Grendel

Hey all!

While I'm waiting to take delivery of my new bike (Specialized Allez 27 Sport) I got to wondering about what pedals I should be getting since the stock pedals are low-end things with toe clips. I'm prone to knee problems and one thing I'm worried about is getting a pedal with enough float to keep my knees comfortable. I've looked through the archive here and have done research elsewhere and it looks like Speedplay pedals would be perfect, especially the Frogs since I was hoping to get something compatible with SPD-style shoes that I could walk in more easily.

Problem is, they're somewhat pricey and they may have a little too much float (I've read the descriptions about the feeling of 'walking on ice' -- hmmm...). Are there alternatives that offer enough float and are SPD-compatible? Also, how much float is enough for someone with problem knees -- I've found several pedals that offer 6 degrees of float and was wondering if that's enough?

P. B. Walker

I have the standard SPD clipless pedals (Shimano PD-M515 SPD Pedal)... with up to 8 degree float I believe. I then got the cleats for my shoes that allow multiple release... Shimano SH-55 Multi Release SPD Cleats to be exact. I've never had a problem with my knees due to the pedals. I can "flick" out at almost any angle. For me it's actually more ankle power and flexibility than it is knees. I don't think I even use my knees when I release. And I don't have that walk on ice feeling at all. I feel very secure when I'm clipped in.

Just my two cents. I've never had knee surgery or anything like that, so my knees aren't too bad, but I try to take care of them.

PBW

Cipher

I prefer Speedplay, lots of float. Here's a link to some previous threads on this pedal as well as comments on others.

Clipless Pedals

Poppaspoke

Speedplay X2's have helped me with my knee problems. Also adjusting the position of the cleats back on your shoes reduces the stress on the front of the knee (particularly if you have long feet). Training yourself to spin at a higher cadence in an easier gear is essential if you're prone to knee problems.

khuon

I had issues with the Frogs having a little too much float and feeling "slippery" so I switched to Zeros which have adjustable float and have been very pretty happy. The downside is that they're kinda pricey. You might also want to check out the Eggbeaters and Bebops.

Grendel

I've thought about the Eggbeaters also; the light weight and 4-sided entry sound good, but I wasn't sure if the 6 degrees of float would be sufficient. What are Bebops?

Maybe I'm getting too hung up on this float issue but I'd hate to tear up my knees, and since I'm a noob to clipless pedals I have never ridden any kind of captive pedals (other than the stock toe-clip things on the Allez I used for the test ride) and have no experience to draw on.

To what extent are the cleats adjustable and how important is that to knee comfort?

Poppaspoke

The cleats on your cycling shoes are designed to center on the ball of your foot---thus the ball of your foot is directly over the pedal spindle and becomes the point of balance where you contact the pedals. Most shoes have an adjustment to allow the cleats to be moved a short distance forward or back...kind of like adjusting your seatpost; once you get it where you want it you dont move it. The further away from your ankle your point of balance is, the greater the force on the front of your knee. Try an experiment: balance the balls of your feet on a 2 X 4 with the heels hanging off the back for a few minutes...you will begin to feel a slight soreness in the front of your knees. For this reason, I adjust my cleats as far back as the shoe/cleat design allows. This helps save my knees without appreciable loss of pedaling efficiency.

pcsanity1

First-

Congratulations on the new bike. I got the 2003 Allez Sport about three months ago and love it. It has been an all around great bike. The only complaint I had was that the spokes came loose a bit too quick. My LBS rebuilt them and put locktite on them. No problems since for over 400 miles. I love the bike. (Not to mention the black in the '03 looks pretty cool)

I have really bad knees, (Three surgeries left, 1 right) but have not had any major probmems since getting the bike. I use Shimano PD-M515 SPD Pedals on Specialized shoes and have not had any problems.

That being said, make sure the bike shop does a good job of giving you the time you deserve for a good fit.

Enjoy the new bike.

Matt

Cipher

With the ball of your foot directly over the pedal spindle, I believe this is called a neutral position. I read somewhere that sprinters position the ball of their foot up to 1 cm. behind the spindle, where as climbers will tend to do the opposite, with the ball of their foot up to 1 cm. forward of the spindle.

spinner1

i have Look's, and love them. they have just the right amount of float, and a nice large surface area that your foot clips into. i feel much more secure.

lotek 

Grendel,

I have BAD knees, get me to walk much more than a couple
of miles and I'm in sorry shape. Don't even think about
running etc. I also went to clipless after long layoff.
As a noob you don't need to worry bout the standing on
an ice cube thing. Its kind of like this, you like/adjust to
easier the system that you learn on.
I started on Speedplay and they feel fine with
me, I like the float but wouldn't know excess float if it
came up and bit me on the butt.
Know what I mean? yeah its weird at first, but you'll get
over it. Don't worry too much about what everyone
else says on the internet and in magazines.
bit of advice, take a bit of time to learn to clip in
and out. Do it in a field with some grass for when you
fall over. remember practice makes perfect.

Marty

ohsfan

Nice to see other Allez owners on here!

I'm all around noob, so I bought Eggbeaters for their ease of entry/exit. I did find them easy to get in/out of, but I did experience some pain in my lest knee. After doing some experimenting, I found that the pain was due to the position of the cleat on my shoe NOT the lack of float. As mentioned above, the closer the cleat was moved to the balls of my feet, the more comforable everything became.

Just something to think about.

Grendel

Hey All!

Thanks for the responses and the good info! One of the requirements I have is that the shoe must support recessed cleats for easier walking, in other words something SPD-compatible, so that limits my choices to an extent and rules out some of the suggested pedals (Look, Speedplay X-series). Low cost is also important -- I know it's not wise to cheap out on an important component and pay the price later, but the less I spend on pedals is more I can spend on the shoes, and of course this is all after spending a fair bit of change to get the bike to begin with... And, of course, they have to have some 'give' so that my knees are happy.

So, I considered all the advice and made the rounds of several shops in my area and decided on getting a pair of Time ATAC Alium pedals -- $59.98 from Pricepoint.com. They are double-sided so entry should be easy enough, they have 10 degrees of rotation and 6mm of lateral float, they have more of a platform to stand on than other pedals I've considered (Eggbeaters, Frogs and most Shimano SPD's) so 'hot spots' shouldn't be a problem on long rides, and they seem to have gotten generally good reviews online.

Man, I can't wait to put all this together and ride this thing!

ohsfan

BTW,

I got my 2nd set of Eggbeaters for $60 + SH from Performance about a month ago. I also didn't have to trim any part of my shoe to get the cleats to fit. (I have Nike Pedalis.)


OF