Pedals

seaviewjack

What pedals do you all recommend? I have been toying with the idea of speedplay although getting dirt in the mechanism consistently and the extra maintenance they require compared to time or shimano just puts me off slightly! can anyone recommend some good pedals and shoes that could compliment. not bothered what brand as i just am not loyal enough (or good enough!) to care at present!

86inch

Depends how careful you are with Speedplays. If you only ride on the road and are careful where you stand and use covers where appropriate you'll be OK. If you can't be bothered with any of that then any of the other "Look type" pedals may be better for you. You don't really want mud in a Speedplay its a royal pain to scrape out at the side of the road.

I used Look pedals since the first PP65s came out around 1986. Before that, i dallied with Cinelli M71's - now i'm showing my age :-)
However, in the last 3 years i've switched to Speedplay Zero's and apart from the aforementioned care required i much prefer them to my old pedals and wouldn't switch back. I like the customisable non-sprung float, low profile, ease of use, serviceability and i like the feel under my foot.

I've never tried Time or any of the other brands apart from SPD on mountain bikes.

northpole

I tried Look blade pedals for a while. Great when it was dry however, the contact between cleat and pedal squeaked when damp or wet - very irritating. A friend had them and suffered with bearing problems. The cleats wear out much quicker than Shimano. One of mine snapped in half during a sportive when I clipped a kerb - could possibly have happened to other pedals, but I have gone back to try!

I have used and continue to use Shimano Dura Ace pedals. They are quite light and seem bomb proof, requiring (or in my case getting) no maintenance. Curiosity has once more got the better of me and I've bought some Speedplays but to be honest I'm in no hurry to try them out as there's nothing wrong with the DA.

Peter

cattytown

Never had a problem with dirt on my speedplays, and I like the available float. Keep On Kovers are fab.

Paul.

ai_1

The necessity for a little bit of maintenance is overplayed in my opinion. They need VERY little and can be ignored the vast majority of the time. Put a drop of dry lube on the cleat spring when you think of it, and very occasionally grease the pedal bearing. The former takes 2 seconds and just helps keep clipping in and out really smooth and easy. The later only takes a few minutes and only needs to be done every few thousand kilometers so it's hardly a big deal. I really don't think maintenance is a reason to decide against them. There's too little required for it to be a deal-breaker. In fact given the Speedplay cleats last much longer than SPD-SL for example, you could argue that replacing SPD-SL cleats takes longer than greasing Speedplays! I grease my Speedplays once or twice a year and would probably change SPD-SL cleats once a year. Cleats are a bigger job.

I've run through mud in my speedplay cleats during an adventure race and admittedly it a couple of attempts to clip in (that amounts to 5 seconds of trouble in overs 3 years use ). However in normal use, they're never a problem. I would advise you to use keep-on covers however. The bare metal surface of the cleat can damage floors and doesn't provide much grip when walking. The covers solve this and they're fit and forget.

I started with SPD-SL and used them for something like a year before switching to Speedplay Zeros. I had some knee problems I though the Speedplay's might help with, that's why I switched, That problem is long gone but I almost immediately loved the Speedplay's and still do. I have no intention of changing.

For me the almost frictionless adjustable float makes them far more comfortable than the SPD-SL which I think (but haven't tested) are pretty similar to most of the other "road" pedal systems like Time and Look.

The base level cost for Speedplay pedals is higher than most others but I really do think they're one of the best cycling purchases I've made.

nferrar

I have mixed views on Speedplays, been using them for a few years now (switching from SPD-SL and Time pedals previously). Initially I had nothing but praise for them, easy to clip in, useful float, knee niggle disappeared, cleats last ages and they even look better than most other options. The only downside seemed to be getting mud/gravel in the cleat but as has been said, that's easily avoided by either avoiding walking on such terrain or using the cafe covers.
Then, after a couple thousand miles with only one bearing grease (I'm lazy) I had one pedal fail (bearings extremely stiff, would sometimes seize and no amount of purging with new grease helped). I tried one of the eBay bearing replacement kits but that didn't really help - seemed to last another few hundred miles at best even with more regular greasing. Bought a new set and greased them more often, including after every wet ride yet they lasted less than a year so bought another set and despite a similar regime they're on their way out now after only a couple of thousand miles, one of the pedal bodies has also cracked - possibly a warranty claim but not sure I can be bothered with the hassle (it's not crash damage and there's no scuffing etc. on it but I suspect it will be attributed to a crash given Speedplay don't seem to have the best rep for warranties). Have another new set ready to fit now but not sure if I'll buy another set once they fail.

Edit: meant to add, despite crashes and riding in all weathers with no maintenance I've never had a problem with a Shimano SPD or SPD-SL pedal, nor a Time road model.

Ashbeck

As other people have said here Speedplays are great but do require more cleaning than Shimanos but not as much as you might think, also since Ive been using the cleat covers at coffee stops I've not had to clean mine anywhere near as much and the cleats are going well (few thousand miles). I always lube the springs on the cleats after every ride, but I don't use PTFE dry lube or whatever Speedplay recommend, as I found that dirt and grim would stick to the cleats even more and clog up far too easy. I just spray them with a bit of WD40 after cleaning and they haven't been anywhere near as dirty after a ride, its a 5 second job, shoe off-quick spray, quick wipe with a tissue, thats it. Every now and then i drop a few drips of Finish line or a clear, thinner oil onto the springs through the gaps but might only do that once every 3 months. Cleats are still going strong after a few thousand miles.

The pedals i pump grease into every few hundred miles, although Speedplay say it only needs to be done every thousand (or something) i do it much sooner as it's incredible just how dirty the grease coming out is after just a few hundred miles. Speedplay offer a gun and grease but Ive simply used Weldtite TF2 Teflon grease with its own gun as it's much cheaper, the nozzle fits perfectly in the pedal hole to. Again, the pedals haven't been a problem at all and everything has run like clockwork, and that was through last years soaking and pedal submersion on the London Ride 100 and winter mileage.

I've used Shimano and Time pedals, and they have been fine, but i moved to Speedplays because of knee ligament pain and haven't looked back since. If you don't get knee pain or can handle pedals with less float then go with the others over Speedplay if you can't be bothered with the maintenance, but if you are worried about knee pain etc or would just like more float then I can't recommend the Speedplays enough.

ai_1

@Ashbeck
Based on my experience, you could afford to cut way back on that amount of maintenance without any ill effects.

@nferrar
Your multiple experiences with Speedplay failures are the first I can remember seeing. They typically seem to be very reliable and trouble free. Certainly mine have been.

If I remember correctly I've done about 12,500km on my first set of speedplay zero pedals and they're still in perfectly good condition. Externally: The plastic body is slightly worn but the metal parts are still perfect and they're really all that matter. Internally: The bearings still feel fine but I don't know if they've another 12,500km left in them or if they're approaching the end of their life.
My second bike purchased last year has done about 2,500km as have the new set of zero pedals I put on it. They're still in mint condition. I'm trying to remember if I re-greased them at any point last year. I don't think so, I think they're at 2,500km without greasing which is much as I've always treated the other set. Perhaps I'll do them this evening.

I'm still on my first set of cleats which will have done about 15,000km. They still work absolutely fine but there's a bit of wear around the spring and they now rattle slightly when walking in them. I have a spare set that came with my second set of pedals. I'll install them when I get around to it.

Incidentally I use a standard grease gun I got from Chainreactioncycles for about €15 for the bearings and I spray a tiny amount of PTFE lube onto the springs every so often before a ride. Probably no more than once every 400km or so.

I used the coffee shop covers for a while but eventually lost one. It's a pain taking them off and putting them on every time you get on or off the bike and you have to carry them with you. So I replaced them with keep-on covers which provide the grip and floor protection needed and you can just forget about them. I took mine off once to check the cleat screws didn't need tightening, otherwise they've been on there since I got them.

Incidentally, using viscous lube on the spring would IMO be a bad idea since it'll hold dirt. The PTFE stuff I use doesn't. Wax based dry-lube would probably be similar. I never need to clean the cleats.

seaviewjack

Cheers for the feedback. i think I will go with speedplay, I have had my PCL, MCL and ACL repaired in my knee (dozy rugby player and forces!) so will stump for the extra float i think! are there any shoes out there that fit the four bolt direct to the shoe or do all require an adapter ( i assume that comes with the pedals).

cattytown

More important than three/four hole is the fit on your foot - get a show that fits you rather than worrying about cleat fitting.

That said, I understand some Northwave shoes are the best fit with speedplay.

Paul.

the_cyclist_of_catan

Speedplays, Keep On Kovers, and I grease them every 1,000 miles or so (just git a new grease gun, making the job easier than it was with a disposable syringe!).

Wonderful pedals; better contact than with SPDs, and much easier to use (and more forgiving) than SPD-SLs.

Ashbeck

Ai_1 wrote:

@Ashbeck
Based on my experience, you could afford to cut way back on that amount of maintenance without any ill effects.

@nferrar
Your multiple experiences with Speedplay failures are the first I can remember seeing. They typically seem to be very reliable and trouble free. Certainly mine have been.

If I remember correctly I've done about 12,500km on my first set of speedplay zero pedals and they're still in perfectly good condition. Externally: The plastic body is slightly worn but the metal parts are still perfect and they're really all that matter. Internally: The bearings still feel fine but I don't know if they've another 12,500km left in them or if they're approaching the end of their life.
My second bike purchased last year has done about 2,500km as have the new set of zero pedals I put on it. They're still in mint condition. I'm trying to remember if I re-greased them at any point last year. I don't think so, I think they're at 2,500km without greasing which is much as I've always treated the other set. Perhaps I'll do them this evening.

I'm still on my first set of cleats which will have done about 15,000km. They still work absolutely fine but there's a bit of wear around the spring and they now rattle slightly when walking in them. I have a spare set that came with my second set of pedals. I'll install them when I get around to it.

Incidentally I use a standard grease gun I got from Chainreactioncycles for about €15 for the bearings and I spray a tiny amount of PTFE lube onto the springs every so often before a ride. Probably no more than once every 400km or so.

I used the coffee shop covers for a while but eventually lost one. It's a pain taking them off and putting them on every time you get on or off the bike and you have to carry them with you. So I replaced them with keep-on covers which provide the grip and floor protection needed and you can just forget about them. I took mine off once to check the cleat screws didn't need tightening, otherwise they've been on there since I got them.

Incidentally, using viscous lube on the spring would IMO be a bad idea since it'll hold dirt. The PTFE stuff I use doesn't. Wax based dry-lube would probably be similar. I never need to clean the cleats.

I know, but it gives me an excuse to head for the shed when the Mrs starts mentioning DIY

The point im making overall though, is that in my experience, Speedplays aren't as much hassle as people make out. I think half the time its walking about on dirt or gravel that clogs them up, but the plastic covers are superb for protecting them, just pop them in a jersey pocket and job done.

Ive never had any failures with mine either, pedals or cleat. Or any knee problems since using them.

Ashbeck

seaviewjack wrote:

Cheers for the feedback. i think I will go with speedplay, I have had my PCL, MCL and ACL repaired in my knee (dozy rugby player and forces!) so will stump for the extra float i think! are there any shoes out there that fit the four bolt direct to the shoe or do all require an adapter ( i assume that comes with the pedals).

I think there are some shoes that do the Speedplay four bolt, but i seriously wouldnt restrict yourself to these shoes. The adaptor works perfectly well on standard three bolt shoes, so just buy what shoes fit best.

DKay

For me, the biggest plus of Speedplays is their double-sided stamp and go nature, instead of having to deal with flipping around a single-sided pedal and clipping in. Makes pulling out of junctions so much safer.

Ashbeck

DKay wrote:

For me, the biggest plus of Speedplays is their double-sided stamp and go nature, instead of having to deal with flipping around a single-sided pedal and clipping in. Makes pulling out of junctions so much safer.

+1