Speedplay pedals review long term

I started using Speedplay pedals back in 2006. I wrote the first review in 2008. This is an updated review after using them for nearly fourteen years.

Summary

speedplaySpeedplay pedals are very good to ride on. They took a little bit of getting used to (like floating on ice is common feeling), but now I don’t want to go to any other system. They are light, small and easy to use. I’ve never had any problems when actually cycling with them, and since pedalling is so important, this makes me want to like them and overcome any faults they may have.  The main drawback of Speedplay pedals is that they have been an expensive choice. In particular, they are more prone to long-term maintenance problems. Three times I’ve had to throw away a pair because the internal bearings seized up (it was always the left pedal which went. So I have three spare right pedals lying around).

I once complained to Speedplay and someone from America rang up to say they never get maintenance problems if you look after them and pursue regular maintenance – using grease gun and lube. I was disappointed I couldn’t buy a spare left-hand pedal to match up my surplus right pedals.

If you do buy Speedplay, it is really essential, you learn to grease and lube regularly; I wish I had done earlier.

Why I Switched to Speedplay

My first clipless pedals were the more common Look pedals. The reason I switched to Speedplay pedals was:

  1. I had some problems with my knees and (rightly or wrongly) I blamed the Look pedals and the way my movement was restricted. I liked the idea of having a large angle of float that comes with Speedplay
  2. I wanted to save weight. Speedplay comes in at 205 grams and 150 grams for Titanium version. These were the lightest pedals on the market, at the time. However, the gap between the weight of Speedplay and Look has been reduced with the introduction of new models like the Look Keo. At 240 grams + cleats they offer good value for money at only £39.99
  3. Very aerodynamic – pedal is small surface area.
  4. Cleats are easy to set up. I always found the Look cleats a bit fiddly to get in the right position. If they were slightly out, it could cause problems. Speedplay are much easier to set up because of the greater degree of lateral movement.
  5. Optimal power transference because the pedal is encased in the shoe with minimal stack height. Whether there actually is better power transfer, I don’t know. But, it does feel good.
  6. I like many aspects of  Speedplay Zero Aero – and may buy if I get back into racing.

Using Speedplay

I have been very happy with the Speedplay. They are definitely a little strange when you first test them. But, it is amazing how quickly you can get used to the large float. Cycling with Speedplay feels very natural. Some might feel the large degree of float makes it harder when sprinting.

Difference between Speedplay X and Speedplay Zero

speedplay-zero-ti-gr-med

The Speedplay Zero, are essentially the same as the X series, but you can control the amount of float, offering more adjustability than the Zero, which are always set to maximum float. With the X, I always end up brushing against the side of the cranks. It means my cranks look polished (removing any decals). Also, I wear through overshoes very quickly.

The two series are not interchangeable, which is a bit of a pain. Since I started with X, I don’t want to make the transfer because it would be too expensive. But, if I could start again, I would choose the Zero series.

With Zero, Speedplay suggests one option is to use the ‘Heel-In’ adjuster so that it didn’t hit the chainstay and to open the ‘Heel-Out’ to the full float. I have to say, I’ve never used the micro adjuster, but it makes sense to prevent heel hitting chainstay.

Speedplay  Zero Aero Pedals

speedplay-zero-aero-pedals-01

  • Axle – titanium
  • Weight pair – 158 grams
  • Three precision cartridge and needle bearings
  • Designed for aerodynamics with small frontal area and dimpled cleats and underside for maximimum aero advantage.
  • Used by Bradley Wiggins in his successful World Hour Record of 54.526km on 7 June 2015 when he rode at 33.88mph to break hour record.
  • Speedplay Zero Aero at Wiggle

Drawbacks with Speedplay

1. Cleats Expensive The X Cleats are expensive to replace. £31 at wiggle. I think these are the most expensive cleats. To be fair they do last a long time. I’ve had to replace about three times in six years. I try and avoid walking on cleats, but I find that it is the metal spring in the cleat which wears away first. Speedplay are unique in having the attachment mechanism in the cleat itself rather than the pedal. Hence why they are expensive.

speedplay-2
On this occasion the pedal got stuck in the cleat.

2. Bearing System. Speedplay say that they deliberately choose a more fiddly system to get better performance. They use three bearings and it needs more maintenance than standard pedals. But, they claim the cost of extra maintenance enables them to get a better performance. Because the bearings are more prone to have problems you need to do two things.

grease-speedplay
It doesn’t have to be quite as messy as this. But, you do need to get your hands dirty and grease the pedal regularly. (Also, unlike this picture, it is easier to leave pedal on the bike!)
  • Grease at regular intervals. This means using a grease gun and squeezing in grease into the centre of the pedal.
  • Lube the pedal in between greasing. When it’s wet, it’s advisable to put lube into pedal and also squirt a bit on cleat.

3. Too much lateral movement. With the X Series, the lateral movement of your feet mean that you keep brushing against the cranks – On my cranks I always end up polishing off the outside

Speedplay X – Stainless Steel

Speedplay-X3

  • Zero to 15 degrees of micro adjustable float
  • Easy cleat set up and adjustment no need to adjust any springs
  • Dual sided entry is good. Easy to get in and dismount. Never had any real problems either getting in or out. Though if you get mud on your shoes, it can become difficult until you get rid of the surplus mud. I once bought the coffee cleats, but found it required too much effort to remember to bring them and use them. They remained largely unused.
  • Very good clearance. Also, they have a low stack height, this means the shoes is closer to the pedal that many other pedal types.
  • 206g total weight. (The titanium pair are 150grams) I use the Titanium pair for racing and the stainless steel for ordinary riding.
  • Speed play at Wiggle

Speedplay – Chrome-moly

speedplay-chromo-moly
after a winter’s use
  • After losing a few speedplay pedals to ceasing up, I bought the cheapest Cromoly pedals, they are only a few grams heavier, but nearly £40 cheaper.
  • You can pick up a pair of X5 for £75 at Wiggle
  • The main advantage of the Stainless steel over the Chromoly is that they look better over time.
  • After a winter’s use, they do look a little battered, the Stainless steel look better. But, for winter training bike, you don’t worry about the shiny polish on your pedals.

Speedplay maintenance

Speedplay pedals need careful attention. These are the essential maintenance tips for Speedplays, I wish I had followed these from the first time I bought them. It has been expensive not following maintenance procedures.

Greasing Speedplay Pedals

The most important job is to add grease into the pedal every  500 -1,000 miles or after serious rain. I probably do it every month. After losing a few pedals, I’d rather err on the side of caution

For this job, you need

  • A small screwdriver to remove screw on outside of pedal
  • A grease gun, and grease. Speedplay have an expensive specific grease gun at Wiggle (£39) surprise Speedplay is expensive! I bought a speedplay specific grease gun and Speedplay grease lube, but you might be able to do the job with just a normal grease gun.
  • Alternatively use a 5ml syringe, which is perfect for fitting into the pedal and use a small tube of grease for refilling the syringe.

This is where you squirt the grease in.

speedplay-pedal-grease

  • Now comes the fun part. With a grease gun, force the grease through the pedal.
  • This was hard work, you need to keep the grease gun held against the pedal. I found a lot came out the wrong side.
  • Eventually, you should see some dark dirty grease coming out the other side. This is somehow very satisfying and makes you to start enjoying the job. When the thick dirt grease stops coming out, that means you have filled pedal with nice new fresh grease.
  • Now the pedal should spin without friction. They should be some resistance from the grease like liquid.

It’s quite nice to have a pedal which is now spinning properly.

I find it easiest to fill up a syringe with a small tube of grease

syringe

Lubing Pedals

After wet or muddy rides, Speedplay advise adding lube to the pedals. They don’t advise using wet lube like GT-40 because they attract dirt.

They have a specific SP lube – which they say dries quickly. Unlike most speedplay products, it’s not too expensive $6. But, you should get the same results from a similar dry lube.

Lubing Cleats

I find it is less important to lube the cleats, but, if they get stiff or after a very wet series of rides, it’s good to use some lube one the metal clip.

Overall

  • It’s easy to have a bit of a love hate relationship with Speedplay. When they are good, they are very good. When they’re bad, they are very bad.
  • If you want low cost, low maintenance bike equipment, I strongly advise against Speedplay.
  • If you want the best pedals and don’t mind paying the cost and undertaking the necessary maintenance – Speedplay may be the best choice.
  • Pedal choice has always been a personal issue, and it’s worth trying to test out pedals and see which work for you.

Would I buy again?

Yes, I’ve committed to the Speedplay option because in many ways it works for me, and I’m reluctant to start switching over to a new system.  I complain about the price of buying new pedals, but it just makes me more determined to apply the necessary maintenance schedule.

Which is better X or Zero?

Again, because I started with the X (full float) it never made financial sense to switch to zeroes. However, if I started again, I might prefer the Zeros because I would limit the amount of float inwards to stop shoes hitting chainstay.

Related

41 thoughts on “Speedplay pedals review long term”

  1. I have only just changed to speedplay. Mainly for crits as I could often take a while to get clipped in on my Look pedals and quickly go from starting at the front to being at the back of the pack by the first corner.

    So far I’m happy – after limiting the crazy amount of float you get.

    Good call on the maintenance. Cheers!

    Reply
  2. I got the Speedplay Zero Chromoly after your great review because I have had knee problems with Shimano 105/Ultegra road pedal since I felt locked in. So I have no trouble clipping in and out of the Speedplays, but I find that when cycling uphill, I feel that the pedals are slipping and I end up using the weaker/wrong muscles to cycle uphill as compared to my previous Shimano 105/Ultegra road pedal. I almost want to switch back to my old pedals. Do you think it’s just a matter of getting used to the Speedplay, or just dialing down the float? If I dial down the float, then it would negate the benefit of using Speedplays in the first place. Thanks for any advice you have.

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  3. I have three pairs of Speedplay pedals all with the left pedal needle bearings worn out, the right pedal is perfect. They have been lying around for several years annoying me with their 50% usefulness. I decided to take them apart to see if there was anything I could do with them. I took the bow ties off and swapped the left pedal clip inserts with the right pedal clip inserts. I had to install them back to front in the pedal body to match the left cleat arrangement. Now I have a perfect pair of working pedals made up of two right pedal bodies.

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  4. I also have two pairs or speedplay pedals with the left pedal needle bearing worn out. Why is it that the left pedals wear out first?

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  5. My last pedals were clip-less mid-1980s Mavics. Basically, they looked (pun intended) just like LOOK pedals of that same era. Anyway, I just got the Speedplay Ultra Light Action pedals and WOW, the massive amounts of float truly feels like I am skating on ice (i.e., your “like floating on ice is common feeling” comment is spot on!). So, I Googled and Googled and even talked with the Speedplay people. They are very nice and said essentially the same thing you did — it just takes a bit of time to get used to the float.

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  6. Have you tried relubing the seized pedals? I once had my other side Speedplay Zero Stainless seize on me.. I however pushed new superlubes trough the pedal and it has been fine ever since..

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  7. Tejvan,

    Hello, I am in AZ and also have speedplay x5 pedals which I love. I do not race but really enjoy cycling for fitness since I am unable to run. My cleats are fine but I need a new right pedal. Would you be willing to sell me a right x5 pedal?

    Angela

    angela.plamondon1@gmail.com

    Reply
  8. Hi-
    I live in upstate NY, with plenty of notoriously crappy winter weather, and tons of road salt & sand, and my Speedplay pedals have held up remarkably well. I lube about every 10,000 miles (I have over 30K on one pair, and they still spin like new), but I check them regularly to be sure there’s no grit or grind. I started on zero’s with stainless spindles, and have subsequently upgraded to Pave’s becuase of their additional durability on the wearing surfaces. With zero’s I wore down the outside edge of the “lollipop” which is made of plastic, and resulted in my foot rocking slightly (about 1 or 2 degrees, but still annoying). Eventually that led to some minor knee issues, and thus, the change to the pave’s, which are all forged stainless steel on the bearing surfaces of the pedal. s noted, 30k later, no problems. I now own 3 pair – one on each bike (I know, I’m lazy). Yes, they are expensive, but they are worth every penny IMO– I love them and will never ride anything else!

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  9. when i tried to grease my speedplays using the 5 cc syringe, most of the grease just came out around the cap and in fact the popped up a bit. am i doing something wrong??

    Reply
      • He (David Baker) might have the same problem I had recently, I bought a speedplay grease gun to lube my pedals and found out on close inspection that the small bolt under the spindle cap had no grease port. When I checked online I realised that some models (older ones do not have a grease port) . You have to dismantle the pedal to get the grease in , which after finding a youtube video I done quite easily being basically mechanically minded , good luck.

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  10. I love my speedplays. I’ve had the same set of pedals for 11 years (although 4 years of that the bike was in storage). I’ve ridden thousands of miles in that time. Not a single issue. I’ve never even greased them once. I’ve taken my bike in 4 times for a service over that period of time, so perhaps they greased the pedals then? Not an issue either way.

    I’m just now looking at maybe upgrading as the top (surface) layer of the cleats have almost worn away, and I think they might be about to fall apart.

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  11. Not hard to rebuild sp’s (google it) bearings are cheap on ebay, get the right torx bit. Once my foot and pedal come loose from the spindle (broken circlip?) Biked home pressing leg and pedal in, rebuilt OK.
    Cleats expensive, get the walkable stay on covers, I never remove mine.
    No prob getting used to float.
    4 bolt needs adapter, except on some Northwave (odd sizing) and Lake shoes.

    I wanted bebop pedals but were hard to get, now out of business.

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  12. I have two pair X’s, one on each of two bikes. I ride each bike maybe 50 miles per week and grease about once per year. My CrMo variety do not have the dust cap which can pop up and make it hard to get the grease in – they just have a little hole in the otherwise solid outside end of the pedal. Big plus for the CrMo.

    I have the same problem as reported above with the dust cap on the stainless steel variety (it sometimes tried to pop out and other times grease comes out around the edges of it) but always manage to get some grease to come out the inside edge as it’s supposed to.

    I use a Park Tools grease gun, much cheaper than the Speedplay one.

    One thing I tried just yesterday which made things a lot easier: I took the pedal off of the bike and placed it in a vice on my workbench before trying to inject the grease. Everything went much more smoothly.

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  13. 15+ years and i’ve never greased them; I had them opened up for service recently and some of the internal plastic is a bit worn but with the wahoo acquisition, replacement parts are not possible. what’s supposed to happen if you don’t lube them?

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  14. Hmm. Just saw this post. I’ve had SP’ SS Zeros for 18 years on the same bike and greased them once, last year in fact. I’ve ridden in all kinds of weather, 10s of thousands of miles.

    Very odd to hear about failure or the need to add lube every 500 miles — that does not match my experience at all. Hadn’t heard that Wahoo bought SP, hoping quality won’t be a problem going forward. Think I’ll snag another pair now just in case.

    Shoe setup can be a little fiddly — need to get the right shims, and also need to loctite the screws or they will wilggle loose eventually. I’m pretty religous about using the protective caps so I’ve only replaced cleats twice, but if you walk a lot they will deteriorate much faster.

    Reply
    • I tried to order new cleats for my x-series, and they are basically unavailable in the U.S. Also I contacted Wahoo, asking if the new shims come with the cleats, and they sent a form email, which did not answer the question, obviously. I pointed that out I my return email, and they haven’t responded. Yes, COVID, blah, blah, blah, but I’m not optimistic so far w/ the Wahoo takeover.
      I used to be able to deal with Speedplay directly, and now nothing.

      Reply
  15. Those who have never lubed their pedals have ‘got away with it’. The correct technique is to leave them on the bike, unlike the initial pictures in the article. Use any needle nose grease gun with appropriate bike grease. Remove the screw and push HARD with the grease gun before pumping the grease.

    You will get filthy grease coming out around the spindle. Keep pumping, and gently turn the pedal a bit, until you get clean grease appearing. If the pedals spin freely the grease has dried out. They should turn with drag from the grease, not spin. If they spin they need re-greasing, or if there is excessive resistance (ie not just the drag of grease). Depending on conditions (wet and salty for example) they may need greasing more often. Half a dozen winter wet rides and I re-grease mine – the water gets in and contaminates the grease. This can lead to bearing failure. I have never had a bearing fail on any Speedplay pedals.

    Cleats need to be cleaned, especially if you put a foot down on a muddy verge. They get clogged and bits of grit and sand sit between the cleat and the pedal body. This is what wears the plastic body leading to lateral rocking eventually. I am amazed at those who claim 10years + use without getting pedal body wear. I have half a dozen sets and all have pedal body wear after about 3yrs use. Does depend on mileage I guess.

    I too have bought a couple of pairs of Pave pedals to overcome the body wear issues. They also clear muck from the cleat much better. Zero bodies used to be available but haven’t been for some years. Speedplay being Speedplay they would only rebuild your pedals for you…..at a price only fractionally below the price of a new pair. Ridiculous!

    Another issue is wearing of the lip of the bow ties. This is simply down to use, clipping in and out. Speedplay don’t sell spares (certainly not in the U.K.) so you have to source them aftermarket. Be careful where you buy them as Rock Brothers from the Far East weren’t machined correctly and the bolts were too small. I found Dulight of France to make excellent replacements, however that was for Zeros, I haven’t found anyone making them for Paves.

    You can also buy aftermarket stainless or titanium spindles to match your Speedplays. Again, be careful on aftermarket quality – yet again Dulight work for me. So I buy chromoly Speedplays, just for the bodies which can be swapped onto aftermarket titanium spindles for a fraction of the cost of titanium Speedplays.

    I am looking at trying to see if a local engineering works can cut down Zero bow ties to fit Paves. Why do Speedplay have to make it so hard by not selling aftermarket spare parts? Outrageous.

    And one final point. The wear to one pedal – it depends which foot you normally clip out of when you stop at junctions, traffic lights etc. I always unclip left foot. This puts extra wear on the left pedal body, the bow tie and also means you pick up more wet mud and dirt, the bearings getting a bit more water in past the seals compared to the foot that predominantly stays clipped in.

    So I love the feel of Speedplays – the benefit is to adjust the float, not leave it maxed out. Adjust heel in and out to give the maximum amount of movement you need for hip/knee issues. Mine have very little float which works for me.

    The mark 2 Zero/ Pave cleat – the so called Walkable cleat is a retrograde step in my opinion. The mark 1 all metal cleat, although slippy to walk in on tile/ smooth floor lasted 3 x as long as plastic cleats like Look Keos or Shimano SPD-SL. In order to ‘improve’ this aspect they designed a rubber shoe that stayed on the new cleat to facilitate walking. However, this design is appalling and there have been numerous accounts from users losing the rubber shoe from their cleat(s). I have lost 3 and tried various glues to hold them all – from superglue to araldite. They failed, but I have now discovered Bondic which is liquid, which remains liquid until exposed to UV light, a bit like a dentist’s amalgam, when it sets. So far, fingers crossed it has held the walkable cleat cover on brilliantly. Speedplay’s solution to this design flaw? Don’t twist your foot at all when walking. Unbelievable. I avoid walking in my cleats as much as possible, why wouldn’t you, but this is just stupid. Any twisting motion and the cover can become detached. That is a design flaw. Get yourself some Bondic, and isopropyl alcohol to make sure both surfaces are really clean before gluing.

    So, all in all I love the system, but hate some aspects such as no aftermarket spares and the bad design of the cleat covers. Wahoo bought Pseedplay a year or so back and I have been in touch with them and although after my feedback it all sounded promising with a guy telling me he would get hold of spares for me, a week later I got the curt response that none were available and there were no plans for them to be made available. Come on WAHOO, take this product to the level it should be at.

    Reply
  16. Speedplay bearings are available as spares along with titanium spindles and butterflies and screws so you can upgrade your pedals and maintain them without having to buy new pedals …. the cleats however need moe than thier fair share of maintenance and you will lose one or two cleat covers over time

    But they are great and I never get a problem while clipped in and cycling , Also if you can afford it sidi , lake, and few others make speedplay specific shoes with four bolt holes, these make a difference on power transfer and stack height

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  17. Hello, I managed to strip the plastic dust caps while driving the dust cap screws back in after my first time greasing the pedals. It didn’t feel like I was tightening the screws that much, but now they just spin. Anyone know where I can get replacement dust covers and screws? It’s just a matter of time before the screws get lost. It’s been a bummer so far that Wahoo bought Speedplay. Speedplay support used to be very good. Now it’s very hard or impossible to get help or replacement parts. The long-axle Zero pedals have been a real life-saver for me, I hope that Wahoo embraces them soon and re-engineers the small problems like this.
    Thanks

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  18. I use a chainsaw push grease gun from local hardware store to inject grease into the pedal. Ten bucks. Last at least 10 pedals-worth.

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  19. Great info and comments.
    I have been using Speedplay X-2’s for 25 years because they are the only pedal system that works for my knees. However, they are no longer manufactured.
    I wonder if you have used both the X-2’s and the Zeros and could inform me how they compare in float. I recently tried the Speedplay Ultra Light action and the float was much less than X-2’s and did not work for my knees.
    Any info you can offer would be much appreciated thanks

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  20. Very helpful tread on Speedplay. I’m going to clips and I chose the Speedplay Zero Chromoly. However, pardon my ignorance but what is “float” please? Thanks friends!

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  21. I love my speedy play X series, I’ve been using them for years and they’re perfect, never a problem but now I definitely use grease and a serynge to lub them.
    Which grease would you recommend?

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  22. Anybody using the Sub $20 replacement cleats from Amazon with any good/bad stories to tell, I’m struggling to find reviews on them?

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  23. I loved the walkable ease of these pedals and cleats. My complaint is that my LBS could never get them not to squeak while pedaling. They tightened the cleats so much that they had to cut the off when I switched back to spd cleats. I would grease with dry lube prior to my rides. They would be quiet for 30 miles then start squeaking. I cleaned the cleats regularly but could never solve the problem. Maybe it’s my pedaling style but never had a problem with spd Shimano or Look.
    Anyone else have this problem?

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  24. since speedplay was acquired by Wahoo there have been great difficulty in getting the product in stock.

    it just doesn’t seem like Wahoo knew what the hell they bought. I am very interested in everyone else’s experiences in getting some feedback from the supplier.

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  25. After struggling with trying to grease the pedals and having the cap pop off – I found it easier to take the pedal spindle off. I was swapping to the French Ti replacements anyway.

    And I tracked down the Speedplay compatible walking cleat cover. Far better than the Speedplay version.

    Let’s hope Wahoo get Speedplay back on the road – they never came across as very professional or consumer friendly.

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  26. I got my 1st and only pair of Speedplays in 96. I had just had a Landmark time trial built. I was looking for something other than my Looks. I was also looking for weight reduction considering the new 853 frame with Kestrel fork was about the lightest frame configuration, out of steel, one could get. I also had knee issues and had been told I could benefit from the pedal. 80% of my riding was in Arizona and So.Cal. The bike never saw rain but averaged 200 miles a week. I never, in the 4 hard years I rode the bike, I never lubed the Speedplays. This bike is now a wall hanger, Speedplays intact. Unfortunately I took a bad fall on a mountain bike crash that required open heart surgery. I haven’t been back on the bike since. Hoping to get neon on the wheels.
    Great artical.

    Reply
  27. I’ve used X and more recently Zero Speedplays. I like the float and the double sided entry. I have used Look pedals and found clipping in was a bit haphazard. However, my biggest issue was with the life of the cleats. I’m between 85 and 90 kgs and a pair of Look cleats would last 500 – 600 miles. Speed play recommend changing the cleats every 3000 miles and my latest Zero cleats have lasted 5500 miles.

    Spend to save.

    Reply
  28. Cheapest and easiest lube trick is to insert the tube of a spray can of white lithium grease with Teflon. Don’t forget to back up the spindle with a rag for the grease that squirts out the other side…
    Works just as well and costs about $6. 1 can lasts years and actually outlasts a set of bearings!!!
    I replaced those with ceramic and love them!!!!

    Best pedals ever and have the best cornering clearance!!
    WD÷40 dry lube is excellent for the cleats, although I preferred the old cleats they had before the company got sold.

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  29. Have you ever had a situation where your bike is difficult to pedal like I am? There are cases where I can barely turn my pedals. After consulting a number of experts in the field, I figured out why my bike was hard to pedal. The first is to mention the common causes you can encounter such as a rusty chain, a flat tire, or a tire with low air pressure. If you have a brake misalignment, the brake rubs against your bike’s rotor or rim. If you have wheels that aren’t realistic, you’ll notice that they wobble from side to side. This can also lead to difficult riding as your wheels no longer maintain the proper tension between the spokes. Bicycle gears have an important influence on your overall cycling experience. Even single-speed bikes can be difficult to pedal.

    Reply

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