Roadie pedals. Tell me about your roadie pedals.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Long suffering readers will know that I use Merckx Podio pedals. Yeah, you've never heard of them. Nor has anyone else. They went out of production about ten years ago. I managed to corner the market in pedals, cleats and shoes. Then.

I've ridden them for over 20 years. I'm now within a couple of years of running out my stocks. And as I *hate* change, I thought I might want to try to ease myself into a new <shudder> pedal system. Slowly. Really slowly.

So, what I'm after is informed pluses and minuses of road pedal and cleat systems. I should confess that I've ridden some SPD-SL pedals a fair amount in Canada, and they're ok (subject to one disadvantage they have compared to the Podios, hinted at below). I've owned some Speedplay Zeroes, but sold them on before using them (I'm nothing if not adventurous).

To help focus the pros and cons offered up, it might help to know what I like and dislike about Podios:

Pluses:
Very low cleat stack (about 6mm)
Easy to walk on cleats
Cleat can be adjusted fore/aft and left/right on the shoe (a benefit on initial set up)
Can apply full downward pressure whilst unclipped without clipping back in. The cleat engages by sliding forward and clipping in either side, not by pressing down and clipping in front rear. This is *very* useful in heavy traffic.
Big platform
Impossible to pull out of by accident unless pedal spring has snapped or cleat busts

Minuses:
Boat anchors
Shoes are boat anchors
Shoes are pre carbon sole days (potentially flexy)
Cleats can bust


I don't know of a pedal system on the market at the moment that doesn't clip in downwards fore and aft (except maybe Keywin, but they're fire to the Podios frying pan). So my perceived best benefit of the Podios may get left behind. I'm interested in Speedplays, but I'd have three bolt hole shoes so would need the adaptor plate. How much stack does that create? And how badly do Speedplay cleats really wear?

So, what's good and (more importantly) bad about your pedals and cleats?

meanredspider

I like SPD-SLs - good platform, stable, never had an accidental unclip, ubiquitous

I had a pair of Look Keos (came with a bike) but the cleats were made of very poor quality cheese (lifetime in days). Very similar to the SPD-SLs except for cleat durability.

Not tried anything else except for SPDs which are fine for commuting but don't have the same lateral stability of SLs

UndercoverElephant

I go with Keos, I like them. As MRS says, the do come with cleats made of soft-cheese, but Exustar make compatible 'grip-cleats' that last much longer and seem to have no down-sides compared with the originals. Look pedals have excellent, free-spinning bearings. The three-hole soles are ubiquitous and allow fore-aft and side to side adjustment. As for pulling your foot out of the pedal, it's possible, but decent copies have adjustments to allow you to adjust it. I know that the track bikes at the Glasgow velodrome all come with Keos; If the track guys can't rip the cleat out, you can't.

rolf_f

It doesn't matter much what you get because you'll get used to whatever you buy! You'll just have a different set of pros and cons.

I like Look Blades - the snappy click in is like nothing else. But, as MRS says, the cleats are a bit soft so not really a commuting pedal. Click in is rather better than Shimano though so there's pros and cons. You can get cleats made by Eg Exustar (cheap to buy) - they may be harder plastic but I've no experience of them myself.

Wheelspinner

I've had Look Keo, Look CX7, old Shimano SPD SL, Time Magnesium something or others, Ritchey, and Speedplay.

The adaptor plate on Speedplay is pretty thin, maybe a couple mm at most that it adds to the stack. I've recently acquired (but not used) some 4-bolt DMT shoes to eliminate that, but since I can't ride at the moment I've not set them up.

The Zero cleats *do* wear, but not as badly as Look Keos, since the outer face plate is actually aluminium. That makes them vastly more rubbish for walking in however. The downside to them is you have to clean and maintain the cleats much more than other systems, not hard to do, just necessary. There is a nifty cleat cover you can leave permanently on them though for walking and life extension. http://www.keeponkovers.com/Product.html

I've not used current Shimano SL pedals as I don't generally do Shimano stuff on roadies, period, so can't comment. However, for general everyday round town I find the A600 road pedal they do a good choice. Standard MTB SPD cleat too, so shoes can be whatever you want.

tgotb

Speedplays - I wouldn't consider using anything else in the Summer. Only reason I switch in Winter is to keep my shoes compatible with the CX bike. Adaptor plate is (from memory, but I can measure them if you like) ~3 mm thick; I think the overall stack height still works out pretty low. Cleats do wear, but with quite a lot of walking and no cafe covers mine probably do ~2 years. Double sided makes them a doddle in traffic, and you can set up as much float as you want. You're very welcome to borrow a pair (with fairly well worn cleats) if you want to try them for a bit...

I don't think platform size is a big issue with any cleat, once you have modern shoes with carbon soles.

spasypaddy

speedplay is the only correct answer

cjcp

Used Look Keos about nine years ago, but switched to SPD-SLs in 2007, although not a conscious choice. Tempted to try out Speedplays before buying new pedals in the spring. No idea why, mind.

About as helpful as wet toilet paper, right?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Ok - commuting specific issues.

Riding at the weekend or in races means clipping in and out and handful of times. Riding in a city in traffic means in clipping every few hundred yards, and pushing off from the standing start as many times. And a bit of walking.

I've used the Look yellow based cleats with the SPD SLs. I find the cleat bases slippy, both for walking and for pushing off.

How are the Speedplay cleats for pushing off, and for general stability when walking (absent coffee shop covers), ESP on wet surfaces? If you twist your heel to pop out of them, how easy is it to pedal *without* accidentally popping back in (eg low speed manoeuvring around stationary traffic?

Ditto Look Keos.

I find myself (bizarrely) looking longingly at Keywins. There's obv something wrong with me.

In my defence, I'd say that pedals are the most "personal" part of any bike.

Wheelspinner

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

Ok - commuting specific issues.

Riding at the weekend or in races means clipping in and out and handful of times. Riding in a city in traffic means in clipping every few hundred yards, and pushing off from the standing start as many times. And a bit of walking.

I've used the Look yellow based cleats with the SPD SLs. I find the cleat bases slippy, both for walking and for pushing off.

How are the Speedplay cleats for pushing off, and for general stability when walking (absent coffee shop covers), ESP on wet surfaces? If you twist your heel to pop out of them, how easy is it to pedal *without* accidentally popping back in (eg low speed manoeuvring around stationary traffic?

Ditto Look Keos.

I find myself (bizarrely) looking longingly at Keywins. There's obv something wrong with me.

In my defence, I'd say that pedals are the most "personal" part of any bike.

Speedplays are rubbish for the push off and walking bits. If you aren't using covers, forget it, they are hopeless. Much as I like mine, I wouldn't use them commuting for that reason.

You have more than enough bikes to have one with decent commute pedals and the others with proper ride/race ones. Or, N+1…

First.Aspect

Not sure speedplays are for you Greg. Very easy to clip in/out, but next to impossible to pedal clipped out and walking does require covers. Great pedal system and I have commuted for years with them, but there are compromises.

Have you considered any of the egg beaters with platforms? The cleats are mtb style, but small so will be relatively easy to walk with. Or alternatively go full mtb for the commutee and get some v. stiff soled shoes. You'll then have to suffer adaping to a still further system for weekends, which will be tough for an old chap.

Closest to what you have at the moment are are clips/straps.

rolf_f

TGOTB wrote:

I don't think platform size is a big issue with any cleat, once you have modern shoes with carbon soles.

You make a great case for the humble Shimano M520 SPD!

Which is what I'd buy if I was Greg.....

daviesee

cyd190468 wrote:

I run spds on all my bikes cause even though the other guys point and laugh at my mtb pedals at least if I know there is a coffee stop I can wear xc shoes and walk like a normal human. A-520s even look like road pedals.

+1
The guys I ride with hadnt even noticed after years until I pointed it out.
If you are not racing and will be walking then it is the sensible option.

asprilla

First Aspect wrote:

Have you considered any of the egg beaters with platforms? The cleats are mtb style, but small so will be relatively easy to walk with. Or alternatively go full mtb for the commutee and get some v. stiff soled shoes. You'll then have to suffer adaping to a still further system for weekends, which will be tough for an old chap

In winter I use Crank Bros Candy pedals for commuting. Quadruple sided for easy clip in and out, platform means that they are easy to pedal without clipping in and when used in MTB / CX shoes they are just like walking in normal shoes (ish).

Only downside I've had is that I once caught the underside of a pedal on a kerb and it took the binding mechanism straight off. I could still clip in, but only on one side.

In summer I use Keos. The grippy cleats don't last long when commuting, I get about three months out of a pair, but cleats aren't expensive.

The Rookie

+1 for mtb style SPD's, recessed into the sole, bomb proof, can pedal with flat shoes if you must, great for commuting for those reasons.

Very low cleat stack (about 6mm) - negative stack height in the right shoes
Easy to walk on cleats - not even on the cleats!
Cleat can be adjusted fore/aft and left/right on the shoe (a benefit on initial set up) - Check
Can apply full downward pressure whilst unclipped without clipping back in. The cleat engages by sliding forward and clipping in either side, not by pressing down and clipping in front rear. This is *very* useful in heavy traffic. - No will clip in, but clipping out is so easy it's really not an issue (they are designed for MTB use!)
Big platform - Can get platform supported or trail style if you want.
Impossible to pull out of by accident unless pedal spring has snapped or cleat busts - Check

bigmat

Your current problems seem to stem from the Podios being a proprietary product, leaving you high and dry when that one producer stops producing. To avoid that, you need to go SPD or Look Keo. I have SPDs on my mountain bikes and Keos on road bikes. Almost by accident I have ended up commuting mainly on Keos. SPDs make much more sense, but, you know, its just one of those things with roadies - practicality tends to go out of the window. And now I am used to Keos they are fine. Once you get the nag of clipping in quickly they are great. You can pedal softly without clipping in (and can ride short distances in normal shoes fairly easily - probably easier than with standard SPDs). Cleats do wear more quickly than SPDs, but if you carry a pair of cafe covers in your back pocket then that extends their life massively (on the other hand, a 5 minute walk in them without covers can pretty much destroy them).

mpdouglas

Shimano XTR MTB pedals for me with Specialized "Touring" shoes for commuting. They look like a road shoe, don't have the clumpiness/weight of an MTB shoe and are excellent for walking in. I have to tackle a flight of stairs in the building to get down to the bike store in the basement whilst carrying the bike so there is no way I'm doing that in SPD-SLs. The double sidedness of MTB pedals does seem to see me clipping in consistently faster than all the roadies on the central London commute and I can keep pedalling on the odd occasion that I don't successfully clip in first time. DuraAce SPD-SLs for club runs/sportives.

I just wish a few more shoe manufacturers would bring out these "touring" shoes as the handful of ones that do exist are very worthy/dull. They seem obsessed that a shoe is either road or MTB despite the "touring" models actually being a great option for most commuters.

Shoe:

Sole:

greg66_tri_v2.0

I am genuinely grateful to everyone who has pitched in.

However, I feel I need to get something out in the open

STOP IT WITH THE SPDS AND MOUNTAIN BIKE SHOES, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! I'M GETTING A NOSEBLEED EVERY TIME SOMEONE SUGGESTS THEM!

As the highly perceptive BigMat wrote:

I have ended up commuting mainly on Keos. SPDs make much more sense, but, you know, its just one of those things with roadies - practicality tends to go out of the window.

And that is the truth. I'm not putting SPDs on any of Bike 1, 2 or 3. Nor am I wearing MTB shoes. Practicality be damned. One has to drawn the line somewhere.

The other thing is that the new pedal system will be introduced slowly, but like a virus will eventually be common to all three bikes. I like consistency in my equipment. It's a thing. It just is.

And breathe.

So, it's looking like there is consensus pointing towards Keos plus Exustar cleats or Speedplays plus Keep On Kovers (thank you to Wheelspinner for that link), with both having different issues in this specific application. I sense that the Speedplays with the Kovers (how long before I get fcuked off with that "K"? Not long at all) may offer a solution to most of the problems that Speedplays without Kovers (ugh!) have.

However, any advance on First Aspect's view that Speedplays are virtually impossible to pedal with when unclipped, without clipping back in? This seems to be a big plus that Keos have, per BigMat.

No Keywin users then? See, now, that's just making me want them more. Perhaps someone should make some stuff up about Keywins.

tgotb

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

However, any advance on First Aspect's view that Speedplays are virtually impossible to pedal with when unclipped, without clipping back in? This seems to be a big plus that Keos have, per BigMat.

I think I'd agree with First Aspect on this; light pedalling might be OK, but at some point they're going to clip back in or your feet are going to slip off the pedals (though the Kovers might change this). I actually don't have a problem with this, I prefer to be clipped in all the time, and rarely unclip before my wheels have stopped turning, unless it's to put a foot down while filtering. Are you one of those guys who unclips 100 yards before every set of traffic lights, just in case?

Double-sided does make them great for commuting though; you can just stamp on them as you move away from the lights, like starting a CX race, which is always going to be quicker than a Look/SPD-SL clip-in.

t4tomo

daviesee wrote:

cyd190468 wrote:

I run spds on all my bikes cause even though the other guys point and laugh at my mtb pedals at least if I know there is a coffee stop I can wear xc shoes and walk like a normal human. A-520s even look like road pedals.

+1
The guys I ride with hadnt even noticed after years until I pointed it out.
If you are not racing and will be walking then it is the sensible option.

Another vote for A520 SPDs if your into leisure cycling/ commuting/ sportives etc, plus choice of touring shoes appears to be getting better slowly.

Go bleed your nose Greg.

rolf_f

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

So, it's looking like there is consensus pointing towards Keos plus Exustar cleats or Speedplays plus Keep On Kovers (thank you to Wheelspinner for that link), with both having different issues in this specific application. I sense that the Speedplays with the Kovers (how long before I get fcuked off with that "K"? Not long at all) may offer a solution to most of the problems that Speedplays without Kovers (ugh!) have.

No, "there is a consensus pointing to various options of SPD unless you are mentally unhinged and absolutely must have 'road' pedals......"

Besides, SPDs are basically functionally the same as Speedplays only for 0.1% of the price (poss exaggeration there....) and with sensible cleats so just forget the marketing BS that states that the SPD isn't a road pedal. We all know that the only reason that distinction is made is so that people buy road pedals as well as SPDs.

daviesee

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

STOP IT WITH THE SPDS AND MOUNTAIN BIKE SHOES, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! I'M GETTING A NOSEBLEED EVERY TIME SOMEONE SUGGESTS THEM!

You are asking in the wrong Forum.
Try the Roadie section.

bigmat

The major downside I have found with SPDs is that when you are really, really putting the power down, there is a risk of your foot flying out. Never had it happen with road pedals. You could probably just tighten the resistance setting, but then I'd be worried about ripping the cleat from my shoe every time I unclipped. Road pedals do give you a more stable platform in my experience.

veronese68

BigMat wrote:

The major downside I have found with SPDs is that when you are really, really putting the power down, there is a risk of your foot flying out. Never had it happen with road pedals. You could probably just tighten the resistance setting, but then I'd be worried about ripping the cleat from my shoe every time I unclipped. Road pedals do give you a more stable platform in my experience.

That'd be why I don't have a problem with them.

greg66_tri_v2.0

daviesee wrote:

Try the Roadie section.

Will see whether the views are different there.

UndercoverElephant

So, what is it about the stack height that actually makes a difference? I hear it mentioned loads on various marketing blurb things, usually on Speedplays, but what difference does it actually make?

team47b

OMG Merckx Podio pedals :shock:

They have to be the fugliest things I have ever seen

Surely anything would be better, you could strap two gregg's pies to your feet and see an immediate improvement!

Get over it, move on, let it go, the past is the past, we have better things in this century.

You are only riding a bike to work get some spd's FFS :roll:

greg66_tri_v2.0

Ahem.

They have a functional appearance.

daviesee

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

Ahem.

They have a functional appearance.

That only works if they are functioning.

greg66_tri_v2.0

daviesee wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

Ahem.

They have a functional appearance.

That only works if they are functioning.

The problem is supply, not functionality. If I could get those Belgians back to work in the factory, I would.

daviesee

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

The problem is supply, not functionality. If I could get those Belgians back to work in the factory, I would.

But if they are functioning, you dont need supply?