APBurner

I have had knee problems in the past and still occasionally have a twinge here and there. So my question is, what clip-less system should I look into using when I get to the point where I feel comfortable using one.

Staypuft1652

People seem to recommend speedplay zero especially for that, or any other system that allows alot of float, but that is not spoken from experience, just been reading alot on the subject recently.

Stick69

I use Shimano M324 and the multi-directional cleats set at the loosest setting and they have a lot play. My knees do feel better when I use the cleats. I had a fitting and they adjusted my left cleat which is the knee that was getting a little sore so maybe that will help also. This is on a Trek 7.2 FX hybrid commuter.

Cychologist

Clipless pedals with 6 degrees or more float should not cause knee problems, as long as your cleats are properly installed. With proper fit, cycling is easy on the knees.

I am speaking as one who has knee issues from an old sports injury years ago, and who has ridden pain free clipless for 30+ years. (But I suffer after playing tennis or basketball, sports from my younger days.)

JohnJ80

I'm with you on this - I have problem knees from skiing injuries.

For road pedals - the king of float is Speedplay. Other road pedals have float, generally dictated by the cleat you select for that particular pedal, but they mostly have spring tension that wants to return the pedal to the neutral position. I find that these cause me knee problems. Speedplay Zeros have a much wider range of float, there is no spring tension forcing the pedal to return to a position, and they are infinitely adjustable.

On MTB pedals, it's much more difficult. There, I'd have to say the best choice is also Speedplay with their new Syzr pedals. They are an awesome connection to the pedal/bike - metal on metal with no reliance on the shoe sole - and make a great choice for road riding as well. I have these on my gravel bike and my fatbike and been riding them since they came out. Recently put them on my wife's bike who was having twinges in her knees after a long ride. Appears to have solved that problem as well. She loves them and finds them much better than the Shimano SPD's she had before. We had a pair of old Time ATACs that were an improvement but the connection to the bike and the free float seem to have eliminated the knee issue and given her a solid connection to the bike all at the same time.

Agree - 6 degrees is a bare minimum. Getting your pedals adjusted can be tricky. Speedplay actually has pedal fit kits that allow a shop a wide range of adjustment and experimentation on Q factor, wedges, float range etc... If it's an issue, this can be a great idea.

J.

philbob57

My knee problems went away when I switched to platform pedals - DMR V12s and the like. The large platform distributes forces in a way that allow pedaling with any shoes. The pins grip your shoes while allowing you to find exactly the right angle that prevents knee pain. The sealed bearings of a good platform make them immensely easier to maintain than Speedplays. A good platform is cheaper to buy, use, and maintain than any clipless pedal, without even considering the possible savings in medical costs....

corrado33

I've ridden 3 types of clipless. I have the shimano road pedals and MTB pedals, and I've tried multiple crank brother egg beater pedals.

If you want float (which you do if you have bad knees) go with egg beater pedals. I literally couldn't use them because they just had SO much float. Much more float than the Shimano M324 mentioned above. Honestly, I barely felt clipped in in terms of foot rotation. Sure, my foot couldn't move side to side or up and down off of the pedal, but rotation wise, yeah, barely any resistance whatsoever.

Egg beaters are known to have lots of float. That said, they're typically a mountain pedal, and have a 2 bolt mounting cleat.

Honestly if you have knee problems, I wouldn't go clipless. If you do, have it properly set up so you don't hurt yourself.

JohnJ80

"Immensely easier to maintain than Speedplays"? Huh? Grease them once every several thousand miles is a big deal? Do that and they'll outlast you. Same cannot be said for most sealed bearings.

All of this equipment talk though has to presume good pedaling technique. You can get rid of a lot of joint and foot problems by upping the cadence and reducing the pressure per pedal stroke. High pressure on each stroke will cause problems over time.

J.

sstorkel

This is the conventional wisdom, but I found the opposite to be true. With pedals that allow a large degree of float, my knees track all over the place which eventually leads to knee pain. I'm currently using Shimano SPD pedals on all my bikes. They have almost no float. Once you get them dialed-in you end up repeating the same perfect pedal stroke over and over. The trick is that you have to spend the time to get the pedals installed in the correct position on your shoes. Skip that step and your experience with the pedals will be less than optimal...

Staypuft1652

I have some used zero's, unless they need cleats badly, or a bunch of dry lube, not impressed with the entry/release. But I am new at it.

American Euchre

Speedplay's loosen up considerably with repeated entry/exits. Give it time. Zero's are designed with racers in mind: positive engagement and staying clipped in are the priorities; clipping out easily a little less so.

Staypuft1652

@American Euchre Thankyou, The cleats and such are worn, and they aren't overtightened, but I think they would benefit from me cleaning out the cleats and using liberal amounts of dry lube.

RubeRad

My advice is, if you don't feel comfortable with clipless, you don't have to go clipless. There's no rule. I rode clipless for a few years (daily commuting, recreational road and mtn riding), but when I was faced with having to shop for replacement shoes (my shoes started wearing out, I have extremely wide feet, and hate shopping), I decided instead to give them up, moved to pinned platform pedals (wellgo MG-1/MG-3), and am very happy being able to wear whatever sneakers I wear for anything else.

The Shoes Ruse