Speedplay once on can you ever go back?

kirkee

Just thinking with the price of Zero pedals going up can you happily go back to Times or Look etc? Anyone switched to Time expresso? Is it a case of stump up the cash and be happy?!

stevie63

I switched from Xpresso's to Speedplay and I wouldn't go back to the Time pedals as the bearings on them wear out so quickly that the pedals are basically a consumable. The Cleats also wear fast. With the Zero's I get a similar ease of clipping in and out on something that lasts longer

Thigh_burn

kirkee wrote:

...with the price of Zero pedals going...

When are they going up and by how much?

kirkee

Sorry, I meant they've seen to have gone up in price over the last year or two. Don't know if they will continue to go up? I paid about £80 for my last pair and the pair prior to that were a bit cheaper about 3 years ago. I think it's probably difficult to go back to another system due to low stack height etc? I also use rear extender plates to get cleat further back. Do the Times have a low stack height and a good amount of fore/aft adjustability?
Used Keos after having spent years on Look Detas, I preferred the Deltas.

vpnikolov

So you paid a certain price for something three years ago and you are surprised price is going up? Certain political events might have contributed. Dunno... Oh, and certain pretty standard economic ones too.

kirkee

vpnikolov wrote:

So you paid a certain price for something three years ago and you are surprised price is going up? Certain political events might have contributed. Dunno... Oh, and certain pretty standard economic ones too.

Ok, but if an item almost doubles in price in 2 to 3 years it may be worth looking at a cheaper alternative. I find the bodies on zeros wear out and the replacement bodies are almost as costly as a new pair. I believe buying a pair of Pave versions would solve it but at £400 it's expensive. I read Time Expressos have a relatively low stack height and good float plus they are cheap. Could they be a possible alternative to Speedplays? Back to the original question...

StillGoing

kirkee wrote:

vpnikolov wrote:

So you paid a certain price for something three years ago and you are surprised price is going up? Certain political events might have contributed. Dunno... Oh, and certain pretty standard economic ones too.

Ok, but if an item almost doubles in price in 2 to 3 years it may be worth looking at a cheaper alternative. I find the bodies on zeros wear out and the replacement bodies are almost as costly as a new pair. I believe buying a pair of Pave versions would solve it but at £400 it's expensive. I read Time Expressos have a relatively low stack height and good float plus they are cheap. Could they be a possible alternative to Speedplays? Back to the original question...

Stop walking on hard ground in them or invest in some coffee covers. I've got Speedplay on both bikes and since around 2013, still haven't replaced the cleats.

the_cyclist_of_catan

The walkable Speedplay cleats mean that whatever your past concerns about wear might have been, they are now leagues ahead of SPD-SLs/Look etc.

ovi

Mark Cavendish is now using Shimano with red cleats

pilot_pete

philthy3 wrote:

kirkee wrote:

vpnikolov wrote:

So you paid a certain price for something three years ago and you are surprised price is going up? Certain political events might have contributed. Dunno... Oh, and certain pretty standard economic ones too.

Ok, but if an item almost doubles in price in 2 to 3 years it may be worth looking at a cheaper alternative. I find the bodies on zeros wear out and the replacement bodies are almost as costly as a new pair. I believe buying a pair of Pave versions would solve it but at £400 it's expensive. I read Time Expressos have a relatively low stack height and good float plus they are cheap. Could they be a possible alternative to Speedplays? Back to the original question...

Stop walking on hard ground in them or invest in some coffee covers. I've got Speedplay on both bikes and since around 2013, still haven't replaced the cleats.

He’s talking a bout the bodies, not the cleats wearing out. I personally don’t find this. I find that the bow ties wear out through constant clipping in and out. The solution is to buy replacement bow ties and bolts from Dulight in France. Don’t be tempted by the Chinese ones (Rock Bros). I’ve tried them and the bolts were the wrong size (bloody dangerous) and one of the bow ties didn’t have the countersink hole machined in it! Full refund and went back to Dulight https://www.dulight.fr/en/recherche?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=Speedplay completely happy.

I have three pairs of Speedplay, one on Dulight titanium spindles, the other two on original stainless spindles. I ridden them for 5+ years and never needed to change a bearing on any of them. Just keep them greased...

PP

pilot_pete

The Cyclist of Catan wrote:

The walkable Speedplay cleats mean that whatever your past concerns about wear might have been, they are now leagues ahead of SPD-SLs/Look etc.

Mmmm, matter of opinion. Lots say that the walkable cleats rubbers pull off when you walk in them. I’ve got one pair and the caps that you put in them are crap - they come out if you twist when walking and if you take the caps out to put in a jersey pocket they get lube all over your jersey pocket unless you put them in a plastic bag. Too much of a faff for me, I prefer the old cleats which still last ages being metal and outlive 3-4 pair of Look Keo cleats...

PP

StillGoing

Pilot Pete wrote:

philthy3 wrote:

kirkee wrote:

vpnikolov wrote:

So you paid a certain price for something three years ago and you are surprised price is going up? Certain political events might have contributed. Dunno... Oh, and certain pretty standard economic ones too.

Ok, but if an item almost doubles in price in 2 to 3 years it may be worth looking at a cheaper alternative. I find the bodies on zeros wear out and the replacement bodies are almost as costly as a new pair. I believe buying a pair of Pave versions would solve it but at £400 it's expensive. I read Time Expressos have a relatively low stack height and good float plus they are cheap. Could they be a possible alternative to Speedplays? Back to the original question...

Stop walking on hard ground in them or invest in some coffee covers. I've got Speedplay on both bikes and since around 2013, still haven't replaced the cleats.

He’s talking a bout the bodies, not the cleats wearing out. I personally don’t find this. I find that the bow ties wear out through constant clipping in and out. The solution is to buy replacement bow ties and bolts from Dulight in France. Don’t be tempted by the Chinese ones (Rock Bros). I’ve tried them and the bolts were the wrong size (bloody dangerous) and one of the bow ties didn’t have the countersink hole machined in it! Full refund and went back to Dulight https://www.dulight.fr/en/recherche?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=Speedplay completely happy.

I have three pairs of Speedplay, one on Dulight titanium spindles, the other two on original stainless spindles. I ridden them for 5+ years and never needed to change a bearing on any of them. Just keep them greased...

PP

Christ, what are people clipping in with to wear the bodies out?

pilot_pete

What I thought too! But I suspect it is the bow ties that are wearing...

PP

kirkee

I've worn the edges of the bodies so they've rounded either side of the bow tie on the outer edge, maybe not swapping bow ties earlier? Have got wear marks on the bow ties though, found the cleats last ages. I don't use the cafe covers, instead I bond a strip of gripfill over the screws area that provides a permanent renewable walking pad. When time comes to swap cleats pull off the strip of gripfill and the screw heads are good as new.

svetty

Richard Bryne is a complete twunt as far as I can ascertain - hence I would never entertain Speedplays.

barongreenback

But just the pedal bodies then get spindles and bearings from eBay. Cheaper and you can get titanium for a fraction of the price if you want to lower the weight. I’ve been on speedplays for 10 years and have just bought my third cleats (still on original pedals on my winter bike).

964cup

I have Speedplays on five bikes. I've not had a single instance of body wear, and I find that the new aero cleat seems to last forever if you maintain it properly. As with all things, it's all about maintenance. Keep the cleats clean and lubed - I wonder if the body wear is from unlubed cleats - and make sure the pedal body is also clean. Grease the bearings as soon as the pedal starts to turn freely (about every three months, but it depends how often you ride in very wet conditions). I do have a set of Paves which I use in the winter, but that's because otherwise you can end up unable to clip in after a pee stop because of the mud and grit that accumulates in the cleat. They come off as soon as it's reasonably dry outside, because they're a good deal heavier than a Ti set and have an appetite for shins.

First.Aspect

Pilot Pete wrote:

The Cyclist of Catan wrote:

The walkable Speedplay cleats mean that whatever your past concerns about wear might have been, they are now leagues ahead of SPD-SLs/Look etc.

Mmmm, matter of opinion. Lots say that the walkable cleats rubbers pull off when you walk in them. I’ve got one pair and the caps that you put in them are crap - they come out if you twist when walking and if you take the caps out to put in a jersey pocket they get lube all over your jersey pocket unless you put them in a plastic bag. Too much of a faff for me, I prefer the old cleats which still last ages being metal and outlive 3-4 pair of Look Keo cleats...

PP

Use Keep-on covers. The coffee shop covers are dreadful. The keep-ons last years.

LeeDa

I get excessive wear on the pedal bodies and quite quickly. I think I somehow roll my feet when I’m pedalling (as I do when walking) and soon enough there’s side to side rocking. Having said that it isn’t an issue as when pedalling I can’t notice a difference between a new pedal and an old one.

After about 5yrs on Speedplay I did go back to Shimano. I became tired of worn cleats, broken springs and having to lube the bodies. During a trip to the alps on Spd-sl’s I started experiencing knee and ankle pain on long climbs, something I’d never suffered from on previous trips. Came back and back on the Speedplay. I think it was the stiffness of the float on the Spd-sl.

Regarding the newer cleats - plenty of miles and never lost the rubber cover. IME it’s easy to incorrectly think they are in position then to double check and find one corner isn’t quite set. Not saying that’s how other people have lost theirs, but this is just my experience. On the other hand the screw-in cover thing is junk. Not looking back now - I’ll be staying on the Speedplay.

kirkee

LeeDa what you describe with the bodies wearing is exactly what I experienced. I seem to have sensitive knees and when the rolling foot feeling from wear starts my ligaments play up. Think your right, its probably worth sticking with the Speedplays as they are the best for your knees.

stevewj

I would pay more for speedplay zeroes simply because they are the only pedals that allow my knees to pedal pain-free which is my only criteria

philbar72

ovi wrote:

Mark Cavendish is now using Shimano with red cleats

good news. same here.

fenix

Yes - don't bother with the speedplay covers for walking - plugs you have to put in ? Rubbish.

Use these - much better and last really well. Fit and forget.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keep-Kovers-Sp ... B00N8N5HBI

stevewj

Fenix wrote:

Yes - don't bother with the speedplay covers for walking - plugs you have to put in ? Rubbish.

Use these - much better and last really well. Fit and forget.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keep-Kovers-Sp ... B00N8N5HBI

agreed - work so well I never take them off - actually help locate the pedal when in a hurry too

ck101

I liked Speedplay and have around 5 pairs of Zeros, I bought the cleat covers (ones you leave on) when they first came out and never had any hassle with wear whatsoever. Picked up some Vector 3’s a month or so ago and now making the transition to Look.
No major issues or hassle other than expense, I didn’t however move to Speedplay to assist with knee problems.

ugo.santalucia

To answer the original question... of course you can go back and you will if your riding moves away from the usual cafe' with the nice clean paving outside.

If your riding becomes a bit more wild and rugged, you will probably realise Speedplay are completely useless in that environment and you'll probably begin to value a good ole SPD cleat that you can walk on even on unpaved surfaces.

I only use road cleats for short rides... Speedplay seem a more problematic version of an already problematic product

Matthewfalle

ovi wrote:

Mark Cavendish is now using Shimano with red cleats

Good for him. Perhaps it will help him to stop falling off all the time.

Mpercy

I think in general, discussions about pedals and cleats are difficult within internet forums, as what works for one persons anatomy is different to another. The key is to work out what works for you.

My history was I started cycling at 40ish, and was advised by a LBS to use SPD-SL, and so I did. However, I found over progressively longer rides that my knees would hurt (one more than the other). To the point where I would limp home. Much internet searching later, and following a path of attempting various ideas, I found out, that, for me, reducing the crank length and changing to speedplay zero pedals resolved much of the issue.

Why? I believe from the pedal side its related to the fact that speedplay doesn't attempt to realign your foot when you move off-alignment, as Shimano and Look do. Its a strange feeling at first, but for me and my knees it seems to work.

The downside I've found with speedplay is that they do need maintenance. Have you seen the price of the greasing gun? And that they are horrible to walk in. I've only used standard cleats, and hope to try the walkable cleats when these wear out. Shiny power measurement pedals don't support speedplay also, so there are restrictions in the approach.

I've had my current cleats for about 2 years not, and whilst they are worn they are still working. New cleats are expensive.

But, bottom line is that everyone is different. If speedplay makes your cycling more enjoyable and pain free, its very hard to justify moving to something else which perhaps doesn't. If you can use Shimano or others pain-free, then do enjoy the greater options available.

Cheers

Matt

pilot_pete

Just to add a couple of questions to an oldish thread rather than start a new one,

1. Has anyone got a source of Speedplay Pave replacement bow ties? I can see plenty of aftermarket Zero bow ties but my internet searching has failed to find a single source for the Pave bow ties. They are slightly different in shape. Here’s a picture, Zeros on top, Pave below;





2. If the answer to no.1 is no, anyone with engineering experience out there able to say how easy/ feasible machining the Zero bow ties down to match the Pave pedal would be? I have emailed Speedplay direct requesting where to buy replacements but it does say on their website that bow ties are not user serviceable parts... :roll:

3. Also, does anyone know if the spindles are the same between Zero and Pave? I mean are they interchangeable I.e. the same design/ dimensions, I know some are chromalloy, some stainless and others titanium and they are available in different lengths. I would guess so as it would seem logical to use a common part rather than change the design, but not sure.

Thanks all.

PP

the_cyclist_of_catan

I’ve used SPDs, SPD-SLs (fairly briefly) and Speedplays (a lot). Speedplays suit me down to the ground.

Yep, Keep-on Kovers work well. As do the Speedplay Walkable cleats. I have heard stories of the cleat covers coming off, but haven’t experienced it myself; I have however noticed that it is easy to fail to put the covers on properly, which would mean that they might fall off at some point. Like anything else, it’s just a matter of paying attention to detail. And no, I have never bothered with the stupid round plugs. Not even thought about replacing the bow ties yet. I’ve done about 5k miles on the main set of pedals, and about 15k miles on the pair that are on the spare bike.

FWIW, I commute and do club rides, in all weathers, at all times of the year. The pedals get greased about as often as I give the bike a proper clean and fettle - three or four times a year.

For me, that bit of extra maintenance is more than made up for by the ease of clipping in (double-sided pedals) and the knee float.

Ben6899

As good as they are; Speedplay pedals are not the solution to knee pain. You should look at your fit, if your knees hurt when pedalling.