Bicycle Mechanics - Best floating pedal is???

Looking for a decent floating pedal. I know this is like asking for favorite jersey/light/tires, but
I need some kind of guidance. Road review and mtn bike review have listing of many pedals,
but what are the favorite for forum members?

Current pedals have no float and weigh 14.7oz/416g.

-- Is there a case of too much float?

-- what are key criteria to look at when buying new pedals?

Are you looking for a pure road, a pure MTB or both usage? Are you looking for a walkable recessed cleat? Two side entry? Cost a big consideration?

My personal favorite is Speedplay's Frogs. They are marketed as an MTB pedal but are a universal fit. I use them strictly on road bikes. They weigh 250 gms/pair, are double sided and have a lot of float, about 20°, and no centering springs. The float takes a bit of getting used to but after a few rides feels very natural. I never have unintended release but can get out of the pedals whenever I wish very easily. The cleats fasten with the two-bolt SPD pattern that is standard on all MTB and some road shoes. The current cleat can also be used on road shoes but walkability is poor (like most road cleats) if used that way and they would be very rough on any wood floor. They aren't cheap at about $130 but they are very durable. I got 34,000 miles on my last pair. A Ti spindle model costs about $50 more and weighs about 40 grams less.

A less expensive alternative is the Shimano PD-M520 at about $60/pair. These are double sided MTB pedals, have about 8° of float and weigh about 380 grams/pair. I use their predecessor (PD-M515) on my rain bike and they also work well.

A friend uses the Crank Brothers Eggbeaters and likes them too. They have 6° of float and weigh from a little under to well under 300 gms/pair and cost from under $100 to over $400 depending on the amount of Ti in the various models.

Are you looking for a pure road, a pure MTB or both usage? Are you looking for a walkable recessed cleat? Two side entry? Cost a big consideration?
.

Road only.
Cleats- don't care as I don't have to walk far. Current shoes are cannondales mtb style.
Current is platform on one side and cleats on other, so I don't care.
Cost- just reasonable, not looking for $200+/pedals. Not weight winnie, but want something good and durable.

Later hope to transfer pedals to tri bike. For now it's just for a touring bike.

Thanks for the review of frogs.

I just bought same nashbar Look compatible pedals for about $40. Work great, they have about 6 degrees of float and are adjustable for tension. Better than the Campys I had, which were not adjustable for tension. The float, I believe, depends on the cleat design. Black Look cleats no float, red, 6 degrees.

I know I've chimed in when your were poking around this topic before, but I'll add something more specific this time. I know there are a lot of SPD fans, but I am not one. I find that LOOK (style) pedals are fairly easy, and comfortable for new users to get used to. Time pedals rock, but I find the fact that the float is spring centered on their newer pedals just un-rideable for me.

I currently ride Speedplays X series. If you're concerned about having too much float, or not enough then opt for the Zero series pedal - float is tunable, and I think they may have corrected some of the cleat spring problems that are present on the X series. I'm not going to lie to you...they can be finicky. Search the forum (I am sure you already have) for what is meant by that.

Whatever you end up with I am sure you will have positive things to say about them. Don't worry too much because you will probably change them within 2 years because you've decided it would be nice to try some other feature that a different pedal has, etc. Ever notice that everyone here has experience with 3, 4, 5 different clipless pedal systems??

For float the best are Speedplay X1.
The best per $ are Speedplay X2, same float, steel spindle instead of Titanium.
IMHO

Al

For float the best are Speedplay X1.
The best per $ are Speedplay X2, same float, steel spindle instead of Titanium.
IMHO

Al
I would agree with you.

You might consider Egg Beaters. I use them and there is lots of float, check their site for the amount. By adjusting the cleat recess you can make it so the float is not sloppy, ie once you have clipped in at your favourite angle it will sit like that, or by placing the cleat on a spacer your foot can be almost feeling unclipped except when making proper pedal motion.

For float the best are Speedplay X1.
The best per $ are Speedplay X2, same float, steel spindle instead of Titanium.
IMHO. Al
I'd agree if weight, but not walkability is the primary consideration. The X-series cleats are miserable to walk in, even with the "coffee covers". Frogs have similar float, not a whole lot more weight and the cleats are very walkable.

look at bebop.... they're supposed to be strong enough for off road use and have a big steel cleat that they use. they should be very durable. and they have 20 degrees of float if i remember right.

Look keo have been nice for the last few hundred miles (got them a few weeks ago).
They are under $50 at probikekit.com with free shipping.

I like my shimano spd ultagra pedals. Have just enough float, and cleats are easy to walk on.

With Look road pedals, the cleats control the float, not the pedals. Red floats, black doesn't.

With Look road pedals, the cleats control the float, not the pedals. Red floats, black doesn't.

and grey is in between
Grey has worked well for me, not too much, but enough that when I'm setting the cleat I can set it and check the alignment by making sure that I have some give in each direction (if I find myself really close to one limit I know I may not be dialed in yet.

Personally I do not like much float - I get knee pain when I have too much because my foot on one side turns out a bit and allows one of my knees to rock inwards a bit. In regular shoes you don't really have float once your foot is positioned.

look at bebop.... they're supposed to be strong enough for off road use and have a big steel cleat that they use. they should be very durable. and they have 20 degrees of float if i remember right.
I've heard mixed reports about BeBops, some of them not very good. They have a lot of float but are prone to unintentional releases. They were popular for a while but seem to have disappeared from the market.

I see no advantage for them over Frogs either in weight, float or cost and Frogs are a proven and successful design.

Frogs do seem like the best buy. I'm going to try another week with a slightly lower seat and if that doesn't solve the problem. I'll probably get some frogs. What I don't know is "is it better to get frogs" now as they are SPD compatible, or go to X stainless and get new shoes which can handle the 3 point cleats.

Worst problems with speedplay seems to be rep for lower life. Don't know if it is because of inferior bearings and/or relaying too heavily on users regularly lubing the pedals. How you lube them is a whole other story.

Worst problems with speedplay seems to be rep for lower life. Don't know if it is because of inferior bearings and/or relaying too heavily on users regularly lubing the pedals. How you lube them is a whole other story.
If 32,000 miles on one set and 34,000+ miles on another is "lower life" than I guess they are guilty.

A $10 Duelco grease gun and a tube of decent grease is all you need. The Frogs and X-series have little screw sealed grease ports that you can squirt a blob of grease into every few weeks. It takes maybe two minutes if you are inefficient. You never have to disassemble the pedals and there is no annual overhaul. Is that "relying too heavily on the user"?

Personally I do not like much float - I get knee pain when I have too much because my foot on one side turns out a bit and allows one of my knees to rock inwards a bit. In regular shoes you don't really have float once your foot is positioned.


i agree. i was one of those whose knees hurt from using speedplays. i'd say use LOOK or SPD. don't mess with the exotic for now (if ever).

ed rader

and grey is in between
Grey has worked well for me, not too much, but enough that when I'm setting the cleat I can set it and check the alignment by making sure that I have some give in each direction (if I find myself really close to one limit I know I may not be dialed in yet.

I'm considering giving up my Time Equipes, the only clipless I've used since I started. Can you explain what you mean by setting the cleat? Are you saying you can actually rotate the cleat some withing the screw slots, then tighten it down in the rotated position?

Thanks hillrider and all. Very interesting. I am surprised no one seems to make a pedal where you can set the float in a range, say 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25. Also interesting that too much float could hurt knees. This is expensive if you have to go thru many sets of pedals to find one that works for you.

Thanks hillrider and all. Very interesting. I am surprised no one seems to make a pedal where you can set the float in a range, say 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25. Also interesting that too much float could hurt knees. This is expensive if you have to go thru many sets of pedals to find one that works for you.
The Speedplay "Zero" series pedals allow you to do just that. You can dial in the amount of float they allow both inward and outward.

As to too much float hurting the knees, I suppose you can find someone who isn't comfortable with any particular set-up. There are riders who have problems with any amount of float and want an absolutely fixed cleat. Most others find a fixed cleat uncomfortable. I've never had the slightest problem with my Frogs and their great range of float or SPDs with a much reduced amount so that's one data point.

I'd agree if weight, but not walkability is the primary consideration. The X-series cleats are miserable to walk in, even with the "coffee covers". Frogs have similar float, not a whole lot more weight and the cleats are very walkable.

I believe the shoes are even more important than the pedals. Road specific shoes are more efficient and more comfortable on long road rides. They are designed for riding not walking. Walkable cycling shoes are a compromise. The rider will need to set the priorities. On guided tours we ride Shimano mtn. bike shoes with SPD cleats and pedals. When we get back home the SIDI Genius shoes and Speedplay X1's feel so much better. In the future we will probably switch to Frogs and walkable shoes for guided tours but not for road rides.

Al

Personally I do not like much float - I get knee pain when I have too much because my foot on one side turns out a bit and allows one of my knees to rock inwards a bit. In regular shoes you don't really have float once your foot is positioned.

Not sure what you mean by "regular shoes" but when riding in street shoes on open flat pedals or when walking you have all the float in the world. How can float be bad for you?

Al

I believe the shoes are even more important than the pedals. Road specific shoes are more efficient and more comfortable on long road rides. They are designed for riding not walking. Walkable cycling shoes are a compromise.
Yes, the shoes are very important but high quality MTB shoes can have very stiff soles and be comfortable on long rides if chosen correctly so there isn't the automatic advantage for road shoes. This type of MTB shoe is not specifically made for easy walking but is still far better than any road shoe since the cleats don't hit the ground.

BTW, many of the better "MTB shoes" are just the same makers road shoe with a few lugs glued to the sole and a different cleat mounting pattern.

BTW, many of the better "MTB shoes" are just the same makers road shoe with a few lugs glued to the sole and a different cleat mounting pattern.

Road shoes are more aerodynamic and much lighter. These are important when you consider how much air your shoes move and how much energy is used moving your feet as you spin along at 90 rpm for several hours.

Al

I've heard mixed reports about BeBops, some of them not very good. They have a lot of float but are prone to unintentional releases. They were popular for a while but seem to have disappeared from the market.

I see no advantage for them over Frogs either in weight, float or cost and Frogs are a proven and successful design.
Their website sat idle fot the last couple of years. It appears that the Bebops are back, picked up by VP Components. They have the most float available in any pedal. An interesting design in that the sprung mechanism is mounted to the shoe- the pedal itself has no moving parts other than the axle.
My S/O has a shattered/repaired knee (that was destroyed by being run over while WALKING her bike at a crosswalk!), and used Look for a few years afterwards. She switched to SPD MTB pedals for a short period, then got the old Bebops which she really likes. Have heard nothing about the reincarnated version.

An interesting design in that the sprung mechanism is mounted to the shoe- the pedal itself has no moving parts other than the axle.
Speedplay Frogs, X-series and Zeros all share this design trait. The only moving part in the pedals themselves is the spindle and bearings.

Ok, checked out some bike shops, but they were too busy today to have a conversation. But now I have another question.

Is the difference in free spin between pedals significant? Frogs/X# offered more resistance to turning than looks or shamino. I would think the best would have slight resistance.

Again what about the difference between frogs and Xseries. X costs more, 3 point system and 1 extra set of bearings. Is it significant having 3 sets with the Xseries versus 2 sets with the frogs? I didn't notice significant freely rotation with the X or zero over the frogs.

bump,

which is better buy? frogs or Xseries?

bump,

which is better buy? frogs or Xseries?
They are intended for different markets.

The X-series (and Zeros) are just about the lightest things available but are pure road pedals and the cleats make no compromises for walking. If you are a serious road rider or competitor, want to use strictly road shoes and do almost no walking during your rides, they are the obvious choice.

The Frogs were originally developed as an MTB pedal but are a very versatile road/touring pedal too. They are very light, if not as light as the X-series, very secure and work extremely well. The cleats are intended for use with MTB or touring shoes with recessed cleat pockets and have good to adequate walkability depending on how stiff the shoe is. The current cleat design can be used with road shoes but would be hard to walk on and would be death to wood or vinyl tile floors if used this way.

My personal choice is the Frogs as I ride in traffic and do some touring as well as fitness riding. They are the most versatile and durable pedal/cleat combination I know of. If I were a racer or very serious sports rider and never walked further than into the local coffee shop, I'd probably ride in X or Zero pedals.

Ok thanks. My only concerns are:

1. spin resistance of speedplay is higher than look/shamino
2. frogs only have 2 sets of bearing and xseries has 3 sets. I would think that would translate into something better.

And yes, I don't do much walking in shoes. So I guess it comes down to better float performance at a cost of slightly higher resistance.

Spin resistance as you sit there and fiddle with them is a red herring. Most pedal bearings are going to feel pretty tight, but think about the forces that get put on them -- they'd be smoked in a month if they were as loose as your headset.

Ok thanks. My only concerns are:

1. spin resistance of speedplay is higher than look/shamino
2. frogs only have 2 sets of bearing and xseries has 3 sets. I would think that would translate into something better.

.

Pedals spinning freely is often a sign that they need grease.
The spinning resistance in Speedplay pedals is partly due to the rubber "O" ring grease seals, a good thing.

Double sided Speedplay pedals are the quickest and easiest to engage and release, a big safety factor. I have an old set of single sided D-A SPD road pedals on my commuter. Often I have to wait for the pedal to quit spinning before I can engage it.

Al

good points thanks again.

I'll have to see if the small adjustments I made help. If not, I'll try the speedplays. If that fails, I'm afraid I may have to give up biking, ugh. Especially with a fill up being about $40 today.

I hate the ice-skating feeling of those Speedplay pedals. I have an old knee injury and got some Speedplays thinking they were the THING to get. Nope! Waaaaay too much friction-free ice-skating feeling. I actually like to have some resistance to keep me from moving around excessively. At the same time, I don't want to go back to the old fully-fixed cleat cleat setup.

My opinion.
For road pedals - Looks with the red arc are the best.
For MTB pedals - Shimano's are THE best, hands down. No comparison.

I hate the ice-skating feeling of those Speedplay pedals. I have an old knee injury and got some Speedplays thinking they were the THING to get. Nope! Waaaaay too much friction-free ice-skating feeling. I actually like to have some resistance to keep me from moving around excessively. At the same time, I don't want to go back to the old fully-fixed cleat cleat setup.

My opinion.
For road pedals - Looks with the red arc are the best.
For MTB pedals - Shimano's are THE best, hands down. No comparison.
I felt that way on Speedplays initially, but adjusted rapidly and now I never notice it.

I felt that way on Speedplays initially, but adjusted rapidly and now I never notice it.


+1, it took me 2 or 3 rides to get use to the feeling, now I wouldn't have it any other way. My knees are 63 years old and have gone through 5 surgeries.

Al

I felt that way on Speedplays initially, but adjusted rapidly and now I never notice it.

+2 - I find the tensioned float (like Time's newer pedals - Impact, etc) puts too much stress on my knee. I love the float on speedplays, but if you don't like that much get the Zeros....infinite adjustment of float between the stops (threaded adjustment).

+2 - I find the tensioned float (like Time's newer pedals - Impact, etc) puts too much stress on my knee. I love the float on speedplays, but if you don't like that much get the Zeros....infinite adjustment of float between the stops (threaded adjustment).


Naaah. No thanks for me. That is the exact top-of-the line model I had. Didn't work for me. Though I am a bit of an unusual case. Had an ACL injury and full ACL reconstruction. My knee is not the same as before. Tried the Speedplay Zeros Ti and just couldn't stand that free float ice-skating feeling. Even with the slight tension adjustment on the Zeros couldn't do it. Still not enough resistance as with my old Looks. Had them on there for 3 whole months. But whatever. It seems like it works for alot of people, but just not me. :(

As noted, Speedplays (or any other pedal system for that matter) are not for everyone. I got used to the free-float in a couple of rides and now am thoroughly in love with it. I ride Shimano SPD's occasionally and am always surprised on how noticable the float-resistance is.

I have used SPD, Eggbeaters, and Frogs.
The SPDs were OK. I used them until they were worn out.
Eggbeaters hurt my knees. The spring centering killed me.
Frogs are great. The easiest to get in and out of from the ones I have used.

High end MTB shoes are the same as road shoes with some tread added. Low end MTB shoes are flexable. Stay away from them.

The slippery feeling lasted a whole 30 minutes for me.

I have never had an unexpected clip out in 6000 miles. I am still on the original cleats. And I haven't even greased the things and they are running smooth. I'll grease them this weekend, I promise. I am getting lazy with a sealed BB and sealed wheel bearings.