You’re most likely to see people using Shimano SPD SL, Look or Time pedals on their road bikes.

These all operate by using a three bolt standard to attach to the cleat. Road cycling shoes come drilled for these kinds of pedals. Other bolt arrangements require adaptor plates, or for you to re-drill your shoes.

The cleats are much bigger than those on MTB SPDs and are made of plastic instead of metal. They sit out from the sole of the shoe.

Also, the cleat only fits into one side of the pedal, so you’ll have to learn how to flip the pedal and catch the mechanism.

As for which brand you choose, it’s mainly to do with personal preference. Many people opt for Shimano if they’ve had experience of using their off-road SPDs in the past.

Look created the first ever automatic pedals in the 1980s, so many people like to go with the originals. Their Keo range is very popular.

Time pedals are also popular – many people find them lighter than Shimano and easier to clip in. But again, it comes down to your personal preference and style of use.

Your choice between these pedal systems is a lot to do with price and how much you value longevity and the pedals being lightweight. Your best bet it using a site like Chain Reaction or Wiggle to compare things within your price range. Bare in mind that within these systems all the pedals operate in the same way – a higher price is reflective of the cost of materials used (like all things to do with bicycles, there’s always a carbon option) rather than the mechanism style.