Another Speedplay vs.. question
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Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby Flo » Wed Nov 07, 2012 9:53 pm
I last rode a road bike perhaps 18-20 years ago. I did have Look clipless pedals and shoes and and got used to them fairly quickly.
Being that I'm 20 years older and my knees aren't quite up to the standard they once were the idea of having a little float to remove the torsional stress on the knees appeals to me. The double-sided entry feature is another bonus.
So, as I would have to get used to any clipless pedal style would it be advisable to go for the Speedplays?
Cheers,
Flo
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby twizzle » Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:20 pm
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby Flo » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:39 am
The loctite and the greasing don't bother me in the slightest. I guess the initial setup would be the main issue, but would it be safe to assume that this would be covered in a bike fitting?twizzle wrote:They require a lot of setting up initially... the carbon sole protector is pretty much mandatory regardless of the shoe used, anti-tamper loctite on the mounting screws or they come loose all the time, fiddly greasing ports on the bodies (special grease gun or a supply of appropriate sized syringes), regular replacement of cleats due to the cover plate being worn off on the road. But they do have stacks of float, so from that perspective it can be worth the pain. And they have options like longer/shorter axles, offset plates to move the cleat right back & spacers for leg-length differences. And, unlike everything else I tried with float, the bearings don't crap out.
twizzle have you used the leave on cleat covers?
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby NeillS » Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:31 am
Regarding the float - yes it's great having adjustable float but if your foot is twisting on the pedal surface then you have a fit issue. In other words, you knee is trying to track in a different plane to the crank arm. Most of the time this is related to the mechanics of the foot, things like your arch collapsing causing an internal rotation of the tibia at the bottom of the stroke for example. Getting your foot right should eliminate float, make your knee move better, reduce your pain and improve your power production - all very good things! Unfortunately these things are not covered in many "bike fits", even when professionally done. I know because I've been through it with both a computerised fit and a professional bike fitter, neither of which addressed the foot issue that was giving me knee pain.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby twizzle » Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:50 am
No. Not euro-cool enough!Flo wrote:twizzle have you used the leave on cleat covers?
I should give them a go. But the bottom plate eventually wears where you clip in, so it doesn't completely solve the wear issues.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby twizzle » Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:55 am
I don't need the float as such, I need a pedal which can handle my twisted tibia. Even with 12mm longer axles, my heels almost rub the cranks.NeillS wrote:Regarding the float...
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby m@ » Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:08 am
Personally I don't notice a great deal of difference except that the eggbeaters are marginally easier to clip into and have slightly longer axles. Both have a similar amount of non-centering float, so unless you actually need the extra adjustability of Speedplay I'd give Crank Bros a go as they're cheaper, require less maintenance and allow you to run road or MTB shoes. Rebuild kits are available for both too, but Crank Bros don't sue people who tell you how to find cheap bearings in the right size rather than buying their overpriced kits
I've found the adjustability of SPs a bit overrated; I need to run the cleats at the furthest outward position to get close to my preferred width (and still get a bit of shoe rub on the crank arms), and haven't touched the float limit screws—the float is non-centering so my legs just seem to find the correct angle naturally. I also need to install the extended base plates as the cleats are too far forward; haven't had this problem with any other pedal/shoe combo. So for me there's a fair bit of 'adjustment' required just to get the SP geometry as good as the default for any other pedal I've used (eggbeaters and SPDs). I'm sure they're better than a lot of other road pedals though
A standard 'bike shop' fit is unlikely to include anything more than basic cleat placement IME, e.g. I doubt they'll look at whether you need different length axles or cleat shims etc, but a good physio or bike fit specialist should.Flo wrote:I guess the initial setup would be the main issue, but would it be safe to assume that this would be covered in a bike fitting?
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby twizzle » Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:31 am
I was rebuilding my CB's (the stainless version) ~ every hundred hours, and on one pair broke one of the springs that locks the cleat in after about three months (ebay purchase, no warranty ). Eventually the bodies loosened up and I started having grease leak out through the press fit section that supports the locking spring. Throw in how soft the cleats are and how expensive they are to replace... it wasn't worth sticking with them for me. Great concept, beautifully made, but the plastic bushing is hopeless and they just aren't as durable as I'd like. The speedplays actually need *less* maintenance. It's just the setup that's a bitch - I'm using all of the 'fine tuning' parts.m@ wrote:Both have a similar amount of non-centering float, so unless you actually need the extra adjustability of Speedplay I'd give Crank Bros a go as they're cheaper, require less maintenance and allow you to run road or MTB shoes. Rebuild kits are available for both too, but Crank Bros don't sue people who tell you how to find cheap bearings in the right size rather than buying their overpriced kits
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby m@ » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:00 pm
On cleats; CBs are half the price of Speedplays; do they wear more than twice as fast? I'm on my second set of CB cleats, but the first was from a second-hand set of Candys and already quite worn. The manufacturers' estimates for cleat replacement are comparable (3000–5000mi for Speedplay, 300–500 hours for Crank Bros); but of course that's pretty meaningless in the real world. I do concede that CB are more overpriced though, given they're just lumps of brass
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby twizzle » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:28 pm
Vs. the CB's which were getting new bushings every say... 3000km, and were loose in the springs and stuffed after about 10,000km. Cleat life was about the same... price was too, and the SP cleats are a lot more complex!
Interesting re. CB's with needle bearings. Didn't know they had them in some models. I spent a bit of time working out a cheaper 'kit' for the CB's., but I'd had enough by then when I started pulling a foot out because the clip became loose.
If I was still commuting via hybrid/mtb, I'd probably choose CB over low-end SPD's though, but I'd be tempted to look at the XTR version of SPD's which have needle bearings to support the weight.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby RonK » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:47 pm
l bought my wife a set of Keep on covers. She used them once, which means she will continue to regularly demolish an expensive set of cleats.twizzle wrote:No. Not euro-cool enough!Flo wrote:twizzle have you used the leave on cleat covers?
I should give them a go. But the bottom plate eventually wears where you clip in, so it doesn't completely solve the wear issues.
Speedplay pedals are seriously overrated. If you can't achieve an appropriate range of float with Look pedals then you have a fit or physiological problem.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby Uncle Just » Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:40 pm
Not necessarily. Set up is key to all pedal cleats. My experience with road bike pedals is going from the venerable Mavic LMS over two decades back, imo the best clipless pedal ever designed, to Speedplays and now onto DA SPD SLs. The Mavics were very forgiving, certainly heavy by modern standards, but like a lot of Mavic stuff superior to anything else at the time and probably even now for some things. They had marvellous float and a broad platform. You could adjust the float up to 5 degrees either side of the pedal. Sadly no more.Being that I'm 20 years older and my knees aren't quite up to the standard they once were the idea of having a little float to remove the torsional stress on the knees appeals to me. The double-sided entry feature is another bonus.
So, as I would have to get used to any clipless pedal style would it be advisable to go for the Speedplays?
I stopped using Speedplay pedals last year because they gave me terrible hotfoot, the cleat is vulnerable and the screws have a tendency to fall out. (There is another issue that I won't detail but it put me off the company and its products.) The DA pedals oth require careful cleat placement particularly for those with dodgy knees but once set up correctly are a great pedal. The yellow cleat has sufficient float for my old knees and the pedal provides a broad platform. Speedplays are easy to get into granted but so are DAs with continued use. Besides once you've mastered a seated track stand who needs to unclip? The need to regularly grease SPs is a minor pain which DA SPD Sls don't need. If price is a concern you can get Ultegra SPD SLs for a good price.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby cpical » Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:33 pm
NeillS wrote:I'm a recent convert to speedplays and I rate them highly. Double sided, so clip in/out is more confident with no flipping of the pedal if it's sitting a certain way. They also have a very low stack height which helps with on-pedal shoe stability.
Regarding the float - yes it's great having adjustable float but if your foot is twisting on the pedal surface then you have a fit issue. In other words, you knee is trying to track in a different plane to the crank arm. Most of the time this is related to the mechanics of the foot, things like your arch collapsing causing an internal rotation of the tibia at the bottom of the stroke for example. Getting your foot right should eliminate float, make your knee move better, reduce your pain and improve your power production - all very good things! Unfortunately these things are not covered in many "bike fits", even when professionally done. I know because I've been through it with both a computerised fit and a professional bike fitter, neither of which addressed the foot issue that was giving me knee pain.
Brand snobbery is what this is!
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby jcjordan » Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:49 pm
Float is not the only reason I would rate Speedplays as the best pedals on the market.RonK wrote:l bought my wife a set of Keep on covers. She used them once, which means she will continue to regularly demolish an expensive set of cleats.twizzle wrote:No. Not euro-cool enough!Flo wrote:twizzle have you used the leave on cleat covers?
I should give them a go. But the bottom plate eventually wears where you clip in, so it doesn't completely solve the wear issues.
Speedplay pedals are seriously overrated. If you can't achieve an appropriate range of float with Look pedals then you have a fit or physiological problem.
Pedal wear. Although, as twizzle said, you do have a bit of pedal wear I dont think its any worse then that of Shimano or Look. What I can say is that Speedplay are alot stronger then Keo. I had a set of blades which broke when my bike fell over and had to replace my carbon max after one crash. My current set of speedplay have survived two with no problems.
Cleat wear. Speedplay have the the best wear of any of them. I have a set on for the last 7 months and not even close to replacing them. Shimano would last at best 2-3 months and Keo just plain sucked. If I could get 6 weeks out of a set of cleats. My problem was not the wear from walking on them but they would start to loose there connection to the pedal and they would pop out easier when doing sprints.
Double sided entry. The big winner for Speedplay.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby NhiTrac » Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:27 pm
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby jacks1071 » Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:48 pm
The carbon sole protector is only required for "speedplay specific" shoes that have a 4-bolt pattern on the bottom of the shoe. If you are using a 3-bolt adaptor plate which most people would use, then you don't require the carbon sole protector.twizzle wrote:They require a lot of setting up initially... the carbon sole protector is pretty much mandatory regardless of the shoe used, anti-tamper loctite on the mounting screws or they come loose all the time, fiddly greasing ports on the bodies (special grease gun or a supply of appropriate sized syringes), regular replacement of cleats due to the cover plate being worn off on the road. But they do have stacks of float, so from that perspective it can be worth the pain. And they have options like longer/shorter axles, offset plates to move the cleat right back & spacers for leg-length differences. And, unlike everything else I tried with float, the bearings don't crap out.
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I've never had mounting screws come loose and I'd have over 100k on speedplay pedals.
I don't know of any pedal that is as easy to service - take out the grease port screw and inject grease while rotating the pedal. No disassembly required. I've never worn out a set of bearings. I have seen failed bearings on speedplay pedals that were never serviced.
In terms of setup - no different to any other shoe/pedal system. Put the pedal on your bike, screw the cleat onto the shoe and off you go.
I think other pedals would be tougher in a crash - the last decent crash I had the pedal body snapped in half. I think a Shimano pedal would have got away with some serious gravel rash.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby Marty Moose » Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:17 pm
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby twizzle » Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:19 pm
Let's not get into an argument about what Speedplay says vs. the reality of what stops the baseplate from getting chewed out. Changing cleats is enough of a hassle without having to change the baseplate unecessarily as well, or having to deal with a sloppy pedal/cleat fit while riding when a <$20 part will avoid the problem.jacks1071 wrote:The carbon sole protector is only required for "speedplay specific" shoes that have a 4-bolt pattern on the bottom of the shoe. If you are using a 3-bolt adaptor plate which most people would use, then you don't require the carbon sole protector.twizzle wrote:They require a lot of setting up initially... the carbon sole protector is pretty much mandatory regardless of the shoe used, anti-tamper loctite on the mounting screws or they come loose all the time, fiddly greasing ports on the bodies (special grease gun or a supply of appropriate sized syringes), regular replacement of cleats due to the cover plate being worn off on the road. But they do have stacks of float, so from that perspective it can be worth the pain. And they have options like longer/shorter axles, offset plates to move the cleat right back & spacers for leg-length differences. And, unlike everything else I tried with float, the bearings don't crap out.
Sent from my iThingy...
I have 25,000km+ experience, I had them come loose on numerous occasions when assembling "as per instructions" before working out the trick. There's a fine line between loose screws and the C-spring sticking - appropriate loctite avoids this problem.jacks1071 wrote:I've never had mounting screws come loose and I'd have over 100k on speedplay pedals.
Easy if you have a grease gun with a needle tip.jacks1071 wrote:I don't know of any pedal that is as easy to service - take out the grease port screw and inject grease while rotating the pedal. No disassembly required. I've never worn out a set of bearings. I have seen failed bearings on speedplay pedals that were never serviced.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby southeastD » Thu Nov 15, 2012 6:47 pm
Having spent $170 on these pedals recently, I'm reluctant to shell out cash for a different set. But if these 'die' tomorrow, I'd probably go back to Look Keo Blade pedals.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby NhiTrac » Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:13 pm
I'd say this is more of a user issue than anything. Check to see how tight you have the four screws on the cleats. They shouldn't be tighter than 1/4 turn once hand tight. Apply oil to the rings and smear a tiny bit on the metal bits of the pedals itself.southeastD wrote:My speedplays real bastards o clip in, the circlips are WAY too tight, requiring severe downforce to clip in. I've done 500kms on them and they haven't loosened up one bit. I weigh 75kg and and even with all my body weight pushing hard down, the cleat won't clip onto pedal. The only way I can clip in it is to stand up on the pedal, stomping & twisting slightly down at the same time with all by body weight and force. There is no chance of clipping in while I'm sitting on the saddle in a normal riding motion. The circlip on the cleats are just ridiculously tight.
Having spent $170 on these pedals recently, I'm reluctant to shell out cash for a different set. But if these 'die' tomorrow, I'd probably go back to Look Keo Blade pedals.
I weigh 79 and mine have 7500km on them. No issues at all.
Having said that, they do loosen up a lot after a bit.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby southeastD » Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:20 pm
Oh, I have tried everything, oil, grease, loosen the screws. The screws on mine barely touches the cleats and I still have issues clipping in. It's ridiculous. The store are happy to give me a replacement and I might do that. I suspect the cleat supplied may have had a circlip that's overly too tight out of the factory.NhiTrac wrote:I'd say this is more of a user issue than anything. Check to see how tight you have the four screws on the cleats. They shouldn't be tighter than 1/4 turn once hand tight. Apply oil to the rings and smear a tiny bit on the metal bits of the pedals itself.southeastD wrote:My speedplays real bastards o clip in, the circlips are WAY too tight, requiring severe downforce to clip in. I've done 500kms on them and they haven't loosened up one bit. I weigh 75kg and and even with all my body weight pushing hard down, the cleat won't clip onto pedal. The only way I can clip in it is to stand up on the pedal, stomping & twisting slightly down at the same time with all by body weight and force. There is no chance of clipping in while I'm sitting on the saddle in a normal riding motion. The circlip on the cleats are just ridiculously tight.
Having spent $170 on these pedals recently, I'm reluctant to shell out cash for a different set. But if these 'die' tomorrow, I'd probably go back to Look Keo Blade pedals.
I weigh 79 and mine have 7500km on them. No issues at all.
Having said that, they do loosen up a lot after a bit.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby RonK » Fri Nov 16, 2012 5:07 am
My wife had this problem, particularly with new cleats.southeastD wrote:My speedplays real bastards o clip in, the circlips are WAY too tight, requiring severe downforce to clip in. I've done 500kms on them and they haven't loosened up one bit. I weigh 75kg and and even with all my body weight pushing hard down, the cleat won't clip onto pedal. The only way I can clip in it is to stand up on the pedal, stomping & twisting slightly down at the same time with all by body weight and force. There is no chance of clipping in while I'm sitting on the saddle in a normal riding motion. The circlip on the cleats are just ridiculously tight.
Having spent $170 on these pedals recently, I'm reluctant to shell out cash for a different set. But if these 'die' tomorrow, I'd probably go back to Look Keo Blade pedals.
The solution is to regularly lubricate the circlips with Triflow.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby m@ » Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:12 am
My zeros were similarly difficult to clip into at first (and I was ~95Kg at the time), but have loosened up substantially over ~6 months of use and are now pretty easy to engage, though I still need the opposite foot off the ground to get enough weight on the pedal to clip in.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby warthog1 » Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:25 am
As is my experience with most things shimano, they aren't the flashiest or the most expensive but they work. Put 'em on do 30k km and forget about them.
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Re: Another Speedplay vs.. question
Postby twizzle » Fri Nov 16, 2012 10:45 am
Didn't put the C-springs in upside down, did you?southeastD wrote:Oh, I have tried everything, oil, grease, loosen the screws. The screws on mine barely touches the cleats and I still have issues clipping in. It's ridiculous. The store are happy to give me a replacement and I might do that. I suspect the cleat supplied may have had a circlip that's overly too tight out of the factory.
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