About to purchase road pedals and shoes for the first time

[ridethecliche]

I've owned a few sets of SPD's and SPD-SL's and I've never had to ever think about them after installing them and getting the release dialed in. I still keep it relatively low and I've never really had issues unclipping.

[VeloceNiente]

I have tried shoes from Sidi, pearl izumi, DMT and Bont. These Bont ‘Vaypor 2023’ shoes are a clear favorite; the more ‘foot shaped’ wider toe box is clearly more comfortable in the case of my feet, and the comfort of the interior and softer upper is superior. The stiff carbon sole is great. They cost more, but as others in this thread have said, it’s most important to find a shoe that is comfortable for your particular feet.

I have tried Time, Shimano and speed play pedals. For road riding I prefer the smooth float and general quality of Speedplay. For off-road, the mud/dirt shedding of Shimano SPD.

And, wool socks are a great thing also.

[weiwentg]

If you are set on only pedals, I'd suggest Shimanos.

If you need power, then right now I think that the Assiomas are the most cost effective option, and they're based on Look Keo-style cleats. Favero have a retrofit option for Shimano pedals that increases the Q-factor by a lot. I have a feeling that they might be working on some sort of SPD-SL version that is non-podded and that has a normal Q.

Personally, I have a pair of the Keo-style Assiomas and I definitely like it less than SPD-SLs. Just a bit, though.

[Baron Blubba]

I definitely notice the difference in feel between SPD's and SPD-SL, and like Angry said, SL feels 'higher performance'. But I think that's only when new.
I don't change my cleats often, and I've found that over long periods, the SPD cleat/pedals have less wear and the unwanted sort of float.

Also, I've set several significant PR's on SPD's, so I'd say, regardless of feel, actual performance is at least similar.

Originally Posted by fourflys

I just recently started riding spd pedals on my road bikes.. for me the reason is I got tired of the anxiety I was feeling at every stop light (esp when turning left with an arrow).. I almost never have an issue getting into the pedal when I'm alone on the road, but put me at a light or stop sign with cars and I can't function..

the other reason is it's just easier to walk.. for my meager power numbers and how I ride, I'm not sure I've losing much, if anything, in performance.. my feet don't really feel much difference in the platform size.. I'm usually feeling it in my toes/etc by the end of a ride with either system..

we'll see in a few months how I feel..

[p nut]

Thanks folks. Sidi Genius 10 ordered.
The site says the shoe is only compatible with Shimano and Look? I guess that narrows down the choices. I’ll give SPD-SL’s a shot.

[phishrabbi]

I'd ride my Crankbrothers eggbeaters with 2 hole MTB shoes everywhere if I didn't need my Garmin vector 3 pedals for power.

Having a single power meter which can be moved between bikes is more important, but I really like the eggbeaters and the ability to walk in the shoes.

[dgauthier]

Originally Posted by p nut

Thanks folks. Sidi Genius 10 ordered.
The site says the shoe is only compatible with Shimano and Look? I guess that narrows down the choices. I’ll give SPD-SL’s a shot.

I'm pretty sure Time still uses the same three hole pattern used by Shimano and Look.