Is it a different problem with my cleat in general or is that what happens when you don’t use that grease gun on it? Also I looked up on google shopping for grease injection gun and they have some for like $2, whereas speedplay tries to milk you $40 for such a unit. Is the speedplay specific one required or can you get one at a hardware store for $2?
I have around 1000 miles on these, probably closer to 500 miles, they are speedplay X2s so I don’t think it’s grease issue what else could it be? Because unlike SPD clips it’s a one size fir there is no tighting or loosening…
You don’t need the special speedplay grease gun (any one with a needle tip will do). I actually lube mine with a 3mm oral syringe. Some tips:
Make sure to use Polyurea-based grease (translucent and is usually clear, green or red…kinda looks like jelly), and not Lithium-based grease (white and “creamy” looking). The two are not compatible.
The pedal may “weep” grease for a few days after lubing as you ride it and the grease moves through. Wipe the pedals to keep the inside of your cleat from getting greasy and possibly marking your carpets.
Spin the pedal slowly while injecting the grease to help it distribute and displace the old grease.
All that being said, the issue you are probably having is the cleat. The wire spring is probably getting stuck and not returning all the way, so engagement with the slots in the pedal is incomplete. Every couple hundred miles apply a dry chain lube to the cleat springs, let it penetrate for a couple minutes, then wipe.
OK I THINK I GOT IT. The phillips screws were loose on the cleat. Hopefully that’s what was causing it to unclick easy, that would make sense, since if one of the plates is sliding around it would unclick easier since it wasn’t tight on there.
The clear disengaging from the pedal has nothing to do with grease in the pedal bearings.
1- check that there is no dirt in the cleat. Dirt can stop the wire in the cleat from springing back and fully engaging in the pedal.
2- make sure the cleat is perfectly flat when installed on the shoe. If the cleat is curved slightly as you install it on the shoe, it can prevent the wire from fully engaging in the pedal. The cleats are provided with wedges that you can use to make sure the cleat remains flat when installing it.
3- check the cleat wire for wear. As it wears it develops a flat spot, although if you’ve only done 500mi the wires shouldn’t be worn. Make sure you use a dry lube on the wires to lengthen the life you get out of them.
Sometimes a combination of any of these can add together to cause problems.
The clear disengaging from the pedal has nothing to do with grease in the pedal bearings.
1- check that there is no dirt in the cleat. Dirt can stop the wire in the cleat from springing back and fully engaging in the pedal.
2- make sure the cleat is perfectly flat when installed on the shoe. If the cleat is curved slightly as you install it on the shoe, it can prevent the wire from fully engaging in the pedal. The cleats are provided with wedges that you can use to make sure the cleat remains flat when installing it.
3- check the cleat wire for wear. As it wears it develops a flat spot, although if you’ve only done 500mi the wires shouldn’t be worn. Make sure you use a dry lube on the wires to lengthen the life you get out of them.
Sometimes a combination of any of these can add together to cause problems.
add another one on here:
Make sure the phillips screws are tight!
The plate held on by the phillips screws was sliding around, so it wasn’t tight against the plate containing the spring of the cleat.
The clear disengaging from the pedal has nothing to do with grease in the pedal bearings.
1- check that there is no dirt in the cleat. Dirt can stop the wire in the cleat from springing back and fully engaging in the pedal.
2- make sure the cleat is perfectly flat when installed on the shoe. If the cleat is curved slightly as you install it on the shoe, it can prevent the wire from fully engaging in the pedal. The cleats are provided with wedges that you can use to make sure the cleat remains flat when installing it.
3- check the cleat wire for wear. As it wears it develops a flat spot, although if you’ve only done 500mi the wires shouldn’t be worn. Make sure you use a dry lube on the wires to lengthen the life you get out of them.
Sometimes a combination of any of these can add together to cause problems.
add another one on here:
Make sure the phillips screws are tight!
The plate held on by the phillips screws was sliding around, so it wasn’t tight against the plate containing the spring of the cleat.
Good point, be aware Speedplay advise against tightening them too much, as that can cause friction on the wire. Don’t overtighten them and use threadlock.
The clear disengaging from the pedal has nothing to do with grease in the pedal bearings.
1- check that there is no dirt in the cleat. Dirt can stop the wire in the cleat from springing back and fully engaging in the pedal.
2- make sure the cleat is perfectly flat when installed on the shoe. If the cleat is curved slightly as you install it on the shoe, it can prevent the wire from fully engaging in the pedal. The cleats are provided with wedges that you can use to make sure the cleat remains flat when installing it.
3- check the cleat wire for wear. As it wears it develops a flat spot, although if you’ve only done 500mi the wires shouldn’t be worn. Make sure you use a dry lube on the wires to lengthen the life you get out of them.
Sometimes a combination of any of these can add together to cause problems.
add another one on here:
Make sure the phillips screws are tight!
The plate held on by the phillips screws was sliding around, so it wasn’t tight against the plate containing the spring of the cleat.
and an very obvious one which took me a while to see:
for X-series cleats, make sure the ‘coat hanger’ spring is not broken.
I have broken two of the springs now. The cleats are pretty old. With a broken spring, the shoe feels OK in the pedal until you happen to push hard (uphill, surge) at the wrong place in the pedal-stroke.
it was very obvious once i thought to look at the bottom of the shoe! there was a section, maybe 8 mm or so, completely missing from the straight section of the spring that goes across the front of the cleat.
theoretically, i should look at the cleats every once in a while, just to see if there is a crack someplace, which will develop into a missing section. i should also clean my bike more often, and a lot of other stuff that i am too lazy to do.
Popping out too easily is almost definitely because it wasn’t clipped in completely. And I say this as I look down at the road rash all over my arm from my cleat coming out when I stood for a climb 1.25 miles into Sunday’s ride because my cleat wasn’t clipped in completely.
Others have covered most of the bases.
Lubing the pedal isn’t the issue. It is all in the cleat. Make sure the springs work freely. Make sure the screws aren’t too tight and binding, make sure there is no dirt and/or gravel keeping them from moving, put a little lube on them, make sure they are not broken or bent.
And make sure that you don’t do what I did. It clips in front and back. You will hear the click if one clips in but it isn’t actually secure. You can only stand on air for a little bit, then you come crashing down to pavement. So make sure both sides of the spring are working as they should.
