spd-sl vs. look

magicbastarder

thoughts?
i've been using SPDs for fifteen years, mainly due to two reasons - inertia and commuting. currently building a bike which will be for leisure spins only, so will probably move away from SPDs for that bike. as i'd need new shoes and pedals, i have no preferences either way, so interested to hear if there's any consensus on what people favour.

the main issue i'd have with SPDs (i think) is the smaller contact point with the pedal, which is not an issue while commuting, but becomes more apparent when in the saddle for half an hour, becomes more of a pinch point.

eeeee

SPD-SL's. They've been bullet proof. Cleats last ages, nice big platform, adjustable.
I don't think there's much between them tbh. If anything at all.

H.E. Pennypacker

It’s easier to keep everything the same so that cleat position and stack height is consistent. Why do you want to change? If you want to be adventurous, then Speedplay might be worth a look.

Wishbone Ash

I use Look as that's what I used first and never changed. I've had pedals break a couple of times. I believe SPD/SL's are a bit more robust.

H.E. Pennypacker wrote: »

It’s easier to keep everything the same so that cleat position and stack height is consistent. Why do you want to change?....

He's changing from SPD's to SPDSL/Look (i.e. MTB shoes to road shoes - not from one type of road system to another).

nordicb

In my opinion the pressure point issue is related to the sole of your current shoes, it is too soft. Stiffer sole shoes would sort it out, but they are also more expensive.

SPDs give a feeling of foot moving freely in all planes pivoting at the center of cleat, neither spd-sl or look system have that - the foot is a lot more attached and contact surface is larger. Front of Look pedals is a little shorter than spd-sl.

I tried Look few times, different cleats, but always switch back to spd-sl. They feel better to me, with blue cleats.

For some reason a lot of power meter pedals use Look cleats.

Borderfox

I went from Look back to spd and much prefer them, no problems with the contact point even up to 8 hours on the bike

magicbastarder

cheers all!

outfox

One big difference between SPD and road pedals is that SPD are two sided, so clipping in is fractionally quicker, which is useful in traffic. I don't think you can get two sided Look or SPD-SL pedals, although I could be wrong. If there is a two sided option with one of those, it's worth considering.
FWIW, the split between Look and SPD-SL in my club is about 40-50 (or maybe even 30-60), with the remaining 10% using SPDs.

Borderfox

The other thing I like about spd pedals is that you can move the cleat further back towards the middle of your foot

rollingscone

I started off on Look Keos and couldn't get on with them.

SPD-SL just seemed to rotate the right way up more easily for clipping in and have just enough surface for my clown feet to stay on then when not clipped in.


Honestly though unless you're racing (not me) or a hideous ogre (me) I'm not sure I'd reccomend proper road pedals over classy looking SPD pedals (A600s) and good looking stiff road shoes that'll take a two bolt cleat.

Boscoirl

Have SPDs on my first road bike as my drive was too uneven to cycle up and liked the recessed and metal cleat

recently got my drive tarmaced and got Look Keo on my new bike, and have noticed a difference, but it took a while to get the hang of clipping in again, and looking at my plastic cleats they are fairly battered now after the few sportives I have done recently and wondering how long more I'll get out of them, I have done about 700-800Km on them(sportives take more out of them then clubs spin as you do more walking), where as I have done 10k Km on the metal cleats.

C3PO

My commuter (SPDs) is in need of major TLC so I've been riding a road bike (Looks) in and out of the office over the last few days. I'm surprised how much of a pia the Looks are for use in the "stop start" of commuting!

magicbastarder

i do have a pair of SPDs i was hoping to use (possibly temporarily) on a spare bike, but since the pedals have not been taken off that bike in about 15 years, chances of success may be slim.