Over the years, bikes and cycling brands have tried to develop their items to be more efficient for their customers.
specialty, with the quick technology evolution every day.
The SPD pedals, with no doubt, are one of the great developments that the Shimano brand has adopted.
This particular design is coming with a different layout than what we used in the flat pedals.
And we believe that cleats are the main character of this product, as they can get fixed to your shoes and pedals for sustained movement.
Many bike riders prefer the SPD pedals system over the other ones.
So, are spd pedals worth it? what makes SPD pedals special? And are they worth the whole attention they have been getting?
Couldn’t they be inconvenient or dangerous sometimes?
Let’s find that out in the following titles.
Are SPD Pedals Dangerous? Let’s Know The Answer
The main composition in the SPD system is the cleats.
Those supports have been created to have more control in the shoes fixing into the pedals while bike riding and they’re perfect for the matter.
They also provide you with a much more powerful performance because of the stabled sole in your feet.
Those are all the good qualities in SPD cleats.
But we would like to let you know that you may also face some difficulties with the SPD pedals or cleats.
For example:
While taking one of your exciting rides, and with your adrenaline flowing, you may face some unexpected incident on roads or gravel.
And even if it’s just a light one, you will want to be able to be in control of moving your feet out of the cleats to protect yourself. And that’s exactly what could be challenging to do with the cleats.
Overall, SPD cleats are great for cycling but keep in mind that it can get risky sometimes.
Let’s now know if there are some differences in the SPD cleats and pedals.
So, Do All SPD Cleats Fit All SPD Pedals?
Usually, the SPD system has been developed to fit the 2 bolts cleats system, but you can still find some variations in shoe or pedal cleats.
So, Not all SPD cleats fit all SPD pedals.
You have to search for the suitable ones for your fit.
But how about the SPD-SL system? Does it work the same?
Do SPD-SL cleats work with SPD pedals?
The two systems, SPD and SPD-SL are built completely differently.
And as we mentioned before, SPD-SL works with the 3 bolts cleats, and SPD only works with the 2 bolts cleats.
Some of the time, you can fit the SPD-SL cleats into SPD pedals, but it is not long-term advice.
Therefore, SPD-SL cleats can barely work with the SPD pedals.
Are all SPD cleats compatible?
The simple answer is: No. Not all SPD cleats are compatible.
These cleats are made up based on many factors, and the main one of them is the float degree.
Shimano has been able to create the 3 popular colored code cleats that have different criteria.
And with that being said, SPD cleats are not all compatible.
Let’s dig in more to know the SPD system concept, about their pedals and shoes.
What Are SPD Pedals And Shoes? Let’s Find Out
The SPD system consists of a combination of clipless pedals with specific cleats that can be attached easily to the bottom of the cycling shoes.
And there are a large number of options in the SPD cleats based on your need, but these work better for your MTB adventure.
The SPD pedals and shoes don’t come with the cleats, so you have to purchase them separately, and that’s good news, so you don’t have to change your pedals or shoes frequently.
We have talked about the SPD pedals enough, but we want to know what they look like in their appearance.
What do SPD pedals look like?
The SPD pedals come in a triangle shape, with a wider surface to cover the bottom of the shoe.
It can have 2 or 3 bolts in its cleats.
Here’s a video attached down below for a better demonstration of SPD pedals:
So, now what is the benefit of choosing SPD pedals? Let’s know that right away
Why use SPD pedals?
The Shimano brand developed this one-of-kind technology for a reason, the clipless SPD pedals are offering much more comfort than a basic or flat pedal, because of their unique cleats attached to the cycling shoes, which provide a better and easy connection, and you are also more protected with the easy foot entry and release.
That’s probably your reason for getting you a pair of SPD pedals.
You can also check out our other article talking about the SPD system.“SPEEDPLAY VS SPD“
Let’s now go ahead to answer most of your common questions about the SPD pedals:
Are SPD pedals for road bikes?
SPD pedals are essentially made up for MTB or gravel riding, only the SPD-SL can be good for the road bike.
Are SPD pedals universal?
Yes, the SPD pedals are universal, they work perfectly well in both, MTB and road bikes.
Are all Shimano SPD cleats the same?
No, not all Shimano SPD cleats are the same, it depends on the system type you’re going for.
Final thoughts :
There you have it, we tried to provide you with all you need to know about the SPD pedal’s system.
To help you have a clear idea about them and see if you want to purchase them in the future.
We would be delighted to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to do so.
