SPD: Mountain vs. Road



Ronanmk

New Member
Apr 28, 2005
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Hello everyone. I currently have two bikes, one mountain, one road. I have SPD mountain pedals on both, so I can go by with just 1 pair of shoes.

The upgrade itch is back and I'm considering getting road-specific pedals and shoes.

Is the difference between them worth it?

Thanks!
 
1 pair of SPD shoes will work with both, and that's what I use. In my case, I have SPD pedals on both my road bikes and haven't had any problems using them on the road.
 
Ronanmk said:
The upgrade itch is back and I'm considering getting road-specific pedals and shoes.

Is the difference between them worth it?
Most road specific pedals have much bigger platforms than mountain style SPD's. This makes them feel a lot more stable, and distribute the load across your foot better. Road specific shoes also tend to be lighter than mountain shoes.
 
artmichalek said:
Most road specific pedals have much bigger platforms than mountain style SPD's. This makes them feel a lot more stable, and distribute the load across your foot better. Road specific shoes also tend to be lighter than mountain shoes.

As a newbie, I asked no questions when my lbs salesman put me into mountain bike shoes with SPD cleats for my new road bike. But months later I see little downside. The cleat is fully recessed, so I can walk normally and comfortably off the bike. Recently an REI footwear salesman mistook them for light-hiking shoes, and thought they looked "cool." They're just fine on the bike also, even on long rides. Only possible downside is that they're a bit heavier than the best, much more expensive, road shoes.
 
I use Cyclecross shoes for both my MTB (which I commute on) and my Road Bike (which I race with). I can't afford Look or Time shoes and pedals and my bikes came with SPD. They seem to work fine for me and I ride my road bike in 86 KM races without any problems. The Cyclecross shoes are great as they are stiff but easy to walk in and are fine for racing.
 
artmichalek said:
Most road specific pedals have much bigger platforms than mountain style SPD's. This makes them feel a lot more stable, and distribute the load across your foot better. Road specific shoes also tend to be lighter than mountain shoes.
True, but you can get some pretty nice MTB shoes that work just fine with SPD's. These are the one's I have. With a Carbon Fiber Sole they are super stiff and distribute the weigth well.

http://www.zappos.com/n/p?dp=2829582
 
bernmart said:
As a newbie, I asked no questions when my lbs salesman put me into mountain bike shoes with SPD cleats for my new road bike. But months later I see little downside. The cleat is fully recessed, so I can walk normally and comfortably off the bike. Recently an REI footwear salesman mistook them for light-hiking shoes, and thought they looked "cool." They're just fine on the bike also, even on long rides. Only possible downside is that they're a bit heavier than the best, much more expensive, road shoes.
It's years later for me, but my experience is identical. I even race in my MTB shoes now. The dual sided entry and recessed cleats make SPD systems a good entry choice for clipless pedals IMO. It only took me a couple instances of seeing people fall on their butts while walking on wet pavement to convince me of that.
 
frenchyge said:
1 pair of SPD shoes will work with both, and that's what I use. In my case, I have SPD pedals on both my road bikes and haven't had any problems using them on the road.
Ditto. I like being able to walk around in MTB shoes.
 
IEatRice4Dinner said:
got SPD's here and i love them
I'm leaning towards staying with the SPD. For my kind of riding (60 miles/week) looks like I don't need any road-specific shoes. Plus, I like to walk around in them when off-bike (nearly impossible in SPD-R)

Thanks!
 
I use both sorts (-SL and MTB-type) regularly. The road platform is much nicer to ride with, but the shoes are a pain for walking on. There is a new Shimano pedal that appears to combine the best features of both sorts; I can't remember the name.