New to Clipless Pedals: SPD vs. Shimano

nishu · May 5, 2014

Hi all,

I've been cycling now for a little over a year (minus the winter months when I had to put my bike inside and hibernate away from the cold), and I've finally decided that I need to switch from flat pedals to clipless.

I've done some basic research and settled on either an SPD type or Speedplay as they seem to be the most popular for general use and best reviewed overall. Could someone please walk me through the key things to consider when picking one over the other?

I know that Speedplay has double-sided entry and a bit more "float" than SPD, but SPD still seem to be the most popular variant out there. Is there any reason to pick SPD over Speedplay? I'm a bit of a noob on this topic so I'd really appreciate any thoughtful feedback.

Thanks in advance!

tihsepa · May 5, 2014

For most people the SPD system makes the mose sense. They last a long time, the shoes that take a two bolt cleat are usually very walkable and they work great. Someone will argue about there being less support on an SPD pedal but that can be easily dealt with bu using a good shoe.

For road pedals, i prefer a three hole cleat like Look or SPD-SL. Speedplay has the benifit of having a lot of float but they are notorious for the cleats being sensitive to wear and contamination. I have found the Look or SL cleats work just fine but with a shoe that is for riding and very little walking.

tednugent · May 5, 2014

shimano is SPD for the typical 2-bolt pattern for MTB

The typical shimano SPD MTB pedal is double sided

Speedplay uses 3-bolt (unless shoes are made for it) aka Look (or commonly referred as SPD-SL), unless you're talking frogs (which is SPD 2-bolt)

bikerjulio · May 5, 2014

No way are Speedplay the #1 choice for road pedals. Best reviewed?? Not based on what I see anyway. I'd think Look and Time are the top 2 choices around here. Look basically invented the clipless pedal way back in the eighties.

OP, if you'd like to walk around on the shoes then choose a MTB type shoe and either SPD, Eggbeaters or similar pedal system.

tvad · May 6, 2014

Shimano use Look design cleats. You can't go wrong with Shimano pedals, IMO.

I presently use Time pedals, and I like them (switched from Shimano Dura Ace), but the float option offered by the two different cleats on the Shimano (red or black) is nice to have. I used a black on my right foot and a red on my left foot.

Trek_5200 · May 6, 2014

nishu said:
Hi all,

I've been cycling now for a little over a year (minus the winter months when I had to put my bike inside and hibernate away from the cold), and I've finally decided that I need to switch from flat pedals to clipless.

I've done some basic research and settled on either an SPD type or Speedplay as they seem to be the most popular for general use and best reviewed overall. Could someone please walk me through the key things to consider when picking one over the other?

I know that Speedplay has double-sided entry and a bit more "float" than SPD, but SPD still seem to be the most popular variant out there. Is there any reason to pick SPD over Speedplay? I'm a bit of a noob on this topic so I'd really appreciate any thoughtful feedback.

Thanks in advance!

Things to consider are float, whether you'll be walking around and contact between foot and pedal. For over-all ability to ride and walk around I'd go SPD. for improved contact SPD SL, and for more float should your knees be sensitive, speedplay tends to work well.

ericm979 · May 6, 2014

tvad said:
Shimano use Look design cleats.

The SPD-SL and LOOK cleats are different- they will not interoperate.

Originally Shimano licensed some of LOOKs patents and used the same cleat shape for their 7400/7401 pedals in the 90s. In the early 2000s Shimano was embarassed that Lance was buying old 7401s off Ebay instead of the then current SPD-R road pedals. So Shimano designed a better LOOK type pedal and cleat, the SPD-SL.

All Shimano pedals are super reliable. The bearings last and the release mechanisims work smoothly. I've had to adjust one SPD-SL pedal's bearings in the 50k+ miles I've put on various sets.

I don't need float so I buy the no float red tipped SPD-SL cleats.

The one drawback to SPD-SL is it's a little difficult to get into the pedals. If I raced crits a lot I'd want something different. I can click in easily except when I really need to, then I think about it and fumble it. For road races you don't need to sprint at the start so its not an issue.

mpre53 · May 6, 2014

ericm979 said:
The one drawback to SPD-SL is it's a little difficult to get into the pedals. If I raced crits a lot I'd want something different. I can click in easily except when I really need to, then I think about it and fumble it.

Oh, man, isn't that always the case. :wink:

tvad · May 6, 2014

ericm979 said:
The SPD-SL and LOOK cleats are different- they will not interoperate.

You're correct. My point, not well conveyed, was that the basic design and operation are similar. Therefore, if one likes the operation of Look pedals, and if one is considering Look by the fact they began the clip less pedal in cycling, then Shimano can also be considered due to the similarities between the brands.

I agree the Shimano pedals are a little difficult to get into...especially without looking. That was my experience with Dura Ace carbon pedals, and it's one reason I switched to Time. The aluminum Shimano pedals don't have this issue (and the older Dura Ace aluminum pedals are highly regarded...and can be found on E-Bay). From my experience, the difficulty has to do with the weight distribution of the carbon pedals, and the fact that they don't always hang with the front pointing up because of their light weight.

Marc · May 6, 2014

Trek_5200 said:
Things to consider are float, whether you'll be walking around and contact between foot and pedal. For over-all ability to ride and walk around I'd go SPD. for improved contact SPD SL, and for more float should your knees be sensitive, speedplay tends to work well.

OP that right there^^

/Happy Speedplay user

Mike T. · May 6, 2014

As a long-time & total Speedplay Zero user I'd consider them the last choice for a Newby click-in pedal. They are sensitive to dirt, cleat setup and cleat wear and they're one of the worst cleats for any walking at all.

Get adjustable release-tension Shimano - either road or mountain bike pedals, depending on how much walking you plan on doing. Another good choice would be a Crank Brothers Candy.

scottma · May 6, 2014

SPD and Speedplay are very different. I have bikes with both.

SPD is very simple, shoes are very good for walking around in. No float. Can be single or double sided entry
Speedplay has very smooth float, double sided entry, not great for walking in. I (my knees) prefer the Speedplay setup.

SPD doesn't mean "mountain" shoes and pedals. There are some very nice road specific SPD pedals and shoes.

bmwjoe · May 6, 2014

I have had great luck with Speedplay. I tried two other conventional pedals for about 5k miles and tried Speedplay X. I have no complaints. The double sided entry and adjustable float make them perfect for me. I have about 35k miles on them so far. (The cleats only last about 10k)

Ride Safe,

Joe

DrSmile · May 6, 2014

For someone who is new to clip-ins, I'd highly recommend SPD pedals (look for Shimano XT on sale for about $60) with Sh56 multi-release cleats. You need the multi-release cleats to minimize the falling over you're going to experience. I still ride that setup in sketchy road/weather conditions.

Once you get used to clip-ins I recommend Time pedals, I specifically prefer old school RXS pedals (look for "First RXS" pedals on sale for about $60). They have good float and are relatively comfy to walk on. You do have to replace the cleats almost once a year though. Note that the bolt pattern is different for SPD vs road cleats (2 vs 3 bolts) so you will need to also buy different shoes.

Sundog · May 6, 2014

Zeros were my first and only road pedals. They were super easy to adapt to for me - a total newb, with very little in the saddle time. I had a pro mount my cleats and set the float as part of a paid fitting session.

I suspect that I would miss the two sided entry more than anything if I went to a different system.

I have Keep on Kovers glued in place. I don't mind walking in them - for as little as I walk in bicycling shoes.

Dirt has not been an issue for me.

Still on my first set of cleats - just a couple of thousand miles in.

tednugent · May 6, 2014

scottma said:
SPD and Speedplay are very different. I have bikes with both.

SPD is very simple, shoes are very good for walking around in. No float.

SPD cleats has float. Sure, it's only 4°, but it still has float.

DrSmile said:
For someone who is new to clip-ins, I'd highly recommend SPD pedals (look for Shimano XT on sale for about $60) with Sh56 multi-release cleats. You need the multi-release cleats to minimize the falling over you're going to experience. I still ride that setup in sketchy road/weather conditions.

you don't "need" the multi-release cleat. It is a "nice to have" on a road bike.... it's nicer to have when learning to mountain bike. But the stock cleat is more than adequate to learn on.

cxwrench · May 6, 2014

scottma said:
SPD and Speedplay are very different. I have bikes with both.

SPD is very simple, shoes are very good for walking around in. No float. Can be single or double sided entry
Speedplay has very smooth float, double sided entry, not great for walking in. I (my knees) prefer the Speedplay setup.

SPD doesn't mean "mountain" shoes and pedals. There are some very nice road specific SPD pedals and shoes.

Wrong. SPD cleats have 4* float.

walldoggy · May 6, 2014

I am relatively new to cycling (less than a year) and never used road pedals before. I got Speedplay Zeroes with my bike and I think they are great. The Zero's have a 0-15 degree adjustable float. It can be changed by the shop. I especially liked the dual-sided entry so I don't have to worry about having the pedal on the right side of my cleat.

There is also an after-market cover called Keep on Kovers (Sundog mentioned them too) that will cover your cleat, yet still allow you to use them on the bike. No need to put them on before you walk around, or pull them off when you want to ride. They can stay you shoes on 24/7 and protect the cleat when walking around.

I highly recommend them, although i admittedly don't know how well the Shimano ones are since I've never used them.

Mike T. · May 6, 2014

DrSmile said:
For someone who is new to clip-ins, I'd highly recommend..........multi-release cleats. You need the multi-release cleats to minimize the falling over you're going to experience.

I can't think of a worse piece of advice for a clip-in pedal Newbie. To prevent pulling out at any angle when doing anything, the release tension has got to be set far too high. If the normal cleats are used with low enough tension, the problem is staying IN the pedals. People should learn to use clip-in pedals properly which takes very little time if any decent brain-to-foot connection is available.

nishu · May 6, 2014

Thanks, everyone, for all the advice!

This is for a road bike. I don't imagine having to walk too much, and I don't have any big knee issues that would require more float. It sounds like the best option for me is probably something like the SPD-SL with the standard cleats / amount of float.

Going to go to the shop this week to get it all set up. Thanks again!

New to Clipless Pedals: SPD vs. Shimano

nishu

tihsepa

tednugent

bikerjulio

tvad

Trek_5200

ericm979

mpre53

tvad

Marc

Mike T.

scottma

bmwjoe

DrSmile

Sundog

tednugent

cxwrench

walldoggy

Mike T.

nishu

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities