More on pedals – why Speedplay?
March 13, 2009 at 8:51 pm | In Components, Equipment | 1 CommentTags: pedal
The Speedplay Light Action pedal.
The other day, when I did a post about clipless pedals, I heard from a number of Speedplay owners, both in comments and in emails, extolling their particular pedal.
Speedplay users seem to be passionate about their pedals. You don’t get that kind of reaction from Look or Shimano SPD users. How come?
One of the advantages of the Speedplay seems to be the generous amount of float they offer — altho just as in other brands, the amount of float varies from model to model. But it would be nice to have more play in the pedals I use. They have six degrees of float, and sometimes I feel that I can hardy move my shoe around at all.
With my particular knee situation — I had 60 percent of the meniscus removed from my right knee 15 years ago, and at that time the surgeon told me my ACLs (anterior cruciate ligaments) in both knees had atrophied down to stubs after they were torn in a softball mishap back in the 1980s and had never been attended to — I think the Speedplays could help me a lot.
Speedplay cleat.
They’re smaller than equivalent Looks or others, and at first glance, don’t seem to offer as much of a platform as some of their competitors. But the unique cleat they use probably takes care of that. Speedplay cleats are relatively large, in my opinion. The combination of the flat round pedal and the broad cleat, I’m told, give all the support a cyclist needs.
But the cleats are also the part of the Speedplay assembly that gets the most criticism, at least from what I’ve read. Note the four-bolt pattern. To fit bike shoes, which take two or three-bolt cleats, you must use a plate that attaches to the cleat. I’ve seen a lot of complaints about how easy it is to clog the cleat with mud and gunk while walking on them. Cleat covers are highly recommended.
One of the reasons I’ve never seriously considered Speedplay is their cost. Their models seem to range from about $115 – $325, depending upon their materials. My pedals cost a whopping $59, and they replaced a pair that cost around $40. Is the extra money for the Speedplays worth it?
Wait a minute. A quick perusal of a couple of online bike catalogs shows that Shimano and Look pedals run in the same price range, generally. They might have some low-end pedals that cost a lot less, but for the most part, Speedplays are very competitive with those other brands.
I’m happy with the pedals I have on my bike. They’re only a year old, so I expect to be riding on them for quite some time to come. But if and when I do replace them, I think I’ve have to seriously consider the Speedplays.
Peddling pedals
March 5, 2009 at 11:12 pm | In Equipment | 8 CommentsTags: clipless pedals, pedal
Recently, I got into a discussion with a friend about pedals. Now, pedals are not a big deal with me. Since I started riding clipless, I’ve stuck with the Look-style pedal, although I currently ride on Shimano SPD-SLs, which have a slightly wider platform than the Looks. But our discussion got me to wondering? What pedal preferences are there? Is there a clear-cut leader?
I suppose we could get into the debate between clipless, toe clip, and platform pedals. But I’m going to skip that. I assume that most readers come here because they’re road bike riders like me and therefore, have adopted clipless pedals (which you really clip into, but that’s another post).
A Speedplay pedal.
I noticed when talking about cleat position a while ago, several readers chimed in with the praises of Speedplay pedals. These are the small round pedals that attach to a cleat that resembles no other. Speedplays come in several different models, with varying amounts of float. That makes them attractive to me, because the six degrees of float on my pedals seems restrictive. Speedplays are pricier than most other pedals, however, which is why I chose to pass on them.
A Look Keo pedal.
Look pedals are the daddy of the clipless. You need shoes that will fit a three-bolt cleat. The Looks, and those like them, clip solidly into the pedal, to make you feel as one with the bike. Pedals shaped like Looks and Shimano SPD-SLs are weighted at the back, so they point up when the rider is not using them. I always chuckle when pulling away from a stoplight during a group ride, as everyone tries to find the clip-in position. Some do it faster than others. Click, click, click.
Other riders prefer Shimano SPDs.
The Shimano SPD.
These pedals take smaller two-bolt cleats, that recess into the shoe’s sole. Mountain bikers make use of these, but many road bikers like them because the recessed cleat lets the rider walk normally — a nice option during a stop at a coffee shop during the ride. I’ve never used these, and I wonder if they give the rider as solid a connection to the bike as the Looks.
The mountain-bike style SPD pedals look uncomfortable to the layperson. How about it, SPD users? Do SPDs provide a good platform for the foot? Or do they cause some discomfort during a ride?
I you were starting road biking from scratch — knowing now what you didn’t know then — which pedal system would you recommend, and why?
Another fall? You gotta be kidding
November 14, 2008 at 11:51 pm | In crash | 12 CommentsTags: crash, pedal, Veloway
Raced home after work this afternoon to get in a ride before dark. We have a cold front coming through tonight, and this might be the last warm weather ride I’ll have for awhile.
Did the usual run to the Veloway. It’s an easy way to get in a quick 15, or 18, or 21 miles, depending upon how much time is available. I’ve been bad this week — haven’t ridden since last Saturday. I was looking forward to a few brisk laps around the course.
The Veloway is mostly flat. But on the back side, about halfway around, there’s a short, but steep hill. I hit the bottom of the hill at about 20 mph, and did a quick downshift to spin up the grade.
The camera always flattens hills. This one is much steeper than it looks. I crashed near the top, on the left.
I must have shifted down more than one gear. The pedals started spinning fast and free. My right foot unclipped from the pedal, which caused the bike to lean left. I lost control. The front wheel went off the left side of the track, onto a sloping gutter. No way to recover.
I'll be nursing a large scrape on my shin.
The bike went over on its left side. I managed to stay almost upright, except that my right leg scraped across the front derailleur, and my left hand scraped the rocks along the track. Otherwise, no endo — no major bruises.
I got the bike up and pushed it across the track, out of the way of any other riders who might be behind me. A quick damage assessment found the handlebars knocked askew, and my nice bar tape was scuffed down to the bare metal — but not where my hand contacts it.
Once I straightened the bars and checked myself over, it seemed things weren’t too bad. I hopped back on and finished a 15-mile trip (The crash happened just over four miles into the ride). The bike rode fine.
I still can’t believe I lost it on this easy hill. I’ve ridden the thing hundreds of times — and that’s just this year. It just shows to go ya — you can never take things for granted.
Club Tombay
July 4, 2008 at 11:31 am | In Rides, Technique | 7 CommentsTags: clipless fall, pedal, tombay
Regular readers of Bike Forums will know what I’m getting at here. I joined Club Tombay on my ride today — that is, I had a clipless fall.
Tomber is the French word for “to fall.” It is pronounced, of course, tohm-BAY. We Americans corrupt it into TOM-bay.
Anyhow, I was having a great Fourth of July ride. Pat and I started off together, but after one loop of the Veloway, she decided to head for home. I kept going, and figured I’d do about 25 miles or so.
I had just turned onto a street that leads through a residential area. It’s a hilly street, and although it’s a thorofare, it is lightly traveled. At the top of a challenging hill is a cross street with a stop sign. There were cars at the intersection, and I slowed to stop.
For some reason, I lost all my concentration. I usually disengage the pedal well before a stop, but this time I stayed clipped in while I downshifted one more time. I was slowed to a creep. The bike drifted toward the curb. I turned the front wheel slightly to the right, to maintain my balance. It hit the curb, and slid along it for a few feet while I felt the familiar, sinking feeling of going down and not being able to do anything about it.
No damage done, except to my pride and self-esteem. The driver of the car that had pulled up next to me at the stop sign looked at me like I was some kind of alien from another planet. The bar tape on the end of the right handlebar was scuffed, and the bar end button had come off. I picked it up to replace it, but dropped it, and it bounced around in the gutter before rolling into the middle of the street. Now, the remaining two cars in the intersection could watch me as I nearly fell over the bike in the other direction while grabbing at the plastic button. I finally got it, and pretended to be an expert bike mechanic while I replaced it in front of my small audience.
I got right back up on the horse, and bent it to my will as I finished my ride. Even did an extra mile and a half, just to show it who is its Lord and Master. I suppose there will be more of these, but I prefer them when they happen in my driveway, out of the glare of the public eye.
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