Slowman wrote:
it's all pretty easy. i
go thru it here, in text, in pics, with a video. when you identify the value in the most important features of this pedal, it's a pretty compelling system.
If you were responding to me, then yes, I'm well aware of your article. And believe me, I tried the recommended combination of shims for my shoe, then every possible combo of shims (5F + 6R, vice versa), and I still couldn't get the base plate flat. Or rather, the base plate would not stay flat because, apparently, my shoes are relatively small and this was a known problem with the Zeroes. It may not have happened to everyone, but it's a known thing. Barnes said so. I talked to one mechanic and one bike fitter who both confirmed.
And despite being pretty short and narrow hips, I was able to get my preferred lateral cleat position on SPD-SL cleats, so I'll stick with those unless maybe Wahoo manages to redesign its pedals to work reliably with people with size 40 shoes and under. I know that's maybe not very many men, so maybe they didn't care, but it's a good number of women.
I agree that a lot of the usually stated disadvantages of Speedplay pedals are hogwash. The need for more frequent maintenance is not one of them. In my case, I simply could not get the pedals to stop creaking with their supplied shims. I could have tried out the aluminum extender plate instead, and it did look flatter, but it also blocked me from using the aero surround kit, or perhaps I could have dropped $400-550 on a pair of 4-bolt shoes that may or may not have fit my feet. Plus my pair of plug and play DA pedals had come in, so what, exactly, was the point of continuing to wrestle with my pedals?