Sorry, for the cross post, but I have a quick question for y'all, i have a pedal decision to make! I have my first proper road bike on order, a Bianchi, which i'm planning to use for a duathlon and a few long rides at the weekend. It comes with shimano spd touring pedals. Question is, should i bother upgrading the pedals? At the moment i have a pair of spd shoes, so not sure if its worth the extra cash for both pedals and shoes - was considering Shimano Ultegra (spd-sl) pedals, which I can source for little extra cash... Any opinions? Thanks! Tom

one word. Keos. Fantastic pedals. Very light, will last you for years and years, and are easy to clip in and out of. I have the "sprint" version. I see no reason to get the carbon or ti versions. Few people need more spring tension than the sprint provides and the weight difference is negligible.

I heart my lollipops. I don't have anything exotic, just x5.

one word. Keos. Fantastic pedals. Very light, will last you for years and years, and are easy to clip in and out of. I have the "sprint" version. I see no reason to get the carbon or ti versions. Few people need more spring tension than the sprint provides and the weight difference is negligible.

I've used Look pedals since the '80s with (literally) no problems. I'm on my second pair now, and am looking at the Keo for my next set.

If the bike comes with SPDs and you have shoes that will work with them then go with what you have. The only real advantage that road bike pedals will give you is a bit less weight and a larger platform. The weight thing is not an issue, really, and a stiff sole will negate the platform thing.

Down the road you may wish to upgrade and if you do there are tons of pedals out there that will work great for you. I use Look Keo pedals on my road bikes and I'm very happy with them but my commuter and mountain bike have SPDs and it works great for me.

If the bike comes with SPDs and you have shoes that will work with them then go with what you have. The only real advantage that road bike pedals will give you is a bit less weight and a larger platform. The weight thing is not an issue, really, and a stiff sole will negate the platform thing.

Down the road you may wish to upgrade and if you do there are tons of pedals out there that will work great for you. I use Look Keo pedals on my road bikes and I'm very happy with them but my commuter and mountain bike have SPDs and it works great for me.

This is the best advice. Ride the bike, race the bike w/ the SPDs they'll be fine. People use them all the time. You might want to upgrade later on but that's a decision best made after you've got some experience under your belt.

Cool, thanks for the advice.

I got some cheap Ritchey pedals with my road bike and used them for a few years. Got sick of them so I asked for recommendations on here - I was looking at Speedplays, but so many people said Keos that I went for a pair.

They're great. Very light, easy to clip in and out of, and they have a great feel to them. I went with the Sprint models because I had a Performance coupon, but I'd say the Classics are nearly identical.

Honestly, I don't know how anyone can use the SPD system. Very difficult to clip into. KEO and the shimano systems beat it hands down.

Buy the new pedals. Well spent money.

Crank Brothers Quattro is another nice pedal and it often can be found inexpensively on ebay. Nice platform, 2 side entry, float, secure, have released only when asked. I like mine a bunch.