Spd or Road shoes

[Basil.B]

Can't decide between getting a pair of spd shoes or Road shoes.
I was all set to get some spds as I have bought spd pedals already.
But now I'm not sure.
All my cycling is on the road.

 

[twozeronine]

SPDs are fine for road cycling (they're what I use). I have some road shoes (SPD-SL), but I found them too much of a pain to walk in. From what I can tell, SPD-SL just offer a greater transfer of power, so if you need that little bit extra (for racing or whatever), then they may be for you; otherwise I'd just go with SPD. The only problem with SPD is that there's not a big selection of road-style shoes.

 

[Hydra]

I ride on the road, and I wear SPD shoes. These to be precise. They do the job fine and they're easy to walk in off the bike, which is something I was mostly concerned with.

From what I understand though most/some road shoes are compatible with SPD cleats. I may be wrong though...

 

[HLaB]

From what I understand though most/some road shoes are compatible with SPD cleats. I may be wrong though...

Some but not most and those which are treacherous; walking with a small metal cleat non reccessed is like walking on ice!

In response to the OP,

I have SPD-SL (Road Cleats) on the Bianchi and for me the slight advantage over basic SPD's is that the bigger plate provides for more comfort on longer journeys and slighlty more energy transfer (but that is mainly due to stiffer road shoes). The Major drawback however is walking off the bike.

On my other road bikes however, I use A520 (touring pedals) which removes the smaller platform difference (plus IMO they look good on a road bike ) and wear a pair of stiffered soled Spesh BG MTB SPD Sport shoes which minimalises the power difference. The advantage of this system you can still walk.

I prefer the latter A520/ BG sports (SPD) combo tbh and use it nearly all the time on club runs or on solo rides and touch wood nobody has ever accused me of being slow

 

[rusty bearing]

After much looking into this I bit the bullet and got a pair of these and frankly I'm well chuffed with'em.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-rt81-spd-touring-shoes/
But check for best price, the Wiggle link is just for illustration. Like all Shimano get next size up.
I use them with the single sided A600 pedal although that took me a while to get used to after using double sided.

 

[PaulSecteur]

I'm going for the shimano rt81 when funds allow. I think the cheapest I have seen them is 66 kwid from ribble.

 

[Sleeping Menace]

+1 on SPD's..
I have a pair of road shoes and cleats.. and absolutely loathe trying to walk in them, even in the little plastic covers..

I've found SPD's so much more usable, that they're now on everything including my TT bike, simply because I've repositioned the seat, and acclimated to the position and I can't say I'm convinced I'd gain much by going back to road pedals.



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Cycle related blog entries, including a few 5 minute reviews:
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[Randochap]

SPDs are fine for road riding and certainly easier to walk in. I'd say--seeing as you've bought the pedals--try them, you'll probably like them. There are lots of good combos to choose from--I'm also fond of Speedplay pedals--but you can't go far wrong with SPDs and they tend to be more friendly for new clipless users.

 

[Banjo]

I have a pair of dhb road shoes with an SPD cleat.Great on the bike Not good for walking in so if I intend walking I wear a pair of SPD mountain bike shoes.

The spd cleats are cheaper and last longer than some of the more racing orientated cleats.

My link

 

[briantrumpet]

I'm going for the shimano rt81 when funds allow.

Nice shoes - these are the ones I use on my proper rides. I use SPDs both on all my bikes, and am quite happy doing rides of any length on them - nice and easy for commuting, and perfectly comfortable for long rides.

 

[twozeronine]

After much looking into this I bit the bullet and got a pair of these and frankly I'm well chuffed with'em.
http://www.wiggle.co...-touring-shoes/
But check for best price, the Wiggle link is just for illustration. Like all Shimano get next size up.
I use them with the single sided A600 pedal although that took me a while to get used to after using double sided.

They look very nice! I've been trying to find good SPD shoes that have that fastener thing instead of just velcro.

 

[adscrim]

You can get a 'road' spd cleat to make walking a little easier with road shoes and spd cleats - it's basically a plate that goes over the cleat, extending out either side to hold a small piece of tread.

See here

 

[Clandy]

I wear a pair of Specialized Tahoe MTB SPD shoes. They are as comfortable as trainers, excellent on long rides, and very good for walking. http://www.bikeradar...-shoes-10-39644

 

[NorrisCole]

Road shoes FTW.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

depends what sort of riding you do. if it's long distances with just café stops, use road cleats. if you're going to be stopping lots or incorporating walking into the ride (as in you're riding somewhere, or you expect to be pushing up a hill at some point), then spd is probably best unless you carry normal shoes to change into…

it does always amaze me that other club riders i know will wear spd for a fifty mile ride with about 10 yards of walking at the café stop. even look deltas are walkable enough for that, and are much better for the rest of the ride for reasons outlined in previous posts.