Advantages of SPD vs. Look

[[email protected]]

Mark
That's really clever, I saved it.
Tnx, Jon

 

[RonSonic]

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 01:26:56 GMT, Mark Janeba
<[email protected]> wrote:

>[email protected] wrote:
>
>> Mark
>> How did you modify your shoes? W/ rubber cleats glued to the sole, or
>> glued & screwed? What brand glue? How did you insure that the screws
>> were deep enough to hold, yet not so deep as to penetrate in to your
>> foot. Every time I've had a shoe shop glue anything onto any of my bike
>> shoes it's always come off w/in a few days even though they always bob
>> their heads up & down numerous times assuring me that it will stay
>> glued.
>> "Frustrated w/ glue on shoe soles," John
>
>OK, it was a bit too hard to describe in words only, so I took some
>pictures and wrote it up:
>
>http://home.comcast.net/~mandmlj/ShoeLugs/

Wow.

Ron

 

[A Muzi]

> "Pete Biggs" <pwrinkledgrape{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>>I find Looks more comfortable and secure than SPDs for recreational
>>cycling. In fact they are heavier than some SPD pedals.

Jenn wrote:
> "More comfortable" is pretty vague. What is more comfortable about Looks?

Engage/release is smoother. More positive, too.
Look pedals hang, by default, always in the right position
to catch your cleat positively the first time, no flailing.

Comments about 'hot spots' relate to soft shoes and SPD. If
you ride good quality road shoes SPD cleats won't have 'hot
spots'. But then walking is more ungainly in a stiff shoe,
too. YMMV.

I say 'YMMV' because there's no single answer.
Riders weight various aspects differently. Since I don't
care about walking in my cycling shoes I ride Look. Other
reasonable people who value that feature chose SPD.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[A Muzi]

Mark Janeba wrote:
> I've modified my commuting shoes with huge rubber lugs that *almost*
> eliminate cleat contact with the ground - but these are using the
> long-obsolete "Y" look cleats. I'm not sure if the "delta" cleats would
> clear the lugs.

Oh, I liked those!
Too bad no one makes shoes that way any longer - or did you
find one?


--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Mark Janeba]

A Muzi wrote:
> Mark Janeba wrote:
>
>> I've modified my commuting shoes with huge rubber lugs that *almost*
>> eliminate cleat contact with the ground - but these are using the
>> long-obsolete "Y" look cleats. I'm not sure if the "delta" cleats
>> would clear the lugs.
>
>
> Oh, I liked those!
> Too bad no one makes shoes that way any longer - or did you find one?

Naw, it's a kludge[1] job, but it's worked well for me for many years.
Check out the pictures at:
http://home.comcast.net/~mandmlj/ShoeLugs/
Sidi Dominator 2's were compatible with the 2-bolt LOOKs, but that's the
last shoe I've heard of that was.

As for the "Y" LOOK cleats, I almost think I have the last sets on
earth. Bought the last ones I could find on the internet about 2 years
ago. As it is, the shoes will probably die before I run out of cleats
now.

Then I have to decide whether to try to kludge up another pair, find a
set of MTB shoes compatible with any kind of LOOK cleat, put lugs on a
pair of road shoes, or (gasp!) switch to SPD.

[1]Kludge (klooj): To design, build, or assemble in a makeshift fashion,
also "bodge"

Mark Janeba

 

[Arthur Harris]

"Bonehenge" wrote:
> "Art Harris" wrote:
>>
>>Yes, but even if the bike doesn't break down, you're going to have to (or
>>want to) walk some on a long ride (food/rest/bathroom breaks). I have
>>Looks
>>on all my bikes, but if I had it to do over, I think I'd go with SPDs.
>
> I love my Speedplay X pedals, but I have to say they're in the same
> boat as your Looks when walking is required. Sticking the cleat
> covers into my pockets isn't a big deal.
>
> The ferry ride you took sounds like Hike NY. For an event like that,
> I'd use the 'cross bike and mountain shoes.

No, we crossed LI Sound going over to CT.

> ONE bike? I'd think about what I'm doing the most and go with that.
> Not sure? SPD's or ATACs and mountain shoes. I find good shoes with
> very stiff soles can spread the contact area of the cleat along the
> foot and make for better riding. Truly "walkable" shoes stink for
> long rides, as the sole is too flexible.

Well, this thread cost me some money. After thinking it over, I ordered some
SPD M 520 pedals and Shimano T092 shoes. I'm going to try the SPDs on one
bike to see how I like it, and leave the Looks on the others for now. I'll
choose which bike to ride depending on how much walking I anticipate.

I've been on Looks since they were the only game in town, but the squeaking
and duck walking are starting to bug me. Put some SPDs on my wife's bike
last year, and have been secretly envious ever since. ;->

Art Harris

 

[[email protected]]

The Speedplays are good pedals, but the cleat mechanism is still the
weak point. The Look pedals have adjustable float. Now that Look has
dramatically lowered the weight they have a big advantage over the
speedplays.

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
Bonehenge <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, 2 Jan 2005 12:57:06 -0500, "Arthur Harris" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >Yes, but even if the bike doesn't break down, you're going to have to (or
> >want to) walk some on a long ride (food/rest/bathroom breaks). I have Looks
> >on all my bikes, but if I had it to do over, I think I'd go with SPDs.
>
> I love my Speedplay X pedals, but I have to say they're in the same
> boat as your Looks when walking is required. Sticking the cleat
> covers into my pockets isn't a big deal.
>
> I have Time ATAC pedals on my mountain and 'cross (commuter & winter
> road) bikes, and use mountain shoes with them. The 'cross bike has
> platform ATACs, so I can ride that with street shoes if I want. For
> true road bikes, I prefer the X pedals.
>
> The ferry ride you took sounds like Hike NY. For an event like that,
> I'd use the 'cross bike and mountain shoes.
>
> ONE bike? I'd think about what I'm doing the most and go with that.
> Not sure? SPD's or ATACs and mountain shoes. I find good shoes with
> very stiff soles can spread the contact area of the cleat along the
> foot and make for better riding. Truly "walkable" shoes stink for
> long rides, as the sole is too flexible.

I'm not buying this one, and neither is Jobst. There are flexible-sole
shoes out there, but I ride, commute, and race on a couple pairs of AXO
shoes with SPD cleats, and they are very stiff. I have had no problems
so far with hot spots, and the sole is very thick plastic.

The AXOs I have (a set of Downhill high-top shoes, and a set of
"Blackball" low-cut shoes, which are fairly light) push to nearly the
other end of the scale: the soles don't flex much, so I wouldn't want to
walk too far in them (longest walk was a couple km), but they work very
well and aren't slippery or awkward to walk in.

The classic one here is that one day a 20' section of road on our club
ride was closed to cars, blocked by a steel box about 3' tall, While the
other riders gingerly clip-clopped around the side of it, I, to their
horror, unclipped, jumped up onto the box with my bike, and jumped off
the other side. I didn't even think about it, but the difference was my
rubber-soled SPDs versus their Look cleats.

Some people do report problems, but if you look around randonneur rides,
you'll see a lot of SPD cleats.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

 

[[email protected]]

On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 12:08:55 -0500, "Arthur Harris"
<[email protected]> wrote:


[snip]

>I've been on Looks since they were the only game in town, but the squeaking
>and duck walking are starting to bug me. Put some SPDs on my wife's bike
>last year, and have been secretly envious ever since. ;->
>
>Art Harris

Dear Art,

As has been discussed:

Homer: Marge, you being a cop makes you the man...which
makes me the woman. I have no interest in that, besides
occasionally wearing the underwear (which, as we discussed,
is strictly a comfort thing).

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/2F21.html

Jo--er, Homer Simpson

 

[A Muzi]

>>> Mark Janeba wrote:
>>> I've modified my commuting shoes with huge rubber lugs that *almost*
>>> eliminate cleat contact with the ground - but these are using the
>>> long-obsolete "Y" look cleats. I'm not sure if the "delta" cleats
>>> would clear the lugs.

> A Muzi wrote:
>> Oh, I liked those!
>> Too bad no one makes shoes that way any longer - or did you find one?

Mark Janeba wrote:
> Naw, it's a kludge[1] job, but it's worked well for me for many years.
> Check out the pictures at:
> http://home.comcast.net/~mandmlj/ShoeLugs/
> Sidi Dominator 2's were compatible with the 2-bolt LOOKs, but that's the
> last shoe I've heard of that was.

> As for the "Y" LOOK cleats, I almost think I have the last sets on
> earth. Bought the last ones I could find on the internet about 2 years
> ago. As it is, the shoes will probably die before I run out of cleats now.
> Then I have to decide whether to try to kludge up another pair, find a
> set of MTB shoes compatible with any kind of LOOK cleat, put lugs on a
> pair of road shoes, or (gasp!) switch to SPD.
> [1]Kludge (klooj): To design, build, or assemble in a makeshift fashion,
> also "bodge"

I've got plenty of cleats (red & black). Ran out of shoes to
sell.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971