cindy

I have finally selected the pedals that I want --- the X3 Speedplays.

I have found them on the Performance and Nashbar website for only $99. However, I can't figure out the following: do the pedals come with cleats or do I have to buy those on the side? Also, can I buy any road shoe and put the cleats on them? Plus, can I take the pedals to a LBS after I purchase them on the web and have them install for some $$?

I know, I have asked a million questions regarding pedals. I am just afraid to get the wrong thing due to ignorance and end up regreting my purchase.

ockey53

yes, if you buy new pedals... they should come with the cleats.

If they are a nice LBS, then yes.... but they might say, that's not ours... we can't do that. So just call before you leave.

-Dan the Man-

ockey53

Check my post

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...threadid=33127

I know you're in there somewhere, but they answered all of my questions.

-Dan the Man-

Marlin523

About the shoes: Make certain they have a VERY still sole because as you know there is no platform for Speedplays. As for the installation at your LBS, of course. Anything for a price, unless of course you have some "special" relationship with them.

ockey53

I should encourage a "special" relationship with an LBS guy.... discounted stuff or even FREE stuff is ALWAYS a plus

-Dan the Man-

khuon

The LBS may frown upon it of course but you might want to do yourself a favour and also purchase a pedal wrench while you're there. If you still can't figure out how to put the pedals on then you might want to ask the LBS to show you how.

You may also wish to check out the Park Tool Co. webpage on pedal installation and removal for pointers. Just remember that right pedals have right-hand threads and tighten in a clockwise rotation while left pedals are the opposite. With Speedplay pedals, you can also just use a 15mm crescent wrench as opposed to a pedal-specific 15mm wrench since there's enough clearance on the spindle. I'm not sure what the actual price differences are but if you don't happen to have a 15mm crescent, it might be cheaper to pick up one at Sears or an auto-parts store than a pedal-wrench at the bike shop. Some other pedals have larger bodies that require a slimmer wrench. The only problem with just any old crescent wrench is that you might not be able to torque it down enough since they tend to be shorter than pedal-wrenches. A piece of heavy pipe used as a cheater-bar will help in such a case. Also... remember to grease the threads before installation. And if you have titanium spindles, use something like Ti-prep. I use Ti-prep on all my threads (except for the bolts for my cleats - use Loc-Tite there) regardless of whether they're made of titanium or not... it's just a good anti-sieze.

RegularGuy

Asking your LBS to do work on mail order parts is a wee bit crass. Buy the parts from them, or pay them to do the work.

Pedals aren't hard to work with. I recommend using a dedicated pedal wrench. It will be thin enough to fit your pedals (the ones you re removing) and will be long enough to provide sufficient leverage. Park's wrench is probably as good as the best of them, but others will do as well. I'm pretty sure that all of the Speedplays have wrench flats. (Some pedals, like Time's, take an allen wrench from the back). Just remember that the left pedal is reverse threaded. That means that both pedals tighten toward the front of the bike and loosen toward the rear.

In short, buy your pedals from your LBS and they should install them free of charge. Buy them from a mail order house and be prepared to pay the LBS for installation...if they will do it at all. OR, buy a pedal wrench when you get the pedals and do the work yourself.

Grease the threads before you install pedals. Unless the pedal spindles or your crankarms are titanium, anti-sieze is expensive overkill.

RegularGuy

Oh yeah, be sure that you install the pedal marked "L" or "G" on the left side of the bike. I've seen some cross-threaded pedals and it wasn't pretty.

khuon

Agreed. But since I do have ti parts (such as my pedal spindles), I like just having to buy one tube. Plus I'm a creature of habit so this way as I'm putting stuff back together, I don't have to think about which tube of grease to reach for.

RegularGuy

I might have offered a more intelligent reply if I'd read your post more carefully.

ockey53

Yes, Loc-tite... use it when you're installing the spindles. Loc-tite is a lube that helps you install screws into bolts (in your case, a spindle into a crank).

Pedal wrenchs aren't too expensive. They are like $10-$15. You can go to your LBS and get one.

-Dan the Man-

dexmax

I must be very lucky...

They (LBS, actually my Favorite Bike Shop) don't charge me anything when they do minor repairs and installations... They just refuse to take my money...

shokhead

I'm not mr. Goodwrench but pedals?Come on,you screw them in,L on left and R{not g}right.

vadimivich

"L" or "G" both signify the left pedal, "G" for gauche - French for left (only applies to TIME or LOOK pedals, I believe)

And without a proper pedal wrench, many pedals are nearly impossible to mount correctly - try using your standard Sears crescent wrenches to mount a set of LOOK's without dinging your cranks or pedals all to hell.

dragracer

LOL...I gotta agree. I don't mean to put anyone down here so please don't take it that way, but this seems insane to me. How hard could it possibly be to unscrew your old pedals and screw in the new ones!!! I hope this doesn't sound like I'm bragging, but I do ALL my own mechanic work on ALL my vehicles(bikes, cars, truck, SUV, racecar, boat....yes I know we have way too many vehicles ) so maybe I just don't understand other people's point of view on this. But it seems utterly ridiculous to me to have to take a bike to someone to have them put pedals on it. And who needs a special wrench to put them on!! Hell, if I don't have a wrench that's thin enough, I'll find an old cheap wrench in my toolbox and grind down the sides until it IS thin enough. Grinding down a $2.00 wrench makes more sense to me than paying 10 or 12 bucks for a wrench that is no better than the 2 dollar one. And I don't have to make a special trip to the LBS for it!! OK I'll shut up now before I get myself in trouble. Just my opinion(s) here so please don't anyone take any of this personally.....or even seriously for that matter.

djbowen1

Whenever you have to go to the bike store with something that you didnt purchase there you always need a good excuse or they are usually nasty. i use the it was a gift from my old riding buddy where i used to live, Or My buddy bought it and never used it and gave it to me real cheap.

vadimivich

You do realize that many people that ride not only don't have an 'old' wrench, they certainly don't have the equipment to grind it down ... for most people without a full professional repair shop in our garages, a quick trip to the LBS to throw on new pedals, check out what goodies came into the shop and bull**** with other riders is far less hastle than trying to figure out how to come up with the right tools.

I like to fix everything myself, my girlfriend can't be hastled to worry about it, and frankly I've probably spent as much money on tools and equipment as she's spent on paying someone to fix things for her. It's pretty funny actually, to each their own.

lurker

Check the price at your LBS as well as mail order. Often, the prices aren't that much different. On occasions, my LBS has had LOWER prices than the Big Box Bike Store shops. (Of course, they can't match the sale and clearence prices)

I got Speedplay X/3's for $99 from my LBS, and they installed the pedals and cleats without even being asked. Plus, no waiting for the pedals to come in. You can just ride off.

shokhead

They should install them,you paid for them and they want you to return,thats good for returns.If i get something from anywhere else,take by bike into a lbs and ask to have it installed,of course i expect to pay,thats right.I also expect the lbs to say nothing.They are getting my money to do a job.

lotek 

Cindy,

where in Texas are you?

As everyone here has mentioned its not difficult to install
new pedals. Speedplay are especially easy as there is
alot of clearance for wrench without marring either
the pedal or the crankarms.
If you are going to be doing alot of your own work
a pedal wrench makes sense.
The real issue is mounting the cleats, there are alot of
variables that play into this.
I'd strongly recommend letting your LBS mount the cleats
(at least the first time) so position of foot on pedal is
correct.
If you get a good deal on the pedals/cleats then go into
LBS, buy some stuff (tubes, socks anything) and have them
mount cleats at same time. Let the LBS you want to build good
working relationship with them, not just use them to install the
stuff you get from internet shopping.
I've seen speedplay pedals for the same price as the big
internet sellers at a few LBS' in the Dallas Area, and that would
solve all your concerns, no?

Marty

TrekRider

Sometimes your LBS, if you ask nicely, will cut you a deal. I am gathering the accessories I will need for my road bike purchase in 296 days (but who's counting?). I found Sidi Genius 4's and Look PP-396 combination in Colorado Cyclist for about $289, about a $50 savings.

The shoes at my LBS are $190, the pedals are $150. I was looking at the shoes and asked how much Look pedals were and mentioned, hummm, that's a bit more than CC has them for. The guy said, okay, I'll give them to you for the same price. This saved the shipping charge, too!

I am a very good customer and recommended them to two friends that have both bought bikes from him. Good relationships are a must!

shokhead

Wow,200 bucks for shoes,you must race.

cindy

After reading the posts I decided to run into my fav LBS and inquire about the X3 price. Turns out they are more than willing to match the $99 price. So, all my install problems are handled.

However, no one has responded to the shoe question-- can I purchase any road shoe?

Oh, and for those not understanding why I would have them installed-- let's just say I know what I am good at and what I am not. I am numerically not mechanically inclined. Laugh if you like...but I don't laugh when companies bring me their taxes. I recognize that you don't have to be a genius to put on pedals or to find tax loop holes...you merely have to have the patience to get through it...and honestly I would rather save my patience for something else.

khuon

I'm glad it worked out best this way. I'm always more than willing to give the LBS first crack at my business. More often than not, I end up needing to look no further. But even if the LBS quoted you $10 more for the pedals, the cost you would have incurred either getting them to install pedals bought online or you having to buy a pedal wrench would most likely have a higher overall expenditure. Many people forget to take such costs into account when they buy online.


I have found that Sidi road shoes with the Genius sole (I think most of their road shoes now use this sole) work best with Speedplay cleats. Speedplay ships their cleats with a special plate just for Sidi shoes which should be used instead of the generic plate. The Speedplay X and Zero cleats are very large cleats and mount using four screws into a plate that in turn mounts to a 3-bolt Look pattern. Make sure that whatever shoe you get has enough stiffness across the whole sole as opposed to just the mounting area.

late

Hi,
it depends. I have Sidis which usually take to Speedplays like a duck to water. So I bought some Speedplays from my LBS. He could not get them to work on that pair of shoes. Go figure. So I am riding Eggbeaters. The moral of the story is a good bike shop can help you out of jams you didn't know existed.