Pedal for training and some commuting.. what do you recommen

[CXCommuter]

I use both road and MTB SPD's, I cannot tell the difference when riding re efficiency. MTB pedals (shimano) typically have more float and easier to clip in as you can get double sided pedals.
For walking I actually prefer the road cleats as they are a wider platform and plastic, the MTB cleats are narrow and more unstable being metal they slide around more (IMO

Thanks for the quick response CXC. That's interesting to hear practical experience comparing the two for efficiency.. a bit more to think about then. I think in regards to the cleats being okay for walking, if I were to get MTB shoes instead I assume the issues with walking on the smaller metal SPD cleats would be alleviated?

I have MTB shoes (Mavics) and I still have the problem of being slippery. BTW I am talking about minor walking around at shops (cafes also) and at work on flat surfaces much easier with the road shoes. On uneven surfaces the road shoes(cleats) would not survive long being not as robust compared to th MTB shoes/cleats.
Also I don't have a problem clipping in and out of the road pedals- I now others do but it took me <5minutes to work it out, rolling the pedal forward and clipping in, not a bug deal for me.

[SheikYerbouti]

Rodney,
Click'R is probably on the right track, but I haven't used them.

I use them, and find them excellent. Clicking in is like a magnet, I just put my foot down and its done. You can click out in 3 directions. As a noob I've never had the clip stack that you're "meant to have."
The shoes are very comfortable, and easy to walk in off the bike too. They're SPD so you can change pedals or shoes or whatever anytime.

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[Xplora]

I don't notice the cleats wearing down quickly at all since I put on the cafe covers. Most road riders notice them and LOVE the idea. They make the cleats crazy durable. I honestly don't know what is supposed to wear down with these things LOL

Factory recommendation for Zeros is to dry lube them once a week or a fortnight. Can't remember. Rod clearly doesn't give a damn about that... lubing every 4-5 months ... but I don't care about it either. I will pop some wet lube in once every couple of months, or if I've dealt with some dirt or rain more than usual - ducking behind a tree for a nature break is going to fill your cleat with grit and nastiness, so a little extra lube at home isn't a bad idea. Nothing worse than clipstacking if its preventable.

I saw the infinity pedal, a circular design similar to crank brothers I think? Small cleat. No good. More elegant than speedplay, but needs a bigger cleat to provide stability.

[queequeg]

I use SPD cleats for road and commuting. I have Shimano RT-31 shoes for the road bike and MT-42 shoes for commuting. The beauty is that I can ride any bike with any shoe, so if one pair of shoes is wet I can use the other, or if I commute on my road bike I can wear any shoe.
Both my shoes have the ckeat recessed into the shoe, so no cleat covers are required. I just replaced my first cleat a few weeks ago, after about 35,000km. It was worn because of all the clipping in/out on my left foot!

[Xplora]

I just replaced my first cleat a few weeks ago, after about 35,000km.

Well played! The SPDs just don't wear out if you aren't walking on them. You got 3-4 years from them?

[rodneycc]

I don't notice the cleats wearing down quickly at all since I put on the cafe covers. Most road riders notice them and LOVE the idea. They make the cleats crazy durable. I honestly don't know what is supposed to wear down with these things LOL

Factory recommendation for Zeros is to dry lube them once a week or a fortnight. Can't remember. Rod clearly doesn't give a damn about that... lubing every 4-5 months ... but I don't care about it either. I will pop some wet lube in once every couple of months, or if I've dealt with some dirt or rain more than usual - ducking behind a tree for a nature break is going to fill your cleat with grit and nastiness, so a little extra lube at home isn't a bad idea. Nothing worse than clipstacking if its preventable.

I saw the infinity pedal, a circular design similar to crank brothers I think? Small cleat. No good. More elegant than speedplay, but needs a bigger cleat to provide stability.

Yeah think I have too many bikes and they (the zero's) prob don't get the flogging that most people would (I'm a bit precious too I don't like riding in the rain! ). I might reconsider after your post however and lube them every 2 or 3 months now as maybe I was pushing my luck (especially over summer where they have been getting a bit of use).

[Xplora]

I know a guy who reckons he did 10K without touching them... a drop of oil is cheap

[kallvatten]

@quuequeg: 35,000km? Well, damn. That's some serious bang for buck!

@CXC: Yeah, clipping in on the one-sided pedals doesn't seem that difficult in theory. Admittedly I've only held the pedals in my hands and haven't actually used them, but they seemed naturally weighted to point upwards (clip side facing back), so all you'd have to do is kick forward and scoop the cleat into it. I guess they may stick in unfortunate ways once the bearings wore down or the grease deteriorated.

@Xplora: Yeah, the Infinity Pedals! I see what you mean, definitely elegant but also won't provide the support that a full road cleat does. Getting closer though?

@Rodney: Might be best lubing them more often! Spend a bit of effort now to save money later on

As an update to anyone actually interested for whatever reason, I pulled the trigger on Speedplays today actually! Just waiting to get out and grab some Loctite threadlock for the cleat screws (a prudent recommendation by the LBS) before I put everything together, and then of course the Keep On Kovers. Want these to last as long as possible. Pretty excited! I think I'll try and stick to closed bike paths and trails for a while once they're on..

Thanks again for all the recommendations and anecdotes everyone.