Pedal discussion, again.

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sawyer
Posts: 4485
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:45 pm
Location: Natovi Landing

by sawyer

IME SPD-SL are the most fit an forget, but you have a weight penalty there

Look Blade Ti version are my all round favourite - low weight, good bearings, decent sized platform, low maintenance

Blade 2 Tis have a larger and better platform, and are slightly lighter, but are beset by some creaking and bearing issues it seems. Still good though.
----------------------------------------
Stiff, Light, Aero - Pick Three!! :thumbup:

BdaGhisallo
Posts: 3261
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:38 pm

by BdaGhisallo

BRM wrote:It is not just mount and forget.
Speedplay pedals require regular maintenance.

From the user instructions:
Speedplay recommends that the Zero Pedal bearings be greased with a pump-type grease gun at least every
2000 miles or every three months. Pedals should always be lubricated immediately after riding in
wet, rainy or unusually dusty conditions.


http://www.speedplay.com/pubs/instructi ... .07.30.pdf



I ache to get on well with Speedplay pedals. The idea behind the Zero design appeals to my neurotic self. Virtually limitless rotational float adjustment, independent of other adjustments is awesome in theory. But the execution of that theory falls flat.

Is there another pedal manufacturer that states that you have to immediately lubricate your pedals "after riding in
wet, rainy or unusually dusty conditions"? I don't know of any. Is there another pedal design that is so vulnerable to regular usage degrading its performance? I don't know of any.

I would love to be able to use Speedplay but every time I have given them a try they have failed me. I once had a set of Zeros exhibit the cleat rocking straight out of the box! New pedals, new cleats, new shoes even - rock and roll it was!

I compare them to Shimano's spd-sl design which is as close to bulletproof as any consumer product can get. The bearings are very smooth and require no regular maintenance, if they ever require it. The interface is rock solid and the pedals last forever. Heck, they even work really well when the cleats are completely shredded.

by Weenie


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Nefarious86
Moderator
Posts: 3669
Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 4:57 am

by Nefarious86

They do +4 in both 6800 and 9000 now :D decided it was cheaper to experiment with 5800 first and go from there as the cleats were outboard on my shoes anyway... Have a feeling I didnt make full use of the original +4's and only ended up narrow on my crit bike with STD axles.
BdaGhisallo wrote:
Nefarious86 wrote:Just sold all of my Speedplay gear and bought 2 pairs of 5800 pedals for my main and crit bikes. The Speedplay rocking finally got to me. Will see how I go without the +4mm stance I had with the Speedplays on the main bike then order a set of 9000s and throw the spare pair of 5800s on the track bike.


If you do find you need that +4mm on your axle length, the DA pedals do come with a +4mm axle option.
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Alexvpaq
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:02 am

by Alexvpaq

There's this thread these days going on about xpresso pedals was the first time I heard about them could really be something interesting too but I've never tried them so I can't comment on them.

UpFromOne
Posts: 1181
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:23 am
Location: Olympic Nat'l Park, WA

by UpFromOne

re: xpresso, you talking about the 6, 8, or 12 model? some are light, some not.
Last edited by UpFromOne on Sun Dec 06, 2015 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

laspariahs
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:31 am

by laspariahs

For me the SPD-SL system is the best.

TomColnago
Posts: 150
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2015 4:05 pm

by TomColnago

convert to speedplay pedals from shimano spd sl's apart from at first the a b*tch to engage! but wouldnt ride with anything else :thumbup:

DavidMLee
Posts: 172
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:48 pm

by DavidMLee

I strongly recommend Look pedals simply because of cleat design.
Legend HT 9.5 RED 22
Colnago C60 Super Record
S-Works Tarmac 2016 eTap
S-Works Tarmac 2015 DA
Cervelo R3 2015 UT
Cervelo S2 2014 UT
Spesh Venge Elite 105

TurboKoo
Posts: 651
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:55 pm

by TurboKoo

DavidMLee wrote:I strongly recommend Look pedals simply because of cleat design.


Care to open this a bit?
Cannondale SuperSix
Shimano 9270

eric
Posts: 2196
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 9:47 pm
Location: Santa Cruz, California, USA
Contact:

by eric

The creaking noise from Looks will let other riders in the pack know you're there.

srshaw
Posts: 175
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:06 pm

by srshaw

I love my speed plays. I use zeros on my road bike and frogs on mtb and cross. I accept having to service them is a pain, but I use motul waterproof grease and a cheap syringe to inject grease every now and again.

I started using them after knee surgery and they seemed the kindest pedals on knees. I don't think any pedal would now cause issues, but I have grown to really like speedplays.

MisterMuncher
Posts: 268
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 2:15 am

by MisterMuncher

I'm on poor man's speedplays. Ritchey Paradigm V5, into Spiuk ZS11 MC shoes, grippy bits cut off. No hotspot worries on 200 mile runs, reasonably priced, light enough, easy to service. A compatible Ti spindle would complete the package.

ichobi
Posts: 1793
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:30 pm

by ichobi

Tried shimano, look and now speedplay. Never have a problem with them. Put on the cover, and am set for many months. I rarely lube it to be honest and still works fine.


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toastie
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 11:55 pm

by toastie

I have a dodgy knee ( old motorcycle injury ) and have in the past tried spd and look etc. They're all seemed ok for a bit but no matter how i tried to set them up after about 20 miles i always ended up with knee pain and so gave up and went back to flats. Then a few months back after riding more road then MTB ( and being ridiculed for flats and 510's on a road bike ) i tried a set of speedplay frog pedals and i am stunned at how good they have been, no knee pain from the day i set them up even after long rides of several hours.

2old4this
Posts: 366
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:26 am

by 2old4this

UpFromOne wrote:re: xpresso, you talking about the 6, 8, or 12 model? some are light, some not.


I've tried both 12 and 15. Got rid of the 12 cause the back of them were not heavy enough to put the cleats up right all the time. Half the time, I ended up looking at them to clink in (it may have been a defective pair...) 15s are the easiest ones to engage and disengage and most comfortable for me. Yes, they are extremely light. However, I keep asking myself "is this going to break?" So far so good on two of the bikes but...

Shimano is virtually maintenance free. Put them on and forget. They are very study but much heavier then xPresso. Still most of my bikes do have DAs. So they are my favorites...

I've stopped using SpeedPlays years back when they started suing people (rightly or wrongly...) I guess I was simply looking for a reason since I just don't want to maintain my pedals every other month.

by Weenie


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