Pedals for new TRI Bike

Jul 12, 08 14:10

Post #1 of 20 (4665 views)

I searched the forum but really did not find anything specific to my needed information.

I just bought a new TRI Bike, a Cervelo P3c and need to buy a new set of pedals.

My LBS is recommending Speedplay Zero's. I am a bit gun shy after reading some of the very vocal opinions expressed here.

On my road and mountain bikes, I have been using Eggbeaters with Sidi mountain bike shoes. Obviously these will not quite work well for transition.

Perhaps this is rudimentary, but I would like to hear recommendations and pros/cons for the Speedpay, Time RXS and Look Keo pedals specifically for a TRI Bike. I apologize if this is too basic for some, but I really need some information. Buying pedals and shoes and then changing is an expense I wish to avoid.

My shop tells me that Look Keo's are good but the single sided entry is a pain, Time RXS have been problematic and they have had a few returned with broken areas, and recommend the Speedplay Zeros.

I would appreciate any and all experiences, opinions and suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Zucharelli

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 14:21

Post #2 of 20 (4657 views)

I use Speedplays on my road and tri bikes and have never had any issues with them. Easy in and out. The cleat is big, but I've never had any problems running in them for transition, and being able to mount without looking down to make sure the pedal is upright is very handy.

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 14:24

Post #3 of 20 (4652 views)

I have Look Keo's on all my bikes. The Carbons on my racing tri bike and my road bike, the Sprints on my training tri bike.

Sometimes you can get an awesome deal from probikekit.com on the Carbons.

I prefer a 3 bolt pattern to a 2 bolt pattern. When I used Shimano SPDs before, my cleats always would come loose.

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 14:27

Post #4 of 20 (4650 views)

experiences? Been riding Speedplays for about 5 years (Zeros for 3) and never a problem. Easy in/out with dual sided entry, adjustable float both in and out, very light, tight cornering clearance, etc. Only downside is walking/running in the cleats as they are slippery (they don't foul much like the original speedplays with the wire). Major debate about whether float is good or bad for knee problems when biking, and this pedals can do both. The "hot spot" issue is a bit a myth since it is the pedal interface with the cleat then shoe (and usually super stiff carbon soled ones at that).

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

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 15:11

Post #5 of 20 (4627 views)

I have Look Keo's on my tri bike, Crank Brothers Quatro's on my road bike. Rode Looks for years on road bikes. I have never had a problem with the one sided entry on Look pedals, they always point front end up and I just catch the front lip of the pedal with the cleat. If someone can explain the supposed problem with one sided entry, you and I can both learn something. I picked up the Crank Bros. partly because of this issue and just don't think it's really a problem. Frankly, the Crank Bros. are harder to find and line up for clicking in.
If I was buying new pedals today, I'd stick with Looks or a similar (Ultegra, Dura-Ace) design. Cleats are readily available and inexpensive which at some point will be an issue. Granted, I have no experience with SpeedPlays and maybe I'm missing out, but I've never had a problem with Looks.

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 15:44

Post #6 of 20 (4604 views)

I've tried just about every pedal under the sun in search for the perfect one. I've finally found it in the shimano ultegra/dura ace.

Time RXS - Can't fine tune the lateral adjustability
Speedplay - Float too slippery, although you can really fine tune the float which is nice
Look Keo- Just didn't like it, has a high stack height

Jonathan Blyer,
ACME Bicycle Co., Brooklyn, NY

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [jonblyer] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 16:07

Post #7 of 20 (4586 views)

I have the Speedplay frogs that free float (ie do not have a recentering "force" if you are out of center). Is Speedplay unique is this regard, or is this how the spd-sls, keos, and times are? I like the "skating on ice feeling" and would worry about my knee if I didn't have this.

Ryan
Engineer. Duathlete. Roadie. Human.
CAPA Cycling

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [rroof] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 16:49

Post #8 of 20 (4564 views)

In Reply To:

Been riding Speedplays for about 5 years (Zeros for 3) and never a problem. Easy in/out with dual sided entry, adjustable float both in and out, very light, tight cornering clearance, etc. Only downside is walking/running in the cleats as they are slippery (they don't foul much like the original speedplays with the wire).

So the gunk resistance is better on the newer Speedplays? That'd be good - I've got X5s, and had a hell of a time clipping in at a race earlier this season, after a run through a sandy and muddy transition area. Also have had occasional problems after stopping on a soft shoulder on training rides.

On the plus side, that experience motivated me to learn how to do transitions with the shoes already on the bike.

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 17:03

Post #9 of 20 (4554 views)

I use Time RXS pedals on both my road and tri bikes. My oldest pair was purchased in 2004, they probably have 25k miles on them. They've been excellent pedals. I know a lot of riders who use them, and no one has broken any. They have a good road feel and a solid "connectivity" (unlike Speedplays, which I used before and didn't care for). Demerly did a good review of them you might search for.

*****
"In case of flood climb to safety"

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [jcurtis] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 18:08

Post #10 of 20 (4531 views)

x2

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 19:23

Post #11 of 20 (4487 views)

I use middle price Looks on all my bikes. I tried the Speedpalys and used them for years, but went back to Looks. The Speedplays are way too "slippery" for me. I never realized that I fought the float so much with my heel when I switched back to the Looks. I like the way the Looks lock you in. They have a much more solid feel. I use the black no float clips.

.
.
Paul

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 19:47

Post #12 of 20 (4469 views)

Another vote for the Shimano pedals. I've ridden 10,000s of miles on mine with no problems.

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [trexleradam] [ In reply to ]

Red Devil

Jul 12, 08 20:10

Post #13 of 20 (4454 views)

Keo's for me

A friend has speedplays on his tri bike and I remember passing him in T1 because the grass to the run course was muddy and it completely filled his speedplay cleat and he had to bang his shoe on the ground to get the mud off. After that there were little rock stuck in the platform and his foot kept popping off

---------------------------
"This wheel definitely beat the 808 in this test, no question, and I do commend Hed on producing a really fast wheel...the wheel is fast, I am not disputing that." - joshatzipp on the Stinger 9
My Website
HEDmafia.com

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Red Devil] [ In reply to ]

Jul 12, 08 22:11

Post #14 of 20 (4422 views)

Check out the "Pedal System Review" thread for our answer.

_________________

- Joe S

Joe Santos
Davis Wheelworks | dW� Facebook | dW� Twitter
BMC | Boardman | Cerv�lo | Felt | Lapierre | Atomic High Performance | ENVE | HED. | SRM | Stages | Zipp

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Joe Santos] [ In reply to ]

Jul 15, 08 13:39

Post #15 of 20 (4312 views)

Thanks for all the information, I greatly appreciate everyones help. Ultimately, I decided to forgo the Speedpays and purchase Keo Carbons. Did one ride and everything seems to be ok.

My decision was a difficult one, but ultimately came down to comments received from a number of shops indicating that maintainence was their biggest issue with the Speedplay pedals.

I hope to get many years from the Keo's.

Thanks again,
Zucharelli

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Zucharelli] [ In reply to ]

Niezgodafitness

Jul 15, 08 18:05

Post #16 of 20 (4248 views)

In Reply To:

Thanks for all the information, I greatly appreciate everyones help. Ultimately, I decided to forgo the Speedpays and purchase Keo Carbons. Did one ride and everything seems to be ok.

My decision was a difficult one, but ultimately came down to comments received from a number of shops indicating that maintainence was their biggest issue with the Speedplay pedals.

I hope to get many years from the Keo's.

Thanks again,
Zucharelli

I had the keo's carbons and hated them. The started to squeak and didn't have the ground clearance I required.

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Niezgodafitness] [ In reply to ]

Jul 15, 08 18:11

Post #17 of 20 (4245 views)

Speedplay. Hands down. Nobody else is even in the same league. When was the last time anybody ever started a thread saying "I ride speedplay and am thinking of buying looks"

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Jeff Vader] [ In reply to ]

Niezgodafitness

Jul 15, 08 18:14

Post #18 of 20 (4243 views)

In Reply To:

Speedplay. Hands down. Nobody else is even in the same league. When was the last time anybody ever started a thread saying "I ride speedplay and am thinking of buying looks"

I agree!

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [Jeff Vader] [ In reply to ]

Jul 15, 08 18:23

Post #19 of 20 (4234 views)

agreed, speedplays no doubt. if the concern is getting junk in them because of a long or messy T1 run, clip them in beforehand!

Re: Pedals for new TRI Bike [the_chad] [ In reply to ]

Jul 16, 08 5:47

Post #20 of 20 (4188 views)

Well, completed a 20 mile training time trail late yesterday. Power transfer with the KEO's was excellent, clip-in was easy and I felt totally secure. Tried to pull out of the pedals with everything I had and couldn't.

Gray cleats offer a bit of float but I love the way they hold my feet laterally resisting movement.
Ready to kick some serious booty ;).

I now wonder how I every used the Crank Brothers Eggbeaters which I now realize resulted in some very sloppy foot movement.

Zucharelli

Our Partners

transition-DOT-area-AT-slowtwitch-DOT-com

Advertise with us

©1999-2024 Slowtwitch, Inc., and Slowtwitch.com
Reproduction of material from any Slowtwitch.com page
without written permission is strictly prohibited.