Platform pedals - advice please

You don't need clips. I use SPDs all the time except in the winter when I use waterproof
hill-walking boots with beartrap pedals. I've toured on bear-traps with no problems as well. Your
surgeon is right. If you've any knee problem beartraps for a couple of weeks is my advice. They give
the kneejoint freedom of movement which it may require.

How bad are SPD and other clipless pedals for your knees? As a courier I spend a *long* time in the
these things, and I've had the odd horrible thing happen to my knees (Just walking down the street
and all of a sudden the joint hurts so much I just fall over the second I try to put weight on it)
my doctor classed it as "overuse injury", and with occasional of support they seem a bit clicky but
OK. Does anyone else have any experience/advice about this?

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Spencer Bullen said:

on the advice of the surgeon who recently repaired both my knees, and is a keen cyclist himself,
I'm abandoning SPD's and going to platforms.

As long as your surgeon is aware that some other clipless pedal systems have more float* and some
other differences to SPD*, you should take his/her advice and ignore cyclists here telling you
otherwise!

* eg. Speedplay Frog: large amount of free float and no wrench to release, but I don't think allow
fore/aft movement which platforms or even full toe clips allow.

Sorry I can't help about Zefal mini clips.

~PB

Greetings,

I suggested some other pedals with more float to the surgeon, who as a roadie himself favoured
Looks. Due to a number of injuries (far too many knocks and kicks over the years, work and not
cycling related), he suggested abandoning cleat type pedals for the foreseeable future. Shame as my
MTB and Audax are both fitted with Shimano 515's.

Other advice he gave was always remain seated (hence abandoning off road until I buy a good full
susser), use a smaller ratio (shame, as I always pushed a big gear on road), and increase my cadence
to at least 90 a minute (I used to use big gear and 60-70 a minute or so). I was impressed that by
coincidence my surgeon was a keen cyclist, and understood my problem; I need exercise to strengthen
my legs and lose weight, but can only stick to cycling.

Any good brand of platforms that can be recommended would be appreciated, as I hope to be cycling in
2 weeks, after the swelling from the ops has gone down.

T.T.F.N.

SPENNY

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Spencer Bullen said:

on the advice of the surgeon who recently repaired both my knees, and is a keen cyclist himself,
I'm abandoning SPD's and going to platforms.

As long as your surgeon is aware that some other clipless pedal systems have more float* and some
other differences to SPD*, you should take his/her advice and ignore cyclists here telling you
otherwise!

* eg. Speedplay Frog: large amount of free float and no wrench to release, but I don't think allow
fore/aft movement which platforms or even full toe clips allow.

Sorry I can't help about Zefal mini clips.

~PB

Spencer Bullen said:

Dear All,

on the advice of the surgeon who recently repaired both my knees, and is a keen cyclist himself,
I'm abandoning SPD's and going to platforms. I was never a fan of straps, but am thinking of Zefal
mini-clips to avoid slipping. Any advice on good platform pedals that are compatible? I'm looking
for road style pedals, albeit their going on an MTB that won't see off road.

You might also want to look at Time road pedals, which have a colossal amount of rotational float.

Spencer Bullen said:

I suggested some other pedals with more float to the surgeon, who as a roadie himself favoured
Looks. Due to a number of injuries (far too many knocks and kicks over the years, work and not
cycling related), he suggested abandoning cleat type pedals for the foreseeable future. Shame as
my MTB and Audax are both fitted with Shimano 515's.

Other advice he gave was always remain seated (hence abandoning off road until I buy a good full
susser).

You won't regret this. I bought myself a Cannondale Jekyll this year after years of saying 'I don't
need no steenkeeng suspension'... well, no, I still don't need it, but I can go faster over more
difficult ground with more confidence and it's great fun.

Quoted message said:

use a smaller ratio (shame, as I always pushed a big gear on road), and increase my cadence to at
least 90 a minute (I used to use big gear and 60-70 a minute or so). I was impressed that by
coincidence my surgeon was a keen cyclist, and understood my problem; I need exercise to
strengthen my legs and lose weight, but can only stick to cycling.

Any good brand of platforms that can be recommended would be appreciated, as I hope to be cycling
in 2 weeks, after the swelling from the ops has gone down.

Surely any common or garden rat-traps will do? They'll all take little plastic half-clips, which I'm
sure your surgeon will allow you; and they're cheap so when the bearings go you can just fling 'em
and fit another set.

You've been exceptionally lucky with your surgeon. Hope the knees recover well - and that you don't
have too much difficulty geting your cadence up!

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[email hidden] schreef ...

Quoted message said:

Any good brand of platforms that can be recommended would be appreciated, as I hope to be cycling
in 2 weeks, after the swelling from the ops has gone down.

If you're a bit of a gadget freak, have a look at WTB's Momentum pedals
(wtb.commomentum flat.htmlOpen ↗). They have a Grease Guard port so you can inject them with
fresh grease any moment you see fit. This will keep these pedals going forever.

--
Regards, Marten

Marten Hoffmann said:

[email hidden] schreef ...

Quoted message said:

Any good brand of platforms that can be recommended would be appreciated, as I hope to be
cycling in 2 weeks, after the swelling from the ops has gone down.

If you're a bit of a gadget freak, have a look at WTB's Momentum pedals
(wtb.commomentum flat.htmlOpen ↗). They have a Grease Guard port so you can inject them
with fresh grease any moment you see fit. This will keep these pedals going forever.

Alternatively, take any normal pedals, a short fat self-tapping screw, and an o-ring that fits under
the head of teh screw. Drill a hole in the dust-cap at teh end of teh pedal. Thread o-ring on screw
and screw into hole. Voila, pedals with grease injection port, arranged so that new grease flushes
out the old.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

Quoted message said:

on the advice of the surgeon who recently repaired both my knees, and is a keen cyclist himself,
I'm abandoning SPD's and going to platforms.

Hi Spenny,

Can you let us know what he advised and why?

Drinky

[email hidden] schreef ...

Quoted message said:

Marten Hoffmann said:

[email hidden] schreef ...

Quoted message said:

Any good brand of platforms that can be recommended would be appreciated, as I hope to be
cycling in 2 weeks, after the swelling from the ops has gone down.

If you're a bit of a gadget freak, have a look at WTB's Momentum pedals
(wtb.commomentum flat.htmlOpen ↗). They have a Grease Guard port so you can inject them
with fresh grease any moment you see fit. This will keep these pedals going forever.

Alternatively, take any normal pedals, a short fat self-tapping screw, and an o-ring that fits
under the head of teh screw. Drill a hole in the dust-cap at teh end of teh pedal. Thread o-ring
on screw and screw into hole. Voila, pedals with grease injection port, arranged so that new
grease flushes out the old.

Aha, the DIY approach. I use this on Shimano PD-M323/324 and 535 pedals and without the screw. Just
a small hole (1 mm) in the dustcap will do. So: why the screw?

--
Regards, Marten

Marten Hoffmann said:

[email hidden] schreef ...

Quoted message said:

Alternatively, take any normal pedals, a short fat self-tapping screw, and an o-ring that fits
under the head of teh screw. Drill a hole in the dust-cap at teh end of teh pedal. Thread o-ring
on screw and screw into hole. Voila, pedals with grease injection port, arranged so that new
grease flushes out the old.

Aha, the DIY approach. I use this on Shimano PD-M323/324 and 535 pedals and without the screw.
Just a small hole (1 mm) in the dustcap will do. So: why the screw?

I feel that if you're going to teh bother of injecting grease it suggests the pedals see some less
than pristine conditions. As teh grease migrates around the place within the body, you may get a
void and the screw stops water / grit / whatever making its way in behind teh grease.

If the hole is small enough, you probably don't need to bother, but it seems to me a better job if
the injection hole is not left open.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

[email hidden] schreef ...

Quoted message said:

I feel that if you're going to teh bother of injecting grease it suggests the pedals see some less
than pristine conditions. As teh grease migrates around the place within the body, you may get a
void and the screw stops water / grit / whatever making its way in behind teh grease.

If the hole is small enough, you probably don't need to bother, but it seems to me a better job if
the injection hole is not left open.

I get your drift and agree completely. On the other hand: have you ever noticed the "quality" of the
rubber seal on the crank side of a Shimano PD-M324 pedal? Then you wouldn't bother about keeping
about grit & water on the other side anymore ;-)

--
Mvg, Marten