I've been using Speedplays for six years and love them. They are quite easy to get in/out of, making traffic light stops a breeze (especially the uphill ones). It took a little getting used to so much float, but now I'd never go back. I can't remember ever having a problem with too much gunk in the cleat. On occasion I'd get hotspots on long rides with an old pair of Carnacs but since moving to a new pair of Times, no problems.

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I am a living animal, tied to a dying soul. -PKD

I changed from Look to Speedplay three years ago primarily because I never quite got the hang of unclipping with the Look pedals. This lead to a number of incidents, which fortunately were only embarrassing. Although some blood was spilt (wife upset, etc.). I'll never forget the "miss-clip" in front of a very appreciatevely Sunday crowd sitting outside a Starbucks. Anyway, the Speedplays have solved that problem. My only qualm was about what kind of a platform they would provide. Would it be stiff enough, etc.? It turns out that are plenty stiff. I also enjoy the additional "play" although I am planning on upgrading to the adjustable model this year, as sometimes the play is a little too much when you try to unclip (still, there have been no incidents from this though).

I am sure you will get much more technical responses from the more technical guys, but just from an observational and experiencial point of view I think you're making a good move.

check out Tom Demerly's article on Bikesportmichigan.com

I started out with look pedals but then changed over to Speedplay after a few years. I'll never go back. My right knee never felt comfortable in a fixed systems like Look, even with the float.

After the first 2-3 rides you don't even notice the "wierd" freedom your knees and ankles have. It feels natural after awhile.

zeros, the only way to go

Ordered the TITANIUM ZEROES about 30 minutes ago. If they suck you guys are re-imbursing me:)

Thanks for the input!!!



Tom's article is awesome... are we sure he doent work for Speedplay??? Because he made the final sales pitch with that article.

This thread has been on a lot of forums over the years. What it boils down to is that you are most comfortable on the system that you "grew up" in. A lot of Look guys try Speedplays and don't like them because of the freedom (range of motion)that the peddle allows. People refer to it as "like walking on ice". The opposite is true although not to any great extent. Not a lot of people who started in Speedplays port over to Look style simply because they like wher they are. I for one started in the old Shimano clipless peddles and eventually went to Speedplays, and will never "look" back. All three of my bikes have Speedplays.



best,

eric

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Everything changes, everything is connected; pay attention. -- Buddhism in 7 words

 
I seem to be the opposite of most folks.

I went from SPD to Speedplay to Keywin (set for zero float). I don't anticipate going back to Speedplay as I don't feel the small platform and tremendous float do anything positive for me. I have no knee problems with zero float so maybe that is a factor with my attitude. With a larger platform and being locked in I feel stronger and like I'm putting all my effort into the pedals. This of course is how I feel and not backed by scientific data.
I think on occasion people mask a fit problem unintentionally by automatically thinking "more float" when having knee pain when proper fit (or re-fit) would take care of the problem.

You raise a good point.

I was told last year during a (semi) professional fitting, that I had a leg length discrepancy. I had asked my physician about that with my initial knee problem years back, but he could find no difference. I suppose a shim and/or seat adjustment might have solved my problem back then, but....

I never noticed a percieved "power transfer" difference when I switched over. Unless you are wearing street shoes, all the power is still going to the pedal - crank - chain ring - etc.

I rememeber the other reason why I was happy to switch. Those Look peadals sqeaked to high heave no matter what I did. Arrgh. My hair stands on end just thinking about it.

This alone is worth the cost of switching. I liberally coated my Look's at WF with Phil Wood grease. I wanted to make sure they wouldn't squeak because this drives me nuts. Well, after 30 minutes of hard rain and a brief potty break where I got off the bike, the damned pedals squeaked all the rest of the way. I HATE THAT!

I love speedplay pedals. In fact, this spring I was out riding my old bike which has Look pedals and I couldn't believe how much of a hassle they were to clip in and out of compared to the speedplays.... I had to look down to make sure the correct part was facing up instead of just stepping down on the pedal. I've never had any problems with the cleats when running in them although they are a little bit larger than the Look cleats.