Mtn bike pedals for a road bike ... stupid or not?

For $'s sake and convenience I would recommend getting another set of pedals and just stick with SPD's.

If you plan on doing more than 20 - 30 clicks in a session then road shoes benefits start to kick in. I find road shoes hold your feet better allowing you to put more power through the cranks on the uphills to maintain speed and gear without windmilling like you do on a MTB.

I have road pedals/shoes for my roadie because the shop did an awesome deal on a very light pair of road shoes that are super comfy with some 105 pedals.

As an aside - I ride out with my Epic jersey and water bottles on the road for training sessions and get ignored by the other roadies :D
 
I use SPD pedals on my (roadie) commuter with mtb shoes. The main advantage for me is I have to do a bit of walking up and down steps in the car park at work and on the Sydney Harbour bridge and this is much easier in mtb shoes than road shoes.

The commuter is slow enough as it is so a slight loss of power through a less rigid sole is not an issue.

I have two pair of shoes: one for mountain biking and commuting and a pair of road shoes with carbon soles for use with my weekend warrior roadie.
 
Though I do see the advantage of running SPD's and love them on my MTB, I run a pair of Ultegra pedals and Shimano R132 road shoes and love them twice as much on my roadie. Super stiff and i've found clipping in not as much of a pain as I initially thought it'd be. Having said this though, I do work at a bike shop so the purchasing of multiple pairs of pedals/shoes doesn't cost me the earth.
 
I had ridden MTB for a few years before I got a road bike, and when I firsted started road riding and then racing, I was just using SPD MTB pedals and shoes because I didn't want the extra expense of another pair of shoes and pedals. I did eventually get road shoes and pedals after a few years of road racing - the difference is there but it's not that big of a difference. I mainly notice the difference in a sprint with the extra contact area on the pedals with the road shoes and cleats (and a bit of extra stiffness in the shoes). It's certainly not stupid to use MTB pedals and shoes on a road bike. You wil notice the difference with road shoes and pedals but it is minimal.
 
sunsoar77 said:
As an aside - I ride out with my Epic jersey and water bottles on the road for training sessions and get ignored by the other roadies :D
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I wore knee high socks on a chilly ride back in May and my road riding group still mention it :p maybe I should bring out the fairy wings 24hr event style...
 
if your riding to work mtb spds are fine. also the fact they have a bit of movement and are easier to get in and out of make them safer in heavy traffic etc as you can move and unclip with less effort
 
i dont see a problem with it....

i often commute on my roadie in tshirt and boardies... not the best for comfort, but ultimate convenience...
 
wazzaa said:
i dont see a problem with it....

i often commute on my roadie in tshirt and boardies... not the best for comfort, but ultimate convenience...
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Doesn't look very "Euro Pro" though.....

Back to the original topic of this thread, has anyone seen the Shimano PD-A600 pedal for sale in Australia? It appears to be an Ultegra level pedal similar in concept to the A520 I referenced in post #12.

Oldbikerider.
 
I ended up getting roadie shoes/pedals.. but really.. doesn't make *that* much difference IMO. Noticeable improvement, but worth it? Probably not for a commuter. Probably for a racer. Definitely for John Candy. Oh yeah.
 
If you're doing enough riding on the roadie, I reckon its definately worth getting a pair of SPD SL road pedals and shoes.

I reckon that the road pedals/shoes provide a larger platform or contact area between your foot and the pedal allowing you to generate more power, especially when you're hammering it.
 
I just ordered these;
http://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/EXSSPN999

I have no idea how they will go. But shoes and pedals for $80 is $20 less than the LBS wanted for another set of spd pedals.

I just got my first road bike. It's a lot different and the handling will take some getting used to. But back on topic, I wanted to try the road shoes as the mtb pedals felt a little wobbly. I think I would like a more solid feel on the roadie. So I will find out.
 
Ive recently gone from road pedals and shoes to MTB SPD's and MTB shoes to flats and five tens on both my MTB and Crosscheck (my roadie). Im actually getting so old im considering those Shimano SPD sandals. All up though - SPD's are fine.. the beauty of cycling in the individuality it allows.......
 
I use to commute on my road bike with CB Eggbeaters. I then changed to SPD-SLs but have since returned to CB Quattros. I have CB pedals on all of my other bikes (except the dirt jumper which has flats); let's me use any of my shoes on any of my bikes.

If I was using the bike more for races and the like, I'd probably think of using 'proper' road pedals. For commuting, SPD style pedals and shoes work better for me; especially as I might drop in at Coles or Woolies on the way home and SPD shoes are so much easier to walk in.
 
I train with (mtb) SPDs on my road bike, only coz I don't have anything else. They work a treat.

The reduced contact patch is possibly noticeable. But there is no way that the reduction in transmitted power would equate to any measurable reduction in speed in the real world. Unless it is on your racing bike, there is no issue.
 
drasnian said:
I train with (mtb) SPDs on my road bike, only coz I don't have anything else. They work a treat.

The reduced contact patch is possibly noticeable. But there is no way that the reduction in transmitted power would equate to any measurable reduction in speed in the real world. Unless it is on your racing bike, there is no issue.
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my experience has been the complete opposite - in the last month i've transitioned from quattros to speedplays on my road bike and the difference has been very significant and noticeable. i've had a noticeable improvement in my standard training loop and i think that's largely down to the pedals. i find the platform is sturdier thanks to the increased contact area and i'm less prone to rolling my ankles outwards. i seem to be able to use my calves a lot more effectively than i could with the quattros. i've had a few friends who i log a lot of kays with comment about how much cleaner my pedal stroke looks.

i think it may have a reasonable amount to do with the person though - i have a fair amount of pronation of the ankles (i think that's what it's called) and i've long had an issue with keeping my lower leg rigid while pedalling.

but yeah, i agree with you on the main point - the difference for the majority of riders is so small that the convenience of common pedals and sensible shoes is the better way to go.

i think it's as much to do with gone is
 
+1 for the A520s

Not wanting to buy a second pair of shoes I bought the Shimano A520s when I bought a roadie for commuting. They're great, easy to clip into despite being one sided and are comfortable on long rides and as other comments noted its easy to walk in mtb shoes.
Recommended.
 
Oldbikerider said:
On a road bike I prefer the wider contact platform of a road pedal. These Shimano A520 pedals are SPD compatible, but still offer the wider support, so you can use the same SPD shoes, but get ergonomics similar to a road pedal. The mechanism appears identical to XT/XTR pedals, but they have the additional cage for shoe support. I use them on my road bikes. They are single sided, but after wearing in they flop to a position that is easy to hook your foot over and in to the mechanism.

Oldbikerider.
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A520's are a great in between compromise. I use them on my w/end roadie,and the standard 520's on my commuter for double sided ease.same pair of shoes for both.
 
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