Talk to me about SPDs
Discussion
Having taken the plunge and ordered a new bike and the only recurring bad review is the pedals.
Apparently there horrible cheap pedals with the old plastic toe clip and strap, once changed the bike is alot better.
which brings me on to SPDs (if thats what they are called)
Quick look on Evans i spotted these. http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/r540-s...
But i really no nothing about them, and obviously i will need shoes too.
oliver
Apparently there horrible cheap pedals with the old plastic toe clip and strap, once changed the bike is alot better.
which brings me on to SPDs (if thats what they are called)
Quick look on Evans i spotted these. http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/r540-s...
But i really no nothing about them, and obviously i will need shoes too.
oliver
There are SPDs which are primarily meant for mountain bike use,
then there are SPD-SLs which are primarily meant for road bike use.
Some MTB shoes have mounts for SPDs only, and from what I have seen, most SPD-SL shoes can have either cleat design fitted.
Those pedals you linked to are SPD-SLs and will be just fine. The pedals as far as I know, will always come with a set of cleats for your shoes.
then there are SPD-SLs which are primarily meant for road bike use.
Some MTB shoes have mounts for SPDs only, and from what I have seen, most SPD-SL shoes can have either cleat design fitted.
Those pedals you linked to are SPD-SLs and will be just fine. The pedals as far as I know, will always come with a set of cleats for your shoes.
It also depends whether you need to walk in the shoes. SPD (Shimano Pedalling Dynamics) have a recessed cleat so easy to walk, whereas SPD-SL or Look have a raised cleat so not ideal for walking. You are better off seeking out a pair of lower end Shimano or Specialized shoes rather than something out of Lidl.
I've always had normal SPDs on my road bike, the dual-sided entry and recessed cleats makes them far more practical for day to day use. On the other side, my brother who's just getting into road biking has gone for SPD SLs. He's already fallen off twice due to being unable to unclip and seems to have real difficulty getting out and especially back into the clips, so much so he's lost all confidence in any low-speed situation to the extent he'll unclip and walk up hills he is perfectly capable of riding up.
I've done many sportives including the tour of the peak and the etape in my SPDs so IMO the gains of using the road-specific system are marginal.
I've done many sportives including the tour of the peak and the etape in my SPDs so IMO the gains of using the road-specific system are marginal.
XG332 said:
Thanks. That clears a lot up.
What about shoes? Noticed in the aldi thread that they have shoes in soon.
Is it worth getting a cheap pair first?
Looking at the image on the Aldi page, their shoes seem to be fitted for MTB style SPDs only. As mentioned by others in this thread, these What about shoes? Noticed in the aldi thread that they have shoes in soon.
Is it worth getting a cheap pair first?
http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view... would suit the Aldi shoes, and give you the option of wearing your 'normal' shoes for short trips to the shops, etc.
For your assistance, SPD (MTB) pedals have a cleat with a two bolt fitting, which is recessed into the tread of the shoe. You can walk in a reasonably normal fashion with these shoes/cleats. SPD-SL (road) pedals have a cleat with a three bolt fitting, which is usually not recessed into the shoe and is not easy or graceful to walk in. Walking too far in them would, anyway, cause premature wear to the cleats. To further confuse the issue, a lot of road shoes have a dual fitting system, whereby the holes are present to allow both SPD and SPD-SL pedals to be fitted http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-r077-road-cycling-... . Although I am a committed convert to SPD-SL on my road bike, I have so far not taken the plunge to 'clip-in' on my mountain bike. I would, however, commend the SPD system to you, along with the pedals linked above. If you get on with the system, you will then not require wholesale expensive replacement of all your pedals/footwear, as everything should be compatible as you upgrade the shoes etc. at some later stage.
ETA: What kind of bike have you ordered, and for what type of riding? I've re-read the thread and it's not clear. Advice on pedal type would be easier to target if we knew what you will be riding, and how you intend to use it.
Edited by yellowjack on Tuesday 18th September 09:16
Edited by yellowjack on Tuesday 18th September 09:30
As ever, the quality of the shoe and predominately the stiffness of the sole is the primary concern.
What cleat fixes it to the crank is of far less concern.
The pelleton of any Sunday morning club ride will be at least 50% SPD, with the rest being a mixture of SPD-SL and all the other race derived cleats.
If you want the ability to walk anywhere, SPD pedals, with stiff soled SPD shoes are your priority. MTB race shoes or shoes that take multiple cleat designs will be at least as good or probably better than cheap SPD-SL only shoes.
It's all down to the quality of the shoe.
What cleat fixes it to the crank is of far less concern.
The pelleton of any Sunday morning club ride will be at least 50% SPD, with the rest being a mixture of SPD-SL and all the other race derived cleats.
If you want the ability to walk anywhere, SPD pedals, with stiff soled SPD shoes are your priority. MTB race shoes or shoes that take multiple cleat designs will be at least as good or probably better than cheap SPD-SL only shoes.
It's all down to the quality of the shoe.
I've got SPD's and Specialised MTB shoes. Like most things in my life I thought why not went out on a whim and got some and fitted them. Went out for a ride over hills, down hills, long runs, traffic junctions and was converted. Pulled into my road feeling like a boss waved to my neighbour slowly tried to put my foot down realised it was clipped in had a moment of panic kept both hands on the handle bar said a swear word and landed on my side in the middle of a thankfully quite road. Neighbour who is a cyclist laughed before helping me up.
The only other time I came off and got stuck was on the rollers. Now that really hurt!!!
The only other time I came off and got stuck was on the rollers. Now that really hurt!!!
I'm in a similar position to the OP.
Then I read this:
My daily ride is a Brompton which I wear Doc Marten Chelsea Boots to ride. Works fine, although I do seem to bend the right pedal, on my 3rd one in 1100 miles.
I've got a road bike now, and my past experience on road bikes was 25 years ago, when I wore a pair of Agu Sport trainers (normal sole, stiff construction so no use for running but fine for walking about on) with quill pedals and toeclips. My road bike has cheap cages on as I still haven't decided what to do, and the confusing advice I find online has not, thus far, helped!
Part of me just wants to get some reasonable pedals (do they still even MAKE quills?) and put toeclips on. I want some stiff soled shoes, though, so considering these (I know they are cheap, but with my current state of confusion I don't want to invest loads in shoes) to use with pedals and clips. Would that work in the short term? They can fit SPD-SL's too, so I have an option for upgrade in the future. I quite like the idea of the clip/clipless pedals but they all seem to be for mountain bikes that I can see.
Then I read this:
swerni said:
I've got Look Keo's on two of my bikes but spd's on the fixie.
I'm ordering a tourer, that's going to have spd's as well.
All of the words make sense, even the brand name, but as a sentence it leaves me wondering what advice I have been given (if any).I'm ordering a tourer, that's going to have spd's as well.
My daily ride is a Brompton which I wear Doc Marten Chelsea Boots to ride. Works fine, although I do seem to bend the right pedal, on my 3rd one in 1100 miles.
I've got a road bike now, and my past experience on road bikes was 25 years ago, when I wore a pair of Agu Sport trainers (normal sole, stiff construction so no use for running but fine for walking about on) with quill pedals and toeclips. My road bike has cheap cages on as I still haven't decided what to do, and the confusing advice I find online has not, thus far, helped!
Part of me just wants to get some reasonable pedals (do they still even MAKE quills?) and put toeclips on. I want some stiff soled shoes, though, so considering these (I know they are cheap, but with my current state of confusion I don't want to invest loads in shoes) to use with pedals and clips. Would that work in the short term? They can fit SPD-SL's too, so I have an option for upgrade in the future. I quite like the idea of the clip/clipless pedals but they all seem to be for mountain bikes that I can see.
sorry ... to clarify, I wasn't trying to poke holes in your post, I was trying to highlight that I don't understand the whole clipless / SPD scenario.
Unless I go out and buy some cleats and pedals, I don't see how I can find out more, because I can't really go into a shop and say "can I try those shoes, cleats and pedals please" or even "can you fit these brand new cleats to my cheap shoes and pedals to my bike and let me have a go for nothing?"
And the main points of my concern are:
Unless I go out and buy some cleats and pedals, I don't see how I can find out more, because I can't really go into a shop and say "can I try those shoes, cleats and pedals please" or even "can you fit these brand new cleats to my cheap shoes and pedals to my bike and let me have a go for nothing?"
And the main points of my concern are:
- The fear of not being able to clip in.
- Being unsure that I would be able to "pull upwards" on the back part of the pedalling action (which I did with toe clips on).
- The fear of being unable to clip out, thus falling off.
- Concern about being unable to move foot position slightly mid-ride without taking tools with me.
aclivity] said:
- Being unsure that I would be able to "pull upwards" on the back part of the pedalling action (which I did with toe clips on).
yellowjack said:
ETA: What kind of bike have you ordered, and for what type of riding? I've re-read the thread and it's not clear. Advice on pedal type would be easier to target if we knew what you will be riding, and how you intend to use it.
Just a cheapie Carrera road bike, mainly for weekend cycling and to and from work if i feel upto the 15miles each way.Edited by yellowjack on Tuesday 18th September 09:16
Edited by yellowjack on Tuesday 18th September 09:30
For all of my cycling life until this year, I've just used conventional pedals. Earlier this year I bought a fixie and then a road bike.. On both bikes, I initially used cages. As my brother had a spare pair of spd pedals and shoes, I was able to test these out. It didn't take me long to bet used to them. Easy to get in and out of them, and great for walking around in.
Due to doing a few longer organised events and needing to give my brother back his pedals, I bought SPD-SL shoes and the necessary pedals. The shoes are much lighter, but it did take more adjusting to get comfortable as there is less play on these when clipped in.
As said above, it does depend on if you need to walk in the shoes or not. Either way, I would highly recommend clipless pedals over cages. You'll quickly get used to them, and wont look back.
I'm tempting fate when I say that I've not joined THAT club....yet.
Last weekend I moved from SPD's to SPD-SL's on my current road bike to get used to them before taking delivery of my Cervelo on the 29th. Really glad I did as they are much harder to get in and out of than the SPD version. At least I will get a few rides in whilst getting used to them.
The adjustments are set to the easiest setting and even though getting out is a bit of an ankle twist I am find it difficult to get in because I am used to having a double sided pedal and locating the pedal is tricky.
Is there an easier way to engage the front hook? (not the right word I know)
The adjustments are set to the easiest setting and even though getting out is a bit of an ankle twist I am find it difficult to get in because I am used to having a double sided pedal and locating the pedal is tricky.
Is there an easier way to engage the front hook? (not the right word I know)
BPC7 said:
Is there an easier way to engage the front hook? (not the right word I know)
I find the easiest way is to rotate the pedal forward with my toe first, then put in the front part of the spd-sl. Does take time to get used to, I use mallets on my AM bike and much prefer having the 2-sided entry. However the spd-sl's are very stiff and have a reasonable platform. I found with ordinary SPDs the place where my cleat was positioned made my foot sore over time. To the OP, I would recommend getting SPD-SLs and looking to spend maybe around £60 on a decent pair of shimano road shoes.
The SPD-SL'd I use (ultegra's) naturally rotate to a position which makes it best suited to clip in from. As mentioned above, I then sort of push with my toe to rotate the pedal slightly and engage the front of the cleat. Once in, you can just press down and away you go.
I've never ridden SPD's so don't know how much easier they are that SL's, but I've had no problems at all with SL's, however I tend to ride on country lanes with not much stop start type riding.
I've never ridden SPD's so don't know how much easier they are that SL's, but I've had no problems at all with SL's, however I tend to ride on country lanes with not much stop start type riding.
Clipping in and out of SPD type pedal becomes almost second nature so I wouldn't worry too much about that. As a previous poster mentioned, it's on the first few rides when you should be careful because clipping out is easily forgotten, leading to embarrassment and scabby elbows.
SPD pedals have adjustable tension which controls how easy it is to engage/disengage the cleat (the metal clip that is fixed to the sole of the shoe). I would recommend running a very low tension for the first few rides, until you are used to clipping in and out. Also, there are different types of cleat available - standard (black in colour)and multi-release (normally silver). Multi-release cleats are good for beginners, occasional users and tourers as they allow you to clip out more easily. Mountain bikers generally tend not to use these because they can unclip when pedalling hard and the bike is bouncing over rough terrain.
Due to the versatility of the SPD pedal there are many types of shoes available - from casual looking trainers to race shoes, and even sandals. You can walk in most of these shoes (with the exception of some race shoes) as the cleat is recessed but the soles are quite stiff and you won't be winning any fashion contests.
SPD-SL are primarily used on road and racing bikes. They offer a large surface area/contact patch and a solid engagement. All of these features are about transmitting power to the pedals in the most efficient manner at the expense of practicality. The pedals are one sided for weight reduction and the cleats are not recessed into the soles of the shoe. In fact most SPD-SL shoes have soles which are pretty much solid and walking on tarmac in these is difficult if not a bit slippery!
Not sure there much else to know...oh yeah if you're fitting the pedals yourself, remember that the left hand pedal (as you are sat on the bike) has a left handed thread :-)
Owen
SPD pedals have adjustable tension which controls how easy it is to engage/disengage the cleat (the metal clip that is fixed to the sole of the shoe). I would recommend running a very low tension for the first few rides, until you are used to clipping in and out. Also, there are different types of cleat available - standard (black in colour)and multi-release (normally silver). Multi-release cleats are good for beginners, occasional users and tourers as they allow you to clip out more easily. Mountain bikers generally tend not to use these because they can unclip when pedalling hard and the bike is bouncing over rough terrain.
Due to the versatility of the SPD pedal there are many types of shoes available - from casual looking trainers to race shoes, and even sandals. You can walk in most of these shoes (with the exception of some race shoes) as the cleat is recessed but the soles are quite stiff and you won't be winning any fashion contests.
SPD-SL are primarily used on road and racing bikes. They offer a large surface area/contact patch and a solid engagement. All of these features are about transmitting power to the pedals in the most efficient manner at the expense of practicality. The pedals are one sided for weight reduction and the cleats are not recessed into the soles of the shoe. In fact most SPD-SL shoes have soles which are pretty much solid and walking on tarmac in these is difficult if not a bit slippery!
Not sure there much else to know...oh yeah if you're fitting the pedals yourself, remember that the left hand pedal (as you are sat on the bike) has a left handed thread :-)
Owen
One of cycling's greatest joys is when you pull away from a junction and you manage to clip your SPD-SL back into place in one smooth action without any break in the pedal stroke.
No fumbling
No slipping off the top
No having to push the free pedal round with your heel for a bit
No looking down to work out if the pedal is the right way up
No hooking the rear in without the front engaged and panicking to yank it out
Just. One. Smooth. Click. And. Go...
No fumbling
No slipping off the top
No having to push the free pedal round with your heel for a bit
No looking down to work out if the pedal is the right way up
No hooking the rear in without the front engaged and panicking to yank it out
Just. One. Smooth. Click. And. Go...
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