The resistance to clogging and walkability make SPD pedals the natural choice for cyclocross racing, as well as mountain biking. Most SPD pedals have an open construction with a large gap in the centre, so that any mud that accumulates on the bottom of the shoe will fall off and not interfere with pedal engagement or pedalling efficiency. Off-road use also means that SPD pedals are designed to shed mud. Two-bolt mountain bike cleats, with matching shoes and pedals, are a good option for gravel because you’ll likely get them caked in mud. This was a natural fit for mountain bike riders, but didn’t work so well for performance road use, where pedalling efficiency is paramount. In the meantime, Shimano had developed the SPD design, based on a smaller metal cleat with two points of attachment to the shoe, and first released in 1990. The SPD-R design followed but it wasn’t until the 2003 model year, and the launch of the 7750 Dura-Ace pedal developed with input from Lance Armstrong, that Shimano landed on the SPD-SL. Shimano’s first clipless pedal, the Dura-Ace 7401, arrived in 1987, with a Look-compatible cleat licensed from the French company. With patents on its design, Look initially held a monopoly on road bike clipless pedals – it’s still the main rival to Shimano in this space today. A bit of historyįrench brand Look first developed a clipless pedal system, used from 1984 by five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault. The design differences have other consequences – read on. They are made of plastic, to keep their weight down. SPD-SL cleats have three points of attachment to the shoe, so they are also called ‘three-bolt cleats’. SPD cleats use two bolts to fix to the shoe, so they’re often called ‘two-bolt cleats’. SPD cleats (the part of the system which fixes to the bottom of your shoe and ‘clips in’ to the pedal) are made of metal and are smaller than SPD-SL cleats. We’ll come on to the specific differences, and advantages and disadvantages, of the two systems. But there are good reasons why you might choose to use SPD pedals on a drop bar bike. SPD has become more-or-less a synonym for mountain bike pedals, while SPD-SL is mainly used for road cycling – that’s where the reduced weight comes in. That gives a clue as to the intended use of the systems. SPD stands for Shimano Pedalling Dynamics, with the SL standing for SuperLight. What’s the difference between SPD and SPD-SL? We’ve got guides to the best pedals for road and mountain bikes, based on reviews from BikeRadar’s expert test team.

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