Single or double sided SPD pedals ?

upperoilcan

I have just bought a new road bike (My first) been mountain biking since time began,I pick up my new bike Saturday from the shop and i opted for Double sided SPD pedals as that's what im used to however looking at a lot of the bike pics posted on this forum it appears that single sided pedals see to be the order of the day so im wondering have i chosen the right pedal for the bike ?

My question...Is the single sided pedal a more fitting pedal to the bike as i do not want to put a more MTB orientated pedal my new steed...

I have been using SPD' for a couple of years so i have no probs in clipping in or out..

d87heaven

I would stick with mtb shoes and double sided pedals. Clipping in easier and you can walk in mtb shoes with cleats. Personal pref though.

John.T

If you have no problems with double sided then stick with them. They are easier to get in to.

alex16zx

I think you're right to mention that single-sided pedals look more at home on a road bike, but most of the time people will see it with your feet clipped in so that will be less obvious anyway.

I have only used double-sided myself, but the feedback from most people who use single-sided is that they're not really any harder to clip into once you get used to them.

There's no point buying a new set of pedals though if you're happy with your current set-up!

ShutUpLegs

Get some proper road pedals if you are confident clipping in and out. The difference is significant.

d87heaven

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Get some proper road pedals if you are confident clipping in and out. The difference is significant.

In what ways?

UpTheWall

Good question.

Although it's been years since I used shimano double sided pedals on a mountain bike, I don't recall noticing a difference when I switched to the dark side and started using one sided look deltas?

I suppose if there's more shoe surface area on the pedal there may be a tiny efficieny gain... but only noticeable if you're a pro time trialer surely?

Most riders like to stick with the same pedals across bikes so they only need one pair of shoes...

paulbox

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Get some proper road pedals if you are confident clipping in and out. The difference is significant.

Sorry for chipping in on this, as another MTB rider who is starting road riding, what are the benefits over SPD's?

Thanks!

John.T

My SPD-SLs feel more positive when clipped in and are easy to get in and out once you get the knack. I still use M520 double sided SPD for winter mainly for ease of walking. Wet cafe floors can be slippery. I did my first ride of the winter on them Sunday, 75 miles with no discomfort but they just do not seem as secure.

upperoilcan

Thanks for the input,i raised the question as i do not want the bike to look at of place,so it really comes down to personal preference ?

As coming from MTB to a road bike weight saving really isnt an issue and to be fair 1 sided or 2 makes no difference to me what so ever from a clipping in point of view..

Thanks.

UpTheWall

Hmm, the 'not feeling so secure' issue could just be to do with the tighness of the pedal or cleat wear...

I'm curious to hear what ShutUpLegs has to say...

John.T

UpTheWall wrote:

Hmm, the 'not feeling so secure' issue could just be to do with the tighness of the pedal or cleat wear...

I'm curious to hear what ShutUpLegs has to say...

No it is due to the narrower and shorter connection between the foot and pedal, wear just makes it worse. It is not a problem, just a difference.

supertwisted

Well I've just gone back to back from SPD-SL to normal SPD on my new roadbike.

Now admittedly this was the first time I'd ever tried any form of clipless peddle so I'm perhaps not that well informed to make this reply.

But, other than my original reason for changing (can't walk with SPD-SL cleats so switched to SPDs) I could discern no difference between the two on the bike.

tigerben

I would only recommend double sided pedals if you were new to SPD's and needed the comfort blanket of a regular pedal.

If you have not picked up the bike yet I would see if you could swap to single sided SPD as they look more appropriate for a road bike (and will be lighter). I have the entry level Shimano pedal and the surface area of the pedal is sufficiently large for me to cycle short distances with regular shoes when required (eg poppiing to the shops) or when cycling in traffic when I cannot be bothered to clip in/out every 20 seconds.

I think single sided are easier to clip into as I believe the weighting of pedal will cause it to naturally sit the right way up - making it easier to clip in.

If you went for a SPD-SL pedal you would need new shoes.

kingrollo

I use single SPD platform pedals on my commutting bike and on my MTB. I like the fact that I don't have to click in - first time at traffic lights etc.

On my best road bike I have SPD/SL - these make you feel much more part of the bike and feels like better power transfer. Whether it actually translates into more speed..dunno ! - but worth giving a try as you can get them new on ebay for £25

jgsi

tigerben wrote:

I think single sided are easier to clip into as I believe the weighting of pedal will cause it to naturally sit the right way up - making it easier to clip in.
.

well the pedals have a constant neutral position, which when you learn how they sit, it takes a simple shoe movement to engage... oh get it wrong of course and the shoe can go thru and off causing not such a graceful start.

UpTheWall

... the force then movign you forward onto your nads...

John.T

With single sided you do have to pick up the toe of the pedal. With double I just seem to hit the pedal and am clicked in. Just what you are used to I suppose.
I don't bother clipping in ever 20 seconds. I am in before the pedal reaches the top of the first rev. It is now instinctive.

Buckled_Rims

Single sided SPD usually means you'll have to "look" at your clipping in feet to see the clip sides, which is a pain in traffic.

Double sided just clips in so long as the tension is the same each side. Nice and my favourite.

Proper road pedals have a better power transfer, more comfort over 50 miles and is somewhat more (sniggers) aerodynamic. The cleats however can be a nightmare to walking in and clip in and out.

My own view, if it's less then 50 miles, SPD, greater then 50 miles SPD-SL. On the turbo SPD-SL. Lots of traffic=SPD. Cheapness and toughness = SPD.

John.T

I think 'better power transfer' is a bit of an illusion. Probably down to the better stability I refered to earlier. You are after all just pushing down on a pedal. There is no power loss there.

unixnerd

I use single sided on my road bike (A520s), double sided on my mtb and tourer. The single sided are a bit lighter but are more hassle to clip into as you need to rotate the pedal to the right angle first. But I'm not clipping out much on the road bike so it's no hassle.

One thing to be aware of for those riding at night is the issue of reflectors on pedals. Double sided spds generally come with a black plastic insert which holds a pair of amber reflectors. This is comply with UK law which state that pedals must have reflectors, frankly it's not that bad an idea as the motion of the illuminated reflectors shows that what you're approaching is a bike, not a motorbike or a scooter, so it's moving more slowly.

If you were in an accident after dark and didn't have reflectors technically your bike would be illegal and it may affect a claim.

Buckled_Rims

John.T wrote:

I think 'better power transfer' is a bit of an illusion. Probably down to the better stability I refered to earlier. You are after all just pushing down on a pedal. There is no power loss there.

There's definitely better stability on the road pedals to transfer the power down onto the pedals. It's hard to explain, but I think it's the large triangular cleats (ie the stability part), the float (which is far better then my SPDs) and the proper road shoe. I just "feel" more going down, but as you suggest it might be just the psychological aspect.

An interesting thing though is that I sometimes do 1 legged pedaling on the turbo and the SPD-SL wins hands...er, feet down, on that technique.

ride_whenever

The stability is somewhat irrelevant if you're using high end mtb shoes.

I can only afford one pair of decent shoes so I have mtb sidis and I get better power transfer than with softer soled road shoes and pedals.

John.T

ride_whenever wrote:

The stability is somewhat irrelevant if you're using high end mtb shoes.

I can only afford one pair of decent shoes so I have mtb sidis and I get better power transfer than with softer soled road shoes and pedals.

Soft shoes will always feel worse and also lead to 'hot spots'.
As for the stability I use Spec BG Expert MTB with SPD and Spec BG Elite with SPD-SL. The SL definately gives a more stable platform due to the bigger cleat and wider spaced pedal connection. The Expert have a carbon sole so no give in them. The Elite are nearly as stiff.
As the SPD cleat is around half the size of the SL one I would not expect it to hold the pedal as tightly. If it did it would be a sod to clip in and out as it would have to fit so much closer.

ShutUpLegs

John.T wrote:

I think 'better power transfer' is a bit of an illusion. Probably down to the better stability I refered to earlier. You are after all just pushing down on a pedal. There is no power loss there.

What about when you 'pull up' on the pedals?

John.T

What about when you 'pull up' on the pedals?

The only time I (and most others I suspect) pull up on the pedals is when out of the saddle. Again I think the SL are more positive feeling than SPD. Never had SPD pull out but they just seem to move more. The power transfer is the same anyway as they are both a solid connection. I just trust the SL to stay put more.

geebee2

I decided to stick with 2 sided - it's just less hassle when starting from lights etc.

I got PDM980 on my new bike ( about £90 online ) for slightly less weight ( quoted 305g, actual 310g), but there is nothing wrong with M520 ( about £20, quoted 415g ).

Speedplay zeros are double-sided and top of the range, but not very walkable.
I might get some of these later for racing - but a fair bit of cost involved.

Bar Shaker

Yep, its all down to the shoes, or more importantly, the quality and stiffness of the sole of the shoe.

If the sole is stiff, its quite irrelevant how it is connected, provided it is connected enough to to also pull up. An SPD will do this fine.

If you have a very strange knee and hip movement that means you don't pedal very efficiently, the smaller float of SL type pedals may help.