I have some big Time Z pedals (550g per pair, i think) on my road/tri bike, and was thinking about upgrading to something lighter. I know there are some amazingly light road pedals out there (times, speedplays…) but investing in these also means investing in a new pair of shoes. I could also simply get a lighter pair of mountain pedals instead. i guess the deciding factor is–is a road shoe going to affect performance significantly, assuming that my pedals will weigh approximately the same whichever way i go? are road pedals inherantly better? i currently have sidi dominator mountain shoes, and they didn’t feel that much flexier than a friends sidi road shoes. any input is appreciated. thanks.
Well, also remember that MTB shoes are a good bit heavier than good road shoes too, so that adds even more weight to the package.
I think you would get some benefit from a good road shoe and pedal system. The “new generation” carbon soled road shoes are amazing, such as Shimano’s tri shoe.
I think you’ll be impressed with the change. Remember though, it will affect your bike fit, so have that checked.
What about the Crank Bros. egg beaters for tri. Those rubber pads for the road cleats look like you could run on them. Plus being able to click in any position when your still a little unbalanced from the swim, sounds appealing. Anyone tried that?
I have Eggbeaters. I got them because my Speedplays were constantly getting fouled whenever I got off the bike & walked across grass to the bathroom/water stop/food table/grocery store or whatever else. I love them, easiest pedals ever to clip into, elegant design, never get clogged. I recommend them highly for road or mountain bike.
Now on the topic of shoes, there is an advantage to having lightweight off-road shoes: we often have to run through both T1 and T2. Some people clip the shoes in ahead of time, which I find awkward. Definitely convenient to have shoes that are made for use off the bike too. If only my current (Diadora) shoes would wear out or somebody would steal them, I might replace them with MTB shoes. But cycling shoes don’t wear much, and I’m not itching to spend money just for the hell of it.
I took my pedals off of my mt bike 3 years ago and have used them for 2IM’s and many 1/2s. I did upgrade the shoes, however, to a good pair of Carnacs. I asked John Cobb his opinion when he fit me several years ago, and he said I wasn’t missing much by not using road pedals.
I use double sided SPD for my commuting bike (road) with mountain shoes. Mkes getting on and off the ferry super easy and much safer than road shoes.
I also use double sided SPD for my tri bike, with Shimano Carbon shoes.
I can switch shoes back and forth as each ride dictates. No Problem.
Double Sided SPD is easy to click in to and in grassy T1 areas makes getting in a snap. Mountain shoes are fast to run in compared to road shoes. Time saving there!
SPD is not the ideal rigid platform of course, for a tri race, but they work ok, float is reasonable etc. They are also alot cheaper than a lot of road pedals too.
Personally I like the Wellgo brand since they have smooth float compard with several Shimano I’ve tried and are “wicked easy” to get in and out of.
Oh yeah, I’ve never won anything in a tri, but I doubt SPD was the reason 
TriDork