Is it feasible to use mountain bike style Shimano SPD pedals on a road bike rather than SPD-SL style pedals?
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Question by Jack S: Is it feasible to use mountain bike style Shimano SPD pedals on a road bike rather than SPD-SL style pedals?
I am looking to upgrade to Shimano SPD clipless pedals on my road bike and am pretty stuck with regards to the right ones to get!?
All of the road specific pedals I have seen (SPD-SL style) use a different cleat mechanism to the mountain bike pedals (such as the M520) but I much prefer the mountain bike shoes which have a smaller cleat and are much easier to walk in! I was just wondering if it is feasible to use a mountain bike style SPD pedal on a road bike or if pedals like theA520 are a kind of compromise between the two?
Best answer:
Answer by Bob A
There are a lot of people that use SPD pedals on their road bike. It much easier to walk around with the recessed clip. I use the PD-M520 pedals on my mountain and road bike so i can use the same shoes.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Shimano PD-M647 clipless/caged pedals*, blk/sil pr
- Material (Spindle): Chromoly, Pedal Color: Black/Silver, Pedal Material: Forged/Steel, Pedal Spindle: 9/16-Inch
- Pedal Style: Clipless, Size: 9/16-Inch, Spindle: CrMo, Unit of Sale: Pair, Weight: 565g
Dual sided (30-degree pop-up) clipless engagement bindings. Adjustable cleat tension (uses SH51/SH56 cleats). Open design clears mud/debris for consistent clip-in action. Large resin composite cage accommodates non-cleated shoes. Sealed, ball bearing design.
Rating: 
(out of 1 reviews)
List Price: $ 139.99
Price: $ 101.50
2012 Shimano Deore XT SPD Clipless Pedals PD-M785 Trail "New"
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5 Responses to “Is it feasible to use mountain bike style Shimano SPD pedals on a road bike rather than SPD-SL style pedals?”
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Yes it is. I use a Crank Bros candy pedal on my road bike and of course I have seen this done many times over since the threads are all 9/16″ on all pedals anyway you will be fine. I would recommend the m520 over the A for the simple reason that you wont have to fumble with it to get in to it otherwise either one will work fine and the A will save you weight too but not much. You can get the M for about the same price if you shop it. I prefer a 4 sided entry and that is why I choose CB over Shimano but use what you like.
Touring cyclists have done this for years. I have the Speedplay Frog pedals and they have worked like a champ. I personally love the extra range of float that only Speedplay pedals give you. The only problem is that the cleats do stick out a little so they make some noise on concrete and you wouldn’t want to wear them on wooden floors.
Ride a road bike, wear MTB shoes. To make matters more confusing most shoes are compatible with a range of cleats/pedal combos.
Your cleat must match the pedal. Most shoes will work with most pedals. I just refer to have more room around the toes due to a foot injury.
There are no pedal police. You can put any pedals on your road bike that you want. Many people like the SPD cleat on road bikes because they can use the same shoes for road or mountain biking. On the road, SPD style cleats won’t make you waddle like a duck like the SPD-SL or Look style cleats. The only negative thing I’ve heard about SPD style cleats on the road is that they have a small contact patch which can cause discomfort on very long rides.
HTH
Review by M. Schooley for Shimano PD-M647 clipless/caged pedals*, blk/sil pr
Rating:
This pedal is silky smooth for exiting, either pushing your heel inward or outward, after you break it in.
A major plus is you can power across intersections even not clipped-in. You can do some single-track with sketchy sections not clipped in, when you want to get your foot on the ground instantaneously.
When you want to clip in, you never have to look down, or flip the pedal to orient it.
It’s nice for being able to walk around with a recessed-cleat mtb shoe.
I use these on my MTB and road bike.