Need clipless advice - Speedplay FTW?
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Need clipless advice - Speedplay FTW?
Hello! Long-time lurker, first-time poster because I just can't find good advice on this topic.
I switched to clipless last year. I used to bike mostly for commuting, so flat pedals worked just fine. Anyways, bike shops around here still haven't fully re-opened so when I made the switch I mostly relied on online reviews to choose a clipless system. I ended up getting Look Kéo pedals.
I love the way the pedals feel, they're easy to clip into, the cleats are easy to walk in, and I'm generally pretty happy with them. But, I now have about 1,000 miles on them and I still struggle with unclipping. This has resulted in me developing really dumb habits. Mainly, I often don't even bother with clipping in if the next traffic light isn't far, I just pedal with my foot resting on the pedal. I do the same when cycling on a crowded multi-use path because I'm not confident I can clip out fast enough if a dog runs into the path or a child won't get out of my way.
I find that at the beginning of a ride, unclipping feels effortless, but when my legs start getting a little tired it often takes me 2 or 3 tries to disengage. And yes, they're in the lowest release tension setting. I recently read a blog post by a bike fitter who steers away from recommending LOOK/SPD-SL pedals to women < 65kg because it takes too much force to disengage. Am I just not strong enough for Look pedals (I'm 50kg)? 😫
Supposedly, Speedplays have the easiest release out of any actual road pedals. But then, most people don't seem to find Looks to be difficult to unclip from either. Has anyone had a similar experience, and did Speedplay work out better for you? Or should I be looking at SPDs instead?
I switched to clipless last year. I used to bike mostly for commuting, so flat pedals worked just fine. Anyways, bike shops around here still haven't fully re-opened so when I made the switch I mostly relied on online reviews to choose a clipless system. I ended up getting Look Kéo pedals.
I love the way the pedals feel, they're easy to clip into, the cleats are easy to walk in, and I'm generally pretty happy with them. But, I now have about 1,000 miles on them and I still struggle with unclipping. This has resulted in me developing really dumb habits. Mainly, I often don't even bother with clipping in if the next traffic light isn't far, I just pedal with my foot resting on the pedal. I do the same when cycling on a crowded multi-use path because I'm not confident I can clip out fast enough if a dog runs into the path or a child won't get out of my way.
I find that at the beginning of a ride, unclipping feels effortless, but when my legs start getting a little tired it often takes me 2 or 3 tries to disengage. And yes, they're in the lowest release tension setting. I recently read a blog post by a bike fitter who steers away from recommending LOOK/SPD-SL pedals to women < 65kg because it takes too much force to disengage. Am I just not strong enough for Look pedals (I'm 50kg)? 😫
Supposedly, Speedplays have the easiest release out of any actual road pedals. But then, most people don't seem to find Looks to be difficult to unclip from either. Has anyone had a similar experience, and did Speedplay work out better for you? Or should I be looking at SPDs instead?
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I had look pedals for a while and I never had any real issues unclipping. They will be a little more resistant at first due to the cleats being new or newer....but should not be difficult to unclip. Are you moving your foot parallel to the pedal and lifting or pulling and lifting ...there could be some binding as you are trying to remove them.
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To unclip regular SpeedPlays, it requires a deliberate movement but not a whole lot of force. If that's still too much, though, there's the Light Action cleats, which are even easier.
All that said, I've never had a problem unclipping from any pedal system that was properly installed and not fouled.
All that said, I've never had a problem unclipping from any pedal system that was properly installed and not fouled.
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I also forgot to add, I know quite a few women riders that have never had any issues with road pedals. I really never felt it took a lot of effort to pull my foot. I have moved all my bikes to Time ATAC XC pedals. Been riding them for years on commuter and mountain bike, but decided I was tired of multiple shoes and pedal systems. Very nice pedal system.
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My wife had a long time problem with Look and SPD-SL pedals. She tried Speedplays at the suggestion of the LBS and loved them. She now only uses Speedplay.
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Which version of Look Keo pedal do you have? If there is a tension adjustment, it may be set too high. Keo Blade pedals use a carbon spring that can be changed for one that requires less force to unclip
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Thanks for all the great advice, guys! I have not looked at Time pedals, I will investigate those.
I do the "put out a cigarette" thing, push down when the pedal is parallel to ground, rotate heel away from pedal. I try not to pull or lift but I probably do sometimes wiggle a little too much (instead of just one quick heel twist).
I have the Kéo Max 2 Carbon pedals. The release tension is set to the lowest setting. I think since I already have troubles with these, I should probably stay away from the Blade ones!
But doesn't everyone say not to do that because I could get my foot caught in the drivetrain or spokes that way?
I had look pedals for a while and I never had any real issues unclipping. They will be a little more resistant at first due to the cleats being new or newer....but should not be difficult to unclip. Are you moving your foot parallel to the pedal and lifting or pulling and lifting ...there could be some binding as you are trying to remove them.
But doesn't everyone say not to do that because I could get my foot caught in the drivetrain or spokes that way?
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Originally Posted by purpurreiher;
But doesn't everyone say not to do that because I could get my foot caught in the drivetrain or spokes that way?
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https://www.backcountry.com/look-cyc...SABEgIWj_D_BwE
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SPDs are def easy to use, and the tension is adjustable. I'll be trying out Speedplays on the new bike, but don't have any experience with them yet, haven't to talked to anyone who didn't recommend them tho.
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I used Look Keo 2's briefly around 2005 or so and don't recall problems unclipping, no easier or harder than the Speedplay X2's I replaced them with. The reason for replacing was to add float and ease of clipping in, and the Speedplay X2s certainly excelled in those. For Keos, make sure you're positively using the correct cleat; there are a gazillion Keo variants, including third-party cleats that just aren't exactly the same (such as Xpedo). By all means get Speedplays, the main downsides are, based on my experience with the old X2's, in no particular order: 1) the need for a 4-hole adapter (which adds height though come to think of it the pedals might be lower overall), 2) the screwheads are exposed which can make them difficult to remove when worn, 3) the cleats are sensitive to overtightening on a stiff shoe unless it happens to be just the perfect shape, which means they positively require a threadlock like Loctite 242, 4) the lack of solid tightening can cause the cleats to shift in use, 5) being metal they're about the least walkable cleat in existence and if you ever need to walk in them - at all - you should get bring a pair of rubber covers, 6) adjusting them front-rear usually requires removing the cleat and adjusting the 4-hole adapter. I don't mean to overstate these though, they're more on the order of "fiddly" than actual problems. They can also benefit from being cleaned and greased regularly, while 3-holes like Shimano SPD-SL or Keos are pretty much zero maintenance.
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Speedplays are great-for racing crits.
They are also great for those whose knees are so jacked up that they need infinite float.
For the other 99%, there are pedal systems that are less prone to dirt/debris fouling, easier to walk on, free of easily-stripped screws, don't require precise screw adjustments to be maintained w/Loctite, greasing, etc.
I say this as someone who uses Speedplays on a couple of race bikes and a other systems (Time, Shimano) on my other bikes.
I think that some see Speedplays as being "pro af" and are a little too fanboy-ish.
Just trying to be objective.
They are also great for those whose knees are so jacked up that they need infinite float.
For the other 99%, there are pedal systems that are less prone to dirt/debris fouling, easier to walk on, free of easily-stripped screws, don't require precise screw adjustments to be maintained w/Loctite, greasing, etc.
I say this as someone who uses Speedplays on a couple of race bikes and a other systems (Time, Shimano) on my other bikes.
I think that some see Speedplays as being "pro af" and are a little too fanboy-ish.
Just trying to be objective.
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They will still foul, but that's not a problem on roads the vast majority of the time - they can get jammed up pretty badly if you're walking in snow, but otherwise it's really only problem when you're off-road in moist stuff. FWIW, they do offer a new, cross-shaped petal that supposedly mitigates the fouling issues, but I've never tried them (fouling isn't big enough of an issue for me to spring for them).
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I bought a set of Speedplay Ultra Light Action almost a year ago and plan to install them this spring.
But at the end of last year there was an article on CyclingTips which suggests that there are some supply or fulfillment issues.
What’s going on at Speedplay? - CyclingTips
So hopefully there will still be replacement parts and cleats.
But at the end of last year there was an article on CyclingTips which suggests that there are some supply or fulfillment issues.
What’s going on at Speedplay? - CyclingTips
So hopefully there will still be replacement parts and cleats.
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Did three rides with the Speedplay Zero Aeros, and then switched back to Shimano. I was ok with having to grease the pedals, but then when the cleats started squeaking and I read that you're supposed to lube the cleats every 1-2 rides, that's just too much maintenance. Plus they were very difficult to clip in and out. People say they "break in" eventually, but I'm 185lb and strong, I should not have any difficulty clipping in/out. I could see their worth on a race only bike, but not for someone who rides as much as I do.
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Did three rides with the Speedplay Zero Aeros, and then switched back to Shimano. I was ok with having to grease the pedals, but then when the cleats started squeaking and I read that you're supposed to lube the cleats every 1-2 rides, that's just too much maintenance. Plus they were very difficult to clip in and out. People say they "break in" eventually, but I'm 185lb and strong, I should not have any difficulty clipping in/out. I could see their worth on a race only bike, but not for someone who rides as much as I do.
Break in is real, but so is first-time install woes - most people overtighten their first set, often to the point that clipping in is next to impossible. There's a reason that they have Loctite on the screws - they're meant to be lightly torqued. Set up properly, they're easy in and easy out and only moderately more difficult upon install.
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Which version (color) of cleat do you have? If you have the red (9 deg) perhaps you have them set with too much play to the outside, and you're riding with your feet not centered within the full range of play? That would mean you need to rotate your heal even further out, which could be difficult.
I'm just taking another stab - I haven't had problems with my Keos - at least not disengaging (getting the pedal in the right position to step has sometimes been a problem).
I'm just taking another stab - I haven't had problems with my Keos - at least not disengaging (getting the pedal in the right position to step has sometimes been a problem).
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I bought a set of Speedplay Ultra Light Action almost a year ago and plan to install them this spring.
But at the end of last year there was an article on CyclingTips which suggests that there are some supply or fulfillment issues.
What’s going on at Speedplay? - CyclingTips
So hopefully there will still be replacement parts and cleats.
But at the end of last year there was an article on CyclingTips which suggests that there are some supply or fulfillment issues.
What’s going on at Speedplay? - CyclingTips
So hopefully there will still be replacement parts and cleats.
Did three rides with the Speedplay Zero Aeros, and then switched back to Shimano. I was ok with having to grease the pedals, but then when the cleats started squeaking and I read that you're supposed to lube the cleats every 1-2 rides, that's just too much maintenance. Plus they were very difficult to clip in and out. People say they "break in" eventually, but I'm 185lb and strong, I should not have any difficulty clipping in/out. I could see their worth on a race only bike, but not for someone who rides as much as I do.
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Agree with what WhyFi said- over tightening the cleats will bind the spring and make it extremely tough to clip in, and even worse trying to get out. Speedplay wants the pedals lubed that frequently so that the edge of the cleat/spring is lubed which, from my experience, makes absolutely no difference to the function or durability of the pedals or cleats. Making sure the spring can rotate freely within the cleat is the important thing, which doesn't require much maintenance under "normal" circumstances.
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[QUOTE=jaxgtr;21917295. I have moved all my bikes to Time ATAC XC pedals. Been riding them for years on commuter and mountain bike, but decided I was tired of multiple shoes and pedal systems. Very nice pedal system.[/QUOTE]
^^^This. Also what I use.
10 degree cleat makes it even easier.
https://time-sport.us/collections/mo...in-bike-cleats
^^^This. Also what I use.
10 degree cleat makes it even easier.
https://time-sport.us/collections/mo...in-bike-cleats
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Do you use the Speedplay grease gun or another "needle-type grease injector gun"? If the latter please recommend what I should get.
Can I just use a light spray of DuPont PTFE spray lubricant?
Can I just use a light spray of DuPont PTFE spray lubricant?
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As long as it doesn't attract gunk, I don't see why not. As bahula said, you just want the clip to be able to move freely.
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Ha. I've been using a dosing syringe, like the kind that come with kid's cough syrup. When I lost the one that I'd been using, I went down to the drug store for another but couldn't find any. I asked the pharmacist where I could find them and he just gave me a few. They work fine, though I'm sure a real grease gun would work better.