Speedplay pedals

trivial_poursuivant

mamil314 wrote:

Quite a jump for OP from MTB pedals to Zeros on an SLX. Can i suggest to try SPD-SL pedals first?

Are spd-sl an intermediary pedal system? Anyone can use speedplay without problems. Ugo has his reasons for not using them which are his personal circumstances but they are still easy to live with so long as you just want to ride and not go on archeological digs mid ride.

mouth

Andymaxy wrote:

Plus, as I've said, I don't want my friends on my bike.

Are you familiar with the term 'no'?

mamil314

SPD for MTB and commuting, SPD-SL for road, others are 'aftermarket hippy weirdness'.

Not really, i am on Time Atac myself, love the dual sidedness

ugo.santalucia

mamil314 wrote:

SPD for MTB and commuting, SPD-SL for road, others are 'aftermarket hippy weirdness'.

Not really, i am on Time Atac myself, love the dual sidedness

After many years on SPD (previously SPD-SL), last spring I bought a set of Ultegra pedals, so back to SPD-SL... I wish I hadn't bothered. All road shoes are extremely harsh, due to the stiff carbon sole... they are OK for 4-5 hours, but then they begin to hurt... big toe burning etc... so for the 400 km I did go back to SPD.

I also don't seem to appreciate any improvement in power transfer translating in higher average speed or better climbing speed or anything.... in short, a waste of money. Combine that with the fact that you can't walk on road cleats and I am slowly reverting to SPD.

Shame, because I've thrown a lot of money when you include a pair of Sidi shoes

pilot_pete

ugo.santalucia wrote:

mamil314 wrote:

SPD for MTB and commuting, SPD-SL for road, others are 'aftermarket hippy weirdness'.

Not really, i am on Time Atac myself, love the dual sidedness

After many years on SPD (previously SPD-SL), last spring I bought a set of Ultegra pedals, so back to SPD-SL... I wish I hadn't bothered. All road shoes are extremely harsh, due to the stiff carbon sole... they are OK for 4-5 hours, but then they begin to hurt... big toe burning etc... so for the 400 km I did go back to SPD.

I also don't seem to appreciate any improvement in power transfer translating in higher average speed or better climbing speed or anything.... in short, a waste of money. Combine that with the fact that you can't walk on road cleats and I am slowly reverting to SPD.

Shame, because I've thrown a lot of money when you include a pair of Sidi shoes

A descent footbed is your solution, especially if you buy Sidi shoes as the insole is designed to be removed and thrown away when you fit your moulded footbed, which offers sublime comfort, even with a 'harsh' road shoe...

PP

ugo.santalucia

Pilot Pete wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

mamil314 wrote:

SPD for MTB and commuting, SPD-SL for road, others are 'aftermarket hippy weirdness'.

Not really, i am on Time Atac myself, love the dual sidedness

After many years on SPD (previously SPD-SL), last spring I bought a set of Ultegra pedals, so back to SPD-SL... I wish I hadn't bothered. All road shoes are extremely harsh, due to the stiff carbon sole... they are OK for 4-5 hours, but then they begin to hurt... big toe burning etc... so for the 400 km I did go back to SPD.

I also don't seem to appreciate any improvement in power transfer translating in higher average speed or better climbing speed or anything.... in short, a waste of money. Combine that with the fact that you can't walk on road cleats and I am slowly reverting to SPD.

Shame, because I've thrown a lot of money when you include a pair of Sidi shoes

A descent footbed is your solution, especially if you buy Sidi shoes as the insole is designed to be removed and thrown away when you fit your moulded footbed, which offers sublime comfort, even with a 'harsh' road shoe...

PP

Recommend one that fits a 43 wide Genius 7. Apparently the Sidi "comfy" ones are just the same as the ones that come with the shoes... I'd be really keen to sort that out, it's troubling me on long rides

graemevet

I've used Speedplay for 2 years now and have just fitted a new set of cleats after about 12000kms from the last set.

FWIW I switched to them as I get sore knees. The float is great and you can micro-adjust each foot independently to get the feel you want. Clipping in is a PITA for the first week, then becomes second nature. The cleats soon wear so clipping in becomes easier. I like the fact that they are double sided and I can certainly clip in a lot faster than the majority of riders on SPD-SL pedals.

Other benefits - lower stack height, better cornering clearance.

Downsides - don't like muddy pee stops, cafe covers are essential, replacement cleats are expensive.

YMMV.

pilot_pete

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Pilot Pete wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

mamil314 wrote:

SPD for MTB and commuting, SPD-SL for road, others are 'aftermarket hippy weirdness'.

Not really, i am on Time Atac myself, love the dual sidedness

After many years on SPD (previously SPD-SL), last spring I bought a set of Ultegra pedals, so back to SPD-SL... I wish I hadn't bothered. All road shoes are extremely harsh, due to the stiff carbon sole... they are OK for 4-5 hours, but then they begin to hurt... big toe burning etc... so for the 400 km I did go back to SPD.

I also don't seem to appreciate any improvement in power transfer translating in higher average speed or better climbing speed or anything.... in short, a waste of money. Combine that with the fact that you can't walk on road cleats and I am slowly reverting to SPD.

Shame, because I've thrown a lot of money when you include a pair of Sidi shoes

A descent footbed is your solution, especially if you buy Sidi shoes as the insole is designed to be removed and thrown away when you fit your moulded footbed, which offers sublime comfort, even with a 'harsh' road shoe...

PP

Recommend one that fits a 43 wide Genius 7. Apparently the Sidi "comfy" ones are just the same as the ones that come with the shoes... I'd be really keen to sort that out, it's troubling me on long rides

I've got custom Sidas foot beds http://www.sidassport.com/en/our-products/biking/custom-bike-insoles-100-2.html To solve fit and pain issues they need to be custom moulded to your foot - they heat them up, put them on a sort of bean bag bed, you stand on it and it forms to your foot shape as it cools down and then retains that shape. They are then trimmed to fit your shoe of choice.

Mine are 7 years old now and still as comfy as ever, I just swap them in and out of each shoe that I use. They were originally designed for ski boots and have been adapted for other sports shoes such as cycling. They are sublimely comfortable compared to any pre-formed insole (note I called them insole, not footbed), as they are specifically moulded to your foot.

PP

ugo.santalucia

they look expensive... > 50 quid?

pilot_pete

ugo.santalucia wrote:

they look expensive... > 50 quid?

I paid £30 some 7 years ago, so that has worked out at about £4 a year so far and they still have years left in them. During that time I have had 2 pairs of top end Sidi shoes at circa £250 a pop.

So, I think they are worth every penny, but each to their own. If your feet hurt when riding then you can either never wear your expensive shoes again, or pay the money to sort the problem. If someone said to me for £50 I can sort your foot pain out and it will last for years, I would consider that cheap. Bearing in mind a trip to a physio costs circa £30 an hour and it puts it into perspective.

PP

pilot_pete

Here you go https://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Sidas/Bike-Race-Conformable-Footbed-Insoles/KJQ Now that's not bad, £30 - the same price I paid seven years ago...

PP

First.Aspect

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

I think i'd only ever class the Zero's as a "performance", pedal where the primary function is to attach yourself to the bike. I don't walk about- rarely stop at cafe's and certainly don't do any gravel/ X-road riding with them. I put shoes on sat down next to my bike, and ride.

If I did have to walk for any reason due to a mechanical, I'd remove the shoes anyway. Id rather ruin a pair of socks than a) £280 set of shoes and b) expensive "cleats".

MTB, and anything else where Im getting off the bike, it's SPD

You could also buy a set of covers which cost pennies to protect them. They fit quite conveniently into a back pocket.

I'm loathed already with the (minimal), amount of stuff I have to carry in my back pocket. It's still far easier to walk in bare feet (if I have to walk at all), than it is with cleats- with or without covers. It's made slightly worse also by the additional 5mm of shims on my right foot...

Keep-on covers. http://www.keeponkovers.com/Product.html

Problem solved. I commute on a set of 10 yr old X2s. They are getting a bit slack, but you'd expect that at 10k km a year. Cleats have done around 15k km I think.

pippi_langsamer-2

First Aspect wrote:

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

I think i'd only ever class the Zero's as a "performance", pedal where the primary function is to attach yourself to the bike. I don't walk about- rarely stop at cafe's and certainly don't do any gravel/ X-road riding with them. I put shoes on sat down next to my bike, and ride.

If I did have to walk for any reason due to a mechanical, I'd remove the shoes anyway. Id rather ruin a pair of socks than a) £280 set of shoes and b) expensive "cleats".

MTB, and anything else where Im getting off the bike, it's SPD

You could also buy a set of covers which cost pennies to protect them. They fit quite conveniently into a back pocket.

I'm loathed already with the (minimal), amount of stuff I have to carry in my back pocket. It's still far easier to walk in bare feet (if I have to walk at all), than it is with cleats- with or without covers. It's made slightly worse also by the additional 5mm of shims on my right foot...

Keep-on covers. http://www.keeponkovers.com/Product.html

Problem solved. I commute on a set of 10 yr old X2s. They are getting a bit slack, but you'd expect that at 10k km a year. Cleats have done around 15k km I think.

They look OK...and I might try some for Winter if I keep some SP's on my Winter bike. Other than that, I've no need for them coz most of my rides are fast 3hrs and I rarely stop for a) a pee and/ or b) a cafe.

Matthewfalle

mamil314 wrote:

Quite a jump for OP from MTB pedals to Zeros on an SLX. Can i suggest to try SPD-SL pedals first?

What a load of tosh "quite a jump".

It's a set of pedals and a bicycle, not a space shuttle.