Speedplay sprinting?

[westtexas]

Hi all,

I know a lot of you ladies ride in Speedplays and I want your opinions on your stability sprinting. I LOVE my Shimanos and they are the only thing I have ever ridden in, but my fitter and my "coach" told me that the Speedplays (specifically looking at the Zeros right now) would be better for my stupid bum knee because of the great float and motion they provide (as compared to the fixed positioning of the Shimano 105s I have now).

Had the fitter put the Speedplays on the bike today. Having a crappy time clipping in so far, but I just need to get used to the new motion. Went to try and sprint and my foot is swinging around all over the place. Is this normal for this brand of pedal?

I'm not a big sprinter, but I do enjoy standing every now and then to stretch and I like to see how fast I can go on a few great, smooth straightaways we have around here. Is this floaty/loose feeling normal while I'm getting used to the pedal? Will it go away?

Will be riding Saturday (hopefully) and then again Sunday in a big group ride for more testing experience, but I just want to know what to expect from these before I make a monetary investment into them.

Thanks in advance!

[Catrin]

Went to try and sprint and my foot is swinging around all over the place. Is this normal for this brand of pedal?

I'm not a big sprinter, but I do enjoy standing every now and then to stretch and I like to see how fast I can go on a few great, smooth straightaways we have around here. Is this floaty/loose feeling normal while I'm getting used to the pedal? Will it go away?...

Thanks in advance!

Yes, this is normal and your ankles/legs will adjust. This is why the pedals are easier on your knees as the leg can do what it needs to do - you are feeling the additional float.

I think this is common for all Speedplay pedals, it certainly is for my Frogs.

[tzvia]

I've been on Speedplays since the '90s, and no, that floating, 'my feet are on icecubes' feeling never really goes away unless you are using the Zeros and have the play locked out. I use the X1 pedals, as I have no need to lock out the play. The whole point is that while clipped in, there is no feeling that there is any tension or resistance to how you angle your foot, no center. Your legs hold your legs/feet in the proper position, not your pedals.

I got used to the 'slipping around' feeling quickly, but it took a while to master clipping out. That outward snapping motion took a while to get used to. Clipping in is just a matter of mashing down, no having to hook the cleat on anything as I had to do on the original LOOK or first gen Dura-Ace I had in the 80s.

I just checked online to confirm, my original Speedplays are all metal, no 'wing' on a plastic body-they are solid aluminum. That style dates from the early 90s and when I bought them they were the 'latest thing' so I must have been on Speedplays since '92 or so. They are in my parts box, and spin as smooth as ever, but the pedal bodies are worn so I bought new ones in 08. So yea Speedplays are durable too. The cleats are large and the mechanism is in them, so I would suggest you buy the cleat covers for when you have to dismount and do any walking.

[Crankin]

It doesn't take long to get used to that feeling. I've never had any trouble and I am not the most coordinated person in the world.

[Wahine]

If you can't get used to that feeling you may want to try a Look-style pedal. They still have lots of float but in my opinion, the larger contact surface makes me feel much more stable.

[smilingcat]

I really love my speedplay. I have the original style.

One thing about speedplay is that when the cleats are new, they are hard to snap onto the pedal. but after about a week or two, well depends on how often you go out to ride, it will get much easier to a point where you are not thinking about snapping in.

The looseness people complain are fairly typical for those new to speedplay. Some get used to it others seem to have bit more trouble. Practice spinning by putting your bike on a trainer and just spin with very low load on the trainer. Practice will make your foot movement on the pedal to smooth out and settle down.

All that freedom in the pedal will make your feet "swim" when you first try them so don't feel alarmed. It's normal. Once your foot movement settles down, your joints will love you for it.

[emily_in_nc]

Assuming you can clip into the Zeros (I had an intensely difficult time doing so, despite numerous adjustments, as did many other women; thus the "light action" version was born), you should be able to sprint easily in them. You can adjust the float down to a level that works for you.

I used X-2's, which have unlimited float, for years, and they did have that "ice cube" feeling. For me, that made it a bit harder to sprint, and I felt like I lost power. In fact, DH could tell I was faster and more confident when I started using the Zeros (when I was able to clip in, that is). I much preferred the stable feeling of the Zeros, and they did give enough float for my knees...I just couldn't clip into the darn things! So I sold 'em and went with Eggbeaters Candies. :D

[Kathi]

I guess I'm the odd one. When I first started using Speedplays I was told about the "sliding on ice" feeling but I didn't notice it in the beginning. Maybe my small foot keeps me more stable?

My pedals are the X series and I've never had a problem clipping in or out, except when I got mud in them which is an entirely different issue.

[Crankin]

Same here.
I love my X series. The only time it's hard to clip in is when I get new cleats or pedals. A few rides and some lube take care of that. I lube them every 2-3 weeks during the height of the season.
Of course, I almost never stand to pedal. However, if I do stand, like on a little hill, or to stretch, I don't feel unstable at all. I think you just train your feet and legs to get used to the float and after a bit, it feels normal. I know that when I used to go back and forth between my X pedals and SPDs on my Jamis or my mountain bike, I felt like I was "locked in," my knees hurt, and I generally was unhappy.

[Jo-n-NY]

It is suggested that with the Speedplay Zeros you clip in and out about 20 times on the trainer to loosen them a bit. Once they break in, I hear most cyclists are very happy with them.

I am getting use to the Light Actions coming from Frogs.