I have spent over three months on the SMPs and think that I am ready to provide some feedback to those that might have had an interest in the pedals. Let me start with a bottom line so that I don’t loose anyone in the details, as I sometimes tend to wander:
-Great idea, good execution.
-Very easy to get used to i.e. Q-factor (if that is a concern)
-LOVE the float while still being able to crank down the release tension
-Possible increase in measured power output, but differences were lost in the noise in my ED (experimental design).
I did a lot of looking at the SMPs before I started using them. I had wanted to try them for some time, as a claim of free power (speed) is pretty tempting. Before using SMPs, the only downside that I had read previous to trying out these pedals was that they increased q-factor. In use, I did not feel like this was a problem for me. Remember that these pedals are very slightly canted so that it returns your knees to the same place that they would be if the Q were in a couple of mm less. Increased Q is something that seems to be thrown around as something bad. I have also read the arguments about it being better biomechanically. Im not sure exactly where I fall in the argument; as I just don’t have enough data to make a really good decision. I think that for my bike position, that by lowering my whole body by over 2.5cm made me more aerodynamic (I did roll-down tests to take a look at this, but noone seems to believe results from rolldowns…and there is definately merit for this view); but I am not going to throw my hat in an arena that I am lacking so much knowledge.
My main reason for trying out the SMPs was the claim that they allowed a better transfer of energy, increasing measured power output by up to 10%. I measured the power output with a Polar Power meter for about a month and a half, with two switches between the SMPs and a set of SPDs. At the end of the testing, I found some very interesting things. First, I must be pretty aerodynamic, as I seem to be able to go relatively fast for such a paltry power output (I knew I was a wuss, but I didnt realize just how much) . As for the SMP effect, I seem to have seen a power increase of around 3-4% with the SMP’s. I don’t say this definitively, as my experimental system was noisy, and I was not able to find a statistically significant increase (I think that a trainer or rollers would have been a better testing rig, than commuting back and forth to work). On the flip side of this, there is DEFINATELY no measurable penalty to this pedal system when I am using it! Additionally, I found a benefit that I was not expecting when I first wanted to try these pedals out. I love the ability to have pedal float without worrying about coming unclipped! In the past, I had several triathlons (usually sprints) where a shoe fell off of my bike (either going into or out of the transition area with shoes still attached). Time cost was between 20 -40 seconds to go back, pick up the shoe, lay down the bike, put on the shoes, and get going again. This amount of time may not seem like much, but it made the difference between finishing in first and not finishing first several times. I think that this is my favorite part of using these pedals in a race.
In terms of feel, the pedals don’t really have any different fell to them as I can discern. The only time I ‘felt’ something different while climbing on the hills (felt easier to turn over the pedals), but on the flats and other locations, I did not really have any appreciable different feel. The clip-in may take a little time to adjust to…especially if you have powercranks. Remember the first time you wore clipless pedals? Well, it was not quite that bad, but leave it on the looser side to start with. The release is different than the normal release, but once you get used to it, it is fine. It really only took me about two rides to get used to the release. You may also choose to fine tune the release tension for different conditions (race or training) which is very easy to do with the adjustment screw in the pedal axle. The weight of the system is a little heavier than some of the ultralight pedals which are on the market right now, but the longevity of the cleats and pedals seems like it should last quite a while.
One other negative comment that I have seen mentioned about such systems is the possibly play that may develop in the bearings since it uses a single bearing rather than sets of bearings. I have not really put enough time on these to make a statement about long term longevity, but I also have not been able to find any reviews which actually point to a single pair of these pedals or similar pedals that have had a bearing failure/loosening.
Hope this helps if you have been looking at these for a while and wanted to know what someone else thinks about them.
Stephen Judice
