Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Hi again Guys,
I was hoping I could pick your collective brains over a question I have regarding pedals for my new Bianchi.
My Spesh MTB has Shimano SPD PD-M540 pedals fitted and I have recently purchased Specialized MTB shoes. I find them great as the cleats are recessed and I can ride into town, walk around and do some shopping in comfort. The shoes are as comfortable as sneakers.
I need some help with what pedals to fit to my Bianchi roadie: Why is it that road bike shoes and pedals are designed to use cleats that protrude, causing you to walk like a pregnant duck when walking in them?
I assume the larger surface area used on road shoe cleats aids in spreading the load over the foot, is this the reason?
Can someone enlighten me why road pedals don't use the same system as the MTB pedals/cleats?
I would prefer not to buy new shoes, but rather buy pedals that are compatible with the MTB shoes. I stumbled across a Shimano pedal on Ebay that appears to fit this criteria. It's a "PD-A520 Touring"pedal. Looks like a road pedal, but uses the same clip setup as my MTB pedals.
Another pedal that appears similar is the Crank Bros. Quattro SL.
So, after this long-winded explaination, my questions are:
1. What do you think about using the PD-A520 pedal with my MTB shoes?
2. Are the Crank Bros Quattro SL cleats compatable with the cleats I use on my MTB pedals? If so, what do you think of these pedals in comparo to the PD-A520?
3. Should I just spend a couple of hundred extra and buy proper road shoes and pedals?
I apologise for this long post. And once again, I appreciate your assistance.
Regards, Wayne

bigbuzz73 wrote:Can someone enlighten me why road pedals don't use the same system as the MTB pedals/cleats?

I will answer your first question, it's easy actually... when riding the MTB you may have to get off and cross obstacles that you can't otherwise get around while mounted. Some obstacles also need to be attempted while not being clicked-in, with the feet poised on the pedals. It all comes from Cross Country mountain biking. Once it was realised that clip-ins will also work on a mountain bike, it was found that not only systems with recessed clips in the shoes make sense when riding, the riders also accepted them for the reasons you pointed out, comfort.

On a road bike you usually dismount rarely and for a trip down to the shops, your average Joe Citizen will more often be on a MTB or hybrid and most often not have clip-ins at all. If you are doing shopping and insist on riding with cleats on your road bike then the easiest option is to pack your MTB shoes in one of your shopping bags and swap when you get there. Seriously though, how much do you need 'sneakers' on your road bike, some old fashioned toe clips may be the easiest option. I would have thought that the robust chunky MTB shoes are overkill on a road bike.

Cheers
Christopher

I took the view that the ease of walking and safer traffic stops whilst on MTB shoes is a higher priority for me when riding my road bike, and many people do the same. There are a number of stated reasons for using specific road shoes,

- No hot spots as your load is spread over a wider area. (My foot isn't that big nor am I powerful enough to experience that. I suspect a rigid sole can largely alleviate this problem)

- Weight reduction on road shoes. (Some road shoes permit mounting of SPD/Crank Bros cleats)

- Aerodynamics improvements without those jagged rubber treads. (As above)

- Comformity with roadie style.

As I said, you don't have to conform. I am presently happy with my Sidi MTB shoes on my roadie. I would be more inclined to change over when I no longer have to stop for traffic lights or walk before/during/after my rides. And I can drive in my MTB shoes...

I think that sogood hit the nail on the head - just use your mtb shoes on your road bike. The A520 is a road shaped pedal that uses SPD (Shimano's mtb series) cleats.
Of course, the 'celeste nazis' will turn their noses up at you, but I'm sure that you didn't buy your Bianchi for it's bling value anyway.

peterrjleach wrote:Of course, the 'celeste nazis' will turn their noses up at you, but I'm sure that you didn't buy your Bianchi for it's bling value anyway.

My road bike is a full celeste Bianchi and as I said, SPD pedals and MTB shoes. I like the celeste bling. It really stands out!

SPDs are all I use and I don't even have an mtb You might want to look at the M324 pedal too - cleat on one side and flat pedal on the other (for use with normal shoes). Having spoken to people with double sided pedals (clips on both sides), they don't seem to offer as much advantage as you'd think they would, especially once you learn the trick to always having the clip upwards on your single sided pedals.

My son has the road shoes and clips and to be honest, they are a pain in the bum because, as has been noted, you can't walk in the thing. Use them only if you never get off your bike and can change shoes as soon as you get to the other end. Our trips to the Tour Down Under spring to mind - he had to carry spare shoes with him.

Richard

europa wrote:SPDs are all I use and I don't even have an mtb You might want to look at the M324 pedal too - cleat on one side and flat pedal on the other (for use with normal shoes).

I would say my tolerance for road biking OCP stops at plain SPD. Having platform is just too much unless you are a commuter...

Presently I am using a pair of M515 (discontinued model) I found at this LBS that is one sided. It's one of the early one sided model that clearly has a deficiency in that it prefers to stay upside down. Getting the skill to flip it over and clip in took some time to master. Still, I wouldn't recommend them unless you are prepared to put up with this and is not riding in traffic. Safest to stay with double sided SPDs.

sogood wrote:Safest to stay with double sided SPDs.

You don't need double sided. The M324 pedal stays put when you take your foot off it. All you have to do is learn to put your foot back on it at the same position as you took it off. I tend to unclip at the top of the stroke so if I put my foot back on the pedal at the top of the stroke, the pedal is the right way up. If I get the wrong side (rare now that I'm awake to it), I just lift my foot and let the crank go half a turn. Works easier than it sounds.

The main argument against double sided clips with platforms is that both sides then have the clip raised above the platform which makes it uncomfortable to wear normal shoes (they also tend to be really heavy, but that just might be the ones I've seen). Of course, that's only an argument if you were likely to wear normal shoes for any distance and to be honest, with spds, that's rare anyway.

I spoke to a bloke who had double sided pedals without the platforms, just the clips, and they offered no advantage as they effectively gave you four sides and you were just as likely to put your foot on a side without a clip as one with.

Richard

europa wrote:You don't need double sided.

Sorry Richard. My earlier statement was referring to non-platform SPD pedals. As I said, platform SPD is too much for me in a roadie bunch.

If going non-platform, double sided definitely makes more sense and I was looking for them for the Europa (still got one bike with toe clips ).

My comment 'you don't need double sided' sounds heavier than it was intended too - my first coffee hasn't kicked in yet (and I'm trying to write a job application which always leaves me a tad tense). I was actually coming back to change it but you got in ahead of me. I was trying to lead in to a description of how I now get around the issue of 'finding the right side' - funny how once you know the tricks problems just disappear.

Richard

Irrespective of one side or two sides. The problem with platform from a technical point of view is its effect on ground clearance during a turn. Obviously this is critical for those who needs to ride fast and wants to pedal through a turn.

Good afternoon guys,
Thanks heaps for the info. I think I'll buy the Shimano A-520s and live with the mental trauma I'm sure to suffer when I'm shunned by the "real" road riders along Beach Rd!! Hehehe!
The dealer called this morning... my bike has arrived so I'm going down tomorrow to get fitted up. As Big Kev used to say.... "IM EXCITED'"!!!!!!!The dealer is in Traralgon (about 150klms away)..... he's a top bloke, really helpful and no bulls**t. I go down there to visit my old mum who's in a nursing home and he said anytime I go down, drop the bike off and he'll give it a quick checkover and 'tweak' free of charge for 12 months. The Melbourne dealers didn't seem as interested in delivering this level of service.

Wayne

Basically the road cleats SPD-SL, LOOK, TIME, Speedplay spread the load over the foot and provide a small performance improvement over SPD. They also provide float, which you may or may not care about.

If you are not into racing then any cleat will do.

I should also stress that its the shoes and not the cleats that are the most important, if you compared your MTB shoes with good carbon fibre soled road shoes you would be supprised at the difference.

Crank Bros are better than spd when wanting to make road and mtb compatible as you can get a road version and a mtb version and they both use the same cleat.

mikesbytes wrote:Basically the road cleats SPD-SL, LOOK, TIME, Speedplay spread the load over the foot and provide a small performance improvement over SPD. They also provide float, which you may or may not care about.

SPD cleats also provide float

Richard

europa wrote:

mikesbytes wrote:Basically the road cleats SPD-SL, LOOK, TIME, Speedplay spread the load over the foot and provide a small performance improvement over SPD. They also provide float, which you may or may not care about.

SPD cleats also provide float

Richard

A kind of loose feeling, not like the feel on my Look's

I was given a pair of duel use pedals, but I discovered that on one of them, there is a spring missing in the mechanism. As a result a screw perpendicular to the spring is sitting on an angel.

Is it still safe to use?

Right pedal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usagi1975/382540701/

Left pedal with missing spring

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usagi1975/382540791/

mikesbytes wrote:Crank Bros are better than spd when wanting to make road and mtb compatible as you can get a road version and a mtb version and they both use the same cleat.

You got me interested again on Crank Bros pedals/cleat system. I've been thinking about them for a long time, especially since my M540 SPDs suffered a bearing problem within 2 months of service. And the warranty repair was less than satisfactory.

I'll have a good look at their Quattro pedals next time I am in a LBS. I think there's potential there for an upgrade.

commi wrote:I was given a pair of duel use pedals, but I discovered that on one of them, there is a spring missing in the mechanism. As a result a screw perpendicular to the spring is sitting on an angel.

Is it still safe to use?

Right pedal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usagi1975/382540701/

Left pedal with missing spring

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usagi1975/382540791/

Personally I wouldn't, new pedals ain't that expensive and your soon forget how much you saved when you accidently come out of the cleat and impail your leg on the chain ring or land on the top bar or fall off.

sogood wrote:

mikesbytes wrote:Crank Bros are better than spd when wanting to make road and mtb compatible as you can get a road version and a mtb version and they both use the same cleat.

You got me interested again on Crank Bros pedals/cleat system. I've been thinking about them for a long time, especially since my M540 SPDs suffered a bearing problem within 2 months of service. And the warranty repair was less than satisfactory.

I'll have a good look at their Quattro pedals next time I am in a LBS. I think there's potential there for an upgrade.

I've heard that low end Shimano cleated pedals having limited life on the SPD-SL range too. The old Shimano cleated pedals lasted much better.

mikesbytes wrote:I've heard that low end Shimano cleated pedals having limited life on the SPD-SL range too. The old Shimano cleated pedals lasted much better.

Well, the M540 I have isn't even right down the bottom of their range. With bearing failure at under 500km, I was really disappointed with the only Shitmano component I have on my bike. Maybe I really should have went for the XTR pedals in the first place. Anyway, this pedal thing has been an expensive exercise. For the two warranty repairs, each lasting three (over Xmas NY) to one week, I ended up having to buy another pair of pedals to keep me going. And given the fact that the warranty repair is still less than satisfactory as the bearing still felt a bit more gritty than the other pair, I think I'll ditch Shimano totally in due course.

I stopped to help a bloke who was having difficulty with his MTB, the axel had gone on his Shimano hub. Don't know which model.

mikesbytes wrote:I stopped to help a bloke who was having difficulty with his MTB, the axel had gone on his Shimano hub. Don't know which model.

Did you lend him the wheel you were carrying this am?

sogood wrote:

mikesbytes wrote:I stopped to help a bloke who was having difficulty with his MTB, the axel had gone on his Shimano hub. Don't know which model.

Did you lend him the wheel you were carrying this am?

Would of being a fair swap.