Speedplay vs Knee pain
geode
Posts: 25
I'm currently suffering with patellar tendonitis and I'll be off the bike for a couple of months 
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It's been suggested to me that speedplay pedals are kinder on knees than most other clipless pedal styles due to the amount of float. Is this really the case or just hype? Has anybody found that changing to spedplay pedals has made a difference to knee pain?
.It's been suggested to me that speedplay pedals are kinder on knees than most other clipless pedal styles due to the amount of float. Is this really the case or just hype? Has anybody found that changing to spedplay pedals has made a difference to knee pain?
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What were you using before. Did the problems start after changing pedals or cleats? I had terrible problems with it last year until i realised that I had the cleat very slightly out of position and it was stopping the last bit of float i needed (It was probably something like half a degree out) so check that out firstWe're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
if your condition is one where free float will help, then speedplay zero would be worth a look
otherwise, they won't make any difference
i use them because i can fine tune the float to exactly where my knees like itmy bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
They worked with knee pain I was getting using Shimano 105 pedals. I found the extra float with speedplays perfect and only use them now.
There are several models available - zero is restricted but with plenty of room for adjusting to needs, but for total free float then look at the X series.0 -
if your condition is one where free float will help, then speedplay zero would be worth a look
otherwise, they won't make any difference
i use them because i can fine tune the float to exactly where my knees like it
+1 From me
To add also, SP are good for separating the fore/aft and rotational adjustment when placing the cleats on your shoes. They get a bad press for being high maintenance, but if your sensible, they'll last for ages.
SP as a company get a bad press also, but again I can't fault them. I emailed their tech support to try and locate some o-ring rubbers as mine have perished and they sent me a load FOC within a few days from the USA!0 -
The main functional difference with Speedplay comes from the metal-metal interface between the pedals and cleats (this applies as much to the Zeroes as the X-series). This allows float during the course of a pedal stroke, which in my experience is different from systems with plastic cleats (look/shimano) and/or where the float needs you to overcome spring tension (e.g. Crankbros). At the very least the float feels a lot more "free".
Does this help your knees? Who knows. If the pain has anything to do with twisting your knee (which does after all stretch the tendon), quite possibly.0 -
I've ridden Speedplays for 3 years. In that time I've had a number of incidents of patellar tendon inflammation, the fix for which has generally been saddle position (plus a smoother pedaling motion). So I'd say no to Speedplay as a fix, at least on its own.0
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I'm currently suffering with patellar tendonitis and I'll be off the bike for a couple of months .
It's been suggested to me that speedplay pedals are kinder on knees than most other clipless pedal styles due to the amount of float. Is this really the case or just hype? Has anybody found that changing to spedplay pedals has made a difference to knee pain?
Depends what's causing the tendonitis:
If it's hypermobility then greater and/or freer float may well make it worse.
If it's because your feet want to rotate a bit, but aren't being allowed to by resistance to float and/or lack of range of float, which is causing your knee to track so badly it's inflaming the tendon,they may well help.
A very good objective bike fitter may be able to tell.
One good thing is they hold their second hand value really well so if you try a pair and don't like em you won't take too big a hit.964Cup wrote:I've ridden Speedplays for 3 years. In that time I've had a number of incidents of patellar tendon inflammation, the fix for which has generally been saddle position (plus a smoother pedaling motion). So I'd say no to Speedplay as a fix, at least on its own.
+1 I've found my knees very sensitive to even small (<5mm) decreases in saddle height - more robust to increases as long as saddle is above a certain minimum (I've found by trial and error)
PS I have long history of knee problems (caused by pre cycling activities and years of being overweight) and I bought SPs as my first clip less and have used them ever since.0 -
Not sure what my knee pains were medically but I changed to SPDs (with very stiff mtb shoes) which also have more float, and this solved my issues.0
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Had really chronic knee/patella issues with Shimano/Look and Time pedals...my brother recommended Speedplays...I have ridden 3yrs with no pain whatsoever.. well, no pain from the knees!! Worth investigating with maybe a cheap used pair of the chromolly ones, thats what I did, then moved on to stainless when I realised I had found my ideal pedal...they are one of those things a bit like saddles... so personal...and no way to test really...I've noticed a lot of the old test saddles are being withdrawn/hard to find...
Vinny0 -
As everyone has said, it's the free tension on float that makes the difference on SP's not the adjustment options. I would go and see a Physio who's bike aware, they can advise you.0
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From my experience of patellar tendinitis and consequent conversations with physios, I don't think too much or too little float would cause it. I was told the usual reasons are overuse, seat too low, or tight quads/flexors which can happen if you don't stretch enough or suddenly gain muscle bulk. My understanding is that float problems are more likely to cause injury to the ligaments on the sides of the knee, which manage rotational stability.
For me the cure was: ice to reduce the initial inflammation, a lot of stretches, severely limiting my riding and not least, putting my seat back to its proper height; I'd inadvertently lowered it. I'm still using SPD-SLs and see no reason to change.
Disclaimer: I'm not a physio and all the above may be misleading.0 -
having tried SPDs, Look, and Crank Bros, it wasn't until I used Speedplay that I could ride without knee pain (arthritis and a lateral release). Definitely worth a try - I buy 2 or 3 sets of pedals/cleats when on offer at e.g. Wiggle. Worth getting walkable café cleat covers to stop cleat wear when walking.0
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Thanks guys, interesting reading.0
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I'm also suffering with patellar tendinitis (it sucks, tendons take a very long time to heal) and had a bike fit to try and find the cause of the problem once it had healed enough for the pain to go.
I was advised against speedplays because of their high wear rate- the fitter reckons speedplay cleats wear out faster than Look and Shimano pedals where you lose the support to the foot and the cleat can rotate in pitch and roll as well as the normal yaw.
Keos wear out second fastest (and their cleats need replacing far more often) with Shimano coming out best in his opinion. The cleats last a good amount of time (even after the rubber bumpers you walk on wear out) and the pedals last longest- partially because of the wide body that provides lots of support.
I did ask about the float on the Speedplays, but he said it doesn't really matter if you've got your bike and cleats set up properly, and the Shimano 7 degree float is almost as good anyway.
Good luck!0 -
There is absolutely nothing here that, as a 20 year speedplay, I can agree with.I'm also suffering with patellar tendinitis (it sucks, tendons take a very long time to heal) and had a bike fit to try and find the cause of the problem once it had healed enough for the pain to go.
I was advised against speedplays because of their high wear rate- the fitter reckons speedplay cleats wear out faster than Look and Shimano pedals where you lose the support to the foot and the cleat can rotate in pitch and roll as well as the normal yaw.
Keos wear out second fastest (and their cleats need replacing far more often) with Shimano coming out best in his opinion. The cleats last a good amount of time (even after the rubber bumpers you walk on wear out) and the pedals last longest- partially because of the wide body that provides lots of support.
I did ask about the float on the Speedplays, but he said it doesn't really matter if you've got your bike and cleats set up properly, and the Shimano 7 degree float is almost as good anyway.
Good luck!
Firstly, speedplay cleats are metal. Funnily enough they last longer than plastic look cleats.
Secondly, when they do wear out, you get an almost imperceptible amount of fore/aft play, but the platform is still level.
Thirdly, as numerous people have said, the float is fundamentally different from other pedal systems. Its nothing to do with the amount of float, really.
Your fitter is an idiot. I would check to see if your bike fits correctly if I were you. And I hope your knees improve.0 -
There is absolutely nothing here that, as a 20 year speedplay, I can agree with.I'm also suffering with patellar tendinitis (it sucks, tendons take a very long time to heal) and had a bike fit to try and find the cause of the problem once it had healed enough for the pain to go.
I was advised against speedplays because of their high wear rate- the fitter reckons speedplay cleats wear out faster than Look and Shimano pedals where you lose the support to the foot and the cleat can rotate in pitch and roll as well as the normal yaw.
Keos wear out second fastest (and their cleats need replacing far more often) with Shimano coming out best in his opinion. The cleats last a good amount of time (even after the rubber bumpers you walk on wear out) and the pedals last longest- partially because of the wide body that provides lots of support.
I did ask about the float on the Speedplays, but he said it doesn't really matter if you've got your bike and cleats set up properly, and the Shimano 7 degree float is almost as good anyway.
Good luck!
Firstly, speedplay cleats are metal. Funnily enough they last longer than plastic look cleats.
Secondly, when they do wear out, you get an almost imperceptible amount of fore/aft play, but the platform is still level.
Thirdly, as numerous people have said, the float is fundamentally different from other pedal systems. Its nothing to do with the amount of float, really.
Your fitter is an idiot. I would check to see if your bike fits correctly if I were you. And I hope your knees improve.
Have to agree with FA here. Nothing from that bike fitter makes sense.
Speedplays offer the ability to have the float where you need, and to the degree you need it. As the float is free, your foot is not automatically centred during the movement of pedalling. For example, my left cleat only has about 1 degree of float. My right foot has about 4 degrees of heel out, as my leg naturally makes that movement during the up stroke. No other pedal system can let me set them up this way.
Higher maintenance? No, not really, not when what maintenance you do is proper.
Will they solve the OPs problem? No idea. Only a decent bike fit will tell you that. My guess would be probably not though, as I'd have thought saddle position would have far more bearing on patella tendon pain. I would think your seat is too low and too far forward - but don't take my advice, see a decent fitter and find out.2020 Reilly Spectre - raw titanium
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There is absolutely nothing here that, as a 20 year speedplay, I can agree with.I'm also suffering with patellar tendinitis (it sucks, tendons take a very long time to heal) and had a bike fit to try and find the cause of the problem once it had healed enough for the pain to go.
I was advised against speedplays because of their high wear rate- the fitter reckons speedplay cleats wear out faster than Look and Shimano pedals where you lose the support to the foot and the cleat can rotate in pitch and roll as well as the normal yaw.
Keos wear out second fastest (and their cleats need replacing far more often) with Shimano coming out best in his opinion. The cleats last a good amount of time (even after the rubber bumpers you walk on wear out) and the pedals last longest- partially because of the wide body that provides lots of support.
I did ask about the float on the Speedplays, but he said it doesn't really matter if you've got your bike and cleats set up properly, and the Shimano 7 degree float is almost as good anyway.
Good luck!
Firstly, speedplay cleats are metal. Funnily enough they last longer than plastic look cleats.
Secondly, when they do wear out, you get an almost imperceptible amount of fore/aft play, but the platform is still level.
Thirdly, as numerous people have said, the float is fundamentally different from other pedal systems. Its nothing to do with the amount of float, really.
Your fitter is an idiot. I would check to see if your bike fits correctly if I were you. And I hope your knees improve.
Have to agree with FA here. Nothing from that bike fitter makes sense.
Speedplays offer the ability to have the float where you need, and to the degree you need it. As the float is free, your foot is not automatically centred during the movement of pedalling. For example, my left cleat only has about 1 degree of float. My right foot has about 4 degrees of heel out, as my leg naturally makes that movement during the up stroke. No other pedal system can let me set them up this way.
Higher maintenance? No, not really, not when what maintenance you do is proper.
Will they solve the OPs problem? No idea. Only a decent bike fit will tell you that. My guess would be probably not though, as I'd have thought saddle position would have far more bearing on patella tendon pain. I would think your seat is too low and too far forward - but don't take my advice, see a decent fitter and find out.
Exactly - Speedplay had totally free float which is only appreciated if tried, all others pull the foot towards the centre by virtue of the spring so will operate against free rotation of the knee/ankle.0 -
I swopped to Speedplay a few years back for much the same reasons as the OP - persistent knee pain when using SPD-SL pedals that was keeping me off my road bike.
Initially I set them up with quite a lot of float and it did seem to help me a bit, but I didn't like the 'disconnected' feel that they gave me especially when out of the saddle or climbing.
Eventually I had a bike fit with a fitter who used Speedplay himself and he actually dialled out nearly all the float and at the same time moved my cleats back quite a bit. He also put shims under one side of the cleat on the leg that was troubling me to correct a curve in my ankle / lower leg I never realised was there,
Result? No more knee pain once I'd rested the knee properly and got used to the new position.
Overall although the Speedplay's themselves in the end didn't really solve my knee issue I wouldn't go back to SPD-SL - I find the Speedplay's much easier to clip into and very hard wearing, I'm still using the same cleats I was 2 years ago ( buy the cafe covers for walking in though)http:\\www.thedecliningcyclist.wordpress.com
One mans battle with mediocrity and his declining physical powers.........0 -
How easy is it to start using speedplays? Its something I have never thought about. Just wondering how the cleats fit to your shoe, is there an adapter? Having a quick look online, I can see the pedals and cleats are much more expensive than SPDCube Attain SL Disc
Giant CRS 2.00 -
It's no harder than any other system in principle but the greater amount of adjustment means that there are more things to think about and can go wrong
I use them but I think they have been hit hard by the variances in exchange rate recently and I agree that that has made them insanely expensive for what they are now. As with everyone else, they helped me out a lot but man it hurt my wallet to do so...
I can't agree that the cleats last any longer either (though the new walkable ones are much better - at a cost that would buy a complete version of a whole other good system), they also require a good deal more looking after than other pedal systems.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
I had the same problem as the OP after using Shimano and Time pedals, never got on with them and suffered with knee pain all the time despite trying various bike setups.
Moved over to SP and the knee pain went pretty quickly due to being a bit more free on the float than regular pedals.
However, i would say that changing to SP won't solve everything involving the knee, i would look at the bike setup and I believe the saddle height has as much to do with knee pain as much as anything else. From my experiences of knee pain i would say that SP pedals are great for knee pain that originates on the outside or inside of the knee as the float can correct a knee that might be having trouble fitting into a pedal that has a very narrow amount of float. If the knee pain is at the front of the knee i would say its saddle height/bike fit and the SP's don't have as much of an effect on that part of the knee as opposed to seat height.
I would recommend SP's though, and the usual talk of them being hard to look after is rubbish IMO, I've cleaned mine twice in 3 years (and by clean i mean I've taken them completely apart) but all i do is drop a bit of lubricant down the holes on the cleat after every ride and they have been good to go and I've put a lot of miles through them as well, thousands as opposed to hundreds.
One thing i would recommend are the cafe cleat covers, easy to pop on if you stop at a coffee shop or tea hut and saves getting a lot of crap in the cleat.0 -
What would be their bog standard pedal if I was thinking of checking them out? I don't want to spend too much money to try them out. I also don't give a stuff about weight.Cube Attain SL Disc
Giant CRS 2.00 -
I guess you are in the Euro-zone? Anyways, you can pick the stainless ones up for £100 right now. So, perhaps £20 more than they really should be.It's no harder than any other system in principle but the greater amount of adjustment means that there are more things to think about and can go wrong
I use them but I think they have been hit hard by the variances in exchange rate recently and I agree that that has made them insanely expensive for what they are now. As with everyone else, they helped me out a lot but man it hurt my wallet to do so...
I can't agree that the cleats last any longer either (though the new walkable ones are much better - at a cost that would buy a complete version of a whole other good system), they also require a good deal more looking after than other pedal systems.
I'm up to about 18 months' commuting on my current cleats. A set of keep-on covers does the trick.
Maintenance - you need to use the grease ports every month or two. Its a bit of a pita but that's as bad as it gets.0
