Pedal question

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.

Comments

  • 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
    darrell1967 Posts: 477
    edited October 2022

    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
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    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.
  • 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
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,601
    Yes, bolt positioning on the shoes is no different, so shoes are the same.
  • 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?
  • 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
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,601
    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
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    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.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    Even Decathlon does Look-compatible cleats...
  • 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
    daniel_b Posts: 12,032
    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 :D

    As you have apparently sold them though, does that mean you will be going for Shimano?!
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • 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 :D

    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
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    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 :D

    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....
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 12,032
    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 :D

    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.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited October 2022
    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
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • 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
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited October 2022
    thry are going for between 130 and 175 europes on the 'net - where did you get your $285 price?
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • 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
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited October 2022
    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.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.