Mine were like that, until I sprayed the cleats with a teflon spray. Beautiful now, excellent pedals.

Something's not right. My bet...the sole of the shoe is slightly curved, and is causing the tightened cleat to bind a bit. Try loosening the cleat (the four screws, NOT the 3 screws for the look plate) slightly and see if that cures the problem...if so, you may need to shim the 3hole look plate a bit to take out the slight curvature.

What shoes? Sidis are notorious for this...and come with a cleat shim.

My friend just had the same problem and he had mounted the cleat backwards. He was so embarrassed.

I don't have zeros, so I don't know for sure if this would apply. When I had that problem with my speedplay x-1s, the reason was I hadn't trusted the directions when they said how much to torque the four screws that hold on the outer plate of the cleat. The instructions said to snug the screws down until there's resistance, then tighten only 1/4 of a turn more. I couldn't believe that would be sufficient, so I went beyond that which clamped the cleat spring so tightly that it wouldn't move. Unlike you, I had no problem getting in. But I fell over at the top of the driveway 'cuz I couldn't get out.

If your zeros have an outer cleat plate held on by screws with some blue loctite, my bet is you over-tightened those screws and it's restricting the spring in the cleat.

Bob C.

I think psycho is right on. I'm on my 4th set of Speedplays on various rides, and I made that mistake once. Don't tighten the screws down too much or it will inhibit the cleat (same on the Zeros). You have to 'kinda trust the blue loctitie stuff will hold the screws in (although I've lost one screw before as well).

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Fatigue is biochemical, not biomechanical.
- Andrew Coggan, PhD

Yup, what he said. I have Zeros currently and had the exact same problem. Trust the instructions on tightening. It made a world of difference in my case.

Resepectfully, Flo

I've lost a screw now and then, too. I just try to remember to check them every other week or so ... back them out and re-set them. Better that than not to be able to clip in or out. Somehow, over the years, I've accumulated lots of those little screws.

Of course, I always have a screw loose.

Bob C.

You also should make sure you just used a "white lightning" type of lube. You really don't want to use other types of lubes as they will get really grimy and mucky when she walks around.

I have a similar, yet different problem. Lately on my Zeroes, my cleat has actually been accidentally disengaging from the pedal. If you think about it, this can be, and is, quite dangerous. I thought I was going down when it happened 2 weeks ago. My heel has some in/out movement natually from the pedal (is this "float"?), but it seems as if my heel will slide too far "out" and the cleat will disengage. Any way to avoid or fix this issue? Should I tighten or loosen a certain screw? Thanks

So it looks like the key is to make sure the four screws are not over-torqued. Wouldn't this then allow the cleat to move side to side, and it is adjsutable for Q-angle?

It seems odd that these cleats come with so many little intricacies.

Also As someone else mentioned before make sure you have the right shims in... the instructions make it pretty clear which shim for which shoe.

especially, Sidi and Diadora I think

So it looks like the key is to make sure the four screws are not over-torqued. Wouldn't this then allow the cleat to move side to side, and it is adjsutable for Q-angle?

The blue stuff on the screws is a compound called Loc-Tite which helps hold the screws in place despite a relatively low torque. Yes, you adjust the Q position of the cleats using these same four screws, but if you torque the screws properly, the Q position won't change and the spring inside the cleat will be free to work properly. Believe me, if it were rocket science, I wouldn't have been using Speedplay cleats for almost a decade. You have to trust the Loc-tite. I didn't the first time I installed mine and I had problems, too. But you just have to trust it. It works.

It seems odd that these cleats come with so many little intricacies.

I have X-1s, not Zeros. Maybe there's something really different about the Zeros I don't know about, but I don't think so. As I said before, it's not rocket science or I wouldn't be using Speedplays. I suggest you take a deep breath, exhale, open the instructions, start over and follow them PRECISELY! That's what usually works for me when all else fails. (That's how I got my first tubular tire mounted and on straight and that was way harder than setting up Speedplay pedals.)

Good luck.

Bob C.