Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Speedplay Pedals

I looking into running a set of clipless on one of my Fg's and I'm trying to decide on which ones to get. a friend of mine suggested Speedplay pedal, he uses them on all of his road bikes. i researched them a bit and they seem to get very good reviews except for their high price tag. i also read theyre is a lot of movement with them and i was wondering if that would be very good for a FG setup. does anyone have any input on these pedal, or maybe a suggestion on something else? thanks

I have used Speedplay Frogs and the x zero (or something like that) for road bikes. I think there is to much unrestricted side to side float with Speedplays for riding fixed. Also the cleat design is not very low profile on the road pedals. I would recommend some Crank Bros pedals for fixed gear riding as they allow for float, but you have a much more solid feel to the attachment of the cleat to the pedal. Plus you can get into the Crank Bros for a lot less money.

I second that. I ride speedplay on all my bikes except fixed, which has cages. But I am looking into some eggbeaters. They have a lot of options also.

alright thats what i was thinking after reading some reviews. which crank brothers would you suggest? also are there any shoes you would recommend as well?

I have frogs on both of my fixed bikes and wouldn't want to switch back to anything with springs (went from shimano spd to speedplay frog). The frogs are fully rebuildable and take 5 minutes to completely disassemble, clean and regrease...

They are also much more comfortable on my knees, especially when climbing hills, since my heels can move outward slightly when swinging the bike left to right while mashing.

The cleats are more expensive though... but so far my first pair have lasted 6 months without any noticeable play..

The big con is they are an expensive system to get into..

I have used Speedplay Frogs and the x zero (or something like that) for road bikes. I think there is to much unrestricted side to side float with Speedplays for riding fixed. Also the cleat design is not very low profile on the road pedals. I would recommend some Crank Bros pedals for fixed gear riding as they allow for float, but you have a much more solid feel to the attachment of the cleat to the pedal. Plus you can get into the Crank Bros for a lot less money.

Wut? You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

Speedplays have the BEST street/track clearance of ANY pedal out there.

They also offer the MOST float at 15 degrees. What's more is that it is adjustable from 0 degrees to 15 (0 1, 2, 3, ...15), not 0 OR 8 degrees like most pedals with float.

If speeplay zeros are good enough for the last Great American Track Sprinter Marty Nortstein, then they are good enough for anyone else riding FG or racing track.

The Zero has a free float not a springy float which is common with most pedal systems. You don't feel the tension until you are at the end of the float range, so your legs/knees are free to align themselves where they like (which is the purpose of float in the first place) with no tension at all. Feels weird at first, like it's not engaged but it is.

The Zero is the most technically advanced pedal on the market as far as fitting goes.

You cannot disengage from the zero by pulling up. The same cannot be said about Look, Shimano SPD-SL, Crank Brothers, Time, SPD, or other pedal systems. You will have to break the cleat or your shoe to disengage by pulling up. The ONLY way out is to twist.

Speedplay Frogs are a MTB pedal. I've used them. They are OK, but the Zero is MUCH MUCH better. There is a reason why you can't find Zeros on sale or used for cheap...they hold their value.

The only downside is that the engagement mechanism is attached to the shoe, so walking around is a pain. But, the same goes for any road pedal system.

I have used Speedplay Frogs and the x zero (or something like that) for road bikes. I think there is to much unrestricted side to side float with Speedplays for riding fixed. Also the cleat design is not very low profile on the road pedals. I would recommend some Crank Bros pedals for fixed gear riding as they allow for float, but you have a much more solid feel to the attachment of the cleat to the pedal. Plus you can get into the Crank Bros for a lot less money.

The Speedplay X are different than the Zero. By design, it doesn't have a positive end to the float range like the Zero does. You had the wrong pedal.

Watch the Tour de France or any other major cycling race, you will see 45% Speedplay Zeros, 45% Dura Ace, and maybe 10% LOOK pedals.

By the way, Lance Armstrong famously pulled out of some Dura Ace pedals at the start of his Time Trial in 2007 (I think). That won't (can't) happen with Speedplay Zeros.

Wut? You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

Speedplays have the BEST street/track clearance of ANY pedal out there.

They also offer the MOST float at 15 degrees. What's more is that it is adjustable from 0 degrees to 15 (0 1, 2, 3, ...15), not 0 OR 8 degrees like most pedals with float.

If speeplay zeros are good enough for the last Great American Track Sprinter Marty Nortstein, then they are good enough for anyone else riding FG or racing track.

The Zero has a free float not a springy float which is common with most pedal systems. You don't feel the tension until you are at the end of the float range, so your legs/knees are free to align themselves where they like (which is the purpose of float in the first place) with no tension at all. Feels weird at first, like it's not engaged but it is.

The Zero is the most technically advanced pedal on the market as far as fitting goes.

You cannot disengage from the zero by pulling up. The same cannot be said about Look, Shimano SPD-SL, Crank Brothers, Time, SPD, or other pedal systems. You will have to break the cleat or your shoe to disengage by pulling up. The ONLY way out is to twist.

Speedplay Frogs are a MTB pedal. I've used them. They are OK, but the Zero is MUCH MUCH better. There is a reason why you can't find Zeros on sale or used for cheap...they hold their value.

The only downside is that the engagement mechanism is attached to the shoe, so walking around is a pain. But, the same goes for any road pedal system.

LMAO! Don't confuse him with the facts!

I use Chromoly ZERO's on my Fixed and SS ZERO's on my road bike. SP Zero is the best pedal out there. I for one prefer them for adjustable float, base plates that allow near mid-foot mounting and the BEST shim for leg length discrepancies. They also allow dual sided entry which MOST road pedals do not.

ONLY downside, you must use Road specific shoes as a lot og FG riders I know prefer MTB shoes for walking.
I tried the SP Frog MTB pedal and the cleat would NOT work properly with my Shimano M220 shoes. They are very finicky when setting up.

Plus I agree with this:

They also offer the MOST float at 15 degrees. What's more is that it is adjustable from 0 degrees to 15 (0 1, 2, 3, ...15), not 0 OR 8 degrees like most pedals with float.

If speeplay zeros are good enough for the last Great American Track Sprinter Marty Nortstein, then they are good enough for anyone else riding FG or racing track.

The Zero has a free float not a springy float which is common with most pedal systems. You don't feel the tension until you are at the end of the float range, so your legs/knees are free to align themselves where they like (which is the purpose of float in the first place) with no tension at all. Feels weird at first, like it's not engaged but it is.

The Zero is the most technically advanced pedal on the market as far as fitting goes.

You cannot disengage from the zero by pulling up. The same cannot be said about Look, Shimano SPD-SL, Crank Brothers, Time, SPD, or other pedal systems. You will have to break the cleat or your shoe to disengage by pulling up. The ONLY way out is to twist.

I have used Speedplay Frogs and the x zero (or something like that) for road bikes. I think there is to much unrestricted side to side float with Speedplays for riding fixed.
LOL! But they make a VERY popular TRACK Version of the ZERO which has the same adjustable float, but a harder spring.


Also the cleat design is not very low profile on the road pedals.
But the OVERALL stack height with the pedal included is LOWER than all other road and MTB pedals. Again, you have no idea what you are talking about on these pedals.

Here is the ZERO comapred to SPD-SL Pedals:

Stack Height on 3-Hole Mounting + (javascript:void(0))
Zero 11.5mm - SPD-SL 13.7mm

The coolest part is that you can adjust the "heel in" and "heel out". This solves 2 problems.

Ever have the inside of the heel of your shoes clip your chain stay and have to consciously (until you subconsciously start to) hold them away from it? Turn the heel in screw and your heel will not be allowed to to touch the chain stay.

Do you have sloppy sprint or climbing form and sometimes accidentally twist your foot too far outward and disengage? You can adjust the heel out further than you can twist while on the bike to where only a "pigeon-toed" twist can get you out.

The coolest part is that you can adjust the "heel in" and "heel out". This solves 2 problems.

Ever have the inside of the heel of your shoes clip your chain stay and have to consciously (until you subconsciously start to) hold them away from it? Turn the heel in screw and your heel will not be allowed to to touch the chain stay.

Yup! One of my fav features do to my foot/body alignment. I have full float out, but a little more limited inward to avoid this issue.

Then again, these are NOT for everyone. Number one complaint is cleats cost $$, wear and tear of the cleats, and dirt/maintenance of the springs for smooth operation.

This is why I left them after trying them for a year years ago. BUT every other PRO sent me back!

You cannot disengage from the zero by pulling up. The same cannot be said about Look, Shimano SPD-SL, Crank Brothers, Time, SPD, or other pedal systems. You will have to break the cleat or your shoe to disengage by pulling up. The ONLY way out is to twist.

Are you talking about Time road pedals? I am not familiar with them, but have no idea how you could disengage from a Time MTB pedal by pulling up without breaking the cleat or the shoe.

but have no idea how you could disengage from a Time MTB pedal by pulling up without breaking the cleat or the shoe.They TIME MTB pedals are similar in design to the crank brothers mech. a work cleat could lead to pulling out. same with SPD or SPD-SL

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Are you talking about Time road pedals? I am not familiar with them, but have no idea how you could disengage from a Time MTB pedal by pulling up without breaking the cleat or the shoe.

Yes, time MTB pedals. I rode them for years. If you are pulling up with mega-watts, you can open that spring up and the cleat will come out. It's more likely with a worn cleat.

i don't really skid too often but if i did would would like it to not pull out. i don't care about weight at all, and even if it doesnt last me the longest time that would be ok since it would be first set of clipless and i could always upgrade to better ones later on.

They TIME MTB pedals are similar in design to the crank brothers mech. a work cleat could lead to pulling out. same with SPD or SPD-SL

Yup.

SPD-SL uses a LOOK style pedal. The cleat is actually plastic which is worn down. Off-brand LOOK/SPD-SL "compatible" cleats may wear down faster.

i don't really skid too often but if i did would would like it to not pull out. i don't care about weight at all, and even if it doesnt last me the longest time that would be ok since it would be first set of clipless and i could always upgrade to better ones later on.

You won't pull out with any quality pedal system unless you have bad form, worn out cleats, or are really, really strong. Don't worry.

FYI: Cleats wear out just like brake pads, tires, etc... Replacing them is part of the total cost of ownership.

You won't pull out with any quality pedal system unless you have bad form, worn out cleats, or are really, really strong. Don't worry.

FYI: Cleats wear out just like brake pads, tires, etc... Replacing them is part of the total cost of ownership.
ok great, so what would you suggest for my first set then?

ok great, so what would you suggest for my first set then?

Do you have clipless compatible shoes? If so, what kind?

What is your budget?

Do you have clipless compatible shoes? If so, what kind?

What is your budget?
No i'm looking to get them as well. i didn't want to buy the shoes first ya know? i mean i don't have a cap really but i would like to not spend soo much, but i want to get something decent so i know i will have to spend a decent amount. like i said if they don't last me forever i am okay with that.

You won't pull out with any quality pedal system unless you have bad form, worn out cleats, or are really, really strong. Don't worry.

FYI: Cleats wear out just like brake pads, tires, etc... Replacing them is part of the total cost of ownership.Or if you FAIL to adjust the tension properly.

Chromoly Speedplay pedals run about $118 new. Wait for Performance bike to offer 10-20% off and there you go. Decent Shimano road shoes another $89-175

i don't really skid too often but if i did would would like it to not pull out. i don't care about weight at all, and even if it doesnt last me the longest time that would be ok since it would be first set of clipless and i could always upgrade to better ones later on.


You'll do fine with just mountain bike pedals. The only time I've unclipped unintentionally was when I twisted my foot mid-skid. I've also been riding SPDs daily for a year, and walking a lot with them, and no trouble yet. I just got cheap pedals and decent shoes for commuting and rec. riding because I had no reason to spend a lot. For racing I'm going to get better pedals and shoes.

But if you have the money, go for what's superior.

If you've already been down the Road vs MTB shoe debate and have settled on Road then Shimano makes some great entry level shoes and Performance has them at really, really great prices. There are some for $20 and $30 on PerformanceBike.com right now. Same prices in the store. PLUS Performance and Nashbar are the same company, so Performance will match Nashbar prices when you are in the store. Just bring it to their attention.

You can get the entry level Shimano PD-R540 SPD-SL which is a great pedal for $50 at Performance. These are often on craigslist for much cheaper if you keep your eyes out. But, remember when buying that you may have to buy fresh cleats for $25.

I personally prefer the Speedplay Zero (obviously) but they start at $125 and you will never find these on sale. The only time you get price breaks is with some sort of "store-wide discount" of some sort. These are almost 3 times the price of the Shimano R540 and rarely show up on craigslist.

By the way, I ride Sidi Genius 5s with Speedplay Zero Track Specials. I just ordered some BONT T2s today. This is important to me.

(And before you guys get on me about spending so much money: I don't smoke, *smoke*, party, buy sneakers, etc...and I only drink about one beer a week. So I have more "bike money" than I used to.)

(And before you guys get on me about spending so much money: I don't smoke, *smoke*, party, buy sneakers, etc...and I only drink about one beer a week. So I have more "bike money" than I used to.)

ok... I don't think anybody would have got on you about spending, other than saying something like good for you.

ok... I don't think anybody would have got on you about spending, other than saying something like good for you.

Man, this is SSFG. Mentioning anything that's not NJS that costs over $50 is liable to cause a riot around here.

Thanks, BTW.

By the way, I ride Sidi Genius 5s with Speedplay Zero Track Specials. I just ordered some BONT T2s today. This is important to me.

(And before you guys get on me about spending so much money: I don't smoke, *smoke*, party, buy sneakers, etc...and I only drink about one beer a week. So I have more "bike money" than I used to.)

I'd rather drink and ride used Eggbeaters.

If you've already been down the Road vs MTB shoe debate and have settled on Road then Shimano makes some great entry level shoes and Performance has them at really, really great prices. There are some for $20 and $30 on PerformanceBike.com right now. Same prices in the store. PLUS Performance and Nashbar are the same company, so Performance will match Nashbar prices when you are in the store. Just bring it to their attention.

You can get the entry level Shimano PD-R540 SPD-SL which is a great pedal for $50 at Performance. These are often on craigslist for much cheaper if you keep your eyes out. But, remember when buying that you may have to buy fresh cleats for $25.

I personally prefer the Speedplay Zero (obviously) but they start at $125 and you will never find these on sale. The only time you get price breaks is with some sort of "store-wide discount" of some sort. These are almost 3 times the price of the Shimano R540 and rarely show up on craigslist.

ok so maybe i'll go for something cheaper then. would you suggest those shimanos over the Crank Brothers? or which Crank Bro's would be good?

ok so maybe i'll go for something cheaper then. would you suggest those shimanos over the Crank Brothers? or which Crank Bro's would be good?

The Shimano pedal that I mentioned is a road pedal. Crank Brothers only makes MTB pedals, which brings us back to Road vs MTB question, which I'm not going to get into just because it's sort of a can of worms. Some of the entry level Shimano road pedals are actually drilled for "LOOK" or "SPD" pedal cleats. LOOK pioneered the 3-bolt cleat (road standard) and Shimano SPDs pioneered the 2-bolt cleat (MTB standard).

Go down to your local bike shop and they will be glad to go over all of this with you. It's much easier if you have the shoes and pedals in your hands during the explanations. It's like explaining how hedge trimmers work with only text. Much easier if you have a hedge trimmer and a bush during the explanation.

There should be be something about this in the newb stickey, but alas there is not. Maybe an admin can find a good thread and add it to the sticky.

yea the problem is all of the LBS have closed down in the area. the only ones left are trash.

Here's some light reading:

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/The-Great-Pedal-Debate-Road-or-Mountain-Bike.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_pedal

If you want my advice: Buy some entry level Shimano ROAD shoes and some the entry level Shimano pedals I mentioned before and let that be the starting point for you. Everyone has preferences which differ here and there, but we all had to start somewhere. I used to say start with Time ATACs and a MTB shoe, but I have since changed my mind as most people actually ride more than they walk around so, take a bag with some sneakers if you plan on walking a lot at your destination (work, school, shopping). It's perfectly fine to walk small trips in road shoes let's say to the coffee shop, the bar (if you aren't walking all over the darn place), or a friend's house.

The benefit of having road specific gear as you ride your bike outweigh the minor inconvenience of *occasionally* carrying a spare pair of shoes.

Further...

I've ridden LOTS of gear:

Shoes:
Nike Kato III
Sidi Dominators
LAKE (something or other)
Sidi Genius 5
Northwave

Pedals:
Shimano 600
MKS Sylvan
Time ATAC (3 different versions)
Shimano SPD no float
Shimano Ultegra SPD with float
Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL (using float and no-float cleats)
Shimano BMX Platforms with SPD centers (for BMX racing with cleats)
LOOK (using float and no-float cleats)
Crank Brothers Eggbeaters
Speedplay Frogs
Speedplay Zero
Speedplay TRACK Zero

...and that's the stuff that I can recall.

So, I'm not just speaking from what I've gathered from reading message boards. I can give you my take on the pros and cons of all of those pedal systems.

To put this in perspective, I recently had Speedplay Zeros on my track (that's track racing) bike and Time ATACs on my cyclocross bike. After training and racing on the track bike for a long time I got on the cross bike with my MTB shoes and Time ATAC pedals and literally had a sour look on my face the entire 2 hour ride. It was simply not nice. It seemed primitive.

Don't get me wrong, the ATACs and Eggbeaters shed mud like crazy. That's what they are designed to do. But, they aren't the best for regular old road riding/commuting.

Carleton is right. FIRST decide road or MTB system. I to have rode both and everything under the sun.

I prefer road shoes and pedals.

If you wnat to try clipless with a lower budget, then start with MTB. Sminao shoes can be had for under $80 and CB Smarty pedals around $30

Performance, Nashbar and Price Point have package deals with CB pedals and shoes for under $100 sometimes.

I'd go with the SPD mtb. pedals and shoes. You won't unclip accidentally and you can walk all day in the shoes without chewing up the cleat. Can't do that with road shoes, particularly not Speedplays. If you do a search for Speedplays on the Roadie forum, so many threads will pop up it's like their version of the Kilo TT.

Lance probably wasn't clipped in to begin with at the start of the 2005 Prologue for the TdF. His foot was loose coming down the starting ramp. He did lose that race but only by two seconds to Zabriskie. Sheryl Crow was there and waved at Lance. Then she worried that she'd distracted him and that's why his foot was loose. He said it wasn't that big a deal and went on to win his seventh TdF.

Whatever you get, make sure the shoes fit you correctly. And take the time to get the cleats adjusted just right. Even tiny changes can make noticeable differences in the way the shoe feels. Also the cleat release tension is important. You want it tight but not so tight you can't unclip and are lying in the trail stuck to a bike watching the vultures circling overhead.

thanks everyone for the help and input.

Late to the party but...

Happily and safely using Speedplay zero (steel) on the fixed gear for years now.

Float is cranked down to almost nil.

Same set up as on my road machines.

Any slippage issues are purely operator error.

No skidding so I don't know what would happen but would suspect there wouldn't be any issues.

Enjoy!

Forte pedals and Forte shoes,you can get both for around 80 bucks http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/SubCategory_10052_10551_400048_-1_400009_400009
road or mountain,I suggest getting mountain since the are easier to walk in) after that you can upgrade based on what you like/dislike.
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/SubCategory_10052_10551_400034_-1_400009_400009