Tell me about pedals please!

[Globalti]

I am going to make the change from SPDs to road pedals. I have zero experience of road pedals so would appreciate your advice.

For no other reason than the apearance of them I though I'd try a pair of Look Keos. Ribble have the following:

Keo Classic 280gms pair £41.95
Keo Sprint 260gm pair £58.95
Keo Easy 240gm pair £25.46

Why the price disparity? I am never going to be a big mileage rider, usually half day trips of 25 - 40 miles. What do people recommend?

Also tell me about cleats and cleat float please. My natural foot posture is about 15 degrees in at the heels, so that sometimes my heels even brush the cranks. I guess that means I need a cleat with lots of float - do these come with the pedals or do you have to buy them separately? Again, any recommendations? I shall be using these shoes, which I picked up in unused condition at a bike jumble for £25:

 

[yenrod]

One hell of a deal on them Ridgid !

Time offer the most movement then speedplay more but no sideways, look and shimano are largely the same with shimano coming out better - true roadies ride look Eggbeaters are interesting though not very popular !

I personally use Time and have for years and years...most ergonomic pedal around !

All the above except eggbeater will fit a look stand drilling ie like a triangle.

 

[Joe24]

Shimano i tink are better. SPD-SL i nicer then Look i think. Ive rode with Look, and they were fine, but SPD-SL just feels nicer. Its what i have now.
I also broke 2 sets of Look Keos in a short time, and that was when i was first starting aswell
You dont need a cleat with alot of float, you just angle the cleat abit more so you can have your foot in your natural position.
You get different amount of float going by which cleat you have. Some have non some have more. I think the SPD-SL ones are red, which have no float so good for sprinting, yellow which has 10(of is it 5) of float. Might be 5
The other good thing about the SPD-SL is that when you first get them, you push off and the pedal flattens itself out(like every pedal does) but SPD-SL goes slowly back to how it normaly hangs, so you have more time to clip into them while your getting used to them.

 

[Alves]

I converted from SPD to road pedals last year and initially used Time before swtiching to Crank Bros Quattro see http://www.crankbrothers.com/quattro_sl.php
I wasn't fond of the clipping in action on conventional road pedals at lights and hated the walkability or lack of it on their cleats.
The Quattros are very easy to clip into and the cleats come with a plastic surround (Cranks call them pontoons) which make walking a lot easier but still not as safe as SPDs with touring or MTB shoes.
Worth thinking about if you value easy walking and clipping in highly or at least above weight and functionality. They would fit those shoes, nice price for them.

 

[Randochap]

I also have a natural "heels-in" gait. That's why I use the Speedplay X system, with unlimited float. There is no other system that does not restrict float at all.

To advise a stranger that they "don't need a lot of float" is not helpful. Some of us do benefit from unrestricted float. The other thing about not being re-centred by the springs on other systems is that, in my experience, it also frees up the natural musculature of the rider.

 

[fossyant]

Joe has managed to break some Looks - I haven't ever.

As for float, go for RED cleats - they offer the most - never get the no float (black) ones - they will screw your knees.

Price differentials are down to bearing quality and sealing - TBH I've always used their best models = no maintenance. I currently use the older Delta model (as it's now known) - Carbo Pro, PP196 Team, and Campag Record Carbon.

TIP. If they ever squeak (can happen after wet rides) it's down to the alloy rubbing off onto the plastic cleat - just give the cleats a quick rub with sand paper to take the 'black marks' off them. Cleaning the pedals/cleats with Mr Sheen is good too - the silicone helps !

 

[HeartAttack]

One hell of a deal on them Ridgid !

Time offer the most movement then speedplay more but no sideways, look and shimano are largely the same with shimano coming out better - true roadies ride look Eggbeaters are interesting though not very popular !

I personally use Time and have for years and years...most ergonomic pedal around !

All the above except eggbeater will fit a look stand drilling ie like a triangle.

I don't understand what you have said there Speedplay can have upto 15 degree's of freeplay, and this freeplay is adjustable if you get the Zero's, I'm not totally sure but I thought that Time was about 10 degrees.

At the Tour of Flanders this past weekend there were more speedplays in use than any other pedal I saw, though I guess thay aren't roadies

 

[Gerry Attrick]

I don't know how Joe managed to break his Looks. I can put a reasonable amount of power down and do a fair amount of hill work and my Looks have never let me down. The only thing I would say about them is that walking on them is not only difficult, but it wears them badly. Invest in a pair of cleat covers to protect them at the cake stop.

 

[Randochap]

I don't understand what you have said there Speedplay can have upto 15 degree's of freeplay, and this freeplay is adjustable if you get the Zero's, I'm not totally sure but I thought that Time was about 10 degrees.

At the Tour of Flanders this past weekend there were more speedplays in use than any other pedal I saw, though I guess thay aren't roadies

There's nothing to understand. The statement is incorrect.

I believe you're right about Time having 10 degrees rotational float.

Again, the Speedplay X, has "unrestricted" float, which essentially translates as about 35 degrees of float -- and here's the important bit -- without any counteracting spring pressure.

Speedplay had introduced new models to attract new riders to the brand, but I'd bet most of the pro peloton users have the X series, for the reasons I've outlined here more than once.

 

[Joe24]

I don't know how Joe managed to break his Looks. I can put a reasonable amount of power down and do a fair amount of hill work and my Looks have never let me down. The only thing I would say about them is that walking on them is not only difficult, but it wears them badly. Invest in a pair of cleat covers to protect them at the cake stop.

Then maybe you arent putting down as much power as me
I actually broke them, and they sort of broke themself. The axle that the spring is on is just held in place by a push in thing, i managed to work this loose/snap it off and that then makes them useless. You notice the pedals dont hold your foot properly and you have more float, and when you clip in you dont get the click. Then, the springs flip themself around and you are not really clipped in anymore, so you either have to limp home carefully and not pull on the peddles at all, or get a lift.
For the Keos, isnt the one with float grey, and the one without float black, or red? I cant remember. I know the ones that came with it that had float were grey i think

 

[Gerry Attrick]

I didn't intend this to become an "I put down more power than you" thread, I just tried to indicate my style of riding, not a gentle tour rider for instance.

How long after buying them did the fault occur?

Black=no float
grey=4.5 degrees each way
red=10 degrees each way