Road Cycling - Best pedals for getting into quick and easy:and comfort

I have bad knees and Im not sure that my spd pedals are the right set up for me. Thats the only pedals that Ive had. I commute with my road bike and the roads and lights can get busy in sections - so looking down on these pedals is difficult at times for safety. I want to know - looking at the latest Nashbar - there are some Look pedals that have big plateforms - are these type solid for getting in and out of and some play that wont crank my bad knees any further. How about the knock off Nashbar brands?? I would like some comments on what are some solid pedals and how much are the cleats to install into my shoes? thanks,

Speedplay X series. I would recommend the X-2, better bearings, cro-mo axles. Very easy to get in and out of. Probably the most "float" available in a road pedal. Check em out www.speedplay.com Only problem is shoe compatability is sometimes an issue, check that part of the website before you buy shoes.

L8R G8R

We "practiced" with Shimano 324s, and got VP-104s on our real bikes. Similar, but different - they are SPD and SPD compatible in that order.

While neither was very difficult, we are amazed at how easy the VPs are. They are tiny, and you have to work when you put your foot down not to clip in immediately. Easy to get out of as well. And seemingly lots of float. I have had nary a twinge in my knee with these.

Cheers...Gary

If you are talking about commuting and riding in heavy traffic, I wouldn't recommend the Look pedals.
I have SPD (M535) on my commuter because they are two sided and I don't have to look down at them to clip in. I too ride in heavy traffic.

Look pedals are one sided and are not as easy to clip into, especially if traffic is causing you to "hurry". I have these on my road bike and they are great for riding when not being "rushed" by traffic.

I’m on my first and only set of clipless peddles so I don’t claim to be an expert. Just the opposite, since I started off as a bumbling peddler I know that my peddles are easy to use and I would not feel uncomfortable in traffic. I use the Speedplay frogs. Yea I know - there aren’t road peddles but they have plenty of float and they seem to work on all the roads I have been on so far. :-)

Yeah, I would definitely look in to the LOOK pedals. I've had them for as long as I've been riding, and they have a large platform that is very stable. I feel they're the easiest to engage into, too, because of the large platform. They last and you can get a fairly good buy, too.

I'd suggest to stay away from the Nashbar knockoffs, just because I don't think you'll be getting the quality, and I doubt they'll last as long as the LOOKs.

velo

Bad knees=Speedplay pedals.

They have the most float and they are double sided so you don't have to look down.

Best of luck

Mike

Even though i use Look pedals, and swear by them, if you have bad knees, then speedplays are probably best, despite the drawbacks.
I would not, in a million years, buy a pair of those Nashbar "look-alike" pedals. they are a ****ing piece of ****!!

D*Alex

What are the drawbacks of Speedplay pedals?

I'm an avid proponent for Speed Plays. I have them both on my single and our tandem (front and back). They give much more float than Looks.

We have experienced one irritating thing with all of our Speed Plays....that is, when the weather is cold or wet or both, it seems to be harder to clip into them. No problems getting out of them but definitely a problem clipping in. Once dry and warm they're a cinch. We thought a lack of lubricant was the culprit...but that was not the case.

Even so, I still commuted with my Speed Plays. But in heavy traffic Looks would be easier to clip into on a wet/cold day. I qualify that statement because I also used Looks for years and only went to Speed Plays because of their increased float and lighter weight.

Speedplay cleats are more expensive, prone to damage, and have a habit of occasionally failing, leaving you to ride home unclipped on one foot.

The thing about Speedplays is that the "catch" mechanism is in the (rather large) cleat, and is subject to dirt, damage and excess wear and tear since you walk on it. If you use Speedplays, you should probably take a few minutes preventive maintenance cleaning and lubing the cleat monthly.

I vote for double-sided SPDs with several degrees of float for knee problems and commuter clip-ins. SPD compatible shoes are better for off-bike situations, too.

Originally posted by roadbuzz
The thing about Speedplays is that the "catch" mechanism is in the (rather large) cleat, and is subject to dirt, damage and excess wear and tear since you walk on it.

We have covers that we religiously utilize. Replacement cleats are too expensive, tha covers work well.

Hi,
I read about a pedals nicknamed Eggbeaters. They are getting high praise on the mtm bike circuit and look like they could be used on the road. They are very light and supposed to be the best when it come to getting in and out . They are light strong and appear to have no moving parts.
'
Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that speedplay has a wieight recommendation max of 185 ibs for the rider.

Ride Safe....Dudley

Originally posted by Bikinguy
Hi,
'
Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that speedplay has a wieight recommendation max of 185 ibs for the rider.

Ride Safe....Dudley

Bikinguy,

Yes you're correct. Speedplay X1s have the weight restriction. X2 and X3s don't.

Originally posted by Bikinguy
Hi,
I read about a pedals nicknamed Eggbeaters. They are getting high praise on the mtm bike circuit and look like they could be used on the road. They are very light and supposed to be the best when it come to getting in and out . They are light strong and appear to have no moving parts.

Yes, a guy I know rode those pedals. He said they were better than any he's tried. But, in the last month, I noticed he has traded them in for a pair of Time's...

Wish I could tell you more about the Eggbeaters, but I don't know much.

Well, it is not a nickname, actually. It is what Crank Brothers call their product. See http://www.eggbeaterpedal.com/

Cheers...Gary

Thanks Gus,

I did not know that. I dont use expensive road shoes just the 60 buck specialized ones and wonder how those pedels with such a small surface area would feel for comfort ?

Ride Safe....Dudley *S*

Hi Gmason,

Thanks for the link. *S*

Ride safe...Dudley

Does anybody have any experience with Coomb pedals? Couldn't find their web-site.

Originally posted by Bikinguy
Thanks Gus,

I did not know that. I dont use expensive road shoes just the 60 buck specialized ones and wonder how those pedels with such a small surface area would feel for comfort ?

Ride Safe....Dudley *S*

Good question. I wear Sidis with a carbon sole, and so does my better half. I've been told that without a rigid sole, hot spots on the bottom of your feet will develop with the Speedplays. Because we use some upper level shoes, we don't experience hot spots.

We haven't had any mechanical problems with them yet....knock on wood.

Nikos,
I have VERY bad knees and have used looks for years with no problems. Do use the RED cleats as they have "float", very important for bad knees.
If you want a system with a "walkable" shoe try the time system for ATBs much, much easier to use than the shimano system and has " float" option and you could use your present shoes.

Ride gingerly
Pat

well i've read all the replies in this thread and nobody has mentioned TIME pedals. they're one of the few pedals that offer lateral float, ie left to right - across the pedal - float. you can have as many degrees of float as you want in a pedal but if you suffer from knee problems you should be looking at pedals that allow lateral float.

when i ride, if i look down at my feet, i notice that my right foot is further away from the crank than my left foot is. the lateral float in the TIME pedal allows this to happen. if i was on any other pedal my foot would be fixed laterally so it wouldn't be allowed to find it's natural riding position which isn't good for a bad knee

i used to have LOOK pedals and i had pains on the outside of the knee and somebody recommended TIME pedals to me. i bought some and the pains stopped. i know of quite a few riders who had knee pains who swapped their LOOKS for TIME and their knee pains stopped.

they were a bit fiddly to get into at first but you soon get used to them. also the lateral float feels odd at first but it's a god-send if you have knee problems.

i would seriously look into TIME pedals if you have knee problems.

cabledonut.

For those of you who use the Speedplays, does it take awhile to get used to the free float? I friend of who uses them on all his bikes says that at first they feel like your walking on ice. This may or may not have been previously mentioned but Speedplay has come out with a new pedal where the float is adjustable. I'm shopping for some pedals since new bikes don't come with pedals these days. FYI, my previous bike had Look pedals but that may have been the cause of my bad knees.

Speedplay's do take a few rides to get used too, maybe two! Then you're hooked. Literally! I wouldn't recommend the new ones to a rider with bad knees, fixing your foot to lessen the float is the opposite of everything I've learned to date. Unless there is a new philosophy out there, I would stick with the X-2's. The X-1's have titanium axles and therefore carry a weight limit, plus a $240 price tag.

Originally posted by Bobsled
For those of you who use the Speedplays, does it take awhile to get used to the free float?


They are a bit odd when you first use them. I came off of Looks (red), the most notable difference I had was clipping in. The technique is different, but easy to get used to. The float is like being on ice, but it is not a bad sensation. My knees thank me everyday!

Thanks guys!