You are mostly against nature or in a simple way yourself in training, barely anyone else would actually go against you deliberately unless you are actually trying to fight over someone else.
I have an artificial left knee. I have been riding SpeedPlay Frog pedals, which allow free float since before I had the knee replaced, (in 2001). I am 68, and have never been a racer, so they work for me really well.
Speedplays way easier on your knees, I like the feel the the free float as apposed to the self centering float of Look and Shimano, also the ease of clipping in just step on it and go.
Additionally with the aero cleats, aero cleat surrounds, and the aero one sided zero they are slippery. I run zero track specials for road, and aero zero track specials for tri and tt.
I totally agree with your "step on it and go", kinda like mountain bike pedals I use. I have mountain bike pedals on all my bikes as this allows me to use one shoe, not multiple. Also, I tend to ride on dirt roads, maybe I'll find an obstacle here or there I cannot ride. Hate to have road shoes and the one-sided clip in of the pedals seems a bit tedious to get in. I would definitely go for Speedplay if I was a road cyclist. The free float is pretty appealing. Hate fixed float .would maybe change it depending on the race. Certainly, on criteriums, I would like less float as opposed to longer races. Comfort is one of my top priorities (if you are comfortable you go faster because you can concentrate on pedalling and use more power instead of having to try to put out much power in an awkward position) You kinda have to balance power and comfort (sometimes it pays off to be less comfortable but I try to be comfortable where I can). So therefore I would choose Speedplay if I could.
I was talking to my fitter the other day and that speedplays are great for bad knees is kind of a myth. Firstly more float isn’t necessarily better for those with knee issues. Secondly An infinitesimal percentage of the cycling population needs 15° of float and people will often use the float of Speedplays to mask other fit issues that lead to knee pain. Oddly the thing he recommends Speedplay for is those who need 0 float because they’re the easiest to duplicate position exactly the same every time.
I have ridden a lot with Shimano dura-ace and yellow cleats, previously had Look Keos and Look Blades. The Shimano combo is a winner for me so far as the cleats last longer, the Look Blades disintegrated (rear section became detached) and Look Keo was too loose in general. The overall feeling with Shimano is of a more solid transfer of power and easier more positive clip in and out. I used to get stuck in my Look Blades. Theres enough lateral movement in dura-ace for my old knees but more than enough power and efficiency for all day riding and climbing.
I’ve used Look Delta, Shimano and Time. Now on Look Keo. Out of those 3 brands I’ve certainly found Look the best. I just feel my power is transferred much more efficiently.
Oh!!! By the way, I saw that guy on the background from the Trek staff at the Vuelta, on the Serratella climb, and he gave me a Trek bottle back in August!!!! Cheers man, maybe you're watching this video!!! Cool guys at that team.
Time Xpresso. I love the huge amount of float. My first clipless pedals were Time Equipe in 1990. Impossible to clip in but so comfortable. Then I got ATAC pedals for my MTB. Xpresso are so light for the price too. But once the cleats start squeaking, your mates don’t want to ride next to you anymore.
My first pedal system is LOOK keo and moved to Speedplay, love them. With the walkable cleat covers, mine are still good after 3 years. And I have also inserted the stainless steel plates between the plastic base plate and metal plate to prevent wearing out the plastic base. With those in place, it would last a very long long time... The only gripe is the poor sealing between the pedal spindle and the pedal body. Had to pump in new grease periodically to keep the bearings from corrosion. Other than that, it's perfect.
Have been running speedplay zero for over five years, With cleat covers (cheep on eBay) cleats will last me easy around 20 thousand km before the plastic part wears out and gets sloppy vrs about 5k for Shimano / Look (mix of commute / social & a bit of racing in the past ). Maintenance is low, I give the cleats and pedals a bit of lube monthly. You can rebuild pedals if you like as most parts are actually just standard bearings and orings - I run across all our bikes, easy to use, no drama at traffic lights, critt starts and super adjustable to suit yourself as well as cheap to run over the long term - I still have an original set of pedals which are five years old, probably 40k km and still ok (now on the trainer) They do fit standard three hole shoes with an adapter - minor difference in feel between speedplay specific and generic shoes. Down side is initial purchase cost, more of a learning curve and price of speedplay specific shoes - although I prefer them for the lower stack height . Long story short, I try and use the best of everything - and I use speedplay.
I use the Look Carbons 12 Nm with the black cleats on my Fizik shoes and gray cleats on my Specialized shoes for road. I use Crank Brothers on my mountain bikes with zero float cleats.
I'm 61, and of current pedals, have used shimano XTR (gravel bike), shimano ultegra, look keo max, speedplay. - xtr are obviously heavier, and I don't think they are comfortable enough for road rides over 2 hours. - ultegra : I think the cleat clip in/out is inferior to Look. - look keo is my long term favourite, whether commutes, training, racing, or endurance riding. I am just so comfortable in/out, and getting out of saddle on hills. I trust the mechanism to keep me in when needed, and let me out with the least effort when needed. I am happy with grey cleats. 2 downsides: - the pedals have a needle bearing deep inside which is not serviceable or replaceable. I just replaced my pedals after 35,000km due to needle bearing wear of the drive side pedal. - the cleats are also softer than shimano so don't last as long. - speedplay. I had bad experience with them - not enough support for endurance rides. And they get fowled easier by dirt/mud, even on road rides. The cleats are also easily bent, which compromises in/out horribly.
went to Speedily a few years ago. The ease of adjustment for both float as well as alignment, and double side clip-in, is the big selling point for me. As my knees have been ageing, the ability to tweak things quickly over the season is killer. Also, the toes of my shoes last longer not having to flip the pedals and I can beat pretty much anyone out of a stoplight start.
I use have Look Keo2Max Blade pedal set at 12 Nm on my road bike and I use the grey cleat. The cleat offers me some float and the pedal fairly light compared to the older Look pedals. My first road bike, back in the 90's with a 7 speed cassette and downtube shifters, came with Look pedals on it and I have stuck with them ever since. I tried the dual sided Speedplay pedal, but the cleats were too substantial and heavy cause they were part metal. I have also used Crank Brothers eggbeaters which was not bad, but still second to place to Look but better than last place Speedplay.
Shimano 105 SPD with yellow cleats. Yellow because that's what came with the pedals. I think the release is whatever they left the factory set at. I'm due to get a refit when I get a new saddle as my original fit was done with Speedplays and I didn't like them. They only felt good during the fit, out on the road I had nothing but pain and trouble.
I'm a new into roadbike and just purchased entry level roadbike. After 3 months I decided to convert from flat to clipless, I use yellow cleats for just now. Thanks GCN for giving me lot of informations about clipless pedals and cleats.
I just wanted to jump in and say thanks to Jon and the rest of the GCN TECH crew for giving me another reason to slip into the UA-cam rabbit hole. Great content is rare these days but you guys keep delivering, every day. Between GCN and GCN Tech I am waiting for the notices with bated breath! Keep up the good work!
It may seem like a small detail. But cleat/pedal selection and adjustment has been critical for me. It was both helpful and interesting to see how various pros make their decisions on the subject. Great video!
Thank you @GCN Tech, due to this video i resolved my knee pain after 4 hours ride, i was using the shimano red cleats thinking that they are more efficient, but after checking that even pros uses the yellow ones, i decided to give it a shot and bang.. knees problem resolved lool .. never more the red ones unless i reach the level of Cavendish looool
Shimano with maximum spring tension and red cleats. I was a track sprinter, so i wanted to get as fixed as possible, i even added straps to my track bike.
Shimano yellow cleats and medium tension on my ultegra pedals. I use them for 3 years now and never had to think about changing, this system works perfectly for me.
Just moved from flats to clipless in the last 2 months. I opted for MTB style cleats. I use Shimano Deore XT M8020 pedals as they are duble sided and have a nice bit of a platform for extra foot support. They are quite loose but now I'm more used to them I'm going to tighten them up a little. I use Shimano multi release cleats becuase I'm new to the sytem and want to be able to get out easily if I need to, it already saved me a dunking in a massive, muddy ice covered puddle the other day! The only issue is I can't get my left foot set just right. My right foot points fairly straight forward on the bike but my left has the heel turned in LOADS (like Alex Dowset). The cleat either seems to be to forward so my knee feels forced or to turned so that I get a pressure spot on the ball of my foot. Its a matter of tiny amonts of rotation that seem really hard to get right on the cleat/shoe.
Blue cleats, on my Tri shoes; my shoes have carbon fiber soles, that coupled with blue cleats makes for very solid contact while still retaining the safety of some float. Road shoes have yellow cleats because I'm in them more and climb in them more, so I'm less likely to have knee problems as a result. Medium tension for safety when clipping and unclipping in traffic or during the course of an accident.
Used to use the yellow cleat from Shimano but found them too expensive so I use cleats from Lifeline (wiggle own brand) and they have 4.5 degrees of float which is fine for me.
I ride lots of track so I have my Shimano pedals dialed all the way up and use the red 0° cleat. Sometimes I use toe straps too just for that extra security and stiffness.
Blue Shimano cleats every time for me as you get 2.5 degrees of float to help your knees and you are still getting that secure feeling once locked in.....perfect.
Black Keo cleats. I once tried the red ones, when I had the old look Jalabert custom pedals, but they sucked tons (to my taste) I started in cycling using blacks, and that's my fit. Once you get them adjusted correctly, it's my way to go. 100% clipped to the bike.
Look Keo Blade carbon with 16nm blade, grey grip cleats and I put a strip of 25mm skateboard grip tape on pedal. Makes the cleat feel firmer in pedal but still allowing me some float.
I have a pair of Look-style cleats and shoes by Performance Bike--and I like them--but for everyday commuting, I am happy on flats, especially in this inclement weather. And I am constantly in and out of the saddle and sometimes I spin and sometimes I stomp and flats afford a sense of freedom and playfulness that I don't get when I am clipped in.
Driving a vintage Look-bike, of course I'm using Look Classic pedals on that one. Look bladed pedals on my other roadbikes. Using gray cleats, with 12nm tension, since I like the float and the easy release.
Nothing on speedplay ?? The ability to dial in as much or as little float as you like plus low Clearance for cornering and dual sided entry .. #bestpedal !!
Well, almost all these teams work with sponsorships, and Look and Shimano have way more money to put there than Speedplay. This could mean some of these guys use Speedplay with their own bikes at home, but they have to use their team's sponsor pedals when racing.
I'm old enough to have been using toe clips and straps with a metal cleat nailed to the shoe. When I changed I went with the Look pedals. Shimano was just getting into road cleats and the platform was small. I prefer the gray Look cleats with med. float.
I started road biking with heel straps and plastic/aluminum clips. I didn't like them as the top pressure made my feet and toes go numb so I took them off the platform pedals. After I got clipless on a newer/better road bike, I dumped the platforms.
I am a 100% SpeedPlay guy. I love them! Like Matt Stevens I need as much help clipping in as possible so having double sided is fantastic. I don't have to think just clip in. I have them down to the just a touch more play that is minimal so 4-5 degrees I guess? I have a history of shite knees so... The tension is tight but not super tight. The roads I ride on can clip you out if they aren't tight enough. but too tight and I will just fall over at traffic lights. I'm surprised no one you interviewed uses them. Not sure why Viviani move from them, I'm guessing a sponsoring issue?
For my commuter bike and mountain bike I use the MTB SPD pedals, which have some rotation, but my road bike is Speedplay. Particularly on the left side, I have semi-circular grooves worn into my shoes from all the rotation. I have wonky biomechanics and they are a real knee saver for long rides.
Agreed. I have ridden Speedplay since I started on the road and I love them. I have never unclipped accidentaly and love the range of float. The only thing I hate is the selection of 4-hole shoes, but my Sidis are holding up nicely.
When I got my first and only set of road pedals, I was recommended Look Keo Classics by my shop with grey cleats. I think that was the perfect way to go for me and most casual riders. Would be interesting to try yellow Shimano and see if that little bit extra float feels nicer.
Shimano SPD-R with SH91 cleats with 6 degrees of float. Popular with track riders because if you screw them down to full tension it's almost impossible to pull your foot out. I use them because I like a mid-foot cleat position and the 2 bolt fixing fore and aft lets me drill 2 holes in the sole and position the cleat 5 cms behind the pedal axle. I have 5 pairs of pedals (3 on the road bikes and 2 on the TT bikes) and have been riding the same cleats since around 2001. They are made of steel and I haven't had to replace them since then. Spring tension set to about half way but I have no idea what that is in Nm.
I tried Speedplay for crits and no matter how tight I set them they still felt too sloppy so went back to Shimano reds. I've raced with 0 float now for close on 20 years and no knee problems as yet. As for getting away quickly with single entry pedals, I think it's just practice.
If you're stressed about clipping in a crit you need more training. You're not gonna lose a crit race at the whistle. Everybody is together. Impossible to get away
mindciller bit different with Fixed crits with a gridded start, like a CX race massive splits happen within the first lap. Fair enough for Road crits forsure but technical crits are different.
red-medium for me. used to use yellow and hated them. because of their float you need more time to detach your feet and sometimes that's dangerous, also your heels can touch the crank.
SPD MTB version on both road bike and gravel bike. Main reason is the shoe and walking ability. Just got so use to them. Just ordered GRX version for my new road bike.
Speedplay Ultra Light Action for me. I've never been trapped onto my bike by them like I was by Shimano yellows several times (leading to those embarrassing moments at intersections).
When I started in 2003, I used Look's red cleats. It wasn't really a choice of mine, but my father thought it'd be a good, safe option to begin with. For the last 14 years, however, I've used Look's black cleats, both on road and track. I've only adjusted my track pedals to be as fixed as possible, and the pedals I use on my (now retro) Cannondale to allow for more ease of movement. I've loved my black cleats to death. I've never even considered switching, but as my current cleats are almost totally worn out, and none of the local bike shops carry black cleats, I'm going to try the grey ones next and see how it goes. Who knows, maybe I feel more at home with them now that my pro aspirations are gone to the bin (that was years ago, though...).
Interesting interview, always love hearing all these small little bits from the Pro's. I would love to know how many, if any are bike tech geeks? They all have some of the best gear but how many are get geeky with new tech and how many don't care and just ride?
I'm a breech baby and have a wandering right foot. It usually wears any pedal out including flat ones. My left foot is planted rock solid, though. Solution: red on the left yellow on the right...although right now I have blue because they appeared in a care package. I keep my tension level low - I'm loose as a goose.
It's interesting to read the public comments. A lot of you I take it are non pros, and a lot of you like Speedplay. When I worked in a shop I sold a lot of Speedplay set ups to older folks, but most youngsters were choosing Look or Shimano (Ultegra). The older crowd picking up the Speedplays were also almost always complaining about knee problems with every other pedal/cleat brand. It seems like the preferred pedal system for the non-pro oldie is Speedplay. I don't like em cuz they are a pain to set up. Too many little dumb things. I ride Ultegra's with a yellow cleat.
Jon Cannings anytime!! You are doing a brilliant job and I think also the pros like the way you interview them since they seem very talkative with you!
Nice video to get into something that you don't often hear that much about and always a bit of an interesting choice to hear what is going on with them. As for me got to go with the classic Look Keo and use a Grey Cleat with it cranked up to 11! Well nice and firm so that you don't have any annoying unlips just at the wrong moment but still can get out when you need. Great stuff and keep it coming! Would love to see a video about pro clothing and different manufacturers and what pros wear and what they get in the way of kit.
Look Keo with grey cleats, tightest tension on springs (think that’s 12nm) stiff to clip in but find I get out easy enough. Thinking of trying blacks as find I slip around on the float when up out of the saddle.
Speedplay, great for lots of float on a recumbent. Back when I first used cleats they would be "tacked" on with a hammer after a bit of riding to determine where the shoe fit on pedal (a metal toe "cage" strapped however tight one preferred by a leather strap threaded through the top metal piece and could be tightened by pulling up on the strap end). No quick release method. If one fell, you landed on your side (most falling at zero speed or close to zero speed due to loss of balance. If one crashed maybe your shoe would be "wrenched" out. "Ouch" or worse.....) Remember those days...?
Still use the red float Delta Cleats with the old 7401 Dura Ace Pedals. Switched over from the clip and straps to the Dura Ace. Never looked back. I find some of the new products aren't really new. Just fudged a little, enough just to get a patent for another decade or two.
I started out out on Look and used a red cleat. I got Shimano 105 carbon and they came with the yellow cleats but after seeing this video I think I'll but get some Shimano blue cleats on my backup shoes and give them a try. I keep my release set to about 60% of max. Grate video.
Favero Assioma power meter pedals that use Look Keo compatible cleats. I use the red. I've never tried no float and at this point, not sure I'd even want to.
Ski bindings have a DIN number system, the tension of the binding is determined by your weight/height etc. Thus the skis would fall off when you hit something but will stay on your foot when you are skiing normally. I don't know if cycling cleats have adopted that system.
At least on the MTB SPD's I ride (because Cyclocross and I don't want 2 pairs of shoes and cleats and it's just simpler to have 1 kind), they will unclip if I yank hard and forward on the pedal. Which is what would happen if I hit something head on which thankfully has not happened, but has happened when I panic stop and instinctively tried to yank my foot off the pedal vs. turn my ankle to unlock the normal way. But I don't have them adjusted at a high tension, because I like to get out without making my knee sore. I don't know how they would behave if I really cranked them down.
When I first started road cycling, I used Look Classic pedals with grey cleats(4.5 degree float). Since then, I upgraded to Look Keo Sprint red color pedals with black cleats(0 degree float) because I feel there is too much play for my riding style.
I suspect the dominance of Look and Shimano in the pro peloton is entirely down to sponsorship. Having spent my own money on the four most popular systems I think they are all very good but I definitely think Speedplay have the edge, and I prefer Time to the others by a tiny margin. GCN could have used this opportunity to ask about their fore/aft settings which would have been of even more interest to me anyway.
Was using flat pedals (Chester, B185) until recently where I got a pair of Specialized sport mtb shoe and Shimano A530 pedals on sale. Fits me since I prefer to use the flat side when I'm on narrow pavements with lots of people.
Use mainly the yellow cleats with my ultegra spd pedals seeing the different responses may give the blue ones a try as I have at times noticed I have to much movement , will let you guys know , logged over 11,000km last season Es
SPD-SL yellow is the best I've used, but I've never tried red or blue. I like the float though, I'm not sure I'd want it to be totally fixed. But I am a very amateur cyclist, so what do I know.
As I am half a mountain biker and on the budget of a college student, I use Crankbrother's eggbeaters. This allows me to have one pair of shoes for both my bikes. I currently have them set to 15° of float. They are very comfortable, easy to clip in and out, and they have only released prematurly in extreme mtb situations.
An important point no picked up here is that shim yellow cleats allow for a small amount of left to right movement to give their float. The blue and red do not. Personally on shim another I choose blue and look I go for grey. Tension it depends on the bike, winter/commuter it's loose and summer medium. It's all about the number of traffic lights... and the possibility of needing to unclip fast when I run out of track stand talent.
I have "suspect" knees and ankles that are slightly genetically out-turned. I use Look PP256 Carbon pedals (delta-style) with red cleats (9-degree float) set to 6 or 8 NM tightness (on the easy escape end). I tried using black cleats with my natural out-turn dialed in, but my knees begged me to stop. I did stop, and I've been using the red cleat setup for 23 years; I'm not likely to change.
I use Shimano SPD-SL. Dura ace on my good bike, and Ultegra on the winter bike. I’ve tried over systems, such as Speedplay and Look, Time, as well as Keywin. I actually prefer keywin due to it innovation and weight. But Shimano has been by far the most reliable.
Folks, this video was Immensely helpful. I have been wanting to try it out but I was not really getting enough information about cleats and all their nuances. Thanks dudes!
I use Shimano Yellow. Yellow because I don’t race and want movement, Shimano because my pediatrist told me to use the widest pedal possible due to hot spots. Personally I hate trying to clip into them and dearly miss Speedplay, but I don’t have hotspot issues anymore!
4yrs later this is still relevant, informative and unbiased towards any one product. Awesome video 🙌🏼
I don't why but professional cyclist seen to me to be nicest people in all the professional sports
You are mostly against nature or in a simple way yourself in training, barely anyone else would actually go against you deliberately unless you are actually trying to fight over someone else.
They kind of have to be during interviews. Sponsors wouldn't take to kindly to a jerk pro rider.
You should meet some rugby players
Climbers are pretty nice
most professionals athletes are nice when there not being agressed , or asked stupid questions
Most dedicated ‘ask the pros’ in GCN history. Amazing stamina.
SPD. The mountain bike version. Because I needed one system for racing and commuting, because I'm poor.
And you don't look like an idiot walking into a coffee place :)
@@lux-3001 Pick your cafes wisely. Only go where the non-idiots in regular shoes are the minority
Veganpotter Thevegan i do this
My cleats are still at the store....
@@zaydansari4408 lol
I use the yellow because it's the only one I have!
speedplay for me. the ease at which i can clip in an out especially with a damaged ACL is a god send.
I have an artificial left knee. I have been riding SpeedPlay Frog pedals, which allow free float since before I had the knee replaced, (in 2001). I am 68, and have never been a racer, so they work for me really well.
"I pedal like a duck" - Alex Dowsett 2018 :D
Used to use Look Keo pedals, grey cleats, but now I use speedplay, love the double sided entry
Bram tankink for president!!
tankelectrik.com Good story for a GCN episode?
Lekker Mike 😂😂
Speedplays way easier on your knees, I like the feel the the free float as apposed to the self centering float of Look and Shimano, also the ease of clipping in just step on it and go.
Additionally with the aero cleats, aero cleat surrounds, and the aero one sided zero they are slippery. I run zero track specials for road, and aero zero track specials for tri and tt.
I totally agree with your "step on it and go", kinda like mountain bike pedals I use. I have mountain bike pedals on all my bikes as this allows me to use one shoe, not multiple. Also, I tend to ride on dirt roads, maybe I'll find an obstacle here or there I cannot ride. Hate to have road shoes and the one-sided clip in of the pedals seems a bit tedious to get in. I would definitely go for Speedplay if I was a road cyclist. The free float is pretty appealing. Hate fixed float .would maybe change it depending on the race. Certainly, on criteriums, I would like less float as opposed to longer races. Comfort is one of my top priorities (if you are comfortable you go faster because you can concentrate on pedalling and use more power instead of having to try to put out much power in an awkward position) You kinda have to balance power and comfort (sometimes it pays off to be less comfortable but I try to be comfortable where I can). So therefore I would choose Speedplay if I could.
I was talking to my fitter the other day and that speedplays are great for bad knees is kind of a myth. Firstly more float isn’t necessarily better for those with knee issues. Secondly An infinitesimal percentage of the cycling population needs 15° of float and people will often use the float of Speedplays to mask other fit issues that lead to knee pain. Oddly the thing he recommends Speedplay for is those who need 0 float because they’re the easiest to duplicate position exactly the same every time.
I have ridden a lot with Shimano dura-ace and yellow cleats, previously had Look Keos and Look Blades. The Shimano combo is a winner for me so far as the cleats last longer, the Look Blades disintegrated (rear section became detached) and Look Keo was too loose in general. The overall feeling with Shimano is of a more solid transfer of power and easier more positive clip in and out. I used to get stuck in my Look Blades. Theres enough lateral movement in dura-ace for my old knees but more than enough power and efficiency for all day riding and climbing.
You should ask about the placement of the cleat on the shoe, further back or more in front
Bram tankink is such an awesome dude😂
lod vaessen I had lots of fun interviewing him
I’ve used Look Delta, Shimano and Time. Now on Look Keo. Out of those 3 brands I’ve certainly found Look the best. I just feel my power is transferred much more efficiently.
Oh!!! By the way, I saw that guy on the background from the Trek staff at the Vuelta, on the Serratella climb, and he gave me a Trek bottle back in August!!!! Cheers man, maybe you're watching this video!!! Cool guys at that team.
Time Xpresso. I love the huge amount of float. My first clipless pedals were Time Equipe in 1990. Impossible to clip in but so comfortable.
Then I got ATAC pedals for my MTB.
Xpresso are so light for the price too.
But once the cleats start squeaking, your mates don’t want to ride next to you anymore.
My first pedal system is LOOK keo and moved to Speedplay, love them. With the walkable cleat covers, mine are still good after 3 years. And I have also inserted the stainless steel plates between the plastic base plate and metal plate to prevent wearing out the plastic base. With those in place, it would last a very long long time... The only gripe is the poor sealing between the pedal spindle and the pedal body. Had to pump in new grease periodically to keep the bearings from corrosion. Other than that, it's perfect.
Have been running speedplay zero for over five years, With cleat covers (cheep on eBay) cleats will last me easy around 20 thousand km before the plastic part wears out and gets sloppy vrs about 5k for Shimano / Look (mix of commute / social & a bit of racing in the past ). Maintenance is low, I give the cleats and pedals a bit of lube monthly. You can rebuild pedals if you like as most parts are actually just standard bearings and orings - I run across all our bikes, easy to use, no drama at traffic lights, critt starts and super adjustable to suit yourself as well as cheap to run over the long term - I still have an original set of pedals which are five years old, probably 40k km and still ok (now on the trainer) They do fit standard three hole shoes with an adapter - minor difference in feel between speedplay specific and generic shoes. Down side is initial purchase cost, more of a learning curve and price of speedplay specific shoes - although I prefer them for the lower stack height . Long story short, I try and use the best of everything - and I use speedplay.
SpeedPlay on all my bikes. Love the float and long term use before replacement
I use the Look Carbons 12 Nm with the black cleats on my Fizik shoes and gray cleats on my Specialized shoes for road. I use Crank Brothers on my mountain bikes with zero float cleats.
I'm 61, and of current pedals, have used shimano XTR (gravel bike), shimano ultegra, look keo max, speedplay.
- xtr are obviously heavier, and I don't think they are comfortable enough for road rides over 2 hours.
- ultegra : I think the cleat clip in/out is inferior to Look.
- look keo is my long term favourite, whether commutes, training, racing, or endurance riding. I am just so comfortable in/out, and getting out of saddle on hills. I trust the mechanism to keep me in when needed, and let me out with the least effort when needed. I am happy with grey cleats.
2 downsides:
- the pedals have a needle bearing deep inside which is not serviceable or replaceable. I just replaced my pedals after 35,000km due to needle bearing wear of the drive side pedal.
- the cleats are also softer than shimano so don't last as long.
- speedplay. I had bad experience with them - not enough support for endurance rides. And they get fowled easier by dirt/mud, even on road rides. The cleats are also easily bent, which compromises in/out horribly.
went to Speedily a few years ago. The ease of adjustment for both float as well as alignment, and double side clip-in, is the big selling point for me. As my knees have been ageing, the ability to tweak things quickly over the season is killer. Also, the toes of my shoes last longer not having to flip the pedals and I can beat pretty much anyone out of a stoplight start.
I use have Look Keo2Max Blade pedal set at 12 Nm on my road bike and I use the grey cleat. The cleat offers me some float and the pedal fairly light compared to the older Look pedals. My first road bike, back in the 90's with a 7 speed cassette and downtube shifters, came with Look pedals on it and I have stuck with them ever since. I tried the dual sided Speedplay pedal, but the cleats were too substantial and heavy cause they were part metal. I have also used Crank Brothers eggbeaters which was not bad, but still second to place to Look but better than last place Speedplay.
Shimano 105 SPD with yellow cleats. Yellow because that's what came with the pedals. I think the release is whatever they left the factory set at.
I'm due to get a refit when I get a new saddle as my original fit was done with Speedplays and I didn't like them. They only felt good during the fit, out on the road I had nothing but pain and trouble.
I'm a new into roadbike and just purchased entry level roadbike. After 3 months I decided to convert from flat to clipless, I use yellow cleats for just now. Thanks GCN for giving me lot of informations about clipless pedals and cleats.
I just wanted to jump in and say thanks to Jon and the rest of the GCN TECH crew for giving me another reason to slip into the UA-cam rabbit hole. Great content is rare these days but you guys keep delivering, every day. Between GCN and GCN Tech I am waiting for the notices with bated breath! Keep up the good work!
It may seem like a small detail. But cleat/pedal selection and adjustment has been critical for me. It was both helpful and interesting to see how various pros make their decisions on the subject.
Great video!
Thank you @GCN Tech, due to this video i resolved my knee pain after 4 hours ride, i was using the shimano red cleats thinking that they are more efficient, but after checking that even pros uses the yellow ones, i decided to give it a shot and bang.. knees problem resolved lool .. never more the red ones unless i reach the level of Cavendish looool
Shimano with maximum spring tension and red cleats. I was a track sprinter, so i wanted to get as fixed as possible, i even added straps to my track bike.
Interesting, i only ride fixed and have only used yellows. Might try this out...
Shimano yellow cleats and medium tension on my ultegra pedals. I use them for 3 years now and never had to think about changing, this system works perfectly for me.
Just moved from flats to clipless in the last 2 months. I opted for MTB style cleats. I use Shimano Deore XT M8020 pedals as they are duble sided and have a nice bit of a platform for extra foot support. They are quite loose but now I'm more used to them I'm going to tighten them up a little. I use Shimano multi release cleats becuase I'm new to the sytem and want to be able to get out easily if I need to, it already saved me a dunking in a massive, muddy ice covered puddle the other day!
The only issue is I can't get my left foot set just right. My right foot points fairly straight forward on the bike but my left has the heel turned in LOADS (like Alex Dowset). The cleat either seems to be to forward so my knee feels forced or to turned so that I get a pressure spot on the ball of my foot. Its a matter of tiny amonts of rotation that seem really hard to get right on the cleat/shoe.
Blue cleats, on my Tri shoes; my shoes have carbon fiber soles, that coupled with blue cleats makes for very solid contact while still retaining the safety of some float. Road shoes have yellow cleats because I'm in them more and climb in them more, so I'm less likely to have knee problems as a result. Medium tension for safety when clipping and unclipping in traffic or during the course of an accident.
Used to use the yellow cleat from Shimano but found them too expensive so I use cleats from Lifeline (wiggle own brand) and they have 4.5 degrees of float which is fine for me.
I prefer speedplay because I can get a custom float that feels good to me and I find it easier to clip into them which is nice for crit racing
I run speedplay too, not too many pros do I guess
How does speedplay work? Can you adjust the release angle?
Love my speedplay pedals
I ride lots of track so I have my Shimano pedals dialed all the way up and use the red 0° cleat. Sometimes I use toe straps too just for that extra security and stiffness.
Blue Shimano cleats every time for me as you get 2.5 degrees of float to help your knees and you are still getting that secure feeling once locked in.....perfect.
Black Keo cleats. I once tried the red ones, when I had the old look Jalabert custom pedals, but they sucked tons (to my taste) I started in cycling using blacks, and that's my fit. Once you get them adjusted correctly, it's my way to go. 100% clipped to the bike.
Look Keo Max 2 pedals with Gray cleats....I like the longevity of the cleat life and comfort. Fixed cleats cause knee pain for me
Look Keo Blade carbon with 16nm blade, grey grip cleats and I put a strip of 25mm skateboard grip tape on pedal. Makes the cleat feel firmer in pedal but still allowing me some float.
Shimano yellow. Started with loosest and now using medium.
me too :D
Used Speedplay - Had problems with Hot Feet , changed back To LOOK about 3/4 years ago - No Problems - Grey just feels Good
I have a pair of Look-style cleats and shoes by Performance Bike--and I like them--but for everyday commuting, I am happy on flats, especially in this inclement weather. And I am constantly in and out of the saddle and sometimes I spin and sometimes I stomp and flats afford a sense of freedom and playfulness that I don't get when I am clipped in.
Driving a vintage Look-bike, of course I'm using Look Classic pedals on that one. Look bladed pedals on my other roadbikes. Using gray cleats, with 12nm tension, since I like the float and the easy release.
Great video- very informative for a beginner cyclist needed to maneuver through when determining what cleats, shoes, and pedals- oh my!
Nothing on speedplay ??
The ability to dial in as much or as little float as you like plus low Clearance for cornering and dual sided entry .. #bestpedal !!
Well, almost all these teams work with sponsorships, and Look and Shimano have way more money to put there than Speedplay.
This could mean some of these guys use Speedplay with their own bikes at home, but they have to use their team's sponsor pedals when racing.
Speed play zero for custom float for my dancing knees
I have bad knees, I was riding on Shimano yellow and then switched to Speedplay most of my knee pain is now gone.
if speedplay the saddle height need to change ?
@@kl5274 yes, lower stack height
I'm old enough to have been using toe clips and straps with a metal cleat nailed to the shoe. When I changed I went with the Look pedals. Shimano was just getting into road cleats and the platform was small. I prefer the gray Look cleats with med. float.
I started road biking with heel straps and plastic/aluminum clips. I didn't like them as the top pressure made my feet and toes go numb so I took them off the platform pedals. After I got clipless on a newer/better road bike, I dumped the platforms.
I am a 100% SpeedPlay guy. I love them! Like Matt Stevens I need as much help clipping in as possible so having double sided is fantastic. I don't have to think just clip in. I have them down to the just a touch more play that is minimal so 4-5 degrees I guess? I have a history of shite knees so... The tension is tight but not super tight. The roads I ride on can clip you out if they aren't tight enough. but too tight and I will just fall over at traffic lights. I'm surprised no one you interviewed uses them. Not sure why Viviani move from them, I'm guessing a sponsoring issue?
Michael Albany I agree. Speedplay are the best.
I have noticed that SpeedPlay is more popular with the climbers and platform cleats seem to be more popular with big watt sprinters.
For my commuter bike and mountain bike I use the MTB SPD pedals, which have some rotation, but my road bike is Speedplay. Particularly on the left side, I have semi-circular grooves worn into my shoes from all the rotation. I have wonky biomechanics and they are a real knee saver for long rides.
Speedplay are the best., f**k the rest! :-)
Agreed. I have ridden Speedplay since I started on the road and I love them. I have never unclipped accidentaly and love the range of float. The only thing I hate is the selection of 4-hole shoes, but my Sidis are holding up nicely.
When I got my first and only set of road pedals, I was recommended Look Keo Classics by my shop with grey cleats. I think that was the perfect way to go for me and most casual riders. Would be interesting to try yellow Shimano and see if that little bit extra float feels nicer.
Shimano SPD-R with SH91 cleats with 6 degrees of float. Popular with track riders because if you screw them down to full tension it's almost impossible to pull your foot out. I use them because I like a mid-foot cleat position and the 2 bolt fixing fore and aft lets me drill 2 holes in the sole and position the cleat 5 cms behind the pedal axle. I have 5 pairs of pedals (3 on the road bikes and 2 on the TT bikes) and have been riding the same cleats since around 2001. They are made of
steel and I haven't had to replace them since then. Spring tension set to about half way but I have no idea what that is in Nm.
I find that Speedplay really help on the startline of a Crit.
matprlz on the turns too
do you race the lms berlin?
I tried Speedplay for crits and no matter how tight I set them they still felt too sloppy so went back to Shimano reds. I've raced with 0 float now for close on 20 years and no knee problems as yet. As for getting away quickly with single entry pedals, I think it's just practice.
If you're stressed about clipping in a crit you need more training. You're not gonna lose a crit race at the whistle. Everybody is together. Impossible to get away
mindciller bit different with Fixed crits with a gridded start, like a CX race massive splits happen within the first lap. Fair enough for Road crits forsure but technical crits are different.
@@matprlz if you're getting dropped in any crit because of a slow start clipping in you're not warmed up properly or completely out of shape
red-medium for me.
used to use yellow and hated them.
because of their float you need more time to detach your feet and sometimes that's dangerous, also your heels can touch the crank.
Couldn't agree more. I hated the yellows too for the same reason. Now use blues, but may change to red soon.
SPD MTB version on both road bike and gravel bike. Main reason is the shoe and walking ability. Just got so use to them. Just ordered GRX version for my new road bike.
Speedplay pave for me. Adjustable float. I use them for road and gravel (dry conditions).
Speedplay Ultra Light Action for me. I've never been trapped onto my bike by them like I was by Shimano yellows several times (leading to those embarrassing moments at intersections).
When I started in 2003, I used Look's red cleats. It wasn't really a choice of mine, but my father thought it'd be a good, safe option to begin with. For the last 14 years, however, I've used Look's black cleats, both on road and track. I've only adjusted my track pedals to be as fixed as possible, and the pedals I use on my (now retro) Cannondale to allow for more ease of movement. I've loved my black cleats to death. I've never even considered switching, but as my current cleats are almost totally worn out, and none of the local bike shops carry black cleats, I'm going to try the grey ones next and see how it goes. Who knows, maybe I feel more at home with them now that my pro aspirations are gone to the bin (that was years ago, though...).
I use the Look Carbon Ti Keo pedals with 12NM
Time Xpresso pedals here (+/- 5° float and 2,5 mm sideways play) @ tightest release setting. Light, comfortable, and secure!
Yep i now use Xpresso pedals and once you get used to them they are nice.
i have the old one, the time rxs carbon. really like those ones. never got used to the look
yep Xpresso10, w/tightest release and 5º
Interesting interview, always love hearing all these small little bits from the Pro's. I would love to know how many, if any are bike tech geeks? They all have some of the best gear but how many are get geeky with new tech and how many don't care and just ride?
I'm a breech baby and have a wandering right foot. It usually wears any pedal out including flat ones. My left foot is planted rock solid, though. Solution: red on the left yellow on the right...although right now I have blue because they appeared in a care package. I keep my tension level low - I'm loose as a goose.
It's interesting to read the public comments. A lot of you I take it are non pros, and a lot of you like Speedplay. When I worked in a shop I sold a lot of Speedplay set ups to older folks, but most youngsters were choosing Look or Shimano (Ultegra). The older crowd picking up the Speedplays were also almost always complaining about knee problems with every other pedal/cleat brand. It seems like the preferred pedal system for the non-pro oldie is Speedplay. I don't like em cuz they are a pain to set up. Too many little dumb things. I ride Ultegra's with a yellow cleat.
Such a good video with survey + technical explanation --> always use this formula when possible!!!
Pietro Castelletti thanks. Jon
Jon Cannings anytime!! You are doing a brilliant job and I think also the pros like the way you interview them since they seem very talkative with you!
Pietro Castelletti cheers. They like all of us at GCN.
Nice video to get into something that you don't often hear that much about and always a bit of an interesting choice to hear what is going on with them. As for me got to go with the classic Look Keo and use a Grey Cleat with it cranked up to 11! Well nice and firm so that you don't have any annoying unlips just at the wrong moment but still can get out when you need. Great stuff and keep it coming! Would love to see a video about pro clothing and different manufacturers and what pros wear and what they get in the way of kit.
Blue cleats. I like the stiffness when sprinting, but find the bit of float just right for training. And I have my pedal tension medium.
Look Keo with grey cleats, tightest tension on springs (think that’s 12nm) stiff to clip in but find I get out easy enough. Thinking of trying blacks as find I slip around on the float when up out of the saddle.
mtb Shimano SPD XT pedals and Shimano SH51 Cleats. I do audax and long distance tours
Speedplay, great for lots of float on a recumbent.
Back when I first used cleats they would be "tacked" on with a hammer after a bit of riding to determine where the shoe fit on pedal (a metal toe "cage" strapped however tight one preferred by a leather strap threaded through the top metal piece and could be tightened by pulling up on the strap end).
No quick release method. If one fell, you landed on your side (most falling at zero speed or close to zero speed due to loss of balance. If one crashed maybe your shoe would be "wrenched" out. "Ouch" or worse.....)
Remember those days...?
Still use the red float Delta Cleats with the old 7401 Dura Ace Pedals. Switched over from the clip and straps to the Dura Ace. Never looked back. I find some of the new products aren't really new. Just fudged a little, enough just to get a patent for another decade or two.
P.S. still haven't found better "spinning" bearings than Dura Ace Pedals. Until there is something "truly" better, I shall never change.
Blue shimano cleats for the win!
I started out out on Look and used a red cleat. I got Shimano 105 carbon and they came with the yellow cleats but after seeing this video I think I'll but get some Shimano blue cleats on my backup shoes and give them a try. I keep my release set to about 60% of max. Grate video.
Favero Assioma power meter pedals that use Look Keo compatible cleats. I use the red. I've never tried no float and at this point, not sure I'd even want to.
Ski bindings have a DIN number system, the tension of the binding is determined by your weight/height etc. Thus the skis would fall off when you hit something but will stay on your foot when you are skiing normally. I don't know if cycling cleats have adopted that system.
At least on the MTB SPD's I ride (because Cyclocross and I don't want 2 pairs of shoes and cleats and it's just simpler to have 1 kind), they will unclip if I yank hard and forward on the pedal. Which is what would happen if I hit something head on which thankfully has not happened, but has happened when I panic stop and instinctively tried to yank my foot off the pedal vs. turn my ankle to unlock the normal way.
But I don't have them adjusted at a high tension, because I like to get out without making my knee sore. I don't know how they would behave if I really cranked them down.
Viviani is the exception among the sprinters. Interesting approach.
When I first started road cycling, I used Look Classic pedals with grey cleats(4.5 degree float). Since then, I upgraded to Look Keo Sprint red color pedals with black cleats(0 degree float) because I feel there is too much play for my riding style.
I suspect the dominance of Look and Shimano in the pro peloton is entirely down to sponsorship. Having spent my own money on the four most popular systems I think they are all very good but I definitely think Speedplay have the edge, and I prefer Time to the others by a tiny margin. GCN could have used this opportunity to ask about their fore/aft settings which would have been of even more interest to me anyway.
Was using flat pedals (Chester, B185) until recently where I got a pair of Specialized sport mtb shoe and Shimano A530 pedals on sale.
Fits me since I prefer to use the flat side when I'm on narrow pavements with lots of people.
22-25 NM; I'd never get out once I clipped in.
David Vaughn Id have to line up and jump off a small ladder to clip in.
Not even when you wanted to haha
Do Niki Terpstra use aviators on races? Check on 10:56. Cool!
From having toeclips & straps with shoe plates, I prefer fixed cleats with my Look pedals. But in winter I have a bit of play, not fond of them.
Interesting video as always
Use mainly the yellow cleats with my ultegra spd pedals seeing the different responses may give the blue ones a try as I have at times noticed I have to much movement , will let you guys know , logged over 11,000km last season
Es
SPD-SL yellow is the best I've used, but I've never tried red or blue. I like the float though, I'm not sure I'd want it to be totally fixed. But I am a very amateur cyclist, so what do I know.
GCN should bring this content again during the world tour. It gives us an insider information about what pros like/do regardless all the marketings.
I use Shimano R550 SPD-SL Clipless Road Pedals with yellow cleats and run them loose but not so loose to avoid unwanted disengagement.
Using the red Garmin cleats with the vector 3s but will go with grey look cleats when these wear out
I use Speedplay pedals, personally I like them because of the double sided entry..
Good job Jon. That was very cool. Love it when you talk with the pros.
As I am half a mountain biker and on the budget of a college student, I use Crankbrother's eggbeaters. This allows me to have one pair of shoes for both my bikes. I currently have them set to 15° of float. They are very comfortable, easy to clip in and out, and they have only released prematurly in extreme mtb situations.
An important point no picked up here is that shim yellow cleats allow for a small amount of left to right movement to give their float. The blue and red do not.
Personally on shim another I choose blue and look I go for grey. Tension it depends on the bike, winter/commuter it's loose and summer medium. It's all about the number of traffic lights... and the possibility of needing to unclip fast when I run out of track stand talent.
I have "suspect" knees and ankles that are slightly genetically out-turned. I use Look PP256 Carbon pedals (delta-style) with red cleats (9-degree float) set to 6 or 8 NM tightness (on the easy escape end). I tried using black cleats with my natural out-turn dialed in, but my knees begged me to stop. I did stop, and I've been using the red cleat setup for 23 years; I'm not likely to change.
Thanks Jonny Tech, insightful as ever.
12:23 i thought they are all popping little wheelies and I just notice there is a bump
I use Shimano SPD-SL. Dura ace on my good bike, and Ultegra on the winter bike. I’ve tried over systems, such as Speedplay and Look, Time, as well as Keywin. I actually prefer keywin due to it innovation and weight. But Shimano has been by far the most reliable.
Folks, this video was Immensely helpful. I have been wanting to try it out but I was not really getting enough information about cleats and all their nuances. Thanks dudes!
Glad we could be of service Jacob
I use Shimano Yellow. Yellow because I don’t race and want movement, Shimano because my pediatrist told me to use the widest pedal possible due to hot spots. Personally I hate trying to clip into them and dearly miss Speedplay, but I don’t have hotspot issues anymore!
Are foot corrections done more often done inside the shoe: special insoles. Or outside: wedges and or leg length shims.
be interesting to hear about fore and aft positioning
Enjoying the hardcore cleat action GCN Tech, thanks.