Road Vs MTB Clipless Pedals: Which Are Best For You?

Clipless pedals are a great upgrade. But would you be better opting for road bike pedals or clipless mountain bike pedals? Road pedals are bigger and single sided, whereas MTB pedals are smaller and you can clip into both sides. Si and Manon take you through the advantages and disadvantages of each type to help you decide which are best for you!

00:00 Intro
00:47 What are clipless pedals?
01:49 Road pedals
02:39 MTB pedals
03:07 Cleats
05:16 Cycling shoes
07:46 Mixing bike & pedal types
08:55 MTB pedal types
09:28 Which are best for you?

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[andymow]

Always used SPDs on my road bike. Can actually walk in them when I need to.

[andrewdeaconrides]

I went clipless (SPD-SL) when I bought my first road bike. I liked so much being clipped-in, so I bought a set of SPD pedals & a pair of shoes for my MTB.
Then I realised that SPD is the way to go: it's nicer to be able to clip in from both sides of the pedal and you can walk in those shoes.
For now I still use SPD-SL on my road bike, but after I'll upgrade to a new one, I'll go with SPD for sure.

[mjtpli]

For the recreational rider I would definitely recommend the SPD pedals with platform pedals on one side. Not only do they give you the option of riding in sneakers (sorry, “trainers”), but also when starting though an intersection you can power through before clipping in once safely across. Faffing around trying to clip in in the middle of a busy intersection is… not fun.

[Joettcrow]

You can also get SPD / Flat pedals, which I personally love in stop and go traffic. Sometimes I don't want to fuss w/ clipping in and out at every light or behind every car, so I can just put my foot down on the flat and get ok power. Once I've got some road ahead of me I can clip in and get focused riding.

[ahkl]

SPDs for 3 decades - the only pedal similarity between my different bikes.

Shimano nailed this.

[HeibesHealth]

Having tried both, my absolute favorite is SPD. I have Specialized mountain bike shoes with the SPD cleats because they’re recessed in the shoe, and the shoe itself has great grip to the ground.
I can clip and unclip out of the SPD much faster. I tried the Wahoo Speedplays at one point, but I had the worst time clipping in and out of them, so those were an expensive fail for me.
EDIT: I use SPDs and mountain bike shoes on a road bike, and I’ve never been more comfortable.

[gregmuon]

Fun fact. Shimano originally marketed SPD pedals as road or MTB pedals. They were trying to avoid paying licensing fees to Look. When Look's patent ran out, they rebranded SPD as mountain bike pedals.

[ColKlim]

I know this video is sponsored by Shimano, but Crankbrothers makes some awesome mtb and gravel pedals as well. Specifically, the eggbeaters still feel fast on the paved sections, but offer much more versatility when off-roading.

[julianw]

I think it's worth mentioning that on the mountain bike system you have "float", a little bit of movement of the shoe whilst still being clipped in. That could make it more comfortable especially if you have joint problems.

[balintargyelan]

I am a triathlete and I really like SPD pedals because it allows walking or even running on short distances. While the others are struggling with their road bike shoes being already clipped on the pedals and having to run barefoot, I can just zoom past them in my SPD shoes. And getting on the bikes with the shoes already on the pedals can be really tricky, I've seen really nasty falls caused by the shoes hanging from the pedals. I love and would absolutely recommend SPDs for short course triathlon, because its more comfortable and doesn't or hardly looses any time in transition compared to road shoes.

[tomnewham]

One point that wasn’t mentioned was that for a beginner using clipless for the first time, the MTB system is the way to go. There are two types of Shimano cleats with the silver ones easier to clip out of than the black ones that were shown in this video.

[lucborot]

I was taught pedalling at the cycling school of the Paris Jacques Anquetil velodrome 50 years ago, on track and road. We used clips with leather straps and cleats that had to be nailed to the shoes. I stopped biking in the 80s and when I returned, I discovered the clipless systems with joy gratitude. Having experience of the 3 systems (including the ancient one ;) ) and being more on the touring than racing practice, I confess a preference for the MTB system, for walking in particular, whether in town or on muddy or rocky paths.
The greatest virtue I find in the road system is that the platform being longer and wider, pressure feels like it is more directly applied to the pedal and energy gets more efficiently transferred to the bike.
Sorry to be long, but one thing more: I'm not nostalgic of the ancient system at all, especially as now I'm in my mid-60s and my leg joints have undergone much wear and tear. Being able to fix the cleats and pedals with a bit of lee way allows my feet to twist a bit on the bike to avoid excessive tension in the oinees and ankles, and this I am thankful for.

[Bertie..]

Stopped using clipless on all my bikes, MTB, road, gravel . Switched to flats. So much better than clips, power transfer surprisingly same, lots more freedom. Only took me 30 years to figure it out!

[chaoticinsanity]

No matter what clip in style you choose. Don’t forget to clip out when coming to a stop. When in doubt nothing beats a good old fashion flat pedal. As always happy riding everyone.

[Paul]

I’ve used both systems and it’s SPD all the way for me. One pair of shoes for my road bike and my XC bike. They’re plenty stiff enough for the road, don’t get wrecked off road and you can walk in them. What’s not to like.

[zwiftgalaxyhunt]

I use spd es600. Spd pedals but with road cleat sized platform, the best of both worlds. Can walk normally when off the bike which is a must when commuting!

[njsarn]

I agree that the gravel or MTB shoes with their respective SPD Pedals are most practical. One key advantage is the use of SPD MTB system in the city, as it allows one to use both sides of the Pedals. The road shoe&pedal system to me is quite dangerous. At the traffic lights, if I failed to clip on my other side at the start, the road shoe WILL slide off the pedal if on the wrong side. Better yet, Shimano EH500 with one sided clip and flat on the other side is fantastic for city and town. Because the flat side will allow the MTB shoe to lodge into the Pedal's flat side without clipping (little known Shimano EH500 feature). That means one can unclip one side ahead to a stop, yet the MTB shoe won't slip out coming to a full stop or following start.

[deansimpson]

I started with a mountain bike and when I got into road biking it was easier to keep the SPD pedals on everything. That said, I have never felt the need to get road pedals. Thanks for your explanation, it was well done!

[codyfrendle]

Thanks for this. Straight and to the point and exactly what i needed.

[philipcooper]

I use flat pedals on my road bike, and I'm not even ashamed.