Going SPD route, need help.

The cleat is the part that you attach to bottom of your shoe and once wearing the shoe the cleat then engages into your pedals and locks into place. Your pedals have an adjustor screw to tighten/loosen the how much "float" you want this is the amount that your pedals/cleats will move whilst engages together. Basically the more movement and freedom you have the move your knees & ankles can move around and for a beginner would suggest that you have them pretty loose to get you used to them as it is a common issue when first moving over to SPD's to get an ache in your knees. However it is totally personal preference and some like them loose and some with little movement.

Any SPD cleat will work as will any shoe as most are drilled in the bottom for shimano fitting as they are the most common but if in doubt just ask in the shoe your buying from.

When you get the shoes & cleats they should have a fitting guide to help you get them going but don't be afraid to move the cleats after a few rides till you get really comfortable in them. Once you have you might want to mark the bottom of your shoes with a permanent marker so that swapping out cleats for new ones is a simple job.

Depends on the shoes that you buy but most SPD shoes have a recessed cleat "box" in the sole so whilst the cleat may protrude very slightly it won't affect your walking much, other than sounding like Dick Van Dyke/Roy Castle.

Bike-Rich wrote:

Thanks guys

last question, I know you said most cleats will work with these PD-M520 I have but are they any that stands out as being popular/good? I just did a ebay search on spd cleats and loads came up.

have got the same pedals on my mtb and use spd sh51 cleats

To the OP, you can get shimano single release or shimano multi release cleats. single release only let the foot free by twisting the ankle outwards.

multi release allow you to get your foot out (with effort) practically any which way, but at the expense of security. i.e. they can sometime come out when you don't want them to.

Shimano spd pedals have a spring adjustment that alters how tight they bind, it does not alter float, though it can feel like it does.

Note: only shimano style spd/mountain bike cleats will work with shimano spd pedals. time, look, crank brothers etc, will not work.

Bike-Rich wrote:

Thanks guys,

Ideally, what spd pedals are best for road bike use?

Thanks,

Well I use Time Roc Atak on my road/tourer, and Time Z control on my mtb/tourer.

for touring I take the Roc's off and put the Z control on for a bigger platform for starting off.

I use the same shoes for each: shimano mtb summer shoes and specialized mtb winter boots.

Any spd pedal will be fine, just get good shoes that are comfortable, take your time to get cleat setup right, and don't go for long/hard rides until you do.