Speedplay

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John Shingler

John Shingler

Guru
Location
Great Totham
I fancy trying speedplays ...any advice? Currently I use SPD SL on my road bike. Do I need to get new shoes? I've seen that you can adapt but is that a good idea ..pros cons etc.

Cheers
 
smokeysmoo

smokeysmoo

Legendary Member
Location
Bolton, not very far from Nob End
John Shingler said:
I fancy trying speedplays. Currently I use SPD SL on my road bike. Do I need to get new shoes?
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Without knowing what your existing shoes are, by the very nature you currently use SPD-SL then you'll be fine.

I went from Speedplay Stainless to SPD-SL with my existing shoes and boots, so just the same as you want to do only in reverse.

Speedplay are fantastic pedals and given the choice I'd only ever use them TBH. I only changed back to SPD-SL when I had 2 bikes, and truth be told I couldn't afford to fit Speedplays on the 2nd bike, so as I wanted one pedal type so my shoes nad boots had the same cleats I went back to SPD-SL.

The only gripes with Speedplay are the stack height is a real issue if you want to walk in them, you can get cafe covers but they only protect the cleat, they don't really make walking easier apart from offering more grip, and as the retaining mechanism is built into the cleat replacement cleats are expensive compared to SPD-SL and others.

If you can live with the poor walking, (even worse than SPD-SL), and the cleat cost then go for it, they are brilliant.

In fact as I'm back to one bike I might sell my Dura Ace SPD-SL's and get back to Speedplay :thumbsup:
 
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shortone

shortone

Well-Known Member
Location
Nuneaton
I came from SPD SL to speedplay and I love them. Being able to set the exact toe in and out of each shoe is an advantage as I tend to rub my heal on the crank arm from time to time and I can prevent this with the speedpalys, plus the the float is free travel and not against a spring. They are expensive and I had to save to put a set on both of my bike and for the sidi speedplay 4 bolt hole shoes, but I wouldn't go back.
Tiled floors as like walking on ice so cafe covers are needed if you planning and going anywhere near a tiled floor.
 
choplee

choplee

Active Member
Location
Kent
i've been looking at upgrading ,but with my very very old shoes and just so old spd pedals means a big pay out .... I run mtb spd style on my winter bike and MTB ,so would have to leave them and just run speedplay on my summer bike ...
People run the cro-moly speedplays ??? or do most go s/s or titanium ?
 
HLaB

HLaB

Marie Attoinette Fan
Location
That little part of Scotland known as Peterborough
I think when I was looking, you saved about 35g (less than 18g per pedal) with titanium for about 3 or 4 times the cost or more :ohmy:
 
R

robbiejp77

Active Member
I've got them on the good bike and there good I like the level of adjustability that they offer, if I was going to choose either speedplay or spd-sl for commuting etc. I'd pick the later, as replacement cleats are expensive and will scuff up when you repeatedly put your foot down at traffic lights.
 
jdtate101

jdtate101

Ex-Fatman
Location
Boring Birmingham
I've tried all three of the major systems (Shimano, Look and Speedplay), and the speedplay are definitely my favourite. I have them on my Road and TT bike, but I have SPD on the CX bike for mud clearance. The only thing you need to be aware of with speedplay is they do pickup crap and can be very hard to clip into if you're picked up any mud on the bottom of the cleat as it just compacts in the hole. Therefore if you need to cross any grass to get to a feed station (say in a sportive), get the cafe covers. The other thing I like about them is the cleat has a metal cover plate which means they last forever unlike the Shimano and look plastic ones which will get ground away over time.
 
choplee

choplee

Active Member
Location
Kent
Good points and i think i'm going for the cro-mo speedplays over the shimano ,looks and times ..... they are only for my summer road bike and everything else will stay on old skool spd's for now :-)
cheers guys
 
Peteaud

Peteaud

Veteran
Location
South Somerset
choplee said:
Good points and i think i'm going for the cro-mo speedplays over the shimano ,looks and times ..... they are only for my summer road bike and everything else will stay on old skool spd's for now :-)
cheers guys
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I would be interested to hear how you get on with them.
 
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