Just read Dan’s latest article.
GREAT read by the way
And they talked about speedplay pedal/cleat maintenance. Didn’t go into a lot of detail as that was not the point of the question
Wondering what others do to maintain their Speedplays?
I lube the cleats with the teflon lube about once per week. Grease the spindles every 1000 miles or so.
I recently found that the grease I was using had broken down and lost viscosity. After lubing the pedals on my road bike I was getting grease leaking from the around plugs/screws (mostly on the inside of my calves). Finally took them into my LBS and they pulled them apart and cleaned them out. After a refill of fresh lube they are good as new. Was also a good time to inspect the bearings for wear.
I tried to avoid re-lubing them for as long as possible as it seems like the seal gets worse each time you fill them with new grease (and push the old grease out through/around the seal), i.e. each new packing of grease lasts shorter and comes out quicker from the spindle. I’m using their own grease and grease gun.
I’ve tried taking them apart to install a new seal (and new pedal body), but I can’t for the life of me get the torx screw in the end of the spindle loose in order to get the pedal body off the spindle. They must be using some pretty fierce LocTite.
I’ve been a speedplay zero fan for over a decade, but does no one else find the pedal bodies develop noticeable rocking after 1 season or less? My feet do move around a lot due to some hip/pelvic asymmetry stuff, so perhaps I am wearing the bodies out faster than the typical user…
No particular time frame but I take mine apart, clean them and put them back together. I use cleat lube spray about once a month or when ever they don’t spin well.
I’ve been a speedplay zero fan for over a decade, but does no one else find the pedal bodies develop noticeable rocking after 1 season or less? My feet do move around a lot due to some hip/pelvic asymmetry stuff, so perhaps I am wearing the bodies out faster than the typical user…
Yes, I also wear the body out, that’s why it’d be nice to change the body (and sealing) out, since the axle (expensive part, especially if you’re having the Ti ones) is probably fine. Never had any luck getting that torx screw loosened, though.
I tried to avoid re-lubing them for as long as possible as it seems like the seal gets worse each time you fill them with new grease (and push the old grease out through/around the seal), i.e. each new packing of grease lasts shorter and comes out quicker from the spindle. I’m using their own grease and grease gun.
I’ve tried taking them apart to install a new seal (and new pedal body), but I can’t for the life of me get the torx screw in the end of the spindle loose in order to get the pedal body off the spindle. They must be using some pretty fierce LocTite.
Hey, just saw this. I’ve disassembled my Aero Zero’s a few times when I wanted to change spindles (And I also prefer that to re-grease them vs. the gun that makes a huge mess)
So, that Torx bolt is loctited with the permanent bond type. Speedplay doesn’t want you to remove it, and if you force it you WILL strip it before it lets go. (Slightly less likely on the Torx than the allen heads they used to use, but point remains, very certain to strip it)
The solution is to get a torx bit (just the bit) and insert it as normal, then heat the back end of the bit (torch would be best, but a heat gun and some patience will probably work) until it’s HOT enough to transfer into the bolt / threads. Obvious disclaimer… don’t point the heat directly at the pedal.
There is also a c-clip that’s hard to see that holds everything together you’ll need to remove if you want to get the bearings out as well. I replaced the o-rings every time I disassemble as after a while they will deform and pop out. Can’t remember all the size specs off the top of my head, 5/16 ID I think.
*one other thing if anyone tries disassembling totally that I forgot about…
On my Aero Zero’s there was a little ring (not c-clip) on the needle bearing side that has to be removed to get everything apart. You will bend it and it’ll probably never go back in. I threw them away… no problem in ~2 years. Disheartening when it happened though.
This is so strange
Never did any maintenance and have at least 12,000 miles on each of two pairs.
Seem to be going good.
Just never occurred to me they needed to be cleaned or lubed
you must not ride in the rain much. mine almost always need more grease after a wet ride. FYI, the pedals should only spin about half a turn if you “fling” them by hand. If they spin more, it’s likely all of your grease has washed out and the bearings are at risk of corrosion.
you must not ride in the rain much. mine almost always need more grease after a wet ride.
If you want to get technical, Speedplay officially recommends “Pedals should always be lubricated immediately after riding in wet, rainy or unusually dusty conditions.” I suspect (just because there’s no way everyone does that) there’s a heavy grace area there, but yeah, they certainly shouldn’t be free spinning.
Yes.
I’ve always had this,
I use Speedplay because of the low stack for aero.
But I train on Shimano.
I’ve been a speedplay zero fan for over a decade, but does no one else find the pedal bodies develop noticeable rocking after 1 season or less? My feet do move around a lot due to some hip/pelvic asymmetry stuff, so perhaps I am wearing the bodies out faster than the typical user…
Apparently they don’t rock.
I find it is the cleat not the body being the issue. The old style non walkable cleats I find more stable than the walkable.
I’ve been a speedplay zero fan for over a decade, but does no one else find the pedal bodies develop noticeable rocking after 1 season or less? My feet do move around a lot due to some hip/pelvic asymmetry stuff, so perhaps I am wearing the bodies out faster than the typical user…
Apparently they don’t rock.
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...g=speedplay#p6986074
I find it is the cleat not the body being the issue. The old style non walkable cleats I find more stable than the walkable.
you’re being disingenuous here. my comment was made in response to an assertion that they rock when new. like pretty much all pedals they don’t rock when new, if you follow instructions when you mount them.
Dan, what do you do on a regular basis to maintain them, to keep them from developing wear/rocking? If lubing the cleat, do you take it apart, or just squirt some on/around the black clip?
You will bend it and it’ll probably never go back in. I threw them away… no problem in ~2 years. Disheartening when it happened though.
Just FYI, I emailed them and some dude sent me small parts in an envelope for free. No guarantee, since I think that was off the books, but still…
You will bend it and it’ll probably never go back in. I threw them away… no problem in ~2 years. Disheartening when it happened though.
Just FYI, I emailed them and some dude sent me small parts in an envelope for free. No guarantee, since I think that was off the books, but still…
Yep, Speedplay actually has really good customer service. I wrecked and basically ground off the little “plug” on the outside of the pedal, Speedplay sent me replacements free. If only Specialized had sent me a new right Sub6 
Dan, what do you do on a regular basis to maintain them, to keep them from developing wear/rocking? If lubing the cleat, do you take it apart, or just squirt some on/around the black clip?
perhaps i’m the outlier. i never take my pedals apart. i clean the cleat. the engagement parts of the pedal are in the cleat. when i wash my bikes the pedal’s part of the bike so it gets washed and then i always blow the water off the bike with compressed air (the ol’ pancake compressor). then lubricate the bike. same with the cleats. i treat the cleat as i would treat the rest of the bike. i dry lube the spring mechanism in the cleat. speedplay makes a lube for the cleat but any dry lube should work fine.
the pedals are made to be greased, which you don’t need to do very often, and without taking the pedal apart. there’s a sort of zirc fitting, you push grease in there, and if you’re a spin weenie push lightweight grease in there. done.
i’ve got several sets of bonts and shimanos with speedplays mounted and i have a spitload of miles on them and i just don’t have any of the issues i see here. they don’t squeak. they don’t rock. they continue to exhibit the features important to me, tho these features will not be important to some others.
Thanks. I’ve used zero’s for 10+ years, and I’ve never developed any squeaking nor roughness in the axle. I think maybe twice in 10 years I squirted new grease in just because.
But I do seem to develop the rocking within a year, and its probably from me essentially never lubricating the cleat/spring…
Dan, what do you do on a regular basis to maintain them, to keep them from developing wear/rocking? If lubing the cleat, do you take it apart, or just squirt some on/around the black clip?
perhaps i’m the outlier. i never take my pedals apart. i clean the cleat. the engagement parts of the pedal are in the cleat. when i wash my bikes the pedal’s part of the bike so it gets washed and then i always blow the water off the bike with compressed air (the ol’ pancake compressor). then lubricate the bike. same with the cleats. i treat the cleat as i would treat the rest of the bike. i dry lube the spring mechanism in the cleat. speedplay makes a lube for the cleat but any dry lube should work fine.
the pedals are made to be greased, which you don’t need to do very often, and without taking the pedal apart. there’s a sort of zirc fitting, you push grease in there, and if you’re a spin weenie push lightweight grease in there. done.
i’ve got several sets of bonts and shimanos with speedplays mounted and i have a spitload of miles on them and i just don’t have any of the issues i see here. they don’t squeak. they don’t rock. they continue to exhibit the features important to me, tho these features will not be important to some others.
You are not an outlier- I don’t do jack to my Speedplay Zero pedals. The new walkable cleat version is especially good. Well unless you’re in my AG, then they are terrible.