Freddo said:
Hi guys,
I'm also new to riding and i'm keen to buy shoes and pedals for my road bike.
Do i need to have the same shoe brand as my pedals how do they work? Does any shoe click into any pedal?
cheers
No.
The first option is mountain bike pedals and shoes.
This may sound silly, but for casual riding and touring they can be a good option as MTB cleats (and the matching pedals) are designed in such a way that you can walk on them easily.
However, they are less comfortable on really long rides, and give you less clearance when cornering (important for racing, makes SFA difference for general riding).
Then there's road pedals. There are several different systems but the shoes are all the same. You just screw in the appropriate plastic cleats (supplied initially with the pedals) into your shoe, adjust them to the right position, and you're good to go. However, this means that you have to have the same pedal system on the bikes you wish to ride.
Road cleats protrude from the bottom of the shoe, so they're not very comfortable to walk in (and you'll wear the cleats out quickly if you walk very far in them).
Pedal systems include Shimano SPD-SL, Look Keo, Time, Speedplay, amongst others. I ended up with Looks purely because that's what my local bike shop had in stock, and have had no reason to switch thus far. But there are plenty of riders I know using the different systems, and are happy with them. Speedplay does have the advantage of infinitely adjustable "float" (the amount of horizontal rotation permitted before you clip out), but they have a bit of a reputation for fragility.
Like most bike gear, you can pay huge amounts of money for high-end pedals, but frankly unless you're racing, don't bother (and possibly don't bother even then). You're paying for a few grams less weight and bling factor.
More important, get a pair of shoes that fit you, and feel comfortable, and get the cleats in the right position! At the very least, get the guy at the bike shop to help adjust them for you. It may, if you're riding a lot or can't get comfortable, be worth paying extra for a professional bike fit, which will include adjusting the cleats to the right position for you. Tiny adjustments can make a huge difference.
Hope this helps.