SPD-SL on MTB?

StevieGriff

Long story short, I'm a muppet and ended up ordering two pairs of Shimano R540 pedals as I'm starting to get into Road Biking after MTBing for years.

I've always used flats on the MTB as I've never felt I needed SPDs, is it worth throwing the second set of SPDSLs on my hardtail or should I just sell them on?

I imagine SPD-SLs wouldn't displace mud as easily as SPDs and would be a bit hard to clip in and out of on the trails and of course impossible to walk in but I'm not one to walk my bike anyway.

Any advice much appreciated!

Tenzor07

Sell the road pedals and get MTB spd's

Scrappy600

I don't think over ever seen a MTB shoe with spd sl fittings and you'd surely ruin a set of road shoes in no time on a MTB on trails?

Darkglasses

Definitely don't run SPD-SLs on MTB, you'll easily sell/trade them for SPDs.

seamus

Scrappy600 wrote: »

I don't think over ever seen a MTB shoe with spd sl fittings and you'd surely ruin a set of road shoes in no time on a MTB on trails?

You're more likely to ruin knees and elbows first. Road shoes have grip on the heel and that's about it. The rest of the sole is typically very smooth plastic. The first time you attempt to put your foot down on a wet rock or a piece of loose soil, you'll find yourself hitting the ground.
Get rid. If they're new in the box, you should only lose about a fiver on them.

Popoutman

SPD-SLs are a lot slower to come free than SPDs, and you may end up getting into a situation as a result. With the correct cleats on the SPDs there are more ways to unclip which (for me anyway) makes it easier and faster to come free when I need to, but I don't get unclipped accidentally.

Add to this the road shoes are pretty poor for off-road stuff because the cleats are very proud of the soles compared to MTB cleat shoes that generally have them inset in the sole.

Pinch Flat

And make sure you get double sided SPD pedals (i.e. that will take cleats on both sides)

Popoutman

However, another option would be to use MTB SPD pedals on your road bike..

I do this as I have one decent pair of SPD shoes and I don't see much advantage to my having two sets of different SPD shoes and pedals.
I also have a personal preference for how the MTB SPDs disengage and engage.

It's a pity that the two standards require different shoes i.e. the SPD-SL compatible shoes will not take an MTB cleat.

Eamonnator

Popoutman wrote: »

However, another option would be to use MTB SPD pedals on your road bike..

I do this as I have one decent pair of SPD shoes and I don't see much advantage to my having two sets of different SPD shoes and pedals.
I also have a personal preference for how the MTB SPDs disengage and engage.

It's a pity that the two standards require different shoes i.e. the SPD-SL compatible shoes will not take an MTB cleat.

NO, NO, NO.
Rule 34 applies.

Popoutman

I think we know different rule 34s!

(This rule is one I am more than happy to break. There's no really good reason other than personal choice for one over another to me. I do more miles off-road than on-road at the moment anyway, as my avatar might suggest)