MTB or Road Shoes

[rams1de]

My arithmetic?

My bad, read it as two sprints per week and thought you'd made a typo later.

 

[VamP]

Ever raced 4X?

Nope. Looks fun though.

 

[raleighnut]

Also note there are 2 types of Shimano SPD cleats SH SM 51 and SH SM 56 M (there are probably more variants with differing degrees of "float") the important difference is the M for multirelease, these cleats are made to pull out vertically as well as sideways .
I found out the hard way when I inadvertently fitted a set which came with some new pedals bought when I got some new shoes to replace my Diadoro Chili's. After a quick run round the block to set up the spring tension I went for a ride and at the first hill my leg shot out from the pedal, knee hit the bars and I hit the deck.
As for "hotspots" I think this is more to do with the shoes flexing than the cleat type and would suggest avoiding cheap shoes and go for the best you can afford, my own preference being Specialised as I don't seem to be able to find the Chilli's anymore.

 

[medavidcook]

I was going to ask the same question, i am new to cycling and am wondering what would be ideal for me, i have a mtb and buying a road bike this month, so proberly better just setting up 2 mtb pedals with spds shoes to wear on both,

 

[Julia9054]

I wear SPD-SLs because when I first got my bike, they were the first type of shoes that came up on ebay second hand at a price that I could afford.
My partner wears MTB-SPDs. He gets from bike to cafe before me because I walk like a duck!

 

[Rustybucket]

I was going to ask the same question, i am new to cycling and am wondering what would be ideal for me, i have a mtb and buying a road bike this month, so proberly better just setting up 2 mtb pedals with spds shoes to wear on both,

Thats what I currently have - think im going to stick with MTB - SPD's for now based on all the above comments. They do me fine at the moment

 

[mangid]

I use mtb style cleats on club runs /sportives as do some of the other riders and the cleat type does not affect performance enough to warrant buying a new system just to be like the "boys".
I use A 600 pedals on the nice bike that are single sided .

Can definitely recommend these pedals. Have them on the day to day commute bike, and on road bike.

 

[Globalti]

SPDs are practical especially for a mountain biker, commuter or tourer as you can walk and clip/unclip easily. However the shoes are heavy thanks to the thickness of the rubber sole that's needed to create the well for the cleat. The pedals are also very heavy as they need to be strong to handle the spring tension.

Road shoes and pedals are about half the weight of an SPD setup, the shoes are stiffer and the pedals bigger so you get a better platform for climbing out of the saddle. The shoes hold your feet more snugly, which matters for those desperate sprints when you are giving it everything for a few seconds. They are fine if you don't expect to be unclipping more than a couple of times in a ride. Walking is awkward and you can slip on cafe floors, and rough ground damages the cleats. Plastic road cleats and pedals are generally less durable than SPD.

I use SPDs for the mountain bike and the crosser and Look Keos for the roadie.

 

[Cuchilo]

I tried both on my Defy and ended up with SPD's that I never use on it . They are flat the other side and I just use that with normal trainers . The TCR is used for riding so that has SPD-SL . Out of the two I prefer the SPD-SL .

 

[400bhp]

SPDs are practical especially for a mountain biker, commuter or tourer as you can walk and clip/unclip easily. However the shoes are heavy thanks to the thickness of the rubber sole that's needed to create the well for the cleat. The pedals are also very heavy as they need to be strong to handle the spring tension.

Road shoes and pedals are about half the weight of an SPD setup, the shoes are stiffer and the pedals bigger so you get a better platform for climbing out of the saddle. The shoes hold your feet more snugly, which matters for those desperate sprints when you are giving it everything for a few seconds. They are fine if you don't expect to be unclipping more than a couple of times in a ride. Walking is awkward and you can slip on cafe floors, and rough ground damages the cleats. Plastic road cleats and pedals are generally less durable than SPD.

I use SPDs for the mountain bike and the crosser and Look Keos for the roadie.

They don't all have rubber soles - see @ianrauk post. If you can find some stiffer road shoes let me know.

I have 2 carbon soled MTB shoes.

 

[Haz]

Bit late to the party here I know - I was wondering if I just have odd shoes? I use the shimano spd cleats (and the silly one sided pedals that are always the wrong way up when setting off at a junction) but my shoes have very stiff soles and walking in them is like tap dancing in anti-heels. On the other hand, cycling in them is so much nicer than in trainers or other shoes. They came with 5 screw holes so I think they can fit some different cleats too.

What is it like walking with recessed cleats - any easier? If yes, does this compromise how stiff the shoe sole is for riding?

 

[raleighnut]

Bit late to the party here I know - I was wondering if I just have odd shoes? I use the shimano spd cleats (and the silly one sided pedals that are always the wrong way up when setting off at a junction) but my shoes have very stiff soles and walking in them is like tap dancing in anti-heels. On the other hand, cycling in them is so much nicer than in trainers or other shoes. They came with 5 screw holes so I think they can fit some different cleats too.

What is it like walking with recessed cleats - any easier? If yes, does this compromise how stiff the shoe sole is for riding?

5 holes mean you can use either SPD or SPD-SL/LOOK cleats and yes walking with recessed cleats is a lot easier plus not so wearing on the cleats.
Also note that one sided pedals there is a nifty trick when setting off again, if you can get a couple of revs on the crank then whilst the crank is still turning take the unclipped foot off at the bottom of the stroke and place the foot back on at the top of the stroke then the weight of the cleat will ensure it is on the outside of the circle due to centrifugal (centripetal) force i:e its now the right way up.

 

[Stonechat]

I just wanted to be able to walk a bit so got Shimano SPD mtb shoes

 

[buggi]

i use double sided off road spds on my road bike. a lot of my friends say that the road pedals provide a better platform etc but i don't think there's a difference. i've never unclipped accidently and it wasn't me who had to take my shoes off at every water stop on the way to Paris to stretch my feet and give them a rest. If you're doing that, i would say it's more down to the shoe than the pedal. and as a lot of MTB shoes now look like road shoes (my mtb and road shoes are almost identical) and that some road shoes now take SPDs or you can buy the platform to convert them to SPDs, you can't really tell when your feet are on the pedals.

and i haven't had the hassle of changing my cleats for years coz (a) they're metal and (b) they are recessed (even on the road shoe thanks to the little converter thing).

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I have the Specialized S-Works Road & MTB shoes. Both shoes are closely related and feature carbon soles.
I run look pedals on both bikes and without doubt in my mind the road pedal/road shoe combination is stiffer and a more stable platform.
I have no evidence of this other than my own experiences.