My thoughts on Speedplay pedals

"Bob M" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought Speedplay X2 Road Pedals to replace my aging Time pedals. This

is

Quoted message said:

my report on my new pedals. I've ridden them about 600 miles.

Good:

flotation/rotation is great feel fine as a platform they've never clicked out unexpectedly

Bad:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click" like the Times. they
also don't have much of a click when you click out you can't have any dirt on your cleats -- so if
you walk through dirt or mud and get some stuck in the cleat, you can forget about getting

connected

Quoted message said:

it's almost impossible to pedal if you're not clicked in

The short end of the stick: I'm still not sure that I'd choose these over the new generation of
Time pedals. While I like them, I find myself

biking

Quoted message said:

one-half to one mile before I get them clicked in. And, if you walk

through

Quoted message said:

any dirt, you cannot get the cleat to mate with the pedal. How important are these? Not that
important, as I rarely unclick or walk through dirt. Nonetheless, the times I do this, I wish I
would've bought Times. I do like the rotation/floatation, though. If I had it to do over again,
I'd probably buy Times instead.

Why didn't you stick with the Times anyway? If it ain't broke, don't break
it.

I am new to Speedplays too, but I find just the opposite...

Quoted message said:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click"

Mine have a very reassuring "CLICK".

Quoted message said:

it's almost impossible to pedal if you're not clicked in

I find it easy to pedal un-clicked -- I often stand up with one cleat un-clicked starting out at an
intersection.

-Bob

They are not hard to click into, if the cleats are installed correctly. I have used them for about 6
years and I snap into them in about 2 seconds virtually every time. BUT, if I overtighten the cleat
screws, or once when I installed the cleats on a shoe with a curved sole, the cleats would not
engage easily. I suspect that a slight bend in the cleat will greatly affect clip-in.

Steve Scarich

Bob said:

I am new to Speedplays too, but I find just the opposite...

Quoted message said:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click"

Mine have a very reassuring "CLICK".

Quoted message said:

it's almost impossible to pedal if you're not clicked in

I find it easy to pedal un-clicked -- I often stand up with one cleat un-clicked starting out at
an intersection.

-Bob

How do you do it? My problem is that I start on a hill, go down it and immediately go up another
hill. Even on flat ground, I find my foot slipping off the pedal when not clicked in.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

FlashSteve said:

They are not hard to click into, if the cleats are installed correctly. I have used them for about
6 years and I snap into them in about 2 seconds virtually every time. BUT, if I overtighten the
cleat screws, or once when I installed the cleats on a shoe with a curved sole, the cleats would
not engage easily. I suspect that a slight bend in the cleat will greatly affect clip-in.

Steve Scarich

I'll check my cleats when I get home. I did not use the shims.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

Quoted message said:

I bought Speedplay X2 Road Pedals to replace my aging Time pedals. This

is

Quoted message said:

my report on my new pedals. I've ridden them about 600 miles.

Good:

flotation/rotation is great feel fine as a platform they've never clicked out unexpectedly

Bad:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click" like the Times. they
also don't have much of a click when you click out you can't have any dirt on your cleats -- so if
you walk through dirt or mud and get some stuck in the cleat, you can forget about getting

connected

Quoted message said:

it's almost impossible to pedal if you're not clicked in

#1: Speedplay cleats are *very* picky regarding their interface with the
shoes. You should make sure that your shoe is on Speedplay's approved list (found on their website)
and installed properly, with the correct shims. This is something that wouldn't be a bad idea to
have done by the shop that sold you the shoes & pedals, since they've probably been through it many
times before.

#2: Make sure you use some dry lube, like White Lightning, on the cleat
spring. Makes a world of difference in terms of ease getting into them.

#3: Buy some Speedplay "Coffee Caps" that snap onto the cleats when you're
walking in them, and keep dirt out.

I really think they're the best pedals on the market, providing you stay away from their
least-expensive model (the X3), which has pretty poor bearing life.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

"Bob M" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought Speedplay X2 Road Pedals to replace my aging Time pedals. This

is

Quoted message said:

my report on my new pedals. I've ridden them about 600 miles.

Good:

flotation/rotation is great feel fine as a platform they've never clicked out unexpectedly

Bad:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click" like the Times. they
also don't have much of a click when you click out you can't have any dirt on your cleats -- so if
you walk through dirt or mud and get some stuck in the cleat, you can forget about getting

connected

Quoted message said:

it's almost impossible to pedal if you're not clicked in

The short end of the stick: I'm still not sure that I'd choose these over the new generation of
Time pedals. While I like them, I find myself

biking

Quoted message said:

one-half to one mile before I get them clicked in. And, if you walk

through

Quoted message said:

any dirt, you cannot get the cleat to mate with the pedal. How important are these? Not that
important, as I rarely unclick or walk through dirt. Nonetheless, the times I do this, I wish I
would've bought Times. I do like the rotation/floatation, though. If I had it to do over again,
I'd probably buy Times instead.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Bad:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click" like the Times.

<snip>

Lube the cleats with a dry lube. Practice getting in and out. I get a click and step in, first try,
without looking.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

they also don't have much of a click when you click out you can't have any dirt on your cleats --
so if you walk through dirt or mud and get some stuck in the cleat, you can forget about getting
connected

<snip>

Walk through mud with any road pedal and it's gonna screw things up. But yes, it does make it more
difficult than with other pedals.

For what you get for your $165 (X2's) you can't beat the value (and 200 grams!). My X2's are 5 years
old, I've lubed them once (this year) and they are still smooth as silk. I plan to lube them more
frequently as this schedule (obviously) will not prolong their life. The biggest drawback is that
cleats wear out in about 5 - 8,000 miles and aren't cheap ($30 at lickbike.com, more elsewhere).

App

Bob M <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I bought Speedplay X2 Road Pedals to replace my aging Time pedals. This is my report on my new
pedals. I've ridden them about 600 miles.

Good:

flotation/rotation is great feel fine as a platform they've never clicked out unexpectedly

Bad:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click" like the Times. they
also don't have much of a click when you click out you can't have any dirt on your cleats -- so if
you walk through dirt or mud and get some stuck in the cleat, you can forget about getting
connected it's almost impossible to pedal if you're not clicked in

Hmmm, I have many more miles on X/2 and X/3 pedals (5 figure range someplace). I have no difficulty
in clicking into them, and neither do any of my numerous friends who ride with them. I can stab into
them immediately even when starting on steep uphill grades. If you are having difficulty I would
suspect you have the cleats overtightened; this is a FAQ on the SpeedPlay website, BTW.

And you are correct that they are sensitive to debris in the cleats. The answer is to get the cleat
covers and put those on whenever you get off into the dirt.

- rick

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

I bought Speedplay X2 Road Pedals to replace my aging Time pedals. This

is

Quoted message said:

my report on my new pedals. I've ridden them about 600 miles.

Good:

flotation/rotation is great feel fine as a platform they've never clicked out unexpectedly

Bad:

I find them hard to get into, and they really don't have a reassuring "click" like the Times.
they also don't have much of a click when you click out you can't have any dirt on your cleats --
so if you walk through dirt or mud and get some stuck in the cleat, you can forget about getting

connected

Quoted message said:

it's almost impossible to pedal if you're not clicked in

#1: Speedplay cleats are *very* picky regarding their interface with the
shoes. You should make sure that your shoe is on Speedplay's approved list (found on their
website) and installed properly, with the correct shims. This is something that wouldn't be a bad
idea to have done by the shop that sold you the shoes & pedals, since they've probably been
through it many times before.

#2: Make sure you use some dry lube, like White Lightning, on the cleat
spring. Makes a world of difference in terms of ease getting into them.

#3: Buy some Speedplay "Coffee Caps" that snap onto the cleats when
you're walking in them, and keep dirt out.

I really think they're the best pedals on the market, providing you stay away from their
least-expensive model (the X3), which has pretty poor bearing life.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

Thanks. I'll give this a try. There was no mention of my shoes being bad, and the cleats seem to fit
well. I bought the X3 for my former road bike, which will be relegated to very temporary duty (when
the new LeMond is in the shop).

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

Bob M <[email hidden]> wrote in news:oprumitdeq8jqfq6 @news.snet.sbcglobal.net:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I'll check my cleats when I get home. I did not use the shims.

Duh. Reading the instructions helps.

That's your problem. I have the X-Zeros. My LBS installed the pedals and cleats when I had my new
bike built up. For the longest time I had terrible difficulty clicking in and out. Until I read the
instructions and found the shop had used the incorrect shims for my Sidi shoes. So make sure you not
only use shims, but you use the ones appropriate for your shoe. Since I fixed the problem, the
pedals are a breeze to clip in and out of and would not trade them for any other pedal system.

Good Luck.

"Bob M" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

FlashSteve said:

They are not hard to click into, if the cleats are installed correctly. I have used them for
about 6 years and I snap into them in about 2 seconds virtually every time. BUT, if I
overtighten the cleat screws, or once when I installed the cleats on a shoe with a curved sole,
the cleats would not engage easily. I

suspect

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that a slight bend in the cleat will greatly affect clip-in.

Steve Scarich

I'll check my cleats when I get home. I did not use the shims.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

Hmmm, I have many more miles on X/2 and X/3 pedals (5 figure range

someplace).

Rick: OK, I've got to know... what's your secret for long mileage on an X3? I find it
exceptionally rare to see those pedals with multiple thousands of miles and not really sloppy. X2s
last *forever* but it's rare for us to ever see an X3 that gets lots of miles and hasn't needed a
rebuild several times.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

"Rick Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

[cut]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hmmm, I have many more miles on X/2 and X/3 pedals (5 figure range

someplace).

Quoted message said:

I have no difficulty in clicking into them, and neither do any of my numerous friends who ride
with them. I can stab into them immediately even when starting on steep uphill grades. If you are
having difficulty I would suspect you have the cleats overtightened; this is a FAQ on the
SpeedPlay website, BTW.

Where does the FAQ say something about overtightening cleats? I cannot find this section. I
installed the cleats per the instruction manual, my shoes aren't on the list of bad shoes, and the
shims did not fit (without cutting anyway).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

And you are correct that they are sensitive to debris in the cleats. The answer is to get the
cleat covers and put those on whenever you get off into the dirt.

- rick

I don't know -- I still think I should have bought Times. I never had to worry about shims or
overtightened cleats or dirt on the cleats or getting my feet in or out or wondering whether my feet
are in or out or anything. In fact, next year I'll likely replace the Speedplays.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

Quoted message said:

Where does the FAQ say something about overtightening cleats? I cannot find this section. I
installed the cleats per the instruction manual, my shoes aren't on the list of bad shoes, and the
shims did not fit (without cutting anyway).

Don't know about a FAQ, but mounting instructions state:

FOR MOUNTING BASE PLATE TO SHOE: Do not overtighten cleat mounting screws. (Maximum screw mounting
torque - 35 inch-pounds)

FOR MOUNTING CLEAT LAYERS 2 & 3: Run 4mm screws in until resistance is just felt and tighten no more
than 1/4 turn. (Maximum screw mounting torque - 20 inch-pounds)

Chris Neary [email hidden]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the
elements I loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh