Speedplay help please

bikeit65

Hi i am currently using Time RXS pedals but due to persistant knee pain was thinking of changing to Speedplay pedals as they seem to have the most float in all the pedal systems, are Speedplay pedals easy to set up and are they easy to enter and exit, what are the like to walk in,

Monty Dog

IME Time has a pretty natural float feel anyway - it may be worth getting a proper bike fit done to check cleat position etc as you may spend a lot on the Speedplays and still have a knee problem. Where exactly are you getting pain in your knee?

sward29

Hi,

I've been using Speedplay Zero's for the last 3 years and can highly recommend them but I would have to agree with Monty Dog's advice; you should look into getting a proper bike fitting session done first.

In my case I have had knee pain for years and have tried various pedal systems including LOOK, SPD-SL's, and Speedplay X series. All had their pro's and cons but I changed to the Speedplay Zero's as I found the SPD-SL's had too little float and the Speedplay X series had too much. However, I still never felt competely comfortable and developed some pain under the ball of my foot. I was about to try the Time RXE's but decided to get a bike fit at Cyclefit in London first. After adding a couple of LeWedges under my shoes and using custom footbeds my pedalling mechanics improved greatly and reduced the amount of tibial torsion that I was experiencing. As a result I actually needed much less float than I ever imagined I would and the pain vanished.

So a change of pedals may not alleviate your problems but I would still advocate Speedplays if you fancy trying them. The Zero's have adjustable float, are dead easy to get in and out of, have great cornering clearance, and even the cheapest cromo version is lighter than many other leading pedals.

The only downsides are the cost of replacement cleats (£40) but mine lasted over two years (in fact I only decided to replace them as I was having the Cyclefit session), and they are not as easy to walk in as other cleats. Some people say that they require lots of maintenance but that is crap. You should grease them every 500-1000 miles which takes 1 miinute with a grease gun, and lube the cleats every now an then.

trekvet

I agree with SWARD29, but I`m not sure how a pedal can have too much float? When I had platform pedals on my school bike I had 360d of float but I`m sure my feet didn`t float that much. My Speedplay X-5 have 20d, but my feet don`t float about that much either; just a degree or two just as they want, with no springs or limits to tell them "that`s far enough - let the knee take the strain". This is the whole point of Speedplays - luxury for your knees. Just keep the cleats lubed with wax lube, wear your Cafe covers (~£10), grease the pedals as SWARD29 and be first away at the lights!

bikeit65

Thanks guys.
As for getting a proper bike fit done i went over to London earlier in the year for a few days and went to Cyclefit to get a complete fit done.
IMO it was a complete waste of money, for when the bike was set up to their recommendations i have never felt so uncomfortable on a bike and i had very little power while pedling.
I emailed Julian about this weeks ogo, but nothing.
I have since set the bike up the way it was before the bike fit and the comfort and power are back but the knee pain is still niggling me, i will fiddle about with the cleat position a little to see if this makes any difference.

sward29

I'm surprised that you found the bike fitting session a waste of money. When I did mine the ergometer clearly showed that I was producing more power in the new position although Phil did say that it may take a while for it to feel completely normal.

If you have reverted to your old position and are experiencing pain again then perhaps it may be advisable to persevere with the new position for a bit longer - but try ringing Julian to chat through it first. You would have thought that they would want you to be happy with the service that they provide, especially when it costs a fair bit.

farrell

I currently use the zeros and I have also used the X2's within the past 3 years.

I feel the X2 are better as they are pretty much fit and use - no adjustments needed.

The zeros have an adjustable float but I have been plagued with problems - they are very hard to clip in and out at first ( after around 2 / 3 days they relax a bit ) also the cleats keep on breaking - I have been through 2 sets in 6 months. There is a plastic lip that holds the metal claw/spring/clip thing in place, this keeps on breaking which is fine at first as you don't notice it but then metal claw/spring/clip thing eventually snaps and you're left having to cycle one legged home.

At £40 for a set of cleats I'm going back to the X2's which I found flawless.