Road Shoes/Pedals.

4AssedMonkey

Hi Gang,

I recently got a new road bike having been a keen cyclist (mainly MTB) most of my life, and then having had a lay off due to starting a family for the last 5 years or so. I've stuck some MTB SPD's on the bike and I'm using my old Specialized XC shoes. Whilst I'm comfortable with this set up and it's what I'm most used to, I have been wondering about proper road shoes and clipless pedals. What I'm not sure about are the advantages. Shop staff locally tell me that that added stiffness/reduced float/more secure connection will make it noticeably more efficient and hence less tiring on long rides. But they are obviously looking at making a £100+ sale so I'm a bit skeptical.

Any "impartial" advice for me?

Thanks.

hipshot

You are right to be skeptical. They are technically stiffer/lighter but unless you are racing or spds aren't working for you it won't make an awful lot of difference.

I'd suggest go with what you are comfortable with until they wear out and then swap to road shoes if you still want to.

simon_masterson

Stiffer soles will provide better foot support; it's as simple as that. That depends more on the specific shoe you buy than on the sort of cycling it was intended for. You get what you pay for, and MTB racers like stiff soles too, after all.

As for the float, I don't understand what they're referring to - most road systems offer greater float than SPD; you don't have to buy the cleats that allow it, but many do. It would appear that the amount of float that they offer sells a lot of Speedplay pedals, too.

Greater efficiency? Nonsense. It is true that the SPD design by nature is a compromise, as the cleat is necessarily smaller to allow it to recess, and therefore a bigger cleat - as on a road shoe - may be more comfortable to some riders, but SPD shoes and pedals are perfectly fit for purpose in road cycling. Again, it more depends on what shoes and pedals you have; if you want a stiffer sole or a better fit, or a bigger pedal platform, you can have them. Don't listen to anyone who tries to push the 'greater power transfer' crap, either; that's just marketing.

I'm happy to be derided as a scratched record, but I always refer to him when this comes up for a reason; Graeme Obree uses SPDs, even on the 'Beastie' bike he intends to do the land speed record on. I'm sure he would be so much faster with SPD-SLs instead.

The bottom line is that if you have a pair of shoes and pedals you're comfortable using, use them. I use SPDs on my main bike at the moment; they're practical.

wellbeloved747

95% of road pedals have a larger surface are which means more energy is transferred from the shoe to the pedal.

simon_masterson

wellbeloved747 wrote:

95% of road pedals have a larger surface are which means more energy is transferred from the shoe to the pedal.

Got any statistics to prove that?

4AssedMonkey

Cheers for the replies. I reckon I'll stick with what I have for now. Maybe keep saving and some lighter wheels instead!

simon_masterson

Good plan!

chrisaonabike

wellbeloved747 wrote:

95% of road pedals have a larger surface are which means more energy is transferred from the shoe to the pedal.

Ah yes, so with small pedals, where does the energy go that isn't transferred from the shoe to the pedal?

navrig

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

wellbeloved747 wrote:

95% of road pedals have a larger surface are which means more energy is transferred from the shoe to the pedal.

Ah yes, so with small pedals, where does the energy go that isn't transferred from the shoe to the pedal?

If you have an aluminum frame then the energy is transferred into the frame and "lost" as heat. If you have a CF frame the energy can cause it to melt so be careful.

iPete

To the OP stick with what you are happy with. I've recently gone to SL but only because I wanted the stiffest shoes for racing. For any other use SPD every time. I could easily be persuaded back with the right SPD shoe but my feet are very picky

wellbeloved747 wrote:

95% of road pedals have a larger surface are which means more energy is transferred from the shoe to the pedal.

Srs?