Is it weird to put clipless MTB pedals on a road bike?

iPete
iPete Posts: 6,076
edited July 2014 in Road beginners
No, they work great.

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Thanks for clearing that up...
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    And that's my final answer. :oops:
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    This should be made sticky.
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    The pedal contact area is small so your feet can start aching on longer rides especially if you use cheap shoes. That's what I've been led to believe by pals who do century rides in SPDs but have splashed out on really rigid shoes.

    Maybe that's also true for other systems? Cheap shoes = achey feet.
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    craker wrote:
    The pedal contact area is small so your feet can start aching on longer rides especially if you use cheap shoes. That's what I've been led to believe by pals who do century rides in SPDs but have splashed out on really rigid shoes.

    Maybe that's also true for other systems? Cheap shoes = achey feet.

    Life in general, not just cycling.
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  • BrandonA
    BrandonA Posts: 553
    iPete wrote:
    And that's my final answer. :oops:

    Would you like to give us any constructive answer as to why this is the case?

    So far your thread has offers no value.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    Did 160 miles on SPDs the other week. Not particularly expensive or rigid soled shoes. No aches.

    Yeah, it's fine.
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  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    BrandonA wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    And that's my final answer. :oops:

    Would you like to give us any constructive answer as to why this is the case?

    So far your thread has offers no value.

    No. :wink:

    Incase you hadn't noticed my response was a reply, the original posts have been removed...
  • scottishdoug
    scottishdoug Posts: 14
    Its not weird. I have MTB SPDs on my road bike, purely because I had an MTB first and already had the shoes, didn't see the point buying another pair of shoes at £70-odd when a pair of £20 pedals would solve the issue.
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  • navrig2
    navrig2 Posts: 1,851
    I was first to post an answer the OP on this thread and now my answer, and the question, has disappeared.

    What is going on?

    Have the "funny" guys from The Bottom Bracket ventured out and started messing with the forum?
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    craker wrote:
    The pedal contact area is small so your feet can start aching on longer rides especially if you use cheap shoes. That's what I've been led to believe by pals who do century rides in SPDs but have splashed out on really rigid shoes.

    Maybe that's also true for other systems? Cheap shoes = achey feet.

    Only with cheap shoes. I've done century rides with M088 SPD shoes, every part of my body was aching, except my feet!
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    iPete wrote:
    BrandonA wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    And that's my final answer. :oops:

    Would you like to give us any constructive answer as to why this is the case?

    So far your thread has offers no value.

    No. :wink:

    Incase you hadn't noticed my response was a reply, the original posts have been removed...

    Spammers again? Well that's just not cricket!
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Did C2C in a day on Saturday with SPDs and £20 Aldi shoes. 153 miles over 13 hours inc stops. No bother at all. Can't say I gave the shoes a moments thought from putting them on to taking them off at the end of the day. Which is all you can really ask!
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  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,427
    And they prevent you walking around like a duck with a bad back.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • lm_trek
    lm_trek Posts: 1,470
    I run Candy's on my mtb's and my road bikes, just habit and they work well for what I need. Im no speed racer infact only average out 13.2mph so quite slow, but it nice just to use my speshi bg tahoo shoes and any bike I ride as they are comfortable, fit well and I can walk in them if needed.

    I did have a roadie make some comments the other week, why use those? but they work for me, and I can clip unclip easy enough as its habit.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Some SPD shoes are the same as road shoes but with a tread so you can walk in them and a different cleat.

    Unless the extra weight of the tread is going to cost you a position in a race why bother with "road" shoes?
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • drummer_boy
    drummer_boy Posts: 236
    Initialised wrote:
    Some SPD shoes are the same as road shoes but with a tread so you can walk in them and a different cleat.

    Unless the extra weight of the tread is going to cost you a position in a race why bother with "road" shoes?

    I have SPD cleats on MTB and road shoes. Having a CX bike and off roading on it, this makes a lot of sense. If I am on a ride where I might need to get off and walk, or carry, the bike then it's the MTB shoes, if I'm on a pure road ride, I find the stiffer soles on the road shoes make life a little easier (efficient pedaling?), and so use them.

    Same cleats on both pairs though.

    A good compromise is what the wife has. She bought touring shoes, which seem to be road shoes with treads, meaning that the cleats don't get damaged by walking, and you don't look like a duck!!
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Initialised wrote:
    Some SPD shoes are the same as road shoes but with a tread so you can walk in them and a different cleat.

    Unless the extra weight of the tread is going to cost you a position in a race why bother with "road" shoes?

    I believe road shoes allow a more efficient power transfer to the cranks? I suppose when you're putting out pro levels of power that matters. But for 99.9% of people on this forum it would make no difference if they are running SPD or SPD-SL.
  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    Initialised wrote:
    Some SPD shoes are the same as road shoes but with a tread so you can walk in them and a different cleat.

    Unless the extra weight of the tread is going to cost you a position in a race why bother with "road" shoes?

    I believe road shoes allow a more efficient power transfer to the cranks? I suppose when you're putting out pro levels of power that matters. But for 99.9% of people on this forum it would make no difference if they are running SPD or SPD-SL.

    :lol:

    Not this again!
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  • Dippydog2
    Dippydog2 Posts: 291
    I have touring shoes with completely stiff carbon soles. Same power transfer, but with the ability to walk as they have side rails under the sole and SPD cleats.

    They do not look as sleek as road shoes though.
  • noodleman
    noodleman Posts: 852
    i use crank brothers candy with sidi dragon carbon shoes. Never had any aches and ride fairly big miles and average 20+mph. Looked into getting speedplay pedals but for the extra cash involved in dumping an expensive pair of shoes for no real benefit seems pointless.
    People talk about having a bigger platform pedal but speedplays are no bigger than candys yet no one mentions those being small.
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  • cyberknight
    cyberknight Posts: 1,238
    I use a600 pedals with MTB cleats and i cant say i have had tingling feet or lack of power transfer, maybe lack of power but im out of shape :)
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  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    noodleman wrote:
    but speedplays are no bigger than candys yet no one mentions those being small.

    And yet if you read what Speedplay themselves have to say about the effective platform size, it sounds unthinkable that anyone should want to use another pedal system, and Look and SPD-SL still seem to be in production. You would think if this mattered that much, professionals would be less willing to use whatever their kit sponsor makes when switching between teams. Like the performance differences between 'road' and 'MTB' pedals, it's mostly marketing.
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