Alternative road pedals or stick to spds?

[HLaB]

I use 2-bolt 'MTB' style SPD's on all 6 of my bikes. I've got 3 or 4 pairs of shoes that cater for all eventualities, some much stiffer than others, but all comfortable and easy to walk in where needed. I've never tried SPD-SL so can't directly compare but I have no intention of swapping as I get on so well with what I have. On the road bikes I use single sided A-600 pedals which have a decent size platform combined with stiff soled Sidi shoes, I can't imagine SL's being worth the silly walk

I think folk over play the silly walk but with that set up I doubt you'd notice any significant difference to discover

 

[raleighnut]

As others have said there are plenty of stiff 2 bolt shoes out there just don't expect to get them at Aldi prices.

 

[Globalti]

Two bolt shoes have thick heavy rubber soles to create a deep well for the cleat so they are very different indeed from svelte, minimal road shoes.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Spd all the way. I use sod race shoes, super stiff, super comfy, super easy to walk in.

 

[Drago]

Two bolt shoes have thick heavy rubber soles to create a deep well for the cleat so they are very different indeed from svelte, minimal road shoes.

Not exclusively.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

My main interest is Audax. I have Sidi Buvels which are officially MTB shoes, but to the untrained eye you can’t tell when you are on the bike. But get off the bike and because I can walk like a human bean and don’t fall A over T it is more obvious.

Just cleaned them after a fifthy, peaty ride across the Somerset Levels yesterday, and I’ve become a bit more intimate with the state of the underneath of the soles. Based on those observations of the the wear and tear, I have without a shadow of a doubt, chosen the best shoe for my purposes. Road shoes would be wrecked.

 

[JhnBssll]

+1 for the Sidi Buvels

 

[boydj]

After years of using Speedplay Frogs and mtb shoes, I gave SPD-SLs a go a couple of years ago. The experiment lasted 3 months before I went back to the Frogs. There was no noticeable performance gain and cake stops became a bit of a problem.

 

[cosmicbike]

Tried SPD-SL for a year, found them no different on rides up to 100 miles than SPD, so switched the bikes to all SPD. Now I only have 1 pair of Summer shoes, and 1 pair of Winter boots.
I suspect for 99.9% of riders, sole stiffness, power transfer and all that will make absolutely no difference whatsoever.

 

[Ian H]

I use single-sided 'road' SPDs with stiff-soled MTB shoes for touring/audax events. For racing I use SPD-SLs. There's no discernable difference in efficiency between to two. Two pairs of shoes I have are identical except for the rubber soles on the MTB version.

 

[Pedropete]

Decent quality and well fitted XC shoes with carbon mid-soles and decent insoles = solid power transfer, good comfort without hotspots and absence of (or less pronounced) silly walks when off the bike. For the racing snakes and hillclimb head cases then there're undoubtedly gains to be had from even lighter, stiffer shoes with a bigger contact patch, but, for the remaining 99% of us, nicely recessed 2-bolt cleats are by far the best option.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I like the idea of SPDs, but I can,t get on with them. I find them harder to clip into than road clipless.

 

[Mr Celine]

I have SPD-SLs on my best bike and double sided SPDs on my commuter / winter bike. IMO -

SLs are much easier to clip into.
SLs are slightly harder to unclip, but unlike SPDs you can still unclip even with loose cleat bolts.
SLs make a deeply satisfying SNAP when clipping in.
SLs don't make the soles of your feet cold.

SPD cleats don't wear out.
SPD shoes can be used for walking.

As for power transfer, marginal gains etc ask your directeur sportif. If you don't have a DS your choice of pedals is not going to make a difference to your performance.

 

[pjd57]

Flat pedals on both bikes.
I'm not prepared to take the occasional tumble on to my 61 year old hips.

Hard sole shoes , but remember to take something else for walking in if needed. Blisters can be an issue

 

[boydj]

I like the idea of SPDs, but I can,t get on with them. I find them harder to clip into than road clipless.

You'd like Speedplay Frogs then - no springs involved.