GreenFix

I am having some problems with ITB syndrome. This is only my third season of serious riding, but it is the first time I have had this problem. I have read several of the posts on this site about ITB sundrome, and that is what brings me to this thread.

I am currently using some shimano spd pedals on my road bike, and I am interested in switching to something with more float. Speedplays are the obvious choice, but I have also read a bit about Bebop pedals.

Does anyone have experience with bebop pedals versus Speedplay pedals

I was looking at the bebops, the Frogs, or the X3s.

Any advice?

I am on a budget, but I am willing to drop the $100 if it will reduce my chances of having to deal with this ITB again. Thanks in advance for your opinions.

timmhaan

just remember that the frogs are mtb bike pedals, and work best with mtb shoes. i believe you can modify your road shoe to account for the cleat, but you may not want to do that. so, if money is a factor and you don't want modify your road shoes- the frogs may not be the best option. i'm sure someone on here has better advice, but that's just what the lbs told me when i bought my frogs.

the speedplay website has a shoe compatiblilty guide you might want to check out before making any purchases.

ImprezaDrvr

Have you worked with a physical therapist to help your ITB issues? I had some petallar tracking problems and one of the things that my PT at the time looked carefully at was flexibility in that area. I know there are PT's that would know what you were dealing with and might (I stress, might) be able to help you out.

Edit: Just realized that you're talking about Frogs and not any of the Zeroes. Any reason in particular you're looking at the MTB pedals and not their roadie pedals?

GreenFix

Thanks for your responses.

I am open to any suggestions about the pedals. I was looking at the frogs simply from a walkability standpoint (I also use my roadbike for commuting), and I figured I could buy a second set of cleats and swap the pedals over to my MTB when I wanted to.

I was also looking at the X3s, though I understand that the X2s are a higher quality. I have not really read enough to understand the difference between the zeroes and the X series.

I have talked to quite a few cyclists around me who have dealt with ITB syndrome and I have read quite a bit on the web and in some textbooks. I have some stretches that I am doing, and I have a couple of adjustments to make on my bike (cleat placement, etc). I am going to vary one thing at a time and see how it feels. I am lucky in that I am at a medical school right now, so I can get a lot of medical information easily, but if things do not clear up in a week or so, I am going to head to the PT. Unfortunately, I have student insurance which covers chiropractic care but not physical therapy, go figure.

khuon

A couple of notes on the various Speedplay pedals...

The Frogs were intended for MTB shoes and thus mount via the standard 2-hole SPD-style pattern. They can be run on road shoes but most often you'll need an adapter of some sort if the road shoes don't have 2-hole bolt-pattern mountpoints. I ran this setup with my Sidis. It was... suboptimal. The adapter increased stack height, was very flexy, added weight and had to be trimmed with a Dremel tool in order to properly fit the cleat in the cleat pocket. Another thing I didn't like about the Frogs was the entry method... it's toe-first. This may not be an issue for some people but I came from an MTB background and really liked to be able to stomp and go. Also, I felt the Frogs had too much float for me and could never get used to the riding on ice-cubes feeling.

I test rode the X pedals (actually X/1) but it too had too much float for my taste. I did like the entry method better and I also liked that it mated to my road shoes with less fuss. Also, some powerful riders who were using not-so-stiff shoes were complaining that the deflection of the soles were causing the cleat bodies to rub and score the pedal spindle... something to watch out for and keep in mind when picking shoes.

I tried the Zeros and fell in love with them. This is what I'm currently riding on my roadbike. They have independent (inboard/outboard) adjustable float. This also allows you to set centering in a fixed position if you so desire. The spring in the cleats are better designed than the ones on the X pedals and will not jam up as easily due to gunk. If you can spare the extra change, I would recommend the Zeros over all the other pedals mentioned.

gruppo

The Bebop pedals would be an excellent choice - light, competitively priced with the Speedplays, positive engagement, easy in/out but secure, double sided, lots of float, quality construction, very cool looking, simple design, great cleats, and tough & reliable. I've used all the pedals you're considering and, in my experience, the Bebops are the best alternative (My oldest set is five seasons old and still working like new).