We have a guide on how to fit and adjust cycling cleats if you are new to riding with clipless pedals or just need a refresh.

That’s perhaps why Shimano offers a version of the SPD-SL pedal, the PD-RS500, with “lighter spring tension optimised for beginner riders.” If you’ve got the luxury of spare cash, you could buy a pair of the base model of each system, see which you prefer the feel of and sell the others on. On initial set-up, the Look Keo 2 Max Carbon is every bit as secure as the Shimano pedals with clipping in and release feeling very similar. Over the duration of the test though the Look cleats did wear noticeably faster than the Shimano, this resulted in some play between the cleat and the pedal with no amount of adjustment removing it.The cleat system is similar to Look pedals. They aren’t as adjustable as Shimano SPD-SL cleats, but this should only be an issue for riders running the most extreme cleat positions. A new component has been added between these two bearings. A serrated washer, previously used to hold the needle roller bearing in place, has been replaced with a conical spacer. This technical solution reduces friction, increases fluidity, and by consequence, decreases the geometrical tolerances of the pedal body and play. The cleats are pretty wide and have rubbery patches on the bottom, which makes walking on them slightly less dangerous. Look offers 2mm washers to extend the Q-Factor from 53mm to 55mm, which is possible because the threaded section is a long-ish 14mm. I didn’t test these. RIDE REVIEW: Like Shimano’s more premium pedals, these are wide, with stainless steel metal inserts offering plenty of support while aiding power transfer. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two systems is in how the float works and feels when you’re using cleats that provide a lot of movement. Look’s nine-degree red cleats and Shimano’s six-degree yellow cleat feel in use like they provide similar amounts of movement. However, Shimano’s cleat allows your foot to move around a point in the middle of the cleat; Look’s move around the tip.

TYLER: Whereas Evan’s long been riding Look’s and similar style pedals, I’m a long-time (and current) Speedplay fan. But, in the interest of science, I tried these out. There’s definitely a noticeable gain in stability. It’s not that Speedplays aren’t stable, but when you add a massive platform to the pedal, you can tell a difference to be sure. So, stability and foot feel = really good. Johnhas been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work. A good fit-and-forget pedal that’s a happy balance between Dura-Ace and 105. David Caudery / Immediate Media The pedals use Shimano’s three-bolt cleat. They are available in three versions, offering different levels of float; these pedals are supplied with Shimano’s yellow cleats with 6 degrees of float.Engagement and disengagement are pretty trouble-free and will be familiar to those who've used other Keo pedals; the shape of the jaws are pretty similar through the range. Unlike the coil-sprung models, the weight of this pedal isn't so concentrated at the rear, but they hang at a similar angle so it's relatively straightforward to clip in without looking, something that can be an issue with Time Xpresso pedals, for example. One thing that I really liked about the blade design is that the underside of the pedal is flatter and less treacherous than most road pedals if you put your weight on it having missed the clip-in. One up from Shimano’s entry-level pedals, the Tiagra R550s offer very good performance and reliability for the price with a design that echoes the company’s top-end pedals. I believe that Shimano provides a significantly better product compared to Look, with the differences being; Some cleats are ‘zero-float’, or fixed, which means they release your foot with only the slightest of movements. They need to be set up very carefully for the sake of your knees. Most cleats, however, offer something in the range of 3 to 9 degrees of float.