Speedplay VS Shimano Pedals REVIEW (Incl: why I choose Speedplay?)
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
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In this video, while we are discussing most of the range of Speedplay and Shimano pedals, including the Speeplay Zero Chrome-Moly
, Stainless Steel and Titanium, and on the Shimano side, the Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 105, I’ll be focusing on the weight and price topic specifically on the Shimano Ultegra PD-R8000 and the Zero Stainless Steel.
Overall, we’ll be discussing the pedal systems as a whole. So in addition to the pedal weight and price, we’ll also be running through:
The available cleat float
The tension release system
The dual-sided entry
The design of each system
The Pros and Cons of Speedplay VS Shimano
And lastly, I’ll be wrapping up with why I choose one system over the other.
#Speedplay #Shimano #Pedals #Review - Спорт
The difference:
SPD-SL puts the pedals on the bike and the cleats on the shoes.
Speedplays put the pedals on the shoes and the cleats on the bike.
I’ve found pedals to be like saddles, the best ones are the ones that work for you not anyone or everyone else.
I don’t even ride, but if ALL video reviews/comparisons were organized and presented like THIS, the world’d be a better place, tell ya what. 👏👏
The only thing that matters to me is that once I tried Speedplay my knee pain ended. Period. Done deal. Everything else is secondary.
I use SPD mountain bike cleats. I also had knee pain, I adjusted the cleat alignment. Knee pain gone. You can't adjust alignment on SL cleats, or speedplay. Only float.
Fixing knee issues is probably more to do with float than the type of pedal.
What works for you works. But I heard from several bike fitters the opposite, they see more knee problems from riders that use speedplay.
Worked for me too. Knee pain returned with Spd mtb shoes. Speed play all the way for me now.
I too had knee pain with my shimanos. But after feeling how I was pressing on the pedals, I added in a shim between my cleats and shoe to change the angle ever so slightly and my knee pain went away.
Two main reasons and one added bonus why I wear speedplay.... 1st “knees” - I’ve had knee issues for years and both my knees operated on, the speedplay float (15°) enables my knees to move without restrictions and no pain! 2nd “easy clip in” - 100% success rate and quick engagement. The number of times my cycling buddies fumble around trying to engage Shimano cleats at the lights/ junctions and then throw watt bombs to catch up. 3rd I think is an added bonus “security” - majority of cyclists wear Shimano and if a light fingered cyclist thought he/she likes my bike more than their own ‘they’ would struggle wearing Shimano cleats to ride away at the cafe stop!? You never know.... knees, ease of use and security!!!!
Nice one thanks for sharing Malcolm.
Great vid Cam. This topic has been done to death but your take/presentation is spot on. Your findings really helped me understand my own issues better 👍
Really helpful as I’m trying choose between Shimanos or Speedplay. Thanks for the video 👍🏻
Love the videos. Always organized with a goal. Feels like a presentation in an office townhall most of the time haha but all good. Love the format!! Thanks!
That’s the corporate background coming through! Cheers mate
Mate, that is such well structured, even handed explanation of a question I have been toying with in recent days. You have answered all the queries I had about which option to choose. I am your newest subscriber. Chapeau, you fucking legend
Cheers Adam, thank you for the kinds words and all the best with whatever option you go for. Cam
A couple other Pros to speedplay are: They have 5 differnt spindle lengths to get the q factor spot on. As well as, a track realease pedal for greater tension cliping in and out for out to the saddle accelerations.
I use SPD pedals with carbon soles mtb shoes on my road bike, so easy to clip in, easy to walk with and the cleats last for ever !
I race, i'm a sprinter and I'm not convinced that the power transfer is better with road pedals and no one has proved it yet.
As long as you have carbon soles it will be stiff enough to have a very good power transfer.
funny enough been a die hard user of the xc/mtb version of shimano as well and since I have to buy new shoes, I'm thinking of getting 'proper' SPD-SL pedals+shoes now. Are you going ot consider trying those too?
@@lechprotean I don't really want to try them because i know myself and i'm not gonna like them.
i'm gonna be frustrated to walk with them and frustrated to think about the way i'm gonna need to place my foot to clip in.
And carbon soles are so stiff these days that i'm not convinced that a small SPD cleat is gonna be less effective with power transfer than a larger SPD-SL cleat.
If there is a difference it must be so marginal, i'm not a pro rider that need to save 5 watts.
I used to use SPD MTB pedals exclusively until about 2 years ago I was at Nationals and in the Sprint the pedal unclipped after that I moved over to look pedals and haven't looked back from now on SPD stays on the cyclocross bike I also noticed that look pedals are a lot stiffer you should at least try them out some time they really give you the locked in feel when riding around
@@Henry-gv8gj I believe, newer Look pedals are SPD, as well.
@@LeoInterHyenaem I meant the mountain bike pedals from Shimano I just did a search and SPD means Shimano Pedaling Dynamics Im not sure if look is allowed to use if it's shimano thing unless Shimano owns look or somehow the are licenseing the SPD name
Thanks for trying to be unbiased in your presentation. Another good video in the books Cam !!
I'm another who has gone from Look/Shimano style after 8 years to Speedplay and never looked back, for me there were several reasons, both initially and more recent experience:
1 - Knee pain, moving to Speedplay resolved this - knees are shot from years of soccer
2 - Super easy climp in/out - not only is it double sided, just stamp on it, but I find unclipping much easier and quicker on the downstroke, didn't realise this until I used MTB SPDs again recently. In group rides and commuting it just makes life so much easier.... just that in group rides when starting from a stop you need to be aware that not all people are in Speedplays and they may need a few seconds to get clipped in. Ease of clipping in/out would make them a great pedal for new cyclists.
3 - Old look keo cleats used to wear out very quickly, especially when riding every day. Yes they are cheap, but a pain having to change them so frequently
4 - Professional bike fit last year indicated that Speedplay were key to me. Had the cleat moved way back which the fitter said wasn't possible with non-Speedplay. Plus for my knee issues the fitter custom adjusted the in/out float on each pedal to get a perfect bespoke float setup which has been perfect for me.
5 - New style Speedplay cleats are mostly walkable with built-in rubber bottom.... they were a pain before this and after market covers often get lost - regardless of cleat type.
I'd be interested to see side-by-side power transfer stats/test, however being more comfortable will probably lead to more overall power and performance than lab based equipment test results.
I'm keen to see what Wahoo do with Speedplay. I think part of Speedplay's lower popularity is due to lack of visibility in the pro peleton because the big names have the sponsorships, and the fact that most bikeshops default to standard Shimano when you get in to cycling.
Thanks for sharing mate 👍
I run speedplay for the adjustability and stack height as well as ease of entry and walkability. I think a big factor about the stability is being overlooked here, once you clip in you get the whole cleat system as a platform, not just the pedal so its footprint is just as big as shimano. IMO there is no downside to speedplay,
Great review Cam. I’ve always been curious about the Speedplay’s but I think I’ll stick to the Shimano’s.
this is a great video. I have extensively used both and actually about a month ago went back in the opposite direction. Speedplay absolutely helps with knee pain, no doubt about it but as alluded to this can be at the detriment of improper fit of bike, shoes, or insoles (footbeds). One thing that always nagged at me when using speedplay was that i had my cleats set with different amounts of float and my non-driveside cleat was set closer to the crank than driveside. This was perfectly comfortable and other than maintenance and cleat wear I honestly had no reason to change. Ultimately that little voice nagged in my head enough that I threw dura-ace pedals back on the bike and it was a nightmare initially. I found that I was having to angle the spd-sl yellow cleats so that it brought my heels in closer to the chainstays to be comfortable but then my knees would be tracking all over the place. Undeterred I paid attention more closely to how my foot felt in the shoe when pedaling (I wear Northwave Extreme Road for reference) and noticed that with the wider platform that I could notice lack of support under my arch on each foot. I gave the G8 2600 series insoles a try with adjustable arch support and the effect was immediate. Within 20 mins of riding, I had to move the spd-sl cleats back central on the shoes (heels away from the chainstay) and the comfort has been the same as my speedplay since then. I will be staying with shimano simply because of (in order) 1) less maintenance; 2) less noise; 3) much quicker to clip in to; and 4) the instability of worn speedplay cleats. That is my personal findings though and as a speedplay user I can wholeheartedly agree with Cam's opinion too.
Speedplay for over 25 years. I've been through Shimano, Look and others. Speedplay all the way.
Do you keep the float at 15 degrees?
@@janesita1 yes but my feet positions stay parallel to my frame.
Great video Cam, I've been thinking about moving over to Speedplays for a while now, been using Look Keo's for the last 7 years and your video has convinced me its now time to move across, the dual sided entry and the power transfer are what sold it to me.
Nice one Mark. Let me know how you get on. Cam
Tried Soeedplays back in 1990 when I was racing in Arizona. Didn't like the extreme float. Eventually found Keywin pedals from New Zealand (Chromolyy not Ti axles) in 2005 and they have served and worked for me greatly. Good review, Cam!
I really enjoyed the reflection at the end of why Speedplay pedals are perfect for Cam. Analysed his riding and what his needs were and picked the pedal that best suited his style of riding. I will definitely be taking this approach to new purchases in the future.
Hey Cam! So glad to see a video pop up overnight. Embarrassingly enough, I see SPD style pedals on my Tarmac. I was new to road and clipless pedals when I got my Tarmac and I was given some different shoes to try on. The Shimano RX8 shoe was hands down the best fit for me. It wasn’t really mentioned that they were “gravel” shoes. Being clipped in is all new to me but I decided to give them a try since I spent $430 USD on the setup. I really like the shoes but they aren’t the most attractive pedals and I wonder what I’m posing by using them.
Thanks for the video and keep it up! And if I may make a request.....throw some USD units up there for us!
Thanks ! The most thorough and sincere comparison of these two brands of pedals that I have ever seen. I was pondering switching from Shimano to Speedplay, but this video with its emphasis on the important facts convinced me otherwise.
Great discussion! I’ve never used Shimano pedals, but I have Look Keo pedals and they’re very similar. Bought a second hand bike recently and the seller gave me his SpeedPlay pedals with it. This has really given me some food for thought on whether I change them to be my main setup! Awesome work, I’m definitely subscribing and looking forward to some more great content!
Thanks Connor, appreciate the channel support. Cam
Speedplay two major pros:
- hassle free clipping in on both sides, no need to look down or turning and catching the pedal in the right position
- when U are clipped in, that's it. Don't have to worry about shoe slipping out of the pedal (like I had with other systems)
- durability. I have the same cleats for 2+ years. Had the old ones for about 4 I think and these new walkable ones seem to last even longer. Can't speak for Shimano, but I had Look before and those are total crap. Changing cleats 3-4x a year because of the plastic wearing down, not to mention the float chagned after only a few weeks of use. Shimano cleats are plastic same as Look, so...
What you said about the power transfer I believe that feel depends more on the shoe soles and the correct fitting/positioning of the cleats than pedals themselves.
Agree, tried all the other systems over the years especially for racing the speedplays have been brilliant, also if you crash the pedal isnt vulnerable to damage. Maybe because I have a very stable pedalling style Ive never expereinced much wear on the cleats. They last ages. Finally I run Speedplat specific shoes [Gaerne] and the stack height is tiny which can only be a good thing
Cons of speedplay
maintenance. Pushing grease through the needle bearings isn't hard, just messy. The C-clip requires frequent lubing and very sensitive to dirt for clipping in
Well explained and understood. Thanks
Hi from France,
I'm an Aussie who lives in France now,mad keen cyclist.
I raced for years on Look pedals,then Shimano Ultegra pedals (great pedals by the way) i'm now on Speedplay as here they were cheaper,and to be honest i love that minimalist look.
I must point out that i live out in the boonies here and my main reason for the change was that Speedplay's i can service myself,unfortunatly the bike shops where i live are incompetant, i build my own wheels etc.
I no longer race,i'm 60 now.
Just for info', no-one has both legs the same length,and alot of people have one foot longer than the other,fourteen years of roadracing talking there.
I love your vidéos,i love that Aussie "nouse" that's lacking here in Europe.
Can't wait to see your smile once you discover that crank lengths do make à différence.
Cheers.
Nice one, thanks for sharing. Cam
Awesome vid Cam. 👌
Crank Brothers Egg beaters.
I've been running these for many years now, considering going back to Shimano, but haven't been able to commit, hadn't thought about the Speedplay, would love to see a vid comparison with the Crank Brothers added in to the mix. 👍
Also very critical during cleat install with Speedplay is the fact that the correct shims are used to enable a flat mounting surface on the shoe to prevent binding while clipped in. Sprinter here, never had an accidental release. Love the float but quite unsettling at first.
I’m watching this having to just have happened to swap my bike over from Shimano to Speedplay.
I actually rode Speedplay for about 7 years, then switched to Shimano randomly. A pedal went bad and for some reason I decided to try something new.
Fast forward 5 years: about 2 years ago I messed up my knee. After trying many different things a bike fitter recommended I go back to Speeeplay because I can push the clear further back.
I’m glad to be switching back. I always found entry to be safer with Speedplay. My normal routes have lots of traffic and lights, so being able to very quickly get clipped in is helpful. I never got as fast with Shimano as I was with Speedplay.
Thanks for sharing on the thread mate
I've used both. For me Shimano's SPD-SLs are best. I feel like they are way more stable, especially over a cleat's life. They are easy to maintain, easy to clip into. The yellow cleat with it's 6° float gives me all the float I need. I really don't see the downside to them. My experience with Speedplay was not great. I noticed that a lateral rock developed with use. Even when new, they didn't feel as stable as SPD-SLs feel to me. I also felt like the durability of the Speedplay system wasn't great. I had springs break on 2 different occasions, despite regular cleaning and lubing of the pedal interface in the cleat.
As a person with bow legs I've always used Speedplay.
I appreciate the float adjustability, ease of clipping in/out and the power transfer.
I'm currently trying out speedplay and so far I like them. Clipping in is a little hard right now but clipping out is a breeze. I think I like the float feeling of speedplay more than the spd sl. Dual sided clip in a big winner, never need to look down or fumble about trying to clip in and most importantly no knee pain or any sort of weird feeling.
Like others, I had knee pain and switched long ago. Nothing but happy with the Speedplays. Speedplay Zero Chromoly is 4g heavier, only comes in black and 35% less money than the stainless version that was mentioned.
I have Speedplay, Shimano Altegra and Look, while the Look system is similar to Shimano, the latter has a wider contact point and clips in and out easy, the sSpeedpaly system is good only if I know I won't be climbing much, I hate hills when I'm on Speedplay!. BUT, I'm keeping all three, once a while I change between them just for fun!
Great comprehensive and balanced review of the two systems. I think you nailed it in the end. If you are the type of rider who likes to stand and absolutely crush the pedals sprinting, then Shimano is for you. As a sprinter, I feel like I am trying to sprint on ice when wearing speedplays. I also feel in danger simply pulling out of them with upward force. I do think more attention should have been paid to just how finicky speedplays are, particularly in harsher climates. All it takes is setting your foot down ONE TIME on a wet, grimy, sandy surface, and you may be unable to click back in without removing the shoe and cleaning the cleat. I run SPD-SL's on my gravel bike and have walked across talas fields absolute destroying cleats, and they still function perfectly. Shimano is a far, far more robust system.
Nice one mate, thanks for sharing. Cam
Cam, I Love your Giant!!!
I agree with others. If all comparison videos were made this well it'd be so much easier to choose things lol incredibly well explained thanks for this!
I unclip on my left, so i wore out my left covers on speedplays faster than my right. As the covers sell in a pair and asymmetric, I end up with an excess of right side covers...
So I switched to Shimano...
If you say the broad pedal helps with power transfer while off saddle, it still will be the same while seated, the broad pedal is still there no matter how.
It took a lot of riding but I did the same thing with my right cleat....wore it past the metal....Speedplay (my supplier anyway) only sell the walkable cleats so it will be many, many kms before I could ever wear the cleat out again
Hi Cam another great video thanks for your time and effort put into these, I was a long time Look wearer, however approximately 6 months ago went to Shimano, cleats wear WAY better and find power transfer greater than Looks, would definitely recommend Shimano so much so I’m about to buy another set for my old bike on the trainer save swapping pedals over.
Nice one Craig, thanks for sharing on the thread. Cam
I had been a Speedplay user since the early 1990's when they first came out. My first clipless was the first gen Look's and over time they gave me some knee issues. I then when to the first gen Time which was the only pedal at the time with "float" Raced on those for a few seasons then moved to Speedplay for even more float.
I had been on them until last year when I switched to Favero Assioma PM pedals for many reaons. First of all I wanted a dual sided PM system I could move from bike to bike quickly and for travel. This was a huge reason to move, however the 2nd reason I found out after I moved over to Assioma. Over the last 5 years I seem to always notice after about 100km of riding I would get hot spots on the balls of my feet. I first thought is must be my shoes or insoles, so I had changed many times with still getting the issue. I really could not think that the smaller pedal platform would cause this since I am on a solid shoe. However, after moving to the wider Assioma I have done over 120km in one ride with zero hot foot issues and the pedal system was the only change.
When I made the switch I had a huge fear of reduced float and not having dual sided entry. However the "reduced float" has not been any issue (running 6 deg cleat) and the dual entry I just had to get used to and also the different entry movement in general....after 30 years on speedplay that took a couple weeks. Another "concern" was pedal clearance in a crit, but after a few "trimmings" of the sides of the Assioma during a race hehehe...all is fine.
I have been very happy with the change and I have about 10000 km on them going on 2nd set of cleats. With the speedplays I got about 5000 km on a set of cleats before they would have just too much rust or wear on them.
They are both good pedal system....however I really think Speedplay's next move should be try to get a PM into it. That may have kept me on Speedplay, however I might be still trying to fight the hot foot issue that seemed for me to be from the pedal system.
Brian Faure thank you for this. I changed to Speedplay pedals after having some knee issues and thinking I needed some extra float. Ever since the change to Speedplay (including my ride today), I’ve had hot spots and the three middle toes on each foot tend to go numb during my rides. I searched and searched online, but nobody ever seemed to have this issue.
A nice detailed video on the difference in pedals. I have not had shimano pedals for a long time but I was on favero bepro which is look style pedals. I noticed some vertical play developing, as they aged. I've been on speed play aero zero for quite a few months and the vertical play ( the slop from going push to pull) is now gone. But any new pedals will do that. The stack height is more than you'd think. I think it may have been 5 mm or so. I made the change to shave a few grams, but mostly for the aero benefit. I didn't know shimano was lighter. That's interesting. I don't make big power, so for me the narrower pedal doesn't bother me much. Although the narrow pedal was something I felt a bit.
i dont bother to comment on youtube videos, but i felt i must. Very easy to watch because i feel you speak very clearly , easy to listen to.
Thanks Shannon, appreciate you sharing 👍
Found this one particularly interesting, as I'm considering a move to Speed-Play from Look. I have no real problem with my Look pedals (Keo Carbon, at the mo) but in the interest of better power transfer, lower stack-height and (marginal) aero-gains for TT events next year, I think they may be the better option for me. I'm off for my first (professional) bike-fit next week, so I'll see what 'the man' has to say on the matter ;-) Great content, Cam. Thanks.
I went to speed plays from keo classics years ago. I found for one the the speedplay cleats last longer, two the adjustability of the float, and three I love the dual sided entry which works out better for me when I have to un clip at a stop light.
Nice one Bryce, thanks for sharing. Cam
When I started cycling again as an adult started on the venerable Look Keo pedals and cleats. I was constantly wearing out the cleats. But I was always having problems getting the pedal right way up to clip in, always taking 3 to 4 goes every time. Swapped to speedplay about 2012/2013, have not looked back, Straight off I was clipping in easier, My original cleats are still going strong, obviously I have not ridden much for some of the years but recently I am putting in around 2000km per year with just weekend rides.
If you do a lot of urban riding with quick in and outs in stop and go traffic, Speedplays are a major plus.
How so? I ride Ultegra pedals in a city and I've never found them too laborious. Also, how do you even unclip from Speedplays? Do you just whack it away from the bike like you do on other systems?
track stands. Unclipping not required.
Thanks Cam. Interesting perspective. I'll stick with Shimano. The last pair of cleats lasted about 4 years. I don't walk around in them much or often & even less under the present conditions. Riding is all about the coffee these days and sadly thats out the window at present.
Thank you for this!
I've been using speedplay X1s for over 20 years mainly because I had knee issues with my Dura Ace SPDs. Contrary to what you say the speedplays are very low maintenance. I take my road bikes to my shop for a yearly overhaul including the pedals and they have to service the pedals only about every 3 years (average 2500 miles a year). I am small (5'6" 125 lb) so I will not be stressing any pedals with any sprinting effort but the speedplays climb beautifullly. My bike shop recommended the speedplays when they saw I had a tendency to rotate both feet with my pedaling motion. After the switch my knees have never been a problem even with 50 to 60 mile rides, and even the occasional century. If you like SIDI shoes they have a Speedplay specific shoe (SIDI wire) which lowers the stack even more as the four bolt cleat bolts directly into the four bolt pad in the sole without needing an adapter for the standard 3 bolt sole . For some riders like me the full float is a godsend.
Starting out, I thought my shoe was on ice using Speedplay. But, maintenance became a real hassle and I went to Shimano. I even had one Speedplay pedal completely come apart while riding - end of ride. Overall costs are much lower, they are bullet proof. Best of all my wife and I can both use Shimano. She would never touch the Speedplay.
No problems at all with Shimano.
Nice one Doug, thanks for sharing
I switched to Speedplay and it SOLVED my knee problems! Love having the adjustable float and 2-sided clip in for efficient starts and so I don't look like a dork looking down trying to clip in. Just step down and BAM off you go!
Thanks for sharing
I've been on speedplay x series since 2004, love them found a pair of ultegra pedals one sale for $100.00 a couple years ago..used them about 5 times,can't tell much difference in the way they feel just a different way of clipping in. They are still on my other bike. Prefer the speedplays hands down.
Cam - great video.
I am unreasonably new to road cycling and still worry aout clipping out to stop. You did not mention the ease of removing ones foot. I have limited rotation in the ankle due to arthritis, so need something that has easy release.
For me, the most important thing is continuity!
First, when Speedplay was just Speedplay, they started to discontinue old system and it was hard to get new cleats. Now ALL my Speedplays are garb! I can't get a new cleat with Wahoo as the owner. I think that is so bad, I really do hope Whaoo does NOT talk about being environmentally friendly.
So I am going Shimano, just because of the cleats. Cheaper and easier to find! I loved Speedplay, but when you can't get parts to it, it is a dealbreaker for me!
I have been on Speedplay since 1994 or thereabout. In that same period, Shimana has stayed true to its customers and the cleats have stayed the SAME!
Experience over all the years... Cleats were out much too fast. Speedplay has done some (in my mind) tricks to keep selling cleats. The other and maybe more important thing over time... With that small surface. It is very easy to push more on one side. The platform is WAY too small! A few changes and it would be great.
No continuity - that is the most important reason for changing now, looking for a better platform. (Stable in more than one way) Also... I can't get parts... I am thinking about modifying the cleats and building a better system to get all the life out of my Speedplay.
Buying a new Speedplay... NOPE! There is no continuity, so I do not put my trust in them anymore.
Grand Review. My down and dirty opinion is, I feel Speedplays are for Climbers per say and Shimano SPD SLs are for Sprinters. I believe you eluded to that at the end of your video. Lastly, when I made my final decision to go with SPD SLs, I looked around the PRO peloton to see what Sprinters were wearing hence I feel I'm more of such likeness and thus I ride SPD SLs. Thx for sharing!!! 🕊
Pro peloton use whatever their sponsors give them. Hence (almost) no more Speedplay and almost all Shimano or Look.
Great video, very informative!! Too bad this didn't come out a few months back. When I started cycling I found a cheap pair of bike shoes and SPD pedals because I had no idea that there were different shoes for mountain vs road. This fall I finally made the switch to a proper road shoe and got some 105 spd-sl's. Have to say I'm really happy with the large pedal surface compared to the SPD style which I imagine have a similar surface area to speedplay. I feel like I have less hot spots and numb feet (Although this might have more to do with moving from cheap shoes to some Shimano RP9's). They are a pain to clip into though and I killed my tail bone slipping while trying to clip in on the wrong side. I think I'll do some experimenting with float soon as I don't love all the movement with the yellows.
So fascinating re: your take on power transfer. I've been riding Speedplay X1 Ti's for 23 years and just switched to Dura Ace pedals with the yellow cleats. I immediately felt like I was getting better power transfer with the Shimanos (seated). I would have bought some new Speedplays but Speedplay's social media channel has dried up, they haven't (until very recently, as in the past week) updated their website, V2 cleats have been impossible to get, and Wahoo wasn't saying anything. I kind of had a feeling that Wahoo was going to drive the brand into the ground. I definitely would have just bought new Zero Ti's but when I emailed them about a month ago they said "we have no plans at the moment to manufacture titanium spindles, we will eventually but we don't know when that will happen"... that added more worry... So I bought some Dura Ace pedals (plus they have the +4 Q and my X1s are shimmed out for an effective spindle length of 55mm, plus the cleats are adjusted to give me even more Q so I figured the Shimano at 56mm spindle length would be perfect.
SO... I pedaled for a bit with the Shimanos. Last night I put the old X1s back on today (I'd made some changes to the bike... went from 172.5 mm cranks to 165, but discovered my bike frame is too big, and the shoes I bought (Specialized S-Works 7) don't provide much support and have a correction in them that was causing me knee pain... and my OOOOLLLLLDDDDD Sidi Genius 3 Megas won't accept SPD SL cleats... so on went the X1s so I could use my old Sidi shoes). I don't know really how to explain this feeling but it is this "lightness" I feel. Perhaps it's because the Speedplay system has less friction in the float? Perhaps it's because I need more than 6º of float? Maybe the S-Works 7 shoes were just so whackadoodle with that stupid correction that they claim most people need that that was causing problems... not sure, but yes, the Speedplays feel so "light". Interestingly, after pedaling with the SPD SLs for a month and going back to the Speedplays I was was hypersensitive to what my foot was doing and I notice something I'd never seen before (and this wasn't pointed out at my last fitting). At the bottom of my pedal stroke my right heel kicks IN and sometimes goes UNDER the crank. Never noticed that before.
I have an appointment with a level 3 IBFI fitter tomorrow. She's first going to get me the proper shoe, and then I'll do whatever she recommends pedal-wise (and frame wise). I've been riding on 54 cm frames for 30 years because that's what the manufacturer recommend for my height and inseam. This will be my first time purchasing a properly sized frame based on my geometry.
Anyhow, I think they're both great pedal systems and I'm pleased to see that Wahoo/Speedplay have addressed wear facet issues with the new designs allowing for what I assume will be a replaceable interface.
After years of cycling, I have permanent nerve damage on the balls of my feet from the pedal pressure points creating hotspots. Most of those years I used Shimano SPD Mountain Bike cleats and pedals. I finally switched to Shimano SPD SL road cleats and pedals, which helped due to their larger area - but it was too late.
My experience is the Shimano SPD road cleats only lasted 3 or 4 months before the cleats were worn out from walking on gravel and pavement.
Great review. Have used Speedplay in the past and although they're very easy to use, there's a lot more maintenance required, i.e regular cleaning and lubrication. Otherwise the internal metal clip on the shoe can break/ crack!
What do you use for maintenance? I’m getting my first set tomorrow.
@@Acyclistandhockeysnob Just using just a little bit of silicone grease
I'm a big fan of SP Zero, been using them for nearly a decade now, just so nice to be able to stamp on the redal without having to think about what the pedal is doing when clipping in. I think the bigger platform argument shows a complete misunderstanding of physics, the pedal cleat system is fixed together when clipped in, all that matters is the total area in between the bolts in your shoes, they best is actually speedplay on a 4 bolt shoe as the area between the 4 is greater than the triangle of 3 bolt. If you're adapting a 3 hole shoe to a SP cleat it's exactly the same as an SPD-SL. In my experience I feel even more secure doing hard standing high torque efforts with SP.
Thanks for sharing. Cam
Totally agnostic on the pedal argument here, but engineer and the statement about the “area between the bolts” being somehow more meaningful than bearing surface is incorrect.
@@juergenpilot5553 I'm not familiar with the bearing differences. All I'm getting at is the same reason a 2 bolt SPD is less secure than a 3 bolt SPD-SL. The force has to travel through every stage of the foot to crank arm system. The greater the area between the bolts the less this system is relying on the stiffness of the shoe's sole. You need a much stiffer sole on a 2 bolt shoe than on a 3 bolt shoe to get equivalently low losses. There are material limits to how stiff we can make a sole before it becomes too expensive/brittle/thick, so a more secure connection between the foot and the crank arm reduces losses and improves confidence.
@@chrisogrady28 Jurgen didn't mean the bearings in the pedal, but the weight-bearing area of the pedal platform. When clipped in, the force of your pedal stroke is transferred through the sole of your shoe through the total area of the cleat mounted on it, to the total area of the pedal platform the cleat is connected to. The bolts are there only to provide sufficient friction for the interface between cleat and sole. The area between the bolts helps to achieve this proper friction, so the cleat does not twist or slide around the sole.
The whole thing boils down to the P=F/A (Pressure is force divided by area).
Thanks Cam.
I really appreciate your perspective.
Cheers mate.
Andrew
Caloundra
I've used both....now have Speedplay Stainless Frog MTBs on both road and mountain bikes because MTB shoes are soooooo much better for walking. Love 'em.
Nice one, thanks for sharing. Cam
I personally find the entry angle more natural on Shimano pedals. I ride a lot of rural roads and a few of the people that I ride with that use Speedplay have had trouble disengaging because of sand or dirt that has gotten in their cheats while on rides, but overall I think they're both good systems and it mostly comes down to personal preference
I've been on speedplays for 30 years and I can attest that their one weak spot is that they can clog with mud, especially mud/sand mix, but that is the only area I'd say they don't excel. Both systems become natural with time to the point that you don't even look down on either system once you have enough hours clicking into them. I choose crank brother pedals for my Cx/gravel/MTB rides.
great content thanks for the vid
Cheers mate, Cam
I have Look style - due to the use of my Assiomo Duo power meters. It is really a variant or similar to Shimano, but I find it a bit stickier to get into and out of TBH (like it a bit less). Would give the speedplay a go if I changed power metering systems, but I do worry about power transfer as I am a bit of a sprinter and the ability to quickly put on the power needs a solid platform...but that is theory so maybe will give them a go and report back...
Rode with Look pedals. Started having knee issues then switched to Speedplay. Issues all but went away. I really preefer the feel and ease of clipping in and out. My favourite by far.
Best comparison/review ever on speedplay.
Just One thing, why no One talks about free float, FREE FLOAT, that what speedplay do best, I do not want that piece of sh*t sprint that clips me in telling me where my foot/should ALL the time.
You have a bad design from look, and in this industry you just copy, you don't think where can I do better.
To not say worse, it's just shameful.
Thankfully speedplay exists because a Guy had the intelligence to think outside the box!
By the way mine have more than 40000km and only replaced the cleats 1 time.
Put some lube once they start feel a little bit difficult to rotate and that's it.
The grease on the bearings, they are so good that I don't even do that anymore and they are going strong to this day.
Anyway, good review/comparison.
I like Speedplay probably for the double sided feature. I still don't have the covers on my cleats because my last cleats didn't come with them and they have lasted so long. Walking on them without a cover does not damage them. The only thing that can break is the C shape retention spring that suffers from metal fatigue and snaps. To prolong the life you need to put some lube on the spring every so often.
I have tried Shimano cleats for a while and have gone back to mountain bike cleats They are so easy to clip into, comfortable to walk in and are as rigid as road bike shoes to ride in.
Cam, i use Time pedals (You did ask for comparisons to other systems). I used ultegra pedals for a couple of years and hated them; yellow clips, but felt totally locked in. like Boonen said, time Impacts with the RXS cleats are a perfect combo but a little on the heavy side these days. Back to the shimano Ultegras or dura-ace. actually the contact plates on the pedal axle are the only part that is really engaging so the contact surface is REALLY minimal! add to that that the square holes for the bolts on the cleats which are quite large reduce the contact even further so i think the speedplay actually have a MUCH larger engagement/ contact surface. Back to TIme: the Impacts had a really nice large surface and i would bog up the bolt holes on the rxs cleats as well. the rxs have less area and most of the contact is on the two arms of the cleat and the little triangle behind so i am thinking of the Xpros but looking at the cleats, unless you bog up the holes am i really gaining anything? and here is the question: is contact surface a myth? If i compare the impacts with the RXS then i feel the two arms of the RXS pedals, and it feels smaller than the impacts, BUT do i feel that after 10 minutes? what i feel pretty soon is the platform of the sole of the shoe. So long as that is anchored, and able to move (with Time pedals both lateral and rotational float) then that is where the power is distributed. So the sole is the key factor. OR??? regards, Mark
P.S I used Look before Ultegra and had knee problems that went away as soon as i switched to TIME. have seen the video on cleat adjustment GREAT thanks!
I've gone full circle Cam. I started on Shimano, then speedplay, then Look and finally back to Shimano where I have stayed for a while now. I found Speedplay, there was too much float (yes I know the adjustability is there) but the pedal security wasn't that high. I found the occasional accidental pulled foot, and alignment issues with Speedplay. I find I can really dial in the alignment and wind up the tension on Shimano's. This is quite important on a track bike. Plus having the same pedal system across your bikes is a good idea too.
Hey man, what do you think about track-specific Speedplays? I'm new to clipless pedals, but the bike I'm aiming at building is a road/track hybrid.
Great sharing
Cam, agreed with you speed play really nail this one for the biker. When you pedal on this cleat the energy exerted from your foot are not wasted even by a watt.
Super informative video- thanks! Recently had a bike fit and was recommended I switch from my Shimano's to the Speedplay's due a wider q factor option. Seems like you can't increase the Shimano spindle length much more than a couple of washers...
What about the +4mm spindle option that shimano offers? Do you need wider than that?
Anyone who has trouble getting in with Speedplay should really consider using the Torques recommended in the manual for the screws. Really important!
I use shimao cleats with 0 degrees float and I find them very good for out of the saddle hill sprints that I like to do
Great video. 👍😎👍 Question? Does Speedplsy help with foot numbness? I have been experiencing foot numbness while using Shimano and haven 't been able to get rid of it no mater what I do. Your thoughts.
Safety:
I've used straps, spd, spd-sl, speedplay zero (been riding since 1963). I'm using the speed-play now because the SPD-SL is comparatively dangerous when clipping in - in stop and go traffic. I muffed up on clipping in at an intersection on spd-sl and ended up with a nasty gash on my shin. The Speedplay have double entry and seem to be much safer - easier to clip in. However I can't say that Speedplay is quite as safe when un-clipping.I still prefer the SPD because it's so easy to use and emergency unclipping is best with SPD.
I had an accident due to a worn Shimano Cleat, i got out of the saddle to chase a breakaway and my right foot unclipped when i pushed the pedal down, the front wheel turned 90º and got stuck making me fly over the handlebar and land on my head/shoulder on the asphalt, luckily i didn´t break any bones and nobody else was involved but it was a nasty crash, i would certainly like to try speedplays if they were available where i live, greetings from Argentina Cam!
Nice video. A few ideas for videos;
Winter training - maintaining base fitness, when to start upping intensity, how often should you be training
How often should you do Zwift races
Cardio drift test
Thanks mate, good suggestions. Sounds like you’re reeling off the content in the Uplevel
Course. I will actually get to these topics week to week but if you want all the information in one place it might be worth considering becoming a member. I did a 30 min live Q&A in the private FB page today too, which covered some of this. Cheers, Cam
@@CamNicholls just so you know so of us in the Northern hemisphere are also watching. So no winter training for us, please ;)
I thought the R8000 had a 1.5mm lower stack height than the speedplay? 10mm compared to the speedplays 11.5mm.
Also the Dura Ace model reduced the stack by another 2mm whereas the titanium speedplays have the same stack hieght.
Love you videos Cam and appreciate the information you provide :)
That's inconsistency of how they measure.
Speedplay 11.5mm is all in, total stack height.
Shimano Dura-ace 8.8mm and Ultegra 10mm are just pedal. With cleats, Dura-ace become 13.5mm.
I've used both platforms and find shimano cleats much more comfortable then speed play, you can also buy a cleat cover.
I've been on the original speedplay X1s with titanium axels since 1991 or 1992, when they first arrived at the local shop where I worked at the time. I was a track and criterium specialist, racing up to Cat 1/2 on the track and they were just plan superior on almost all fronts (they do not clear mud well and are less comfortable with street shoes). I've never heard the less stable argument until watching this video, but other track sprinters and I can do full gas matched-sprints in them, they will transfer efficiently whatever a rider gives them. I will add that in the '90s, the Speedplays did give a big advantage in racing the crits by being able to pedal deeper and start pedaling earlier in the out of the turns, but I've seen the lean angles of the competition go up, so there seem to be smaller advantages to Speedplay for the lean angle. in the end, it will come down to rider preferences, though; this is what we road cyclists haven't settled on one saddle or one shoe, which are two of the most important and personal equipment choices in our bike setup.
I'm a sprinter and a crit racer. Shimano all day, everyday. However, the cleat wear is real. Your wife's cleats look like she puts her left foot down when she's stopped at a light. That's how easy it is to wear them out. I go through cleats twice a year. I tried Speedplay in the past, but prefer the wider platform and easy of setup of the Shimanos. I've been using clipless pedals since 1988, so one or two sided makes no difference to me. Also, my brother calls Speedplays "death traps" because your shoes can be locked in the pedals if they get dirty enough. he has had quite a few returned to his shop.
Can't agree more...very straight forward review based on your personal experiences and needs.
Just one extra point I'd like to add on is that Speedplay is more cost effective for a long run as long as the pedals and cleats are properly maintained.
I love my speedplays, made my rides longer and more enjoyable without worries on knees.
Thanks for sharing Kev
I have been using speedplay for several years due to functional leg length discrepancy .
Pros: Adjustability for leg reach with use of shims, larger, fore/aft adjustment to get more foot over pedal
Cons (not mentioned):
1) cleats will jam if contaminated with dirt/grit (most common when walking on non paved shoulder to repair a flat or have a wee. This makes it extremely difficult to engage... or dangerously difficult to disengage if any debris caught in interface. Something to keep in mind.
2) Unless you want to use a crap ton of extra shoes and adapters (to convert from 3 bolt to 4) you must purchase speedplay specific soles (rarely at discount online as they are not produced to same extent etc) = more expensive
I just bought the wahoo speed play comp with easy tension cleat. Most difficult pedal system I have tried clipping into. I have lubed the cleat and it is still difficult to clip into. Going back to the bike fitter to see whether they were assembled wrong. Highly doubt it though. The best pedal / cleat system is one In which you have the greatest confidence and ease of clipping in and out of quickly. I am going to back to MagPed road.
I'm not an athlete or competition cyclist but I do ride A LOT and I got into Speedplay by accident so to speak, but I'll spare the world the details of the acquisition.
Speedplay's stack height is the best and smallest when you use 4 hole sole shoes, but getting the steel shim from Speedplay has been a nightmare. They could just throw them in the box with the pedals, after all those who buy Speedplay pedals aren't exactly broke, so for $15 more WTF??? That is bad marketing from Speedplay.
The pedals ride really well, but not good when a lot of stop and go is involved (city riding) as I do, thus I now save my Speedplay equipped bike for the race track, where I don't need to clip on and off so often.
When I got those installed, I immediately rode 15% faster on the race track, no shit! The hardest adaptation was more mental than anything else, as I now have TO THINK when it comes to clipping out and in, but especially out. After a life of riding without falling not once, I fell to the ground three times in five rides with those contraptions on.
Maintenance is not an issue as it takes very little time to do.
@7:18 Obvishly LOL, I laughed here that pronunciation, cute😂😂
Shimano all the way. Good enough for Sir Chris Hoy, equals good enough for me. Keeping it old school.
You may have just sold me on Speedplay. I use the Keo and have have knee pain ever since I got into the Keo. I’ve had a professional bike fit, moved to the largest float cleat and still have knee pain. Speedplay may be what I need to do next.
Even the Shimano yellow (most float) wasn’t nearly enough for my knees. I enjoy the float of the Speedplay system.
Thanks for sharing
I love Speedplay. I'm still using the discontinued X series with the excellent third-party Keep On Covers cleat protectors. I've found Speedplay pedals to be extremely reliable. The springs eventually do break, which wasn't a problem because of Speedplay's excellent customer service and willingness to send out replacement parts. Now that Speedplay has taken over by Wahoo, they don't have any replacement parts for the X-series.
Thanks for sharing on the thread mate
I used shimano mountain type on my road bike it was a great way to start, I switched to road shimano and hated it. I tried look it was not for me. I ended up trying Time and I loooove them. Great video as always.
SPD's for life. You can also walk around and not clip clop like a horse. I'm sold.
Plus one for SPD's. Initially bought to assist with confidence as they are less daunting when you first decide to go clipless. Current thought process is I will stay with them, can't see huge advantages in changing and walking is easier too.
That goes triple for me on fixed gear!
That was a great, even-handed review; I love the style! I've been using Speedplay Zeros for about 3 years....until I started getting knee pain when I moved to some new shoes. I initially assumed a difference stack height due to the new shoes. That wasn't the issue. I went back to the old shoes (also with Speedplay cleats), but the knee pain (only mild) didn't get any better.
After a few weeks I went to a bike fitter, who showed me that my Speedplay cleats had a lot "rocking" movement on the pedal - not the lateral float, but allowing the shoe to tilt left & right, which he thought was the cause of the knee pain.
The fitter suggested that the reliable service life of Speedplay pedals (& cleats) could be quite short (3000-5000km). The newer Speedplay pedals are metal all the way round the circumference and are supposed to wear less, unlike the models shown here (that I have) that only have metal at the front & back. Whether it was the pedals or the cleats that were worn in my case, I'm not sure, but I could definitely accept that they had more movement than they should, and so were probably worn out (after about 2 years).
I am now trying Shimano SPD-SL for the first time. I was a bit concerned that they might be hard to clip in to after the double-sided Speedplays, but so far, it hasn't been an issue.
My impression is that they do offer a more stable platform than my (possibly worn) Speedplays. I'm using the yellow 6-degree float shimano cleats, so let's see if this is enough to fix my knee issues.
Is the stack lower on the SP when the extra adapter for the 4 four bolt pattern is taken into account?
Great video cam, is the stack height actually lower on Speedplay/ Wahoo? Wahoo needing adaptor of min. of 3mm to create a flat platform first
When I saw Shimano v Speedplay I was expecting to see MTB style Shimanos - thoughts on those? I use them because that means I can use the same pedals for road bike and spinning
I also like speedplay for the possibility to change the length of axle to accommodate different q factor crank on my bikes. Riding shoes cover (velotoze) with speedplay is also better in my opinion. I'm curious to try speedplay specific shoes to reduce stack height even more.
I bought my Speedplay in 1995 and have finished 5 Ironman and lots of races and still use the same pedals after more than 100000kms on the roads in Sweden/Europe and North America. I've only put new cleats on my shoes once. :-D More than well worth the investments according to me. :-)