Speedplay pedals

nmt
nmt Posts: 88
edited November 2013 in Road beginners
Does anyone use speedplay pedals and if so can you tell me if it's possible to get out of the pedal by twisting your foot inwards (heal in rather than out) Reason I ask is I am having to use spd cleats with the multi release cleat so I can twist my left foot inwards to release from the pedals, I have to do this as I snapped my common perennial nerve in my left knee some years ago in a road accident and lost the lift up/bend out function my left foot. I have tried numerous pedal / cleat combinations and find the multi release best so far but would like to try the speedplays but don't want to splash out on them due to the high cost if they wont work for me.

Comments

  • Gavinus
    Gavinus Posts: 14
    You can only twist the heel outwards to release from Speedplay pedals.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,532
    i've got a paid of spare pedals indoors so i just tried some experiments (using a bit of pipe on the axle to get unclipping leverage)...

    the cleats are asymmetric, heel-in hits a hard stop, rather than the ramp for heel-out, i guess it might unclip eventually, but i think it'll need much more force

    however, at the cost of buying two sets of cleats, you could fit a righthand cleat to both shoes

    i checked, it will clip in, and it then clips out heel-in, though it felt a bit crunchier, presumably because the pedal body is also asymmetric, not sure it'd be good to do this long term

    but if you got a pedal rebuild kit, you could fit a righthand pedal body onto the lefthand spindle (it will fit perfectly), which would give you a 'proper' pedal-cleat combination on the left side of the bike, then you could use the in/out adjustment screws on the cleat to get things just the way you want

    getting pedals, an extra set of cleats and a rebuild kit adds cost, so before going down this route i'd try contacting a bikefit specialist and see if they know any better options
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    I found a direct approach to Speedplay US very productive (after wasting time with the UK distributor). Briefly, they built me a set of pedals with longer shafts to accommodate my "heel in" pedalling style. If you search the forum for Speedplay and Peddle Up! you'll find the full story.
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • nmt
    nmt Posts: 88
    Thanks for the reply's guys especially sungod and pedal up. Food for thought.
  • andrewjoseph
    andrewjoseph Posts: 2,165
    I bought a pair of pedal extenders after bike fit recommendations, but that was due to my heel rubbing on chainstay. I have poor reflexes in my feet and have problems with shimano mtb pedals, the release angle is too, much for me. no problems unclipping with crankbros or time mtb pedals.
    --
    Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
  • wishitwasallflat
    wishitwasallflat Posts: 2,927
    +1 to contact Speedplay in the US direct, I emailed them once an they phoned me back and helped me out. US customer service is usually second to none IME.

Categories