SPDs, Frogs, knees
 

i recently switched my commuter from flats to SPDs. i love 'em. my right knee, however, is not happy (after 1-2 weeks).

i made some adjustments, and i've been paying close attention to my feet, knees, and pedalling. i think i've got everything adjusted where it needs to be (after adjusting the saddle and cleats) but here's what i think is aggravating my right knee...

when i stop, it's almost always left foot down, right foot stays clipped in. i think that's where i'm putting the twist in my knee... stop and go... and what's causing knee pain on the right. adjusting the cleats so my feet are more "toe out" might help, but with my knee already tweaked it'll be hard to tell.

so i've done some homework, and it seems like the frogs should fix this. of course they're not cheap by my current cash-flow accounting, and reviews are either really good, or really bad. i don't remember the last time i encountered mud on the commute, and that seems to negate the bad reviews, which leaves people almost unanimously raving about them.

that leaves my other reservation about the cleats being about twice the price of SPD cleats... not sure how they'll hold up... and of course there's always the "will i like it" question. locally, i can't test-drive them at any of the shops, and the most recent 2nd-hand auctions were a few years ago.

anyway... before i go and spend $$$ on new pedals (and then probably also get a 2nd pair, for the TT bike) is there anything else i want to consider?

thanks...

Time ATAC pedals are a good in-between option. More float than SPD, less than Frogs. Release tension and float are independent of each other, and price points on Time ROC ATAC pedals start lower than Frogs, and cleats are only a few $ more than SPD. I've been using them pretty much all of this year and just bought a second pair.

I do that to my right knee as well, at times, and that's with Power Grips or toe clip pedals. The best thing I've found is to keep my trunk from twisting when mounting or dismounting.

ATAC can adjust release angle by which one goes on which shoe
cleat pair has a Rt and a Left, [1 has a star mark in it]
but putting the left one on the right shoe is a choice.

I like Time ATACs aswell, good amount of float... Recently switched to Look Quartz Carbon '09 and loving it. About the same amount of float as the ATACs but easier clip in/out (to me at least) and alot lighter. (115g per pedal)

Scored on a brand new pair off eBay for $55 and they retail for over $150. Comes with 2 pairs of cleats with 15 and 20 degrees and several shims.

from reading reviews... the "free float" of the frogs appeals to me more than the "centering float" of the ATACs. i also think i don't want lateral float, which again pushes me towards the frogs.

I have more pairs of frogs then I care to count. I will not use anyting but. And if you do run it to mud, no worries a all I race mtb in them and have never had a problem with mud.

Thinking about picking up Frogs as well and having a professional fit for shoes, cleat alignment, etc. I don't want to fiddle around with my knees health.

If you go thru the LBS Speedplay makes longer axles , to work better with wider feet
and toe out .. heel in foot placement..
there are points like where toe of shoe hits crank arm and so foot won't release
as It cant get to the release angle.

others, web sellers, buy a case of the standard shorter axle.

I wore out a Frog pedal after about 12,000 miles, including 3,000 touring miles where I didn't bother/get around to lubing it. The other bike's pedals have over 30,000 miles, with regular lube and occasional re-building. So on a cost per mile, I'd say they're competitive.

I love the float, and it took me about 3 miles to get used to it. Some people hate it. Unless you can find someone near your size (bike and foot), you pretty much have to buy to try.

Those look pretty good. If I hadn't just bought another pair of Times I might have tried them.

I really like them alot. Even the base model one is only 140g per pedal. Give 'em a try in the future. :thumb:

SPD's are not nice to knees that need more rotational float.
Speedplay Light action worked great for me. Lotsa float, but non-SPD cleat.

Then I discovered MKS Touring pedals with MKS Deep Toe clips (no straps), and I ain't lookin' back.
I can wear any shoe, and no more knee probs, and only about 60$ for the whole setup.
No pedal strike either. Doesn't slow me down and I can still pull up even though I don't use the straps. The clips hold my foot right on the pedal so it doesn't come off.

I have a pair of Frogs I could part with, but no cleats. Ping me via PM and we can arrange something...

FWIW, I liked the Frogs well enough, loved the huge amount of float, but found that 14 deg of float with Shimano SPDs was more than enough for me. ...and I'm no longer the odd guy out if I'm demo-ing bikes or swapping bikes with others. SPD seems to be the dominant pedal system out there.