Keep on Kovers for Speedplays?
 

Just came across these via ebay. Anyone tried them? I like the idea as it would mean one less thing in my back pockets when I'm riding, and it would reduce cleat wear.

http://www.keeponkovers.com/Product.html

http://www.keeponkovers.com/Keep_On_Kover_taupe.png

Anyone care to take bets on how long it is before Speedplay gets these people shut down? :rolleyes:

It would be interesting to see if they work.

And as for shutting them down, they need to change their web page to acknowldege Speedplay's trademark. Other than that, there's nothing impermissable for marketing a product for use with another product that you don't own.

Ton's of people market accessories, such as covers, for iPads that are not authorized by Apple.

If they try to market it through Ebay it might violate some Ebay terms of use, but they do not appear to breaking any U.S. laws. ( particularly if they clean up the web site to cover their ass on the trademark issue.)

Clever idea, but I'd rather not have the extra weight to move around with each pedal stroke. Besides, mine look a lot worse than this after 6 months. I imagine the covers would get really chewed up in no time.

These "before" cleats look hardly used...


http://www.keeponkovers.com/0804111242_rot_90.jpg

I'm aware of all that, but Speedplay have form:

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/fo...hp?f=3&t=80010

The inventor is a 'bent rider so I imagine the wear pattern is a bit different, that could be why they don't look very worn.

They do look a little cludgy but I can't imagine the extra weight would be noticeable.

I would just order some to try them but I need to enquire about shipping. They're on ebay at the moment but shipping to Europe comes up as $31 which is absurd for something so small.

dont bother. you will lose them with in a matter of weeks. speedplay cleats are super tough though. ive been scraping the crap out of the same pair for a few years and they are worn down to the screws but still going strong. just pony up for new ones when they wear out. or check craigslist. i bought some of those cafe covers and lost them in 4 days.

That's kind of the point with these covers; you don't take them off even when you clip in. It's an interesting idea.

I've had no difficulty keeping track of my cafe covers since they're on my shoes whenever I'm off the bike.

Same here. And the café covers fit tightly enough that they certainly won't fall off by accident, so I don't see why these shouldn't either. I use them because I have to walk down a stone staircase to go out the front door and they reduce wear and the chances of me landing on my arse.

I've emailed the KoK guy to see if he'll post some for sensible money.

I had an issue with my Speedplay cleats slipping on wet roads so I called Speedplay. They recommended using
shoe goo and it works great. The cleats aren't slippery anymore and they arue easier to walk in. Shoe goo needs to be applied every three or four months.

I use my solid covers everytime I am walking. To avoid slips, but also nothing worse then small amount of dirt in the cleat and making it hard or unable to release till it is too late and take a fall at a stop.

just coat the bottom of the cleats with shoe goo?

I bought a pair, hoping they are durable for the money. My normal daily ride has a short walk across a rock pathway, too short to bother putting on cafe covers but potentially treacherous. Interested to see how these might help.

Coat the the widest part of the cleat with shoe goo. It works great.

Interesting. Good to know.

I've just ordered a pair too. Will report back...

I was able to test them out today. As you would expect they install and remove just like regular cafe covers. I don't have a scale but they probably weigh in the neighborhood of 25-30 grams each. I wasn't able to feel any difference when on the bike. There was no interference clipping in or out. If anything, it may have been a little easier to clip in as they help guide the cleat onto the pedal. It was easier walking over the rocks I mentioned before, which is what I wanted, so I'm happy. We'll see how long they take to wear out.

Just thought I'd follow up my original post. I've used these continuously for maybe 6-7000km with no problems. They are starting to look very worn, especially the left one from putting my foot down, but they haven't broken yet and I expect them to last for some time to come.

I would definitely recommend these if you have to negotiate stairs on a regular basis, or you just need to walk a bit on your Speedplay cleats. Not having to carry the covers around in my pockets is definitely a good thing.

Seems to me the only time I don't like to walk on uncovered Speedplay cleats is when trudging through muck around rest stops on organized rides. Those open covers would still allow the muck to invade the inner workings of the cleat.

they actually offer a bit of a raised platform and greater contact area to the ground so debris less easily gets into the workings of the cleat. shoe goo will eventually shred and can become more debris.

These covers look like they do the job but shoe goo is cheaper. I have been using shoe goo for a few years and never had it cause any problems.

I've been using those kovers since February and they're great. My cleats look brand new (except for the part that actually clips on.) which is nice... they also retain the screws if the screws back out, which happened to me a few months ago.

The real benefit is the traction on any kind of ground. I think I paid $17 from his website directly, which seems kind of spendy to protect a $40 cleat, but I'm quite happy with how they work and how effective they are. Put one foot down without worry of slipping and walking up stairs is much easier.

I have cafe covers... somewhere, I lost 'em. Of course that's the point, the keep on kovers are always on.

shoe goo does work. i found that for sand/pee breaks where you really shouldn't be walking though these are better.

I may try these after my shoe goo is gone but where I live, there isn't a problem with sand or dirt. In six years of using Speedplay, I have never had dirt clog my cleats.

the word 'interesting' is a euphemism for bad. A waste of time, money and weight. pdxtrex nailed it.

Nor for me. The only time I find myself wishing I had cleat covers is when I'm confronted with soft ground that I need to walk across (for example stopping for a break to eat and need to walk to a picnic bench thats 25 yards across soft trail / grass) . My Zero's are a f**cking pain in the a** once they get jamed up with mud / grass. Take the shoe off ... find a stick and try to clean out the cleat but often that even fails to clean the cleat well enough so that it will easily engage and disengage. It would seem this design would not prevent the cleat from getting jammed up with mud when walking. Just my 2 cents.

i dont think so. you need a more robust (full) cover off the bike? re: weight, no covers vanish to 0g when you stuff them in your jersey. i wouldn't want to bother stowing, rather stow them on my shoes.