Look & SPD

[Paul Westall]

Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct that Look and SPD are the main cleats?
Which do people prefer, pros and cons. Also, do most Campy pedals use Look cleats, or does Campy
have their own/ TIA Paul

 

[Ken]

"Paul Westall" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct that Look and SPD are the main cleats?
> Which do people prefer, pros and cons.

There are many others, especially Time. What's best for you depends on many factors, including what
you use them for, how much you want to pay, etc.

 

[A Muzi]

"Paul Westall" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct that Look and
SPD
> are the main cleats? Which do people prefer, pros and cons. Also, do
most
> Campy pedals use Look cleats, or does Campy have their own/

At one time both Shimano and Campagnolo sold Look rebadged pedals (a fine and sensible situation
which of course ended).

The current Campagnolo ProFit is a minor enhancement from Look's basic design ( the wearing edge is
metal/metal instead of nylon) in a smaller lighter body.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>, "Paul Westall"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct that Look and SPD are the main cleats?
> Which do people prefer, pros and cons. Also, do most Campy pedals use Look cleats, or does Campy
> have their own/ TIA Paul

It is fairest to say that Look and SPD are the two most popular systems, and further, that they
represent the two basic forms most other systems take.

Look is a wide, road-oriented, non-walkable cleat. Basically, it has a big plastic triangle for a
cleat that essentially becomes the sole of your shoe. This is exactly as easy to walk in as it
sounds, and you can identify serious roadies by their awkward but hilarious off-bike gait.

The upside is excellent power-transfer, very positive engagement, and a generally comfortable
pedalling platform.

SPD is a small, recessed cleat. In short, you usually get a basically normal shoe with an SPD cleat,
and you can walk around in them without trouble, more or less. The engagement is not as positive as
with a Look cleat, and some report that the narrower cleat causes "hot spots" on their feet. The
walkability is partly a convenience feature, and partly for MTBers who actually have to put their
feet down sometimes.

There are loads of variations. Both Shimano (SPD-SL) and Campy (?) have "Look-like" un-walkable
pedal systems for roadies. Lots of makers (Speedplay, Time) have cleat/pedal setups that are similar
to one or the other of these designs, or sometimes rather different, but generally are either
walkable or not. There are also clones (VP, Wellgo) that are completely compatible with SPD cleats
and pedals.

Of the SPD-style designs, XC riders have adopted the fairly new Eggbeater pedals as pretty much the
perfect design. Super-simple, four points of entry, and very mud-friendly, which is something you
can't say about ordinary SPD.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

Paul-<< Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct that Look and SPD are the
main cleats?

Road SPD have not been made by shimano for a while. Ritchey makes a road SPD clone but not shimano.

The main road pedal systems that we see now are-

LOOK Campagnolo shimano-SPD-r and SPD-SL Speedplay Time

There are others but these are the most popular, IME.

<< Also, do most Campy pedals use Look cleats, or does Campy have their own/

Similar to LOOK cleats but unique to Campagnolo pedals.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[crush]

A dumb q have felt a hot spot - got some (used) spd-r or -l (not in front of them now) but the
length of the axis the distance from the threads to the pedal seem ~2cm greater - putting my feet
farther apart! Methinks this is not a good thing! Is there a purpose in this desgn? tnx Chuck

 

[Eddie Flayer]

Shimano does make the A515 which is a one sided spd pedal. I would consider this an spd road pedal.
I was using spd's and then thought I'd try Looks. Once I got clipped into the Looks I was
comfortable. Sometimes getting in quickly was less than easy and sometimes at lights I nearly bought
the farm due to the slippery plastic cleat and slippery shoe bottom. I have since switched back to
spd's on all 3 road bikes. I'm a bit concerned about hot spots with spd's but have recently
purchased my first new pair of shoes in about 5 years and hope new Sidi Dominators will be
comfortable.

[email protected] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Paul-<< Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct that Look and SPD are the
> main cleats?
>
> Road SPD have not been made by shimano for a while. Ritchey makes a road SPD clone but not
> shimano.
>
> The main road pedal systems that we see now are-
>
> LOOK Campagnolo shimano-SPD-r and SPD-SL Speedplay Time
>
> There are others but these are the most popular, IME.
>
>
> << Also, do most Campy pedals use Look cleats, or does Campy have their own/
>
> Similar to LOOK cleats but unique to Campagnolo pedals.
>
>
>
>
> Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
> (303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Tim McTeague]

I am using SPD 959 pedals on my road bike, I bought them for my Mt bike and, after testing on the
road bike, did not take them off. My Sidi Dominators have a very stiff sole and I have had not "hot
spot" issues. Still, the Sidis make me walk a bit gingerly as they are so stiff and have hard
plastic tread pieces. It's nice to be able to clip in quickly at lights and not have the shoe skid
off if my cleat/pedal alignment was slightly off the way I did with Looks.

Tim

"eddie flayer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Shimano does make the A515 which is a one sided spd pedal. I would consider this an spd road
> pedal. I was using spd's and then thought I'd try Looks. Once I got clipped into the Looks I was
> comfortable. Sometimes getting in quickly was less than easy and sometimes at lights I nearly
> bought the farm due to the slippery plastic cleat and slippery shoe bottom. I have since switched
> back to spd's on all 3 road bikes. I'm a bit concerned about hot spots with spd's but have
> recently purchased my first new pair of shoes in about 5 years and hope new Sidi Dominators will
> be comfortable.
>
>
> [email protected] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Paul-<< Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct that
Look
> > and SPD are the main cleats?
> >
> > Road SPD have not been made by shimano for a while. Ritchey makes a road
SPD
> > clone but not shimano.
> >
> > The main road pedal systems that we see now are-
> >
> > LOOK Campagnolo shimano-SPD-r and SPD-SL Speedplay Time
> >
> > There are others but these are the most popular, IME.
> >
> >
> > << Also, do most Campy pedals use Look cleats, or does Campy have their own/
> >
> > Similar to LOOK cleats but unique to Campagnolo pedals.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
> > (303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Kbh]

that dangerous slippage, combined with walking like a goof is driving me away from Look. I have the
one sided Shimano 'road' pedals and while they're nice, there's no reason not to go double sided.

"Tim McTeague" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I am using SPD 959 pedals on my road bike, I bought them for my Mt bike
and,
> after testing on the road bike, did not take them off. My Sidi Dominators have a very stiff sole
> and I have had not "hot spot" issues. Still, the Sidis make me walk a bit gingerly as they are so
> stiff and have hard
plastic
> tread pieces. It's nice to be able to clip in quickly at lights and not have the shoe skid off if
> my cleat/pedal alignment was slightly off the
way
> I did with Looks.
>
> Tim
>
> "eddie flayer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Shimano does make the A515 which is a one sided spd pedal. I would consider this an spd road
> > pedal. I was using spd's and then thought I'd try Looks. Once I got clipped into the Looks I was
> > comfortable. Sometimes getting in quickly was less than easy and sometimes at lights I nearly
> > bought the farm due to the slippery plastic cleat and slippery shoe bottom. I have since
> > switched back to spd's on all 3 road bikes. I'm a bit concerned about hot spots with spd's but
> > have recently purchased my first new pair of shoes in about 5 years and hope new Sidi Dominators
> > will be comfortable.
> >
> >
> > [email protected] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > > Paul-<< Can someone enlighten me about pedal cleats? Am I correct
that
> Look
> > > and SPD are the main cleats?
> > >
> > > Road SPD have not been made by shimano for a while. Ritchey makes a
road
> SPD
> > > clone but not shimano.
> > >
> > > The main road pedal systems that we see now are-
> > >
> > > LOOK Campagnolo shimano-SPD-r and SPD-SL Speedplay Time
> > >
> > > There are others but these are the most popular, IME.
> > >
> > >
> > > << Also, do most Campy pedals use Look cleats, or does Campy have their own/
> > >
> > > Similar to LOOK cleats but unique to Campagnolo pedals.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
> > > (303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <PCFpa.617106$S_4.664847@rwcrnsc53>, "KBH" <[email protected]> wrote:

> that dangerous slippage, combined with walking like a goof is driving me away from Look. I
> have the one sided Shimano 'road' pedals and while they're nice, there's no reason not to go
> double sided.

Or four-sided, as with the very light and popular Eggbeaters. If you're looking for walkability and
not invested in a pedal system already, there's no reason not to use them on a road bike, too.

My only current excuses for not buying Eggbeaters is that I already have three pairs of SPD pedals,
and I like the Shimano DX platform SPDs for mountain biking.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Risto Varanka]

A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
: At one time both Shimano and Campagnolo sold Look rebadged pedals (a fine and sensible situation
: which of course ended).

: The current Campagnolo ProFit is a minor enhancement from Look's basic design ( the wearing edge
: is metal/metal instead of nylon) in a smaller lighter body.

Does that mean that you could buy one pair of shoes, and use it with all kinds of Look-clones:
Shimano, Campy ProFit and so on?

--
Risto Varanka | http://www.helsinki.fi/~rvaranka/ varis at no spam please iki fi

 

[Kbh]

I've begun peeing on the bike as well, stopped though

Yes, its all about the recessed cleat with a rubber soul.

"Paul Southworth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:lA_pa.34729$A%[email protected]...
> In article <bn_pa.335715$OV.364680@rwcrnsc54>, KBH <[email protected]>
wrote:
> >Does safe slippage seem less odd?
> >
> >Congratu^%&inglations to Look, but the combination of smooth, hard
plastic
> >shoe bottoms and smooth hard metal pedals can caused some painful mishaps getting clipped in.
> >Sometimes its nice to just put your pedal down and
get
> >clipped in _after_ you cross the intersection, and that's easier
(possible)
> >with SPD
>
> I really don't agree with this analysis - I have been using both SPD and
Look
> for many years and I find Look is vastly easier to clip in on the first
try,
> and I find that if you use a road bike shoe with a smooth sole, they slip easily on SPD pedals.
> Only shoes with some rubber on the bottom are much good for pedalling while unclipped.
>
> >As for walking, depends on what your priority is. If its difficult to go **** in the woods, much
> >less hike up a hillside to get a view or walk
more
> >than 12 feet to accomplish something, then those aren't very useful shoes for anything but being
> >on the saddle, and part of the fun of riding recreationally is checking stuff out.
>
> I have no problem taking a **** in cleats, why does that require walking?
>
> I agree that SPDs with a rubber-soled shoe are a lot better for walking. But a smooth-soled road
> shoe with no rubber lugs still sucks for walking even if it has SPD cleats on it.
>
> --Paul

 

[A Muzi]

> A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> : At one time both Shimano and Campagnolo sold Look rebadged pedals (a
fine
> : and sensible situation which of course ended).
>
> : The current Campagnolo ProFit is a minor enhancement from Look's basic design ( the wearing edge
> : is metal/metal instead of nylon) in a smaller lighter body.

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Does that mean that you could buy one pair of shoes, and use it with all kinds of Look-clones:
> Shimano, Campy ProFit and so on?

No. Campagnolo's ProFit cannot use Look cleats nor the reverse. Shimano's new design is slightly
out-of-plane so it can't engage Look cleats either

As mentioned here today regarding SPD, pedal designers go out of their way to ensure
imcompatibility. This relates both to design patents and to obstinance, IMHO.

Notice that Welgo's (Ritchey) cleat is damn near compatible with SPD - just enough to hurt someone.
And Exus' excellent Look type pedal will perform flawlessly with Look black cleats but will not
release red ones. ( I am one of the three people on earth to use Look black cleats which is how I
discovered that)

I am convinced that Look's prescient 1980's design is the consummate clipless design for riding
bicycles. Since other people have other criteria besides riding bicycles( selling pedals, walking
after riding, etc) there are other pedals to suit those needs and they are not Look-compatible.
--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Captain Dondo]

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 13:10:49 +0000, Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

> The main road pedal systems that we see now are-
>
> LOOK Campagnolo shimano-SPD-r and SPD-SL Speedplay Time

While I'm usually a Campy fan, I use Speedplay pedals. The float is great, and clipping in and out
is easier than any other system I've tried. The power transfer is about as solid as you want.

The big cleat eliminates hot spots, and lasts lots longer than the Look cleat.

The only drawback is the price. They are way too expensive - but worth
it.

They are also sensitive to dirt. The cleats easily get pack with dirt, and then you have a problem
clipping in.

Just about everyone I know who has tried Speedplays has stayed with them.

-Dondo

 

[Per ElmsäTer]

KBH wrote:
> I've begun peeing on the bike as well, stopped though
>
> Yes, its all about the recessed cleat with a rubber soul.
>

Rubber soul. Now that is just too much ))))))

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

 

[Risto Varanka]

A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
: <[email protected]> wrote in message
: news:[email protected]...
:> Does that mean that you could buy one pair of shoes, and use it with all kinds of Look-clones:
:> Shimano, Campy ProFit and so on?

: No. Campagnolo's ProFit cannot use Look cleats nor the reverse. Shimano's new design is slightly
: out-of-plane so it can't engage Look cleats either

I was thinking more of shoe/cleat or shoe/pedal relationship. Say you have a Shimano shoe that's
listed as "Look-compatible", so could you put a Campy Profit cleat on it and happily go with
Campy pedals?

Maybe that's not very close to ideal... I hear even using some Shimano shoes which can take Look
cleats is less than ideal. (Shimano was primarily thinking of their own cleats.)

--
Risto Varanka | http://www.helsinki.fi/~rvaranka/ varis at no spam please iki fi

 

[A Muzi]

> : <[email protected]> wrote in message
> : news:[email protected]...
> :> Does that mean that you could buy one pair of shoes, and use it with all kinds of Look-clones:
> :> Shimano, Campy ProFit and so on?

> A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> : No. Campagnolo's ProFit cannot use Look cleats nor the reverse. Shimano's new design is slightly
> : out-of-plane so it can't engage Look
cleats
> : either

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I was thinking more of shoe/cleat or shoe/pedal relationship. Say you have a Shimano shoe that's
> listed as "Look-compatible", so could you put a Campy Profit cleat on it and happily go with Campy
> pedals? Maybe that's not very close to ideal... I hear even using some Shimano shoes which can
> take Look cleats is less than ideal. (Shimano was primarily thinking of their own cleats.)

Most modern road shoes can accept either two-bolt or three-bolt cleats. I don't know of any current
Shimano road shoes that can't accept a Look or Campagnolo cleat.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Frank121]

I have Shimano SH-R072 road shoes that work with Look cleats/pedals, but I don't think they are
listed on the current Shimano site.

I bought a pair a year or so ago from a bike shop when I was out of town (no LBS here) and liked
their width (wider than others I had tried, which I liked, but not mega-wide) so well I just bought
two more pair from Penn Cycle:

http://penncycle.com/site/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1178

Maybe other local bike shops have them too.

Frank

"A Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > : <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > : news:[email protected]...
> > :> Does that mean that you could buy one pair of shoes, and use it with all kinds of
> > :> Look-clones: Shimano, Campy ProFit and so on?
>
> > A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> > : No. Campagnolo's ProFit cannot use Look cleats nor the reverse. Shimano's new design is
> > : slightly out-of-plane so it can't engage Look
> cleats
> > : either
>
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I was thinking more of shoe/cleat or shoe/pedal relationship. Say you have a Shimano shoe that's
> > listed as "Look-compatible", so could you put a Campy Profit cleat on it and happily go with
> > Campy pedals? Maybe that's not very close to ideal... I hear even using some Shimano shoes which
> > can take Look cleats is less than ideal. (Shimano was primarily thinking of their own cleats.)
>
> Most modern road shoes can accept either two-bolt or three-bolt cleats. I don't know of any
> current Shimano road shoes that can't accept a Look or Campagnolo cleat.
>
> --
> Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971