Pedals being used for gravel generally...

[jbay]

Originally Posted by robertbb

Does anyone else struggle with SPD's being too floaty?

I love my Shimano blue cleats on the road, but would like the idea of a walkable shoe. Except the one time I tried SPD's I felt like my heels were splaying all over the place...

Any solutions? I am not aware of any 0-2 degree float SPDs.

Shoes with deep lugs. Shoegoo on shoes with shallower lugs (and most lugs aren’t deep enough for my tastes).

The Look X-Tracks, mentioned by @KonaSS, also help, due to their large platform.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by robertbb

Does anyone else struggle with SPD's being too floaty?

I love my Shimano blue cleats on the road, but would like the idea of a walkable shoe. Except the one time I tried SPD's I felt like my heels were splaying all over the place...

Any solutions? I am not aware of any 0-2 degree float SPDs.

It's a Crank Bros solution, but I'm using Candys (I find the platform helps with support/power even with a very stiff shoe) plus the zero float cleat on my gravelly bike. A bit more locked in feel than the traditional cleat.

[David Kirk]

I feel like I must be the only one who uses road pedals and shoes on my gravel bike. I figure that a dirt/gravel road is a "road" so I use my road shoes and pedals.

I can't remember the last time i had to get off and walk so they work great.


dave

[phishrabbi]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

I feel like I must be the only one who uses road pedals and shoes on my gravel bike.

I'm with you, Dave.

My only power meter is a set of Garmin Vector pedals which I rotate between bicycles. It's so useful having power data that I tend to use them on the gravel bike unless I know there will be a lot of hike a bike.

[Tandem Rider]

I use the cheap SPDs from Shimano. I tend to get "off route" and end up on lots of singletrack trails rather than roads. This means that I get into sand and bang them on rocks. That way I don't feel bad when they only last a year or so before they get crunchy and I have to scoot off to the LBS for another pair.

[dmitrik4]

All of my bikes have SPDs. Easy

[SDJ]

Time atac on Cyclocross/gravel
Time cyclo on the Road+

Was lucky enough to get a couple of pairs of the cyclo before they disappeared again

Also ran spd but somehow they feel too restrictive for me in my pedaling motion

In the end it’s like saddles - all down to personal likes and preferences

[martl]

i know the marketing guys are trying to convince me otherwise -and when have they ever lied to me?- but gravel biking is just biking, somewhere in between Road riding and MTBing. So i will use the clothes i wear on a road bike, and the shoes and pedals i use on the MTB. I dont think there is any need for gravel-specific bibs, jerseys, helmets, gloves, shoes, pedals....

[Wunder]

I use Shimano A600s. Single sided SPD with a slightly larger platform. A little bit lighter than XT pedals and I don't need the dual sided entry for gravel riding. Road pedals would work but only if you are sure you can ride everything and won't need to hike a bike.

[benb]

If they wanted to you could make a 3-bolt shoe that was more walkable than a pure road shoe and call that a gravel shoe for people who wanted SPD-SL or Keo pedals/cleats.

At least here I don't really feel like there is any issue with the road pedals in the dirt. It's the shoes themselves are the issue, for me at least I think I have a much higher chance of falling or twisting my ankle and getting hurt if I have to get off the bike in sketchy conditions. With SPD-SL the main area that gets clogged up with mud is the bolt areas and they don't effect clip-in/out.

On the flip side though I don't really have any issues with just using SPDs or similar on the road. I have never had any issues using mountain shoes. There is all this "ultra stiff" marketing with road shoes as if they make you faster. I have never been able to detect I'm any faster with road shoes and I have had more foot issues and comfort issues with road shoes.. comfort/fit issues always slow me down in a non-marginal way. They are way less forgiving of cleat position/bike fit for me, partly because they seem to bias the cleats forward more than 2-bolt shoes I guess, and also because they tend to build in a more curved last that forces your toes upward.

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by Wunder

I use Shimano A600s. Single sided SPD with a slightly larger platform. A little bit lighter than XT pedals and I don't need the dual sided entry for gravel riding. Road pedals would work but only if you are sure you can ride everything and won't need to hike a bike.

Too bad these are NLA. The replacement ES600 is missing the metal loop on the rear of the platform, which makes the pedal front-heavy and harder to clip-in. Not a big deal on pavement, but annoying on steep/loose terrain if you have to dab a foot or remount.

[NHAero]

I ride Eggbeaters even on my road bikes as I like to be able to walk around off the bike whenever. Maybe being light I haven't had the issues others have reported with durability. Because I have a brace that has a full footbed on the left, the left shoe is larger, so having one pair of shoes that work for pure road and all road is just easier.

[tellyho]

I have spds on all bikes - road, mtb, gravel, weirdo builds. Then I only need one pair of shoes (well, and winter shoes).

[Andy340]

Time ATAC if likely I will have to walk the bike on sections but mostly use my road shoes/pedals as most of the routes I go out on are pretty smooth gravel with road riding to and from gravel sections.

[GregL]

Originally Posted by Wunder

I use Shimano A600s. Single sided SPD with a slightly larger platform. A little bit lighter than XT pedals and I don't need the dual sided entry for gravel riding. Road pedals would work but only if you are sure you can ride everything and won't need to hike a bike.

Originally Posted by Alistair

Too bad these are NLA. The replacement ES600 is missing the metal loop on the rear of the platform, which makes the pedal front-heavy and harder to clip-in. Not a big deal on pavement, but annoying on steep/loose terrain if you have to dab a foot or remount.

I'm a fan of the A600s and intend to ride mine as long as they are useable. They allow walkable, SPD-compatible shoes while providing a sufficiently large platform to eliminate hot spots on the soles of my feet. I find standard SPD-type pedals contribute to hot spots, even if I use shoes with stiff, carbon soles.

Greg