I’m old as dirt. My first two race bikes employed toe clips and toe straps and that set-up was bad. For many reasons it was bad and any retro-hipster who thinks otherwise is wrong. When Lemond and Hinault started racing on the white Look clipless pedals, everyone but Sean Kelly quickly switched. Talk about a quantum improvement, it was long overdue change. Look made improvements to their models, like the notion of float, and other manufactures jumped in. The new paradigm was a cleat on the pedal, like the original quill pedal system but with a spring loaded snap-in, twist-out pedal. Everyone was happy.
Everyone is happy until you have to replace a worn out plastic cleat. Did I walk a lot in my cycling shoes? Did all liquor stores have rough cement floors with giant moving sanding belts in front of the cash registers? I don’t remember that but I do remember replacing cleats too often and the duplication of cleat position was tedious. I could live with that, practice makes perfect but it was the creaking that drove me to madness. No amount of wax could stop the occasional creaking the cleat and pedals would make while climbing. Rule #65 was being violated before it was a Rule.
Wiser friends had already switched to Speedplay pedals. I was a little wary; they looked weird. One day into using them I understood: total frictionless float, two-sided entry, mindless pedal release. There is no cleat alignment issue as the pedal has no fixed position in the cleat. I was overcome with regret. Why had I waited so long? Why did I stick with creaking Look French pedals? Life is too short for such rubbish and I wasted too much of my cycling life with them. I’ve been using the X-series stainless steel pedals and the original pair was happily going on eighteen-plus years until I replaced the pedal needle bearings and bodies…I don’t want to talk about it. If you employ the good aftermarket cleat covers, and use a little white lightning teflon on the cleat spring bales, the cleats can last a few years. The pedal bodies have grease injector ports. Inject, wipe clean and that is the maintenance routine, easy and fun.
I’ve never used another model of Speedplay so I can’t speak to the advantage of limited float. When riding my right foot does a weird swing out toward the bottom of each stroke. To my mind that is a good thing, the float allows my leg to do that, without that maybe some extra knee wear would occur.
Frank and I have discussed the great pedal switch and his major obstacle to switching pedals is having to switch the whole n+1 stable over and that is not cheap. For Frank and VHM that stable may be five bikes. That’s a lot of pedals. Inertia. Commitment. It’s a big problem. Or one takes Marko’s approach: different shoes for each bike.
I have brand loyalties but if another cycling product is superior in form and function I hope I will see that and move on. Campagnolo gruppos and Chris King headsets are two brands on my bikes that I don’t see moving away from but I would ditch either of those before I would stop using Speedplay pedals. I’m that convinced.
This film is from Peloton’s website. It’s an interesting look at some American cycling manufacturing including Speedplay.
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View Comments
@Gianni
...but we think it's kinda cool when you remind us. "Hardman" is a gender-neutral descriptor.
Float is bad for form and efficiency, leading to diminished power and bad habits. I like the idea of an easy clip-in at the start of a fast crit, but not sure that justifies the awkward platform. I too have a Look with Look pedals, not to mention 2 other bikes with Look Keos. Not gonna happen, bit I respect the different opinions.
@Skinnyphat
Whilst (you say) float may be bad for form and efficiency (compared to a perfectly straight "piston-like" action), it can help a rider stay comfortable and injury-free. Anything less than a perfectly flat back in a TT is bad for form too - but you might not be able to hold the position for more than a short time. And anyway, isnt the theory behind float that your leg/foot gets closer to finding its most natural/powerful position - which has to be good for everything?
Speedplay isnt an awkward platform. Not sure where you got that idea? And LOOK pedals allow for float too... DOnt think you can pass (meaningful) comment until you try them. Having used many different pedal systems, I would say LOOKs are as easy if not easier to click into than Speedplays.
@LA Dave I agree $125 is not bad for a contact point that you like. I probably will try them then and just not be lazy with caring for them (not a given for me). I was looking at iClics or some other such pedal change, but it may have to be speedplay. Thanks!
@Marcus
I should have clarified, I meant "excessive" float. And I have tried them, the float was "excessive" in my opinion. I'm pretty sure all of these comments are opinions, I apologize if mine wasn't "meaningful" for you. If everyone agreed with everything this would be a pretty boring website.
I would have to say that is unsubstantiated nonsense. Not that I have any proof to the contrary, I just don't believe it. I can't see how it would be bad for form or efficiency. I think float lessens the risk of knee injury, has no effect on power or bad habits.
@Duende
Sure. Hopefully this goes without saying, but don't spray it in the house on wood floors (or tile etc). The shit is super slick and your unsuspecting Great Aunt will go down like a sack of potato(e)s breaking her hip.
@scaler911 my great aunt had it coming.....
@all regarding float vs power.....sorry it's a link from a tri-dork site, but interesting nonetheless
http://multisportscience.blogspot.com/2009/07/effect-of-pedal-float-on-power-output.html
@Skinnyphat
OK, I was formulating while you were clarifying. My pedals have a lot of float but I bet my left foot tracks pretty straight, you don't use it just because it's available. That would be bad form. I'd agree with that.
@Marcus
How about Anna Meares ? That was the high point of the whole track Olympics. Her doing a track stand way up at the top of the track and forcing VP to the front for a thrashing. Fucking magic move, ballsy, just plain great.