speedplay zero pedals

[bonj2]

hi
can anyone who's got any of these please recommend how are they on the following aspects:
* ease of clipping in? even on hill starts? frequency of mis-clips?
* any hotspots? e.g. when I had M520s i would get a bit of a hotspot on the bottom foot when coasting standing up, and to a lesser extent when honking
* how sure-footed (again e.g. in the situations as previous)
* reducability of float (i don't like float)
* feel of clip-in, i.e. is it a nice positive firm loud click or a mushy spongy click
* adjustability of unclipping twisting force (lots of force/difficult to unclip = better)

i'm trying to guage whether they will be suitable for me:
I've currently got ultegra pedals, but i still find them tricky to clip into, especially on hill starts. I can do it on the flat, and it's satisfying to get it bang on, but i always have to think about it, and I often mis-clip -which is ok, as even if i've misclipped it's normally the right way up so is ok to put pressure on, but very occasionally it won't be the right way up and my foot could slip off when it's like that, so i don't like to just 'stomp' and power straight off like i can on my mtb in case it's the wrong way up, and if my foot slipped off when i was putting quite a bit of torque down i could do myself an injury. Instead, you have to feel for it, stroke the toes across the top of it, make sure it's not flipped back on itself, and then push to clip. Well that's a bit too much of a faff to me.
So, i'm just wondering if the prospect of a double-sided road pedal would solve this problem.

any advice much appreciated, thanks.

 

[Evilcat]

I have used them for 18 months, mainly due to the adjustable float and easy of clipping in given the number of lights and hazards hearabouts.

Very easy to clip in on hills, and the cleat engages with a proper loud click. No hotspots as the cleat spreads the load nicely, and float is easily adjustable from lots to zero (I have a few degrees either way). Twisting force for unclipping is not adjustable: you just twist your heel away from the bike (needing to twist more if you have more float). Never had a clipless moment with them (which is more than I can say for SPDs on my other bikes) either.

Downsides: expensive (especially when you come to replace the cleat), difficult to walk in (I recommend the cleat covers if you want the odd cafe stop) and they are comparitively complex to set up (need to fix the base of cleat to the sole first) but have a huge range of positional adjustment because of this.

EC

 

[Bollo]

What Mr, Mrs, Dr or the Rev Evilcat said +1. Only things to add are....

Clipping in and out actions are very consistent. Clipping out especially is great, because the float has no resistance, while you can feel a strong resistance as soon as you begin to disengage the clipping mechanism. It's difficult to explain, but it gives a lot of confidence that you're not going to accidentally unclip.

The only downside that I find with clipping in is that, if you miss the 'sweetspot', there's very little to catch and the cleat plate tends to skid across the pedal, especially in the wet. The upside is that, as the pedal is just a disc, there are no sharp edges to hack at your Achilles if you miss the clip-in.

 

[bonj2]

right, thanks. well i've ordered them anyway, so we'll see. I guess as a mtb rider at heart i can't get on with single-siders...

 

[Chromatic]

Have you got them yet? If so, how are you getting on with them? I'd be interested to know as I've been thinking about getting some of them.

 

[bonj2]

yep, i like them. still take a bit of getting used to, slightly different clipping in action (you've basically just got to get it in the right place and push down as opposed to forward and down), but already far fewer misclips than with the ultegras, to the point where i'm confident with them in traffic, which is why i got them. That combined with the fact they feel secure and have no hotspots, so they pass as a decent road pedal, means they're the best of both worlds really for me, so yes i'm happy.

 

[yenrod]

An old friend went with these over time peds.

Variety - the spice of life !

 

[jashburnham]

Utterly superb pedals, I highly recommend them and use Zeros on both my road bikes. I do recommend buying some of their "Coffee Shop" cleat caps though... http://www.parker-international.co....oogle/productID/1290/groupID/3/categoryID/270

 

[ChrisKH]

Now this thread has played itself out, I need a pedal with a degree of lateral float - I tend to pedal with my left foot pointing slightly to the left (probably as a result of a bunion). SPD's are obviously fixed forward and whilst I can use these, there is a limit on distance before I experience knee pain. Would speedplay pedals be appropriate? Are there any others that fit the bill?

 

[jashburnham]

Speedplays would be fine. Each cleat has 2 limit screws which adjust how far the foot can rotate laterally.

 

[ChrisKH]

Speedplays would be fine. Each cleat has 2 limit screws which adjust how far the foot can rotate laterally.

Thanks.

What's the difference between Frog's and Zero's. Obviously one is recessed (Frog) the other not. Do they have the same characteristics?

 

[Chromatic]

Thanks for your reply Bonj, I will be getting some too when the time comes.

 

[jashburnham]

Thanks.

What's the difference between Frog's and Zero's. Obviously one is recessed (Frog) the other not. Do they have the same characteristics?

Never used Frogs I'm afraid... pure conjecture but I'd assume they are very similar mechanisms.. Sure the Speedplay website will shed more light.

 

[ChrisKH]

Never used Frogs I'm afraid... pure conjecture but I'd assume they are very similar mechanisms.. Sure the Speedplay website will shed more light.

Thanks anyway, I'll take a look before ordering. Probably go for the Zero's.

 

[ChrisKH]

Er ,just had a thought looking at the set-up; you can't use these with MTB type shoes, or can you? Instructions talk about three/four hole attachment and the fitting looks quite close to the shoe base. Has it got to be an out and out road shoe (i.e. flat/curved with no protrusions). I use a Specialized shoe for commuting but it has the raised MTB edges.