BikeFitPro

Obviously, they are new with Wahoo. Maybe customer service will even be better. I know I don't mind paying for that little extra service. Can't say I have ever h

ad much or any service via Look.

woodcraft

I got a bike that had Speedplays on it, & tried to get cleats. After determining that there seemed to be three indistinguishable models that all used different cleats (could be wrong but that was as good as I could tell)
I gave up and wrote the whole deal off.

Since then I have witnessed quite a few problems from folks putting their foot down on dirt and then not being able to clip in, lost screws, bent cleats, trouble clipping in because the shoe sole was not completely flat, etc. etc..

So IMO, you shouldn't, unless your knees demand it or such.

WhyFi

This reads like you did a search for 'speedplay problems' and sifted through some 7 year old threads on bf.

All of the current line-up are cross compatible. This has effectively been the case for a couple years.

While fouling can be an issue, "putting your foot down on dirt" isn't likely to cause problems. I've clip-clopped around for hours at an Oktoberfest, on gravel, grass, and soil without issue. Walking in snow? Yeah, that's a problem - don't do that. The other stuff? Stomp a couple times and you're good.

Lost screws haven't been an issue for years, not since the walkable cleat became standard.

"trouble clipping in because the shoe sole was not completely flat," is a user install error. Speedplay cleats come with wedges and instructions on how to match the curvature of the sole of your shoe. Follow them.

Speedplays aren't perfect, but let's at least be fair about their strengths (something that actually requires first-hand experience) and weaknesses.

woodcraft

Those are all my first hand experience. I ride with plenty of folks on speedplays (or did when group riding was a thing) who choose them & that's fine.

Just my .02.

bahula03

I feel like you'd be doing the world a great service by introducing the first group of people to the second group, so the latter could help sort out the former's issues

WhyFi

Nah, your two cents isn't worth that much. Being a first-hand witness to a handful of problems isn't the same as having first-hand experience. That's like a childless person giving parenting advice because they saw their friend's toddler have a meltdown.

silverado8405

Okay I’ll bite. I do have first hand experience with a couple of the issues listed.

I owned a pair of Giro shoes that the base plate wouldn’t sit perfectly flat on no matter which shims I used. That lead to clip in difficulty and excessive wear on the base plates. Several calls to speedplay and they determined that I would need to replace the cleats more often.

As far as the gravel, I’ve had several times where I’ve gotten a small bit of junk in the cleat that caused clip in errors. Once where I thought I was in and it popped out on me when I pulled up hard, almost causing me to crash because all of a sudden there wasn’t anything holding my momentum back. Luckily I wasn’t going fast as I had just left a stop sign but it made my heart race.

While the cleat compatibility has been somewhat cleared up now, I can see where in the past it could be confusing without asking someone knowledgeable. At one point my bike shop had x1, zero non-walkable, zero walkable, zero nano non-walkable and zero nano walkable cleats all in stock. That’d be the first cleats, yellow without the dimpled covers, yellow with the dimpled covers, grey without the dimpled covers and grey with the dimpled colors for those that know them better that way. Yeah no chance for confusion from a new user there at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my speedplays and will probably never change, but I also acknowledge that they have their issues and they aren’t for everyone.

1Lieutenant

I started riding before clipless existed. I used toe clips with leather straps and cleated riding shoes. Worked great for many years. When Look developed the clipless pedal I adopted it after a few years and used it until 2 years ago. Even after years of use and 10’s of thousands of miles I still needed to look down to clip in, would occasionally miss and bash my shins, and sometimes would find it difficult to twist out.

I had looked at Speedplay for a number of years but the cleats seemed a bit fiddly for me. After one final bashed shin, I did some more research and purchased the Ultra Light Action pedal with walkable cleat. I ride in Northwave shoes which gives me the option of switching to four screw mounting directly to the shoe without the usual three hole adapter. I also have a pair of Bont shoes which does require the adapter.

Mounting the cleats is far more complex than a Look cleat, but after the first time it really becomes quite easy. Helps to have the proper torque screw drivers. Honestly, 1/2 hour for the first cleat and under 5 minutes for all the remainder. Fortunately my shoes have a proper sole profile.

I now have two years of use with these pedals and find them far superior. Being double sided and self centering, I never have to look down to clip in and have never slipped off. I ride mainly on roads so rarely have to worry about muck clogging up the cleats. Walking on dirt trails and gravel lots have never affected the cleat. The cleats come with a twist in cap that protects the mechanism if you do need to walk in dicey conditions. They protect the cleat without adding to walking height. Speaking of walking, the Speedplay cleats are far more comfortable to walk in than Look cleats with rubber covers.

I have never had to adjust the cleats and they have always worked perfectly. They do require a few drops of dry Teflon lube every month or so.

WhyFi

So are they too flat or too curved? I can't say that I've run in to either.

Not for nothing, but I wouldn't (and don't) use Speedplays on my gravel bike. They're road cleats - you're blaming the tool when you're using the wrong tool for the job.

Definitely.

silverado8405

They were too flat, it buckled the middle of the base plate up

I only have a road bike and spend very little time riding on dirt/gravel with it as sometimes it cannot be avoided. The time I got something stuck in the cleat was on a paved road at a T intersection that has a lot of vehicle traffic kicking up crap from the side of the road from turning at the stop sign. Definitely not a case of “the wrong tool for the job”.

WhyFi

When you said that you've had gravel foul your cleats "several times," I could only assume that you were doing a lot - a lot a lot - of gravel. If you're saying that you do very little, it makes me believe that you're doing something like using a wet lube, which is much more likely to hold on to debris, for your cleats. Dry lube, which is what you're supposed to be using, wouldn't result in several instances of fouling with so few opportunities and certainly doesn't jibe with my experience over the last ~9 years.

adamrice 

Full disclosure: I've never ridden Looks, or Times, or any single-sided pedal, since I switched from rat-traps to clipless. I'm on Speedplays now for my road bike. I've got about 800 miles on them (these are Zeros that are compatible with the current offerings, bought after Wahoo's takeover but before the Wahoo rebrand). Tried using SPDs, and they're OK for shorter rides, but I ride with a very toes-out stance that I can't quite set up with SPDs, and for longer rides, that gets to be a real problem. Speedplays let me get the setup I need.

Clipping in is easy. Stomp down. Sometimes my aim is off, but less often than with SPDs, I'd say. Oddly enough, clipping out can occasionally be sticky: Speedplay is the only cleat that you're supposed to lube (AFAIK), and I think this is why.

There are a few brands of shoes that make Speedplay-drilled soles. They're always super-expensive. I got Northwave shoes, for which a special Speedplay adapter is available, and that gives you minimum stack height: you need to replace the Look bolt bracket inside the shoe. Finding the adapter took some hunting online, and actually installing it was a massive PITA, because I needed to cut a flap in the midsole. But once done, I don't need to mess with it again. Otherwise, the shoes are fine.

I wound up with some unplanned hike-a-bike when a ride wound up on an unpaved road with gravel and fine sand. So far no trouble with the cleats as a result.

If I could get away with SPDs, I would, but Speedplays are a good option. The new ones (since rebranding) supposedly don't need the regular bearing service that the older ones did.

Voodoo76

You would think Speedplay would provide something to fix that, like some extra shims...

All kidding aside I would agree the first time you fit on a new shoe it can take a little fiddling vs Shimano or Look.

silverado8405

Dupont dry film is all I’ve ever used. In my particular instance I think I drag my foot a little when stopping and that has been the cause of my issues. Every time I’ve had the cleat get fouled it has been rock debris in the heel side of the spring clip, jammed between the spring clip and the base plate. Only has happen 5-6 times in the 6 years I’ve been riding them.

woodcraft

Pretty good discussion here:

InvertedMP 

So my LBS got the Wahoo Speedplay Zeros in stock literally today as I randomly went there to ask about them, and felt it was fate and bought them. Got the cleats all set up and pedals put on. I have had to completely relearn to clip in. Spent about 30 min clipping in and out and will still have to get used to them over time but I can tell I will like them. I am excited to ride with them! The decreased stack height over Looks is a really cool byproduct of the pedals. Really what I was looking for was the amount of adjustability in side play, and the ease of clipping in. So far I am a fan but clipping in is a bit different.

Sy Reene

For the X series, periodically just sprayed down my cleat with this stuff. Is the same thing recommended practical for Zeros/New Zeros?

InvertedMP 

I sprayed some teflon lube on mine and clipped in and out a bunch. Seemed to help break them in a bit and make things move. I will probably do it regularly.

WhyFi

My ride the other day reminded me of this thread and the "Speedplays clog if you put your foot down in dirt" claims.

Chandne

I can't use any other pedals due to my awful biomechanics. I need the high float, the non-centering action, and the ease of exit. I use Light Actions on the road and Frogs on the mountain bike. If I did not need them, I'll prob be on Shimanos. I have never had an issue clipping in or out, like I have on all others (mostly clipping out though). Do it if you need that amount of float. Without them, I'd be on flats.

Bald Paul

Bald Paul, right here.

I just swapped out my Shimano SPD-SL pedals to a set of Wahoo Speedplays. 95% of the time, I had no issue clipping into the SPD-SLs. It always seemed that the 5% of the time I did, I was starting on an uphill slope. Since I switched to the Speedplays, I've had no problem clipping in. The Shimano pedals are on the indoor trainer. (I bought new shoes for the Speedplays, just in case.)

merlinextraligh

I’ve used Look, Speedplay and SPD’s. IMHO, for racing crits, Speedplays are the clear winner. They’re faster easier to clip into.. With a 4 bolt shoe, the stack height and cornering angle are great. ( I’ve scraped leather off the outside of my shoe before striking the cleat/pedal). And it’s almost impossible to pull out of in a sprint, unlike a worn plastic look cleat.

So different pedals have different strengths and weaknesses, and different riders have different priorities. For me, if the priority is racing crits, the answer is Speedplay.

Chandne

I have used several lubes. The trick if to lube the cleats often and the pedal beveled edges too. I like the heavy waxy content of White Lightning though have used others. I try to lube before every ride if possible. Regardless of lube, they get easier to get into in to and out of time.

Kimmo

This is hugely underrated.

Add the fact they look the tits and weigh jack, are double-sided, and the cleats are easier to walk on, and it's a no-brainer.

I was staring at my new pair yesterday, and realised the design should lend it self pretty well to a shoe with an integral cleat that's meant for walking around in, much like a bunch of SPD shoes and even sandals over the years. Is there such a thing?

adamrice 

Heh. Well, the pedals I used before were Bebops, which were conceptually a lot like Speedplays, but the cleats fit SPD drillings. They were great. I recently wore out the cleats I bought around 2010.

The original manufacturer sold the rights to a faceless Taiwanese parts maker, which continued to make them for a few years and then shut down production. You can still find them used on Ebay from time to time, where they're snapped up quickly.