Pedal question

darrell1967

I’ve bought a couple of road bikes recently and they’ve come with SPD-SL pedals so my plan was to simply chuck them on eBay.

1 pair are Look Keo 2 Max Carbon and the others are Shimano 105 PD-R7000. I’ve checked the new prices out and they’re both quite expensive so my question is…. are they worth using? I’ve never ridden with SPS-SL before and I accept I’ll need some new shoes.

Tell me the advantages.

molteni_man

I ride with the Shimano pedalsand have always done so.
For me the advantages have been and in no particular order;
* Have been ultra reliable and pedals are very long lasting
* Cleats last well and are cheap to replace. I use the blue 2 degree cleats.
* Have never suffered any knee issues
* Can be adjusted easily for clipping in and out of
* Provide a decent solid platform for riding which does make a difference… especially good when you are out of the saddle climbing.

I recently fitted a set of spd pedals with the 2 bolt system on my gravel bike and these definitely suit this type of riding. For the road SPD SL’s work best for me.

Hope helps. But if you decide to sell you should get a fair price for them!

darrell1967

molteni_man said:

I ride with the Shimano pedalsand have always done so.
For me the advantages have been and in no particular order;
* Have been ultra reliable and pedals are very long lasting
* Cleats last well and are cheap to replace. I use the blue 2 degree cleats.
* Have never suffered any knee issues
* Can be adjusted easily for clipping in and out of
* Provide a decent solid platform for riding which does make a difference… especially good when you are out of the saddle climbing.

I recently fitted a set of spd pedals with the 2 bolt system on my gravel bike and these definitely suit this type of riding. For the road SPD SL’s work best for me.

Hope helps. But if you decide to sell you should get a fair price for them!

Thanks for the reply.

I’ve been wanting to try SPD-SL out for a while but now I’ve got some ‘free’ pedals I might go for it.

I’m all honesty when I got my first bike (Specialized Allez Elite) in 2017 I didn’t really know what to get. I simply liked the style of the SPD.

drhaggis

Note you might not need a new pair of shoes. Several low to mid-tier road shoes have both the 2-bolt SPD system and the 3-bolt SPD-SL and Look Keo arrangement. Yours might just work.

darrell1967

drhaggis said:

Note you might not need a new pair of shoes. Several low to mid-tier road shoes have both the 2-bolt SPD system and the 3-bolt SPD-SL and Look Keo arrangement. Yours might just work.

Are cleats for Keo pedals different to the Shimano versions?

Dorset_Boy

Yes
Look: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-grip-road-bike-pedal-cleats?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360333938&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=base&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCNAPQepeTkb-ev-8pRFHA3SolBFXBhwYYX3JPUgMgZkTaKHjY35qyRoCwSkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Shimano: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-spd-sl-road-bike-pedal-cleats?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360059435&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkt6aBhDKARIsAAyeLJ32KCJ8k05nq9TWxsWdIundMJyfwISroQQ6IbeC9IkV5EPLmK2L5RoaAmsCEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

They are not compatible with each other.

darrell1967

Dorset_Boy said:

Yes
Look: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-grip-road-bike-pedal-cleats?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360333938&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=base&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCNAPQepeTkb-ev-8pRFHA3SolBFXBhwYYX3JPUgMgZkTaKHjY35qyRoCwSkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Shimano: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-spd-sl-road-bike-pedal-cleats?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360059435&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkt6aBhDKARIsAAyeLJ32KCJ8k05nq9TWxsWdIundMJyfwISroQQ6IbeC9IkV5EPLmK2L5RoaAmsCEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

They are not compatible with each other.

But the shoes will be the same? 3 bolt?

Dorset_Boy

Yes, bolt positioning on the shoes is no different, so shoes are the same.

darrell1967

Dorset_Boy said:

Yes, bolt positioning on the shoes is no different, so shoes are the same.

Ok so I’ve got both sets of pedals. Which are best. Which are easiest to in and out of?

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Have you got cleats for both sets? If so, why not try them both out for a few rides and see how you get on.

I have used Look Keo's previously, and have Shimano ultegra on a current bike. It really comes down to preference. Both are very easy to clip in and out of. Personally, I found Look seemed to have a deeper recess for the cleat and keep my feet locked in a bit more. I prefer a little bit of float/movement so I prefer the Shimano, but that's just my preference.

Dorset_Boy

I've only ever used Shimano.
Look have been popular in part because they were compatible with pedal based power meters whereas the Shimano design is propriatory (still under patent) and weren't, but this has now changed with the Favero Assimo and latest Garmin pedal solutions.

MattFalle

darrell1967 said:

Dorset_Boy said:

Yes, bolt positioning on the shoes is no different, so shoes are the same.

Ok so I’ve got both sets of pedals. Which are best. Which are easiest to in and out of?

i've used both and never noticed any difference tbh.

i use Look on everything apart from the turbo bike and will continue to do so because I now have more of them but tbh if Rishi popped in a new dictat saying Shimano only I wouldn'tlose sleep.

As an aside, more brands - Exustar, etc - use Look compatible cleats so if you want cheap pedals for winter, commuter, turbo, etc, without having to change cleats, shoes, etc, Look is the way to go.

drhaggis

Even Decathlon does Look-compatible cleats...

darrell1967

I decided to go with the Look KEO.

Sadly I forgot to remove them from eBay and they sold earlier for £27.50! 🤯🤯

daniel_b

I have used both, and have naturally migrated wholly to Look - I did have Shimano on the turbo bike for a while, and can't say I notice any difference really.

You can get different amount of float cleats as well.

I have Vector 2 pedals which are Keo pedals essentially, and also if I happen to go to the Velodrome, they always seem to use Keo cleats, so it's nice to be able to simply use your normal shoes.
Also for top end bikes, they make some really nice blingy, carbon/titanium/megalightstuff pedals

As you have apparently sold them though, does that mean you will be going for Shimano?!

darrell1967

daniel_b said:

I have used both, and have naturally migrated wholly to Look - I did have Shimano on the turbo bike for a while, and can't say I notice any difference really.

You can get different amount of float cleats as well.

I have Vector 2 pedals which are Keo pedals essentially, and also if I happen to go to the Velodrome, they always seem to use Keo cleats, so it's nice to be able to simply use your normal shoes.
Also for top end bikes, they make some really nice blingy, carbon/titanium/megalightstuff pedals

As you have apparently sold them though, does that mean you will be going for Shimano?!

Yep. Shimano SPD SL on my good road bike and Shimano SPD on my commuter and ‘slumming it’ bikes.

MattFalle

daniel_b said:

I have used both, and have naturally migrated wholly to Look - I did have Shimano on the turbo bike for a while, and can't say I notice any difference really.

You can get different amount of float cleats as well.

I have Vector 2 pedals which are Keo pedals essentially, and also if I happen to go to the Velodrome, they always seem to use Keo cleats, so it's nice to be able to simply use your normal shoes.
Also for top end bikes, they make some really nice blingy, carbon/titanium/megalightstuff pedals

As you have apparently sold them though, does that mean you will be going for Shimano?!

the Exustar carbon/ti ones are lighter, cheaper and take Keo cleats if you're looking for bling.

Firmer (tighter?) clip in on Exustar as well (I have a pair of their lower end ones)

that said, i've got Look carbon/ti and they have been fautless for the past decade or so....

daniel_b

MattFalle said:

daniel_b said:

I have used both, and have naturally migrated wholly to Look - I did have Shimano on the turbo bike for a while, and can't say I notice any difference really.

You can get different amount of float cleats as well.

I have Vector 2 pedals which are Keo pedals essentially, and also if I happen to go to the Velodrome, they always seem to use Keo cleats, so it's nice to be able to simply use your normal shoes.
Also for top end bikes, they make some really nice blingy, carbon/titanium/megalightstuff pedals

As you have apparently sold them though, does that mean you will be going for Shimano?!

the Exustar carbon/ti ones are lighter, cheaper and take Keo cleats if you're looking for bling.

Firmer (tighter?) clip in on Exustar as well (I have a pair of their lower end ones)

that said, i've got Look carbon/ti and they have been fautless for the past decade or so....

Interesting - I'm 99% sure I have a pair of dirt cheap exustar pedals which are now on my turbo bike, they appeared on the bargains thread many moons ago, and were the princely sum of £9.99.

These are the pedals I have stashed away for my Addict RC project:
https://sigmasports.com/item/LOOK/Keo-Blade-Carbon-Ceramic-Ti-Road-Cycling-Pedals/OLBG?s=1

But bought from PBK for a bit less that that.

Will deffo look up the blingy exustars though.

MattFalle

v v old review here but tbh I can't see lot changing.....

https://www.velonews.com/gear/road-gear/wrenched-ridden-bike-reviews-exustar-e-pr200ckti-road-pedals/

they're still called the same name snd available at Bike24 etc

darrell1967

MattFalle said:

v v old review here but tbh I can't see lot changing.....

https://www.velonews.com/gear/road-gear/wrenched-ridden-bike-reviews-exustar-e-pr200ckti-road-pedals/

they're still called the same name snd available at Bike24 etc

Interesting read but the second paragraph says they’re inexpensive and then further on they’re priced at $210.
That price in todays money is approx $285 or £245.
Hardly inexpensive or am I missing something? 🤷🏻‍♂️

MattFalle

thry are going for between 130 and 175 europes on the 'net - where did you get your $285 price?

darrell1967

MattFalle said:

thry are going for between 130 and 175 europes on the 'net - where did you get your $285 price?

They were $210 in the article which was from 2010. Adjusted for inflation thats $285 in todays money.

MattFalle

but we aren't adjusting for inflation, we're doing a 10 second google search for a pair of bicycle pedals.

its bicycle parts with utterly random pricing, not logical inflation stuff.

130 - 175 europes on the 'net.