Look or spd what would you choose

[coco69]

I think i should now give the clipless pedals ago as they seem to have many advantages,i was thinking of starting off with some M520 spd as a starter are they easy to use or are the Look type easier

 

[SimonC]

SPD's are a much better option for leisure/commute.

Look/Time/SPD-SL are better for training/racing.

I occasionally commute on my race bike, which has Look pedals, and find it a pain. Whilst I am pretty handing a clipping in, its not as easy as SPDs, you just stamp on the pedals and you are in, so no looking down etc with traffic buzzing around. Plus shoes are much easier to walk in.

 

[coco69]

Thanks simon,any shoes you suggest,i ride a road bike 70% and a mountain 30%

 

[BSRU]

I think i should now give the clipless pedals ago as they seem to have many advantages,i was thinking of starting off with some M520 spd as a starter are they easy to use or are the Look type easier

I do not know if it is actually true or not but to me it appears there is a greater selection of spd shoes and a wider price variation, ie cheaper ones as well as expensive ones. In my opinion the M520 is a good spd pedal for the money, easy to use and so far, touch wood, very reliable.

 

[Rob3rt]

Buy spd if you want to ride mtb and road. That way you only need one pair of shoes and 2 pairs of pedals. If you went with Look etc, offroad they wont work well so you would need a second pair of pedals (as you would whatever your choice) PLUS compatible shoes made for that task.

Nothing wrong with using MTB pedals and shoes on the road. Just make sure the shoes fit well and are nice and stiff.

 

[2Loose]

I chose spd specifically for the ease of walking. Cycling into town and then having a walk around the shops is fairly practical in them without a change of shoes. I have been known to keep them on all day at work, but I don't think any other shoes would be as practical in this regard.

 

[coco69]

Ok thanks all, will have a look whats available i remomber a post about if buying shimano get a size larger,so i am a 9 (43/44) so guessing get a 10 (43/44)

 

[HLaB]

Just another reason why spd's are easier; generally there used with mtb shoes which means at a junction you can easily push off with one clipped foot and if you miss the clip with the other foot you can just keep on pedalling and clip in at a later date when its safe to do so. That's not so easy to do with smooth soled road shoes/ spd-sl/looks etc.

 

[yello]

I ride Look (delta) pedals. I prefer them to spuds because they feel more solid, more connected to the pedal, and with stiff soles the greater power transfer is noticeable...

BUT

...I ride on quiet roads, no traffic lights. I go out, do my ride and come home. I very very rarely unclip, sometimes at junctions or when I stop for a pee. When I go out with the club each month for our restaurant ride, Look cleats are a pain. I actually take a pair of judo type slippers to put o,n whilst in the restaurant (much to the amusement of my clubmates!)

IF I were making the decision again, I'd probably opt for spuds. WAY more convenient off the bike and, for my purposes, negligible difference on it.

 

[youngoldbloke]

A520s on the road bike, M520s on the MTB. Same shoes for both.
Echo Yello's comments above. Use Look Keos myself, but my son commutes using A520s, and I will change when new shoes are needed, as the cafe stops are a pain.

 

[gaz]

Common myths about proper cleats

• hard to walk in
• hard to clip in

Both absolute rubbish!

Walking in proper cleats is fairly easy, heel - cleat - heel - cleat - heel - cleat. It works fine, i've walked miles in my shoes and not had any problems.

Clipping in is soooooo easy. The pedal is weighted and thus always points up. The top of the pedal is a massive hole and you just have to aim your cleat into that and push down. If you're smart, then when you set off you can get your free foot to clip in at the top of the pedal rotation and as you push down to clip in, you are pedalling. This means a perfect start off with the best amount of power. If everying falls to peices, then you know the clip on the other foot is strong enough for you to use all your power in your one leg to pull up and get the bicycle moving.

I commute each day into and out of London and stop at anything up to 50 times each journey in traffic. I have no problems stopping and starting in proper cleats. I also walk up 10 flights of stairs, the only problem i have is walking down stairs.

I've also used SPD-SL's on a mountain bike before, the control you get over the bike whilst in mid air is fantastic.

 

[mickle]

Anything but Shi**no... there are inset cleat systems from many companies besides Shi**no - Time, Look, Expedo, Crank Bros, Ritchey, Expedo, Wellgo (who make very many excellent pedals for other companies including most of the aforementioned).

SPD is Shi**no-speak for Shi**no Pedaling Dynamics. It refers only to Shi**no products, though some companies have chosen to make their pedals compatible with the SPD system, notably Ritchey and Expedo.

I stopped wearing external - non-inset road style cleats (such as SPD-R and Look) the day I was attacked by a London cabbie and fell on my arse on a wet pavement. I'd have had the **** if I'd been wearing concealed mountain-bike cleats. Decent quality concealed cleats give away very little in performance to external road cleats but are a great deal easier to live with.

 

[yello]

A few points of clarification;

1. I don't find clipping in with Look deltas difficult. It's just as easy as spuds.
2. I use the term 'spud' (note, not SPD) as a generic for all inset type cleat systems.
3. I can walk in Look deltas, you do need a particular method to do it safely, but it's neither quick nor overly secure. Steps and ceramic/stone/etc tiles prevent particular difficulties!

 

[jig-sore]

I ride Look (delta) pedals. I prefer them to spuds because they feel more solid, more connected to the pedal, and with stiff soles the greater power transfer is noticeable...

BUT

...I ride on quiet roads, no traffic lights. I go out, do my ride and come home. I very very rarely unclip, sometimes at junctions or when I stop for a pee. When I go out with the club each month for our restaurant ride, Look cleats are a pain. I actually take a pair of judo type slippers to put o,n whilst in the restaurant (much to the amusement of my clubmates!)

IF I were making the decision again, I'd probably opt for spuds. WAY more convenient off the bike and, for my purposes, negligible difference on it.

100% agree with this... apart from the bits i've put in bold

 

[mickle]

A few points of clarification.... ....I use the term 'spud' (note, not SPD) as a generic for all inset type cleat systems.

As clear as mud then....