eskimo85

What is your preference when it comes to racing, particularly road races and crits?

Its time for me to get new ones but I have only used shimano ultegras.

damocles1

I went from Look to Crank Brothers and back to Shimano SL. I just didn't feel as connected to the bike with the CB pedals. The float was nice and I never came out of them, but I could feel my feet skating around under really big efforts...

kukusz

Still using Egg Beaters.

jrennie

speedplays for me but thinking about trying Looks on the next build.

DinoShepherd

I need to know, what are you all doing to pedals that you NEED to get new ones.

I am still riding/racing on first generation Ultegra pedals (look compatible). They are a little heavier than the modern stuff, but work great.

They are hideously ugly and preclearanced from scraping during crits, but I really can't justify changing them out.

-Z

carpediemracing 

'82 - '86 or '87 toe clips and straps
'86 or 87 - '97 Aerolite
'97 - '07 SPD-R
'07 - Look Keo

At this rate I'll wait till 2017 to switch pedals again.

Over time I've tried Time, various Look, Keywin (?), Speedplay. If I could I'd go Aerolite again and I try every few years with the pedals and cleats I have left but something always stops me from finishing up a shoe.

cdr

cslone

Time RX series(3 hole style).

Dubbayoo

I have never seen a need to get away from Look/Shimano style pedals. I know Time was first to add float but now everyone has that. For people who use other style - Crank, Speedplay, etc) what was your reasoning for going another direction?

urbanknight

^ My knees made me switch to Speedplay, but I would consider going back to look now that I seem to have worked that problem out. The extra float actually feels excessive now. I do like the metal cleats, though. It only makes sense that the part you walk on should be more durable. Then again, they still wear out and cost 3x as much.

To the OP, you really limited the options. Look and Speedplay aren't the only big contenders out there. I know tons of racers that swear by Time (still) and I bet SPD-SL and Eggbeaters are quite popular with racers now.

waterrockets 

I consider SPD-SL to be "Look style" (big, flat, plastic, three bolt)

MDcatV

The squeak from Looks drove me crazy and was my primary reason for switching to something else.

I switched to Speedplay Zeros and have no reason to switch back. Things I like:

- 2 sided. You should never have a problem "clipping in" at the start of a race, or at an intersection, or whatever the situation is.
- cornering clearance, not only do they have better clearance than alot of other pedals, but since the cleat engulfs the pedal instead of the pedal engulfing the cleat, if you clip the asphalt in a corner, it's the cleat the hits the ground not the bottom of the pedal. For me, I kind of like this as I feel more in control, as they say, if you're not clicking, youre not cornering.
- weight, weenie reason, but they arent as heavy as other pedals (maybe now there are lighter options, but when I switched to the speedplay, this wasnt the case)
- adjustable float, reason I chose zeros over x-series speedplays
- I've never heard anyone pull out of a speedplay unintentionally - sprint with confidence

bad:
- cleats wear quickly, couple times/year, especially the foot you put down at intersections, and they're more $$ than look style
- you must remember to grease the pedals a few times/year or the bearings will wear and the pedal wont turn around its spindle (1st hand experience)
- engagement can be a bit difficult with new cleats until the spring breaks in (usually a couple of rides)
- the adjustment screws on the fore/aft cleat adjustment are only accessible by removing the cleat from your shoe
- the 4 tightening screws on the engagement spring of the cleat sometimes fall out.

Compressed

I love my time rxs's

YMCA

16 years of "original" style Looks. It's all I know.

Maybe I might look into the Keos for year 17. Then again...

MarkSch

Wow...somebody else who used the aerolite pedals!!!???!!! I still have a couple sets of those...used them when I raced triathlons....jsut left the shoes attached to the pedals at all times...ALSO worked very well as theft deterents since NO ONE could ride the bike fast without the appropriate shoes and cleats.


That said, I'm still on a set of Time Equipe Magnesiums I got in 1991....and the accompanying Time Carbon shoes....4 bolt cleat....starting to wear a bit...wonder where I might get some replacements.

In switching from Looks to these, I dropped my saddle almost 0.5CM....like the float...I have touched pedal to pavement around turns back in my younger days, and they aren't so great to walk in....but I'll stick with them for now.

urbanknight

True, it is a blatant rip off of the Look design.

eskimo85

Yeah, I was counting time as look style, and i know nothing about eggbeaters so they didnt even occur to me to include them, are they similar to the mountain bike egg beaters?

Yoshi

Crashed during a race and took a chunk out of one of my pedals. The shop took it apart and said it was okay; I rode on it for a few weeks and it felt fine but I ended up replacing them for peace of mind.

kukusz

They are those pedals

Dubbayoo

No Keywin users? Those are more popular in the UK, down under and on the track.

urbanknight

Many would argue that Time is nothing like Look. As for eggbeaters, I think the "road" versions have a platform? I really don't know, as I've never used them.

patentcad

Speedplays for 15 years. Keos for the past 2 months. Loving the Keos. Fewer hot spots, wider platform feel. Very easy to clip in/out too.

DocRay

Eggbeaters are 4-sided, not platform.
Quattros are 2 -sided, platform, walkable, brass cleat.
Speedplays last a long time if you use cleat covers to walk around.

I've ownes Keos -IM plastic is not the material to use here.

eskimo85

wow this is much closer than i would have expected

carpediemracing 

The day I read about how to throw your bike in a sprint I excitedly ran to the bike, coasted down the driveway, and "threw" the bike - and my Vans promptly rolled off my Aerolites and dumped my crotch on the rear wheel. My "stuff" got jammed between the brake and the rear wheel and I skidded to a stop.

I never practiced my bike throws on Aerolites without the right shoes again.

Other than that experience, and the one where my pedal came off with a few hundred meters to go during a huge leadout, I loved them. Problem is trying to get the cleats right. If I ever get them going again, watch out! 76 grams (for the pair, including cleats and hardware), 360 degree engagement, insane cornering clearance, soft plastic even if you dig a pedal, and virtually impossible to pull out of - a criterium racer's dream pedal. The steel ones add about 60 grams to the equation. I have a box full of pedals, cleats, and various screws and plates waiting for me to figure out a way to use it all.

cdr

DinoShepherd

What happened with the Keos? I was kind of suspicious about this too, but they seem to be holding up.

Were yours the carbon originals or the plastic (sprint / classic) ones?

-Z