Need help with my Speedplay pedals

markwill said:

I've had a road bike for about a year and had the standard SPD pedals that came with my Giant OCR1, along with some mountain bike shoes a buddy lent me. I finally decided to bite the bullet and upgraded to road shoes (Shimano R151's) and Speedplay X2's. I got out today for my first real ride and have some questions about the pedals...

In short, I'm finding it a little difficult to disengage. At the top of the strokes it's REALLY dfficult to push the heel out sufficiently. At the bottom of the stroke it's easier - but in an emergency scenario I won't have the luxury of choosing whether I disengage on the top or bottom of the stroke. Is the difficulty of getting out of the things at the top of the stroketo be expected? At this (early) stage this seems like a real problem for me and one that I didn't have with the SPD pedals.

I have another challenge too. With my old SPD pedals I have one side that was a rubber platform and one the entry side. This created a very minor frustration sometimes when I started peddling (had to "right" the pedal) but had one big advantage - as I approached a stop I could easily switch the pedal so that I was resting on the platform. With the Speedplays (being "double sided entry"😉 I have no such advantage - and even when I disengaged early found myself concerned that I would accidentally re-engage as I came to a halt - the underside of the shoe is very hard (since it's carbon fiber) and this there's no obvious part of the sole on which I can rest.

Anyway, this is clearly a "user issue" because many others use these without a problem. Any hints as to how to address these problems would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Mark

The release should be easier after some break-in. Lube the cleats every few rides, as recommended by Speedplay. I use silicone spray on the cleat clips; others put a drop of chainlube on the pedal mating surfaces. Either way helps smooth the release.

I always release at the bottom of the stroke, with weight on the pedal. It's easy to do quickly if you push down and turn out the heel. You always have one foot or the other near bottom, so no need to try to unclip at the top.

If you practice rolling to a stop and releasing quickly with the foot at the bottom of the stroke bet you'll be confident in no time at all.

Mark,

I think that after a little bit of time you will get used to your new Speedplay Pedals. They are great pedals and I personally will not use another type pedal after racing on these.

To answer your question, I ride the Speedplay Zero Pedal and the best place to disengage is somewhere right in the middle of my pedal stroke. This is my preferential place to do so. I would try it.

As for resting at a Stop or Light, I only disegage one pedal and keep my foot on the ground. I don't touch the pedal until the light turns greens or I'm moving forward.

Hang in there! You'll get the hang of it. With time, this will all be 2nd nature.

Tailwinds,
Vector7

markwill said:

I've had a road bike for about a year and had the standard SPD pedals that came with my Giant OCR1, along with some mountain bike shoes a buddy lent me. I finally decided to bite the bullet and upgraded to road shoes (Shimano R151's) and Speedplay X2's. I got out today for my first real ride and have some questions about the pedals...

In short, I'm finding it a little difficult to disengage. At the top of the strokes it's REALLY dfficult to push the heel out sufficiently. At the bottom of the stroke it's easier - but in an emergency scenario I won't have the luxury of choosing whether I disengage on the top or bottom of the stroke. Is the difficulty of getting out of the things at the top of the stroketo be expected? At this (early) stage this seems like a real problem for me and one that I didn't have with the SPD pedals.

I have another challenge too. With my old SPD pedals I have one side that was a rubber platform and one the entry side. This created a very minor frustration sometimes when I started peddling (had to "right" the pedal) but had one big advantage - as I approached a stop I could easily switch the pedal so that I was resting on the platform. With the Speedplays (being "double sided entry"😉 I have no such advantage - and even when I disengaged early found myself concerned that I would accidentally re-engage as I came to a halt - the underside of the shoe is very hard (since it's carbon fiber) and this there's no obvious part of the sole on which I can rest.

Anyway, this is clearly a "user issue" because many others use these without a problem. Any hints as to how to address these problems would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Mark

dhk said:

The release should be easier after some break-in. Lube the cleats every few rides, as recommended by Speedplay. I use silicone spray on the cleat clips; others put a drop of chainlube on the pedal mating surfaces. Either way helps smooth the release.

I always release at the bottom of the stroke, with weight on the pedal. It's easy to do quickly if you push down and turn out the heel. You always have one foot or the other near bottom, so no need to try to unclip at the top.

If you practice rolling to a stop and releasing quickly with the foot at the bottom of the stroke bet you'll be confident in no time at all.

Thanks for the response. This was my first ride so hopefully your break-in comment will come to pass. I see your point about releasing at the bottom of the stroke but it's the emergency release that concerns me - the idea of thinking through which pedal is lower and making a snap decision seems somewhat disconcerting. With my SPD pedals I could disengage pretty much at any part of the stroke so didn't have to think about it.

Thanks again.

Mark

Vector7 said:

As for resting at a Stop or Light, I only disegage one pedal and keep my foot on the ground. I don't touch the pedal until the light turns greens or I'm moving forward.

Hang in there! You'll get the hang of it. With time, this will all be 2nd nature.

Tailwinds,
Vector7

Thanks for the response. My concern was not so much about being stopped but more when I am "cruising" towards a stop but might want the occasional extra stroke to reach the 'stop line". With the SPD I could disengage some time before the stop, if I so wished, but keep peddling. This seems more tricky with the Speedplays because each stroke is an opportunity for the pedal to re-engage, just at the time I don't want that to happen.

Thanks again.

Mark

markwill said:

With the SPD I could disengage some time before the stop, if I so wished, but keep peddling. This seems more tricky with the Speedplays because each stroke is an opportunity for the pedal to re-engage, just at the time I don't want that to happen.

Hmm, maybe you've hit on a small disadvantage of the double-sided design. Although I think you'll appreciate the benefit of not having to flip the pedal as you get comfortable w/them. I can pedal lightly if needed w/o re-engaging, or do a stroke with the one clipped leg. Once you've spent more time with the pedals, I think the stop/start, engage/clip out will become 2nd nature.

You may want to contact Speedplay. There is/was an issue with the combination of Speedplays with Shimano carbon fiber shoes. It's something to do with the Shimano shoes being too wide. If my memory serves me right it created difficulty in engaging/disengaging. I also heard that there is a fix for it which I think is just a longer pedal stem. Anyway, check their website or call them and let me know what happens as I am considering a similar combination.

JimmyVA said:

You may want to contact Speedplay. There is/was an issue with the combination of Speedplays with Shimano carbon fiber shoes. It's something to do with the Shimano shoes being too wide. If my memory serves me right it created difficulty in engaging/disengaging. I also heard that there is a fix for it which I think is just a longer pedal stem. Anyway, check their website or call them and let me know what happens as I am considering a similar combination.

Thanks for the response. You are spot on - almost :-) There is a mention on the Speedplay web site about this but, when I called, I was informed that this problem didn't relate to newer versions of the Shimano carbon fiber shoes. I am not 100% sure that I DON'T have a problem but I don't see any obvious problem. There is one very specific part of the stroke where the toe of the foot can contact the pedal stem but it's for a small fraction of the overall strole and occurs when the heel is pointed out quite substantially. In short, my problems disengaging don't seem to be related to this issue - but I am not quite convinced yet.

Thanks.

Mark

dhk said:

The release should be easier after some break-in. Lube the cleats every few rides, as recommended by Speedplay. I use silicone spray on the cleat clips; others put a drop of chainlube on the pedal mating surfaces. Either way helps smooth the release.

My limited experience to date with these pedals supports your "break-in" statement. I have a tendancy to disengage from the right side first (my stronger leg) and I'd say that this pedal is significant easier to disengage from at this point.

I am still at the "concerned" stage when I approach stops but that is reducing :-) What was a worry yesterday (went out in the delightful Northwest sun for 20 miles) was that - for no apparent reason that I could detect - sometimes I just could not disengage the left pedal. I was practising quite frequently and there were at least three occasions where I essentially gave up and just unclipped the right foot. At other times the left foot disengaged like it was buttered! So, no apparent pattern yet :-(

I must say through that I LOVE the float!!!

Thanks.

Mark

markwill said:

My limited experience to date with these pedals supports your "break-in" statement. I have a tendancy to disengage from the right side first (my stronger leg) and I'd say that this pedal is significant easier to disengage from at this point.

I am still at the "concerned" stage when I approach stops but that is reducing :-) What was a worry yesterday (went out in the delightful Northwest sun for 20 miles) was that - for no apparent reason that I could detect - sometimes I just could not disengage the left pedal. I was practising quite frequently and there were at least three occasions where I essentially gave up and just unclipped the right foot. At other times the left foot disengaged like it was buttered! So, no apparent pattern yet :-(

I must say through that I LOVE the float!!!

Thanks.

Mark

The left cleat issue doesn't sound right. Check your left cleat to make sure the clip "floats" freely when you turn it with your fingers. If your shoe base is uneven, or you've overtightened a cleat screw, it could cause the clip to stick, which would make release difficult. Also, make sure the cleat is clean. Speedplays are sensitive to dirt and grit. I carry the Coffee Shop covers with me, and try to use them whenever I have to walk on dirty or sandy surfaces.

dhk said:

The left cleat issue doesn't sound right. Check your left cleat to make sure the clip "floats" freely when you turn it with your fingers. If your shoe base is uneven, or you've overtightened a cleat screw, it could cause the clip to stick, which would make release difficult. Also, make sure the cleat is clean. Speedplays are sensitive to dirt and grit. I carry the Coffee Shop covers with me, and try to use them whenever I have to walk on dirty or sandy surfaces.

I will have a look. I know they are clean (I have the Coffee Shop covers and, so far, haven't been anywhere near dirt, wet roads, etc). Someone at my local bike store installed the cleats so perhaps they are too tight. Thanks for the tip.

Mark

OK - getting the hang of these things now (Speedplay X2's) :-) I've been out for about 120 miles over 6 rides in the last week or two and I am feeling much more comfortable with them. I did a 40 miler today and had no problems at all - with one small exception.

I'm still struggling with these pedals a little when approaching a stop sign up hill. For example, as I approached such a stop sign today I had little speed (because the hill extended for a while before the stop sign). And I am finding the X2's really quite difficult to disengage while I have both slow cadance and a need to keep pressure during the stroke. Luckily for me today, I had an "out" (a small track to the right of the stop sign that just allowed me to turn off and cycle around a little - probably looked quite funny :-)).

Anyway, I'd be interested to know how others are disengaging from X2's while approaching a stop sign uphill. The need to maintain pressure during the stroke seems to make it difficult to disengage.

As an aside, I also find it a little disconcerting starting up again at such an uphill stop. I have have one half of a downward stroke with the engaged pedal before I need to engage the other pedal. Generally I do that OK but it's a small scope for error - misplace the cleat slightly and my carbon soles are very slippery, at just the time I am applying maximum pressure. Not good...

Mark

ti sure sounds like an installation problem to me. Especially since it seems to be one side that is the problem. The bottom of the cleat needs to be totally flat both front to back and side to side when you sight along it. If there is any twist it will cause problems.

The other possibility, which also seems likely based on your posts, is you are just freaking out and going into panic mode trying to pull your foot out instead of just twisting out.

markwill said:

OK - getting the hang of these things now (Speedplay X2's) :-) I've been out for about 120 miles over 6 rides in the last week or two and I am feeling much more comfortable with them. I did a 40 miler today and had no problems at all - with one small exception.

I'm still struggling with these pedals a little when approaching a stop sign up hill. For example, as I approached such a stop sign today I had little speed (because the hill extended for a while before the stop sign). And I am finding the X2's really quite difficult to disengage while I have both slow cadance and a need to keep pressure during the stroke. Luckily for me today, I had an "out" (a small track to the right of the stop sign that just allowed me to turn off and cycle around a little - probably looked quite funny :-)).

Anyway, I'd be interested to know how others are disengaging from X2's while approaching a stop sign uphill. The need to maintain pressure during the stroke seems to make it difficult to disengage.

As an aside, I also find it a little disconcerting starting up again at such an uphill stop. I have have one half of a downward stroke with the engaged pedal before I need to engage the other pedal. Generally I do that OK but it's a small scope for error - misplace the cleat slightly and my carbon soles are very slippery, at just the time I am applying maximum pressure. Not good...

Mark

You really don't need to pedal while unclipping, even approaching an uphill stop sign. Just pause on a downstroke, while the bike is still rolling, and clip out. It's foolproof as long as you're pressing down on the pedal when you kick your heel out.

Suggest you just practice by rolling slowly to a stop on a level lot or street, unclipping when the bike is just slowing to a stop. Same for clipping in; move away with one foot, and then clip in the other. Practice pulling away from a stop and pedalling with one leg so you won't get into a panic in case you miss the clip-in the first go around.

Suggest you practice in a safe place a few dozen times with both feet every day until you're confident about clipping in and out. You could even practice on grass if you're worried about a fall.

I have +/- a thousand miles on my SS X2s and really like the float. I have not experienced the hot spots that others have complained about (they probably ride longer than I do). What I have noticed, and it is really quite bothersome, is they will un-clip suddenly! Not a real confidence builder.

Any ideas?

rfctx said:

I have +/- a thousand miles on my SS X2s and really like the float. I have not experienced the hot spots that others have complained about (they probably ride longer than I do). What I have noticed, and it is really quite bothersome, is they will un-clip suddenly! Not a real confidence builder.

Any ideas?

Unclipping under load has to be fixed quickly. I'd check to make sure the c-clips are undamaged, clean and free to rotate in the cleats. Also, make sure the engaging slots in the pedals are clean and not worn as well.

If the pedals and cleats were new when you got them, can't believe anything would be worn enough in 1000 miles to cause this problem.