Road Cycling - "hot spots" with speedplay pedals

have any of you speedplay riders experienced this?

i'm not totally sure it's the pedals and not my shoes, but i've been experiencing some type of mid-foot soreness that i didn't get with SPDs and suspect that pedaling hard on the very small platforms could be giving me issues.

that said, i do need new shoes. my old plastic sole northwaves are beat up and have more flex than i care for.

i suppose a definitive test will happen when i get new shoes, but i'd like to know if anyone else has experienced this. (or do i just need an excuse to buy some shimano lance pedals?)

I had similar problems... I no longer have them... or any clipless - went to just toe cage & straps

well.. i'm not about to go that far.

i use speedplay and have the cleats as far back as possible.

I have experienced some problems on longer tours with hot spots, but they have always gone away. I attributed them to fatigue. I wear Carnac Quartz shoes, so I can't really blame them on the shoes.

Been using speedplays for a while now, and I'd expect its the shoes that
are the cause of the problem. I first put the speedplays on a pair of
cheap Shimano shoes and would get hotspots after riding more than an hour.
Not really bad, but annoying.
I upgraded shoes to Sidi Genius and have not had a problem with hotspots
since. The cleat is positioned the same (for the most part) so I don't think
that was a part of the problem for me.

I also still have cages and straps on my old trek, its just harder finding
good shoes for clips/straps etc.

Marty

Which Speedplay pedals are these? If they're X or Zero pedals then as was mentioned, it's probably your shoes having too much flex. Remember that unlike SPDs where the cleat is surrounded by the pedal (well more like captured and held in place on top), the Speedplay pedals are surrounded by the cleat. The cleats become the platform so if your shoes are flexy you will feel the pedal body through the bottom of your shoe and that will generate a hotspot.

they're X/2 pedals.

No problem whatsoever on my speedplay zeros with Northwave (newer) shoes.

55/Rad

I'm betting it's the shoes. I've had no problems with X/2s on both my road bikes. I use fairly cheap Nike shoes.


they're X/2 pedals.

It is the shoes. The sole of the shoe is the "platform" for your foot, not the pedal. Your shoe is either flexing or does not fit the contours of your foot.

The shoes may be the problem, but I wouldn't automatically attribute it to the price. I've tried shoes that ranged $50-250. Needless to say, I'm running a pair of $70 Nikes (maybe $60, I forget) right now and they are the best shoes I've had. Sure, the quality might not be as good as higher priced shoes, I'm not necessarily a Nike fan, and they aren't "trendy."

They may be the same shoes you have. They are the most comfortable shoes I've had--they might not be right for you. Price may correlate the quality/reputation of the shoe, but I think that in shoes price doesn't always equal what's best for you.

I really like the way my Time shoes work with my Speedplays. Keeps the pedal very close to the axle and very stiff.

When you purchase new shoes, spend the extra cash for carbon soles...your hot spots will go away.

I use to have those hot spots with my X3s on Nike shoes, but I now use Time shoes and have no problems.. the sole on the time shoes is much stiffer..

Of course, you could try replacing the insoles of your shoes (or if they don't have insoles, just putting some in).

Just to be on the safe side, I think you should send those X-2's to me right away...... :D

Seriously, it's gotta be the shoes. One of the reasons I went to Speedplays was to get rid of hot spots. (and it worked)

You may also want to concider your pedaling technique. Are you a masher or a spinner?

Speedplays for four years, never any hot spotsGood stiff Sidi shoes probably help, and make sure to spin and not mash. Try to get some pulling action when pedaling.