Keep my Looks or pay up for some Speedplays

[Shanks]

Hi all, I've been using Keo looks for while now and they are good but, I do quite a lot of heavy traffic miles and still find them a bit of a pain clicking into (they never face the right way and I end up limping off on one foot whilst trying to hook in to the left pedal before I can gain any momentum) Seeing the Speedplay zeros are double sided this does appeal to me as much simpler just 'tread down' and go system. But a lot of reviews talk about them being very prone to grit getting in and preventing an easy clip in.

Does anyone out here who owns some find this a real issue? Cheers

 

[black'n'yellow]

Depends what you want out of a set of pedals, and the type of riding you do. If you are just a leisure rider, then speedplays are probably a bit unnecessary, particularly as walking in them is a fair bit worse than with Look-type cleats. Sounds like a pair of SPDs might make more sense...

 

[Shanks]

Thanks black'n'yellow, I guess I view my cycling as a level up from that at least. Town stuff during the week and then longer sportive type distances at the weekends. I started back into cycling a couple of years ago,and have been increasing my time in the saddle since then.

I started with spd's and a set of shimanos with cleats one side and flat on the reverse. Then 'progressed' to the keos which seemed like a step forward and certainly feel better when I'm moving. But engaging continues to be a pain. I suppose it's back to spd or on to speed play. Cheers

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Try weighting your pedals to get them to hang the right way up.

Start with blu-tack to get the weight right, then solder a couple of washers on.

 

[black'n'yellow]

They're actually easier to get into if they hang the way they are designed to, so the front of the cleat locates first, as you move your foot forward. Practice makes a lot more sense than some kind of 'Heath-Robinson' pedal mods.

 

[Shanks]

Thanks SS all books say they should hang the right way without having to attach bits. I also worry about my skills with a soldering iron, chances are I'll need new pedals just because I have wrecked these ones if I start that game I guess it's just practice with these or try others.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

They're actually easier to get into if they hang the way they are designed to, so the front of the cleat locates first, as you move your foot forward. Practice makes a lot more sense than some kind of 'Heath-Robinson' pedal mods.

That's right: so the front of the pedal is slightly forward of the vertical.

The OP wrote that "they never face the right way", by which I understood that they don't (otherwise he wouldn't have a problem).

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Thanks SS all books say they should hang the right way without having to attach bits....

So are they hanging correctly or not? Front of pedal slightly forward of the vertical, at five minutes past six looking at the drive side.

You don't say which model you have, but cheaper pedals often aren't weighted properly.

 

[Shanks]

Thanks for your help folks. I found some Zeros in my LBS and he gave me an excellent price - so I made the change. What a difference, this is what I was hoping for from clipless.

I had the Keo Max and I'm sure it was my inability to get on with them rather than an issue with the pedals. My son, always eager for a free upgrade, had them fitted to his bike before I had finished fitting my cleats and instantly got on with them. He had the standard Keos before and reckon these are slightly smoother but as easy to get in and out of and can't understand what all the fuss was about. Each to their own I suppose.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I used Speedplay Zero's for s couple of years and think they are fantastic.

I very rarely walk any distance off the bike do the bulky cleats were no problem.

Just be sure to keep the cleats and clip in pedal edges clean as the cleats are a lot more expensive than most others.

I only changed mine to simplify things, I had two bikes with two different pedal systems which seemed a bit daft, but I couldn't warrant the cost of another set of Zero's for my commuter, so they had to go


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AndyRM]

I used Speedplay Zero's for s couple of years and think they are fantastic.

I very rarely walk any distance off the bike do the bulky cleats were no problem.

Just be sure to keep the cleats and clip in pedal edges clean as the cleats are a lot more expensive than most others.

I only changed mine to simplify things, I had two bikes with two different pedal systems which seemed a bit daft, but I couldn't warrant the cost of another set of Zero's for my commuter, so they had to go

Apologies for the thread necromancy!

I am considering getting a set of Speedplays, but have a couple of questions:

1 - Do you find there's a big difference in height; by that I mean it seems as though your foot completely covers the pedal, so did you need to adjust seat height/saddle position?

2 - Did you have to buy a set of 4 bolt shoes to go with them, or did you get one of the adaptor kits; if so, are they any good?

3 - How hardy are the cleats? I understand that they are metal. Either way I'd buy the cafe covers but don't want to risk damage to floor/cleat should I forget them.

4 - I read that because of the clipped in position, your foot ends up a lot closer to the drive train; if true, is there an adjustment you can make?

5 - Do you need a torque wrench to tighten them? Also read that the tolerances are fairly delicate.

Any answers/advice gratefully received!

 

[smokeysmoo]

Apologies for the thread necromancy!

No worries, I'll do my best to answer your Q's....
1 - No. Personally I don't recall having to adjust my saddle height at all.

2 - They were compatible with the shoes I already had. Good luck or good management? Go figure.

3 - The cleats are regarded as not the hardiest out there, but TBH I had no issues, but then again I go out, ride, go home. I don't have any cause to walk at all.

4 - I never experienced that TBH.

5 - A torque wrench is always advisable, especially if you have carbon soled shoes, but I wouldn't buy one especially if you don't have one.

Hope that helps. I only swapped back to Shimano SPD-SL as I couldn't justify Speedlay's on my second bike. So I now run DA on my CAAD and 105 SPD-SL's on my Fuji and therefore the same cleats on both my shoes and my boots, but when my numbers come up I'll have SP's on all my bikes

 

[Trail Child]

Love, love, love my Speedplay Zeros! I am not a fetterer and I was able to install them on my Sidi Genius 5-pros without too many problems. They were stiff getting into & out to begin with on the trainer, but, with use, have become really easy to clip in & out of.

 

[AndyRM]

No worries, I'll do my best to answer your Q's....
1 - No. Personally I don't recall having to adjust my saddle height at all.

2 - They were compatible with the shoes I already had. Good luck or good management? Go figure.

3 - The cleats are regarded as not the hardiest out there, but TBH I had no issues, but then again I go out, ride, go home. I don't have any cause to walk at all.

4 - I never experienced that TBH.

5 - A torque wrench is always advisable, especially if you have carbon soled shoes, but I wouldn't buy one especially if you don't have one.

Hope that helps. I only swapped back to Shimano SPD-SL as I couldn't justify Speedlay's on my second bike. So I now run DA on my CAAD and 105 SPD-SL's on my Fuji and therefore the same cleats on both my shoes and my boots, but when my numbers come up I'll have SP's on all my bikes

Cheers! That's really helpful. Not so much for my wife who wants to get me 'something nice' for my birthday next week though. I'm not sure she would put pedals in that category...

 

[Arsen Gere]

FWIW I gave away my speedplays. Off the bike it was like wearing rollerskates. The steel plates were slippy. Absolutely useless if you were doing a triathlon and put your shoes on before getting on your bike. I could not be bothered to carry special plugs to put in the holes so as soon as you went near grass/mud/sand/gravel they were clogged.