Speedplay pedals

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by steve [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Do any of you guys use Speedplay road pedals? Would you rate them better than equivalent priced Look or Shimano pedals?

Speedplay marketing often mentions top pros like Cadel Evans, Fabian Cancellara, Jens Voigt, Taylor Phinney, and Thor Hushovd use them.

Two sided, completely servicable with all spare parts provided, most adjustable in terms of fore-aft and side to side, and if ya fall and kill one pedal, you can buy one pedal(or repair the crunched one). BIG fan of Speedplay, I use Zeros(adjustable float, zero to 7.5 degress each side) on all my bicycles. Second choice is shimano but just altered Look. Look third. Unless you get the Max with a metal plate, they wear quickly.

Speedplay Zeros are my favorite too. Mine have gone 28K miles now, and the bearings still feel like new. They require lube from a mini-grease gun every 1-2K miles, but thats quick and easy. Cleats last a long time as well; I'm just on my third set. I'd say they are a high-quality, durable pedal system which is definately worth the money.

But whether they are "better" than Look/Shimano also depends on personal preference. Coming from years with Look pedals, it took me a few rides to get used to the free-float feel and to learn to trust that I was actually clipped-in, particularly when standing. Also, I've read that the free float can cause knee problems for some riders.

Only negative I'd mention is that the cleats can be a bit difficult to clean if they get fouled with dirt/sand. Using cleat covers avoids this issue and protects the metal cleat and floors too.

I have a teammate who absolutely SWEARS by speedplays. On our training rides, she often bets that she can get into her pedals faster than anyone with shimano or looks.

I personally have never tried them, and like my look pedals. The pedals are very light, and so are the cleats, and I can get into them pretty quickly.

I bought some Speedplay X2's for a new bike. Rode them 500 miles are so. I liked the ease of entry, but I found that unlimited float was too much for me. I went back to some zero float Look pedals and the X2's are sitting on the parts shelf.

The Zero's have adjustable float? How does that work?

What Peter said. I like the Zeroes, too, set for very little float. I like the stiff spindles, smooth bearings, and low stack height. I swear these things are helping me ride faster than I did on my old Time RXSs.

Thanks for the feedback, I have ordered a set off these guys berettas.bikehub.com.auberettas.bikehub.com.auOpen ↗

The Zero cleats have small screw stops front and back which can be set to limit the rotation of the "c-clip"....the spring part of the cleat that engages the pedal. I got the Zeroes because coming from fixed Look cleats, I was concerned about limiting the free-float. However, I've found the full float isn't a problem for me so I just run them "wide-open".