Frustrated-Part II

[songlady]

Ok, you might remember 2-3 weeks ago I was suffering from ITBS issues related to the SPD's on my new Roubaix. Well, after another 3+ hours at the LBS Tuesday (and this was my second trip, I was there a week ago for a "pro fit") messing with the cleats and shoes, my left kneecap is now really irritated.
The ITBS has gone away (raising the seat helped, believe it or not). But my kneecaps seem completely unhappy with the pedals no matter how we set them up. I did discover something interesting, I have a leg length discrepancy, my left leg is slightly longer. We shimmed the right cleat and raised the seat appropriately, but it's not helping the kneecap problem. I do believe it helped the ITBS.
I have mentioned speedplays, in particular the frogs because I want a walkable shoe/cleat, but the guys there don't seem overly optimistic or eager for me to try them. I've spent hours googling and doing other research and many people claim the free float can be wonderful for people with sensitive knees like mine. Should I insist on trying them? I am ready to give up on the SPD's altogether. Thanks for your help and encouragement....

[Nanci]

Are you using the road SPD's, or the mountain SPD's? Mountain SPD's are pretty floaty, and, if you wera MTB shoes, you can walk in them. (Sidi makes a nice MTB shoe that isn't clunky and heavy.)

Do you have a friend who cold loan you a set of pedals/cleats to try, if you want to try the Speedplays?

Nanci

[DeniseGoldberg]

I've been using Speedplay Frogs for many years now, and I am very happy with them.

I do realize that no one pedal is right for everyone though. Did your LBS give you a reason why they thought it wasn't worth trying them? Is it because they have little experience with the pedal, or did they have a real reason for not having you try them?

--- Denise

[KSH]

have mentioned speedplays, in particular the frogs because I want a walkable shoe/cleat, but the guys there don't seem overly optimistic or eager for me to try them. I've spent hours googling and doing other research and many people claim the free float can be wonderful for people with sensitive knees like mine. Should I insist on trying them? I am ready to give up on the SPD's altogether. Thanks for your help and encouragement....

I had knee problems. After getting a new fit on my bike... and switching to Speedplays, my knee problems were solved. It took about a month of spinning and pedaling slow... but I fixed the problem.

I SWEAR on the Speedplays... I know that if I hadn't switched... I would have fought my pain longer than necessary.

It's also really nice to have a pedal that you don't have to keep going back to get "fitted" for. The float is great, in my opinion.

Now, other than the pedals and proper alignment there... are you SPINNING? What is your cadence when you ride. If you mash the pedals and don't spin, that can cause issues.

[songlady]

Thanks for the advice. My cadence is 80-85 rpm, that seems natural for me. The pedals are Shimano M-324. They have the platform on one side. I assume they are mtn (I have a recessed cleat) and believe they have up to 6 degrees of float in them, but when I am pedalling that doesn't seem like very much.
The LBS I am going to (and bought the bike from) is considered one of the best in the area. As far as their seeming reluctance to try Speedplays, they agreed it could be an option, but didn't seem gungho about it?? I thought it would be a foregone conclusion that we would try those next. And the owner mentioned all the "upkeep" they require. Quite frankly, any pedal that wouldn't cause me pain at this point would be well worth a little maintanance.

[tulip]

My brother swears by speedplays. He can't use SPDs because of knee issues. I can't figure why your LBS is so reluctant to help you out here. I think they are worth trying. I've never heard of "upkeep" of speedplays. I'll ask my brother, though.

[KSH]

As far as their seeming reluctance to try Speedplays, they agreed it could be an option, but didn't seem gungho about it?? I thought it would be a foregone conclusion that we would try those next. And the owner mentioned all the "upkeep" they require. Quite frankly, any pedal that wouldn't cause me pain at this point would be well worth a little maintanance.

My boyfriend recently went to our LBS to look at pedal options. They talked him out of Speedplays... said they were too hard to get in an out of.

I emphasized and even showed him how EASY they are get in/out of.

He went to the shop today... and apparently tried some out (bought some)... his comment, "These pedals are like night and day. Good call".

Upkeep? What are they talking about? I have had my Speedplays for a year now. The only upkeep I have had to do on them... was pick mud out of the cleats... because I walked in mud in them (more than once) when I stopped during a long ride. Otherwise, there has been NO upkeep.

I have found that the LBS's are hesitant to sell Speeplays and I hadn't a clue WHY? They are wonderful! Easy to use... easy to upkeep... just wonderful really. I wonder if they have a mindset against them... because they are so "different"?

Get the speedplays... you will not be disappointed.

[yellow]

Re: "upkeep", perhaps they are referring to the need to lube them...once a year. That little screw-thingy on the side comes off, you get the little Pedro's grease gun + grease, put a little in there, put the screw back in a viola! You are done. Once, OK maybe twice a year.

I have big time ITBFS and the Speedplays were recommended by none other than Dr Testa. I think he's more knowledgable than the guys at your LBS on sports medicine stuff!

[songlady]

Well, I remember the owner telling me that Speedplay pedals needed to be lubed once a month and that the cleats wear out quickly. He claimed they needed to be replaced every year. That's all I recall him saying...

[DeniseGoldberg]

Well, I remember the owner telling me that Speedplay pedals needed to be lubed once a month and that the cleats wear out quickly. He claimed they needed to be replaced every year. That's all I recall him saying...

Once a year seems to be enough on the lube front. And as to the cleats - I do replace my cleats about once a year. That's not a big deal though...

--- Denise

[SadieKate]

I'm thrilled if my Look cleats last an entire year. Mtb cleats don't get as much wear and I have a couple pairs of shoes so they probably get replaced every 18-24 mos.

[Bike Goddess]

I also have Look style cleats and pedals. I wear cleat covers when I am off the bike. Not hard if you don't mind carrying them around. Otherwise my cleats don't last very long. BUT I wanted a larger platform and felt the Look design suited my needs better and for me were easier to get in and out of when I first started riding.

[salsabike]

I switched back to Speedplay Frogs after a second attempt at SPDs, including a cleat fit by a physical therapist. The SPDs caused knee tendinitis both times. All gone now with the Frogs. You only have to grease the pedals once a year, and they suggest you put a few drops of dry lube on them after every few rides. I do that, it takes three seconds, no big deal. They are very easy to get in and out of.

[KSH]

Well, I remember the owner telling me that Speedplay pedals needed to be lubed once a month and that the cleats wear out quickly. He claimed they needed to be replaced every year. That's all I recall him saying...

Hate to sound like a broken record here... but I have had mine exactly 1 year. I haven't lubed them but once... and the cleats are still in great shape.

So... that's my experience.

[velogirl]

How long have you been riding? How frequently do you ride? And for how long each time?

How would you rate your knee pain (on a scale of 1 to 10)? Is is minor discomfort when you ride? Does it persist after you ride? Is it a sharp pain? A dull pain? Does it occur after a certain point (ie an hour) in your ride? Only when you climb hills?

It's not uncommon with new riders to have some discomfort when we begin riding. We're putting our body in a very unnatural static position and cycling is a repetitive motion. It takes time to get used to both of those stressors. I'm not saying that new riders should have pain, but I will say that it's common for new riders to have some discomfort as they build strength in all the muscles that support our bodies and our joints.

For example, how would you feel if you sat in a chair with your right arm raised above your head for two hours? Does this mean your chair is wrong for you? No, it simply means you're in a static position for longer than your body is used to. Now if you were to do that again the next three days, by the fourth it probably wouldn't feel so uncomfortable.

Or, how would you feel if you turned your head in circles for two hours. Same idea, your neck and shoulders would probably ache.

Just this week I was working with a woman who's been "riding" for a couple of years, but only rides once every other week. Each time she gets on the bike, it feels uncomfortable to her (both mentally and physically). Her bike fit is good, when we really talked about her pain, she admitted it was only a 2-3 on a scale of 10, and my advice to her was simply to ride more frequently and give it some time.

I'm sure some of the experienced riders on the board could share stories of how they felt after taking some time off the bike. I ride about 20 hours a week, but recently took six days off because of a cold. The first ride back for me was definitely uncomfortable -- my triceps ached, my knees were creaky, and my tush was sore. But it wasn't pain.