is the most important issue! if they are not comfortable, then it's a waste of money no matter how cheap. Always put comfort first.

I like eggbeater pedals, the float suits my knees. i have eggbeaters on my road bike and mallets on my mtb.

i think you will struggle getting shoes and pedals for less than £100 for both.

Most decent mtb spd pedals are around £30 and cheap shoes are same again, depending on what you want.

I use mtb shoes on my road bike as i need the grip on the sole.

I agree that comfort is very important. On the pedals however, the Shimano M520's are incredible value at £15-£18, they work really well and last for years, just a few grammes heavier than much more expensive ones.

andrewjoseph

alfablue wrote:

...

I agree that comfort is very important. On the pedals however, the Shimano M520's are incredible value at £15-£18, they work really well and last for years, just a few grammes heavier than much more expensive ones.

I've not had to look for pedals for a few years, £15 for shimano spd's looks like very good value.

james0889

I have used both the Shimano SPD-SLs and the SPDs and the latter are definitely easier to get in and out of. I am currently running them on my road bike for that reason and also as I am normally a MTBer so am used to the system.

Definitely agree that the M520s are brilliant value for money!

passout

As above.

One type of cleat means less shoes - that can make a big difference to cost. Many MTB shoes are stiff enough to use as road shoes I think. They are also much better to walk in.

That said I've got proper road pedals on my Ribble and find that fine too. They are just a bit harder to get into I find.