Speedplay Frogs

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09-25-2012, 07:02 AM
Catrin

Speedplay Frogs

I've ridden my Frogs for over 2k miles, and never a problem with them until recently. The bearings are fine, no problems getting in/out of them. All of a sudden however, I've had a couple of problems with unclipping with my non-power foot when climbing. The pedals were recently greased and examined.

I have noted when I am manually spinning the crank with my hand on a pedal that my hand gets greasy from the pedal. This did not happen before my LBS greased them...so I wonder if it is possible to "over-grease" and for some reason that is making it easier for me to unclip? It's only happened a couple of times, and I dealt with it, but wondering if others have had this little problem.

I really like these pedals...There is never any doubt when I clip in with my first foot, and I always "pull up" a bit with my second foot to make certain I am fully clipped in with the second.
09-25-2012, 08:18 AM
indysteel

Could it be that the issue is with the cleats and not the pedals themselves? Do the cleats eventually wear out or need to be serviced in some way?
09-25-2012, 08:27 AM
Catrin

Quote:

Originally Posted by indysteel

Could it be that the issue is with the cleats and not the pedals themselves? Do the cleats eventually wear out or need to be serviced in some way?

They do require a couple drops of lube every 500 miles or so, but I've not needed to do that recently. That is the only kind of servicing I am aware of that they require that I am aware of, but will look into it.
09-25-2012, 09:15 AM
indysteel

I was looking at some of the reviews of Frogs on MTBR and some people reported accidentally clipping of them as a gripe, but there was also some reference to cleats wearing out over time. So, I definitely would consider that as a possibility.
09-25-2012, 09:46 AM
Catrin

Quote:

Originally Posted by indysteel

I was looking at some of the reviews of Frogs on MTBR and some people reported accidentally clipping of them as a gripe, but there was also some reference to cleats wearing out over time. So, I definitely would consider that as a possibility.

Thanks, I was going to check out MTBR tonight - I spend enough time at work looking at TE :) It HAS been over 2k miles, and I've read the cleats are softer than some other types are. This would make sense, especially as I've not had a problem with this at all until recently.
09-25-2012, 04:26 PM
Crankin

I was unclipping accidentally my Frogs ALL of the time, until my DH told me to concentrate on keeping my heels turned in toward the bike. That worked. I also learned to listen for the little "click" that signals you're really clipped in. It's very subtle compared to the X Road pedals or even spds.
09-25-2012, 05:05 PM
DebW

I've worn out one set of Frogg cleats, and they do start to unclip by themselves when they are worn out. Also note that there is an adjustment screw on each cleat and you might need to tighten it as the cleats wear.
09-26-2012, 12:01 AM
Catrin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crankin

I was unclipping accidentally my Frogs ALL of the time, until my DH told me to concentrate on keeping my heels turned in toward the bike. That worked. I also learned to listen for the little "click" that signals you're really clipped in. It's very subtle compared to the X Road pedals or even spds.

I've been riding them for over a year and it never happened until a few weeks back, so something has changed...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebW

I've worn out one set of Frogg cleats, and they do start to unclip by themselves when they are worn out. Also note that there is an adjustment screw on each cleat and you might need to tighten it as the cleats wear.

Thank you for this information - and it makes sense. I will check for that adjustment screw!
10-05-2012, 06:32 AM
Catrin

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebW

I've worn out one set of Frogg cleats, and they do start to unclip by themselves when they are worn out. Also note that there is an adjustment screw on each cleat and you might need to tighten it as the cleats wear.

Did the cleat LOOK like it was worn out? My cleats look brand new and there are no signs of wear. I only have this problem with one of them, even after we cleaned out a lot of dried mud from the cleat :o I went for a 7 mile ride last night - and the reason why it was that short was that my left foot unclipped something like 12 times in those 7 miles, all while climbing. I've not crashed because of this, but I can see the potential of that happening under the wrong circumstances.

My LBS is checking with Speedplay to see if they have any recommendations on this. Every time I clip back in I pull up on that pedal to make certain I've really clipped in. Something is wrong, I hope we can figure it out as I don't really want to spring for another set of pedals. Until a couple of weeks ago this never happened in the 2,000+ miles I've put on these pedals :( My knees really like the froggies so I hope this is easily solved.
10-05-2012, 07:02 AM
OakLeaf

I'd be surprised if they're worn out so soon ... those are metal cleats, right? I get typically 3,000 miles out of a plastic Look Keo on my right foot (the one I unclip and put down at stops) and 5-6,000 miles on the left.

And if your LBS is looking to the manufacturer I'm figuring they've looked at all the obvious solutions like readjusting tension for wear. :(

Hope you get it sorted soon.
10-05-2012, 07:10 AM
Catrin

Quote:

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I'd be surprised if they're worn out so soon ... those are metal cleats, right? I get typically 3,000 miles out of a plastic Look Keo on my right foot (the one I unclip and put down at stops) and 5-6,000 miles on the left.

And if your LBS is looking to the manufacturer I'm figuring they've looked at all the obvious solutions like readjusting tension for wear. :(

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Yep, the first thing they did was to clean the cleats and make certain the adjustment screw on the cleat was right. There isn't any tension to adjust... I may just call Speedplay myself, they are pretty easy to reach and open to talking with end-users.
10-05-2012, 07:52 AM
Crankin

There's a ton of stuff on line about this, Catrin. It happens in different varieties, I guess. I read some very nasty comments!
I would call Speedplay myself.
10-05-2012, 08:07 AM
indysteel

I don't know what a worn out Frog cleat looks like, Catrin. You might ask on MTBR. Granted, some of the reviews and forum comments on MTBR relate to different model years, but there are certainly numerous comments about the cleats wearing out prematurely. So, I still think that's the the possible source of your problems. One commenter said that when the cleats are done, they're done. There's nothing to adjust to prolong their life. It seems to me that after 2k road miles, Speedplay should replace the cleats for free.
10-05-2012, 09:02 AM
Catrin

Jonathan has checked everything out and he said that the cleats are in pristine condition, no signs of wear. I did call Speedplay this afternoon and they are sending me something to install between the cleats and shoes that should fix the problem. It is an "elastometer"? That probably isn't spelled right, but it is a warranty item and after he carefully questioned me regarding what is happening he was quite confident that this would fix the problem.

He did say that the lifespan of the cleats are from 2,000-5,000 miles depending upon riding conditions. He doesn't think this is the problem once I described my riding conditions - they never get wet/muddy/dusty, aren't used mountain biking, etc. He also said that if the small rear limit screw is overtightened then that prevents the crown from fully engaging and causes the same problem. If I trusted my hand strength I would install the "whatchimacallit" myself, but I don't so will have my LBS install it. I won't ride my Gunnar until this has happened, it just doesn't seem prudent. Hopefully this will fix the problem!
10-05-2012, 11:09 AM
DebW

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catrin

Did the cleat LOOK like it was worn out?

Yes, mine showed serious signs of wear on the front lip of the cleat. My right foot tended to rotate as I pedaled and I always pull up with my right foot, and there is up-down play in the cleat-pedal connection which probably added to the wear.
10-05-2012, 12:08 PM
Catrin

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebW

Yes, mine showed serious signs of wear on the front lip of the cleat. My right foot tended to rotate as I pedaled and I always pull up with my right foot, and there is up-down play in the cleat-pedal connection which probably added to the wear.

This is helpful, mine shows no sign at all. The guy at Speedplay explained what is probably going on with my cleat, hopefully the thingie he is sending will take care of things...no riding until this is fixed (at least on the road). Apparently now all new Frogs now ship with this...whatever it is...so it is a common problem.
10-16-2012, 08:10 AM
Catrin

The little part arrived from Speedplay and was installed yesterday on the offending cleat. I've plans to check things out in my favorite local park tonight before dark to see if this problem is fixed. My LBS did the warranty work but the only hills significant enough to cause the problem are miles away from the shop and I didn't want to get out THAT far to find the problem remains.
10-16-2012, 02:19 PM
Catrin

Sadly very short rides have been my fate these last two weeks when I've tried to road ride - but I rode the exact same route as the last time with the same hills. There were no problems with my cleats :) The fix that Speedplay suggested appears to have fixed the problem and I am a happy froggie user once again!
10-16-2012, 05:26 PM
Crankin

I wore my winter mountain shoes Saturday, first time with my Frogs. My left foot was flying out of the pedal like crazy, especially on climbs. So, I am deducing the issue is the cleat, not the actual mechanism on the pedal. I kept my heels turned inward and it still happened. I could also hear and feel the cleat engage with the pedal.
DH reminded me that the Frog cleats do not fit very well into the PI winter shoes and he had to carve the area out to get them into the shoe. These shoes worked well with spds. My Frog cleats on my regular mtb shoes have settled in, though I still have to remind myself to keep the heels in. I have the cleats also installed on my Keen cycling sandals and I am too nervous to try these.
I will be searching for the mountain version of the winter shoes that I have for my road pedals; I couldn't find them in my size last year, so hopefully this will be a better fit with the Frogs.
10-20-2012, 01:56 PM
Catrin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crankin

I wore my winter mountain shoes Saturday, first time with my Frogs. My left foot was flying out of the pedal like crazy, especially on climbs. So, I am deducing the issue is the cleat, not the actual mechanism on the pedal. I kept my heels turned inward and it still happened. I could also hear and feel the cleat engage with the pedal.
DH reminded me that the Frog cleats do not fit very well into the PI winter shoes and he had to carve the area out to get them into the shoe. These shoes worked well with spds. My Frog cleats on my regular mtb shoes have settled in, though I still have to remind myself to keep the heels in. I have the cleats also installed on my Keen cycling sandals and I am too nervous to try these.
I will be searching for the mountain version of the winter shoes that I have for my road pedals; I couldn't find them in my size last year, so hopefully this will be a better fit with the Frogs.

We have learned recently that the bolts on the Frog cleats are quite soft and strip very easily. My LBS has had to order new bolts for mine, though we have them working like new for now :) I would say if he had to do surgery on the shoes to get the larger Frogs to fit then that is quite likely what the problem is. I hope the Keens work for you - back when I was still riding SPD pedals I tried them in my Keen cycling sandals and was most unhappy with the experiment as I found the Keens to be too soft - the sandals collapsed around the pedal. I also found them much harder to clip in/out of then my normal riding shoe and figured it was for the same reason. You may have a different experience than I did, I know there are women here who love clipping in with those sandals.