Road and off-road pedals
Road and off-road pedals
With the development of Shimano Pedaling Dynamics (SPD) in 1990, off-road cyclists were introduced to a more efficient way of clipless pedalling.
With a double-sided entry system allowing the rider to quickly clip in on either side of the pedals, SPDs have some advantages over single-sided road pedals, especially in the walking department, and there are now off-road systems offered by a large number of manufacturers, including Crank Brothers, whose Egg Beater pedal (pictured above) offers four-sided entry.
Of course, road cyclists are not expected to walk any further than from bike to cafe, so off-road pedals remain firmly in the hands (feet?) of mountain bikers and commuters, yeah? Not quite. Some road riders prefer to use SPDs, particularly on a winter bike, due to their robustness and grime-shedding ability. Shimano also have a range of ‘touring’ pedals, which offer single-sided SPD entry, with a cleat mechanism on one side and a flat platform on the other, so you can ride with cleats or normal shoes.
Besides walking, the other thing that road cyclists don’t do is unclip from their pedals anywhere near as often as off-road users. This is where the one-sided road pedal comes into its own – it only requires one working side. This shifts the overall weight advantage sharply towards road pedals. Road pedals also use a larger cleat area, which provides a larger contact area to transfer power and ensures that pressure is more widely dispersed around the sole of the shoe, alleviating any potential hotspots in your feet. Sleek-looking road pedals also fit in with the sleek road bikes that they are designed for; horses for courses, you might say.
What else should you consider when buying clipless pedals?
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