Right now, I’m favoring Shimano SPD-SL for the wider surface and of course the reputation of Shimano products. I know virtually nothing about LOOK, but don’t want to discount them entirely because I may be uneducated about a great product.

With your thoughts about the pedals, please provide input on shoes if you have any.

My price range is about 100 bucks on the pedals/cleats, maybe 150-200 on the shoes.

Thanks.
Borracho111 – I searched and looked at items you referenced, and most referred to switching from road to mountain biking, using MTB shoes on a road bike, etc. None of them really compared the different styles or contrasted their strengths/weakness. Thanks for your input (I don’t know who gave you the thumbs down, but it wasn’t me)
SoCalBiker – Thanks for the heads-up on the Speedplay system; I will definitely investigate further.

B S – I’m not looking for a Tri-specific setup at this time. I’m completely an amatuer right now, and my transition times aren’t as much a paramount concern as comfort, rigidity, and quality.

My LBS has the Look system, so I will check them out. I think based upon what I’m hearing, the standard "narrow" SPD is out. SL, Look, and now Speedplay are the options. Thanks.

I’m using spd’s on my mountain bike shoes for triathlons right now. This was my shoe set up when I bought the bike to RIDE and get exercise on. I haven’t changed the "set-up" since getting into triathlons last year, I really NEED to switch out. The only advantage of my current set up is "It’s easier to run in mountain shoes than road shoes".

However, triathletes normally DON’T run in their bike shoes. <== (emphasis period) They train leaving their shoes attached to their bikes. Run barefoot out of Transition area and mount putting their feet in their shoes while beginning the riding. Same with dismount, you unstrap your shoes before the jump area and dismount barefoot (or with socks if you must) and run back into the transition area without shoes.

If your new to Triathlons, your transition time might not sound so important to you, but a 4 minute T1 (transition1 means changing from swim to bike) really adds up the seconds. Becoming an expert and practicing your T1 and T2 can cut as much as 5 minutes off your overall sprint distance time.

Bottom line, the LOOK or spd-SL systems are the way to go. I don’t know anyone who uses the spd-SL as the LOOK system appears to be the top choice at tri scenes I go to.

For me, when I do finally upgrade to tri shoes (which will be soon), I’ll be going with the cheaper LOOK pedals (grey for about $80) and one strap tri shoe, instead of the 3 strap I have now, (performancebike.com has a cheap Lake brand tri shoe for $60 right now). I’ll go cheap here because the equipment will get scratched up and dented doing triathlons, no matter how much you practice. Keep your espensive Sidi’s for actual road and training rides.

If price is no objective, the carbon bottom tri shoes.. $200 to 300 from brands like Shimino, Sidi, Pearl Izumi; all champ.. are a better pick as they are lighter. In a triathlon, lighter is better, which is why carbon everything is the best you can get, but also expensive.

Hope this helps

Road Cycling Shoes/Pedals – Shimano SPD, SPD-SL, or LOOK? is a post from: Shimano Bike Shoes

Bob Roll on Shimano Bike Shoes

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