Changing over from SPD/MTB to Road Shoes

Cakewheels

I've noticed I've been getting some foot pain and also read that the power transfer is better with proper road shoes, so thinking of changing since I need some new shoes anyway. But...

Does it take long to get used to the difference? Are proper road shoes harder to get in and out of or is the movement exactly the same? Is it back to the start in terms of practice?

What happens when you really have to walk, particularly in case of mechanical problems and/or very steep hills? In my bashed up second hand MTBs it wasn't a problem to either walk up a short part of Mahon Falls in Waterford (and down a short stretch when the brakes or rims were so overheating I was risking a blowout) and much more seriously to walk down a long stretch of Truskmore TV mast climb after my brake levers failed, but I'm worried about how this would work out in road shoes.

Does anyone have any experience of cleat covers? Do they help much with grip or only with protecting the cleat a bit? And what happens to the rest of the shoe?

Finally any advice on reasonably priced road pedals?

Raam

Never walk up a hill, ever. Even if you don't have a bike.

Road style pedals are easy to get used to. They can be a bit more fiddly to engage but you hardly ever have to do that on a typical spin.

Brake levers rarely fail.

Cleat covers save the cleat and nothing else.

Lumen

Of the three sorts I've used recently (Time, Speedplay, Shimano SPD-SL) the Time were very expensive and snapped, the Speedplays were expensive and fiddly to set up, and the Shimanos have proven cheap, reliable, and easy to walk in but are hard to clip in to in a hurry.

Cakewheels

Thanks. One other question is do you know what if any the difference might be between the Shimano SPD-SL R540 and the R550 pedals? The 550 are a little more expensive but I can't tell what one gets for it? If it's just weight I'll pass, but if they are more adjustable or easier to clip into that would be worth it.

fits

I'm a total noob and bought these pedals. Tried them for first time last night and had absolutely no problem with them. They are fine! shimano R540 light action

http://www.wiggle.com/shimano-pd-r540-spd-sl-light-action-pedals/

t'bear

I am a recent convert from SPD to SPD SL, the new ones took a little while to get familiar with the clip out side of things, the clip in is simple. Do play around with the release tension on the clip out as I found them a little more fiddly to dis-engage. The SPD's are still on the winter hack and I have used them a few times and going back to use SPD was even easier.

In short, there is very little difference. Do pay attention to the comfort of you new shoes though, these are much stiffer to get around in when not on the bike, and you look daft whilst walking

WillyFXP

loughgill wrote: »

Thanks. One other question is do you know what if any the difference might be between the Shimano SPD-SL R540 and the R550 pedals? The 550 are a little more expensive but I can't tell what one gets for it? If it's just weight I'll pass, but if they are more adjustable or easier to clip into that would be worth it.

Weight, the 550's have a resin body, the 540's a metal body. Both are adjustable for tension and will be the same to clip in/out of.

Wishbone Ash

loughgill wrote: »

....What happens when you really have to walk, particularly in case of mechanical problems and/or very steep hills?...

On excessively steep hills where speed is down to single figures, you can't beat a pair of tightly clamped SPD SL's as an incentive to keep moving rather than face the slow fall of shame as you try to disengage before the bike begins to roll back!

Generally SPD's will clip and unclip a little easier than SPD SL's.

when the brakes or rims were so overheating I was risking a blowout

Wouldn't really happen in Ireland. Tends to be a feature of very long descents which we don't have.

after my brake levers failed

I be more concerned about how BOTH brakes failed rather than worrying about walking.

diomed

loughgill wrote: »

What happens when you really have to walk, particularly in case of mechanical problems and/or very steep hills?

Does anyone have any experience of cleat covers? Do they help much with grip or only with protecting the cleat a bit? And what happens to the rest of the shoe?

Finally any advice on reasonably priced road pedals?

A few years ago on my first cycle of the year I got two punctures within a mile. I had one new tube but no repair kit. A three mile walk in cleats was no good for the shoes, and I had to re-cut the bolt threads. Walk in your bare feet imo.

I have cleat covers. Seldom used. Perhaps ok to go from a car park into a building, and back to the car. But you could do that in trainers.

I use Look Keo easy pedals on all my bikes. They are not adjustable. I had adjustable pedals, but one of them exploded into a pedal body and a collection of bits during one ride. I spent at least half a sweaty hour trying to put the collection together again.

Cakewheels

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

On excessively steep hills where speed is down to single figures, you can't beat a pair of tightly clamped SPD SL's as an incentive to keep moving rather than face the slow fall of shame as you try to disengage before the bike begins to roll back!

Generally SPD's will clip and unclip a little easier than SPD SL's.


Wouldn't really happen in Ireland. Tends to be a feature of very long descents which we don't have.

I be more concerned about how BOTH brakes failed rather than worrying about walking.

It happened to at least one other person on the same stretch of Mahon Falls on the same day. I passed him waiting for somebody to come and bring him a new tyre. It was a hot day.

Only one brake lever failed, that was a typo. But I didn't think it would be safe to keep going down with only one? I did for a very short stretch and then decided to walk. Truskmore is currently number 5 over on the "Toughest Climb in Ireland" thread. The levers were admittedly very old, but even when I took them to the LBS the guy couldn't see anything visually wrong with them. Replaced them anyway.
The main point was just that I find it hard to accept the 'never walk' doctrine is always practical and was wondering how people have managed in sticky situations.

07Lapierre

loughgill wrote: »

It happened to at least one other person on the same stretch of Mahon Falls on the same day. I passed him waiting for somebody to come and bring him a new tyre. It was a hot day.

Only one brake lever failed, that was a typo. But I didn't think it would be safe to keep going down with only one? I did for a very short stretch and then decided to walk. Truskmore is currently number 5 over on the "Toughest Climb in Ireland" thread. The levers were admittedly very old, but even when I took them to the LBS the guy couldn't see anything visually wrong with them. Replaced them anyway.
The main point was just that I find it hard to accept the 'never walk' doctrine is always practical and was wondering how people have managed in sticky situations.

The Brake lever broke or did the brake cable snap? (I suspect the cable snapped)

Cakewheels

07Lapierre wrote: »

The Brake lever broke or did the brake cable snap? (I suspect the cable snapped)

No, the lever worked itself extremely loose, coming away from the handlebars and bending in all directions. I'm fairly sure the cable was fine as when some other cyclists I bumped into kindly tightened the lever for me at the bottom of the hill it was ok for a while, where as I presume if it was anything to do with the cable they would have had to replace it? It worked for the way home and maybe another 60km after that before it happened again, the second time on a much less severe slope. That's when I replaced it.

Cakewheels

Well my new shoes and pedals have arrived, but (only leaning against a wall so far) I am finding them harder to clip out of than SPDs, even with the tension set very low. The first time I tried they got so stuck I thought the whole cleat was going to snap off, it felt very flimsy. I used to put teflon spray on the old metal SPD pedals and cleats, but I'm not sure what if anything to put on the new plastic ones?

The Halford's website on the page for Muc-Off dry chain lube lists cleats amongst many applications. If that is right for plastic cleats it would be handy as I have some already, but I'm not sure it's right as not seeing it elsewhere online? Some other sites seem to talk about more solid bike grease as being the thing?