Which cleats for my new bike?

okenny

Hi Guys,

I am awaiting delivery of a new carbon tri bike.....of course for my new bling bike I will need pedals and shoes.
Which type of cleat do you guys use? Is the SPD-SL better than the SPD style?

I want to get a pair of proper tri shoes to go with the bike.
Thanks!

ris

If you are buying tri-shoes then you might find the decision is made for you; I think that most of them are 3-bolt fittings (spd-sl's or look type cleats) rather than allowing for the spd 2-bolt.

Personally, I prefer the stability of connection that the spd-sl/look clear has over an spd, particularly on longer rides.

Zacnici

Bling bike needs bling pedals n cleats - Look seem tasty (carbon of course)

shadowone1

very little to gain with buying carbon pedals. The weight gain which is grams doesn't justify the extra cash.

I looked at look carbon and ended up with look keo classics. In my opinion, keep the cash and don't bother with carbon pedals.

Zacnici

Bling bike - bling carbon - saving a whole 15grammes per pedal of rotational mass

Whilst I agree that 'carbon blindness' can overtake common sense if you are going to 'go for it' the difference bewteen the Look polymid (£39 cheapest) and carbon pedals ((£85 cheapest) is less than £50 and IMHO if you are pulling out all the stops then I would stretch my budget to get them. Saving 30g may not sound much but it is rotational mass and worth 4 times as much as weight saving on the frame.

But there again in the vast scheme of things would that make me appreciably faster - probably not - although I have spoken to a couple of guys who have them and swear they do feel lighter (placebo?). At £39 I reckon the Look Keo classics are V good value use the same axle as the carbons AFAIK and a whooping 70g lighter than the Shimano R540s. But if you have an extra £46 knocking about nothing blings like a carbon bling

Blinkybaz

RED ones. (dont let conehead read I wrote RED again, He seems to be after me to make me think naked black is quicker)
Anyway bling it up with some look pedals in carbon. Gone on its worth it. A good loking carbon machine need good looking pedals!

Gracelynpaul

Definitely go to your local bike shop and get them to help you. You don't want to order shoes and pedals online. In general, if you were uninjured, you'd want to select shoes you like first. That would narrow your choices for cleats which fit the shoes and pedals which fit the cleats. But because of your knee injury, you will want to consult with a knowledgeable bike person who can advise you about lateral float. Many pedals are adjustable as to how much you can turn your foot before the cleat disengages from the pedal.

This is an important health decision for you, so don't skimp and don't buy blindly online. Go to a shop, try on several pairs of shoes, and let them educate you about pedals and cleats. Buy all 3 items together as a matched set. The shop will be happy to install the new pedals for you.

AK

What about Speedplay pedals/cleats? Anyone using these?

They look compelling (especially the double-sided clipping in, does my head in every time I miss the right side of my pedal pulling off red light..), but I'm slightly worried that the cleat mechanism in the shoe would not be Triathlon-friendly.