I think Speedplay are the most suitable pedal you can buy. I have the same set of road pedals from 1997 (on my second set of cleats). Used frog pedals for 25 years and just switched over to Syzr’s for MTB and cross because I do more cross now. From an engineering standpoint, the simplicity and durability are best in class.
How do you like the Syzr’s pedals? I am debating getting them for my new gravel bike.
I love them for gravel, cross, MTB. They do get a little sticky to get into if not cleaned and lubricated but getting out has never been a problem.
The float mechanism is in the cleat so you need to make sure they are kept clean.
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For me it is the lack of float. While I don’t have Speedplays, I have Eggbeaters on my road bike and Mallets on my mountain bike. When I tried 0 degree float cleats briefly, I got a tendonitis after three workouts and had to switch back to 15/20 degrees float cleats immediately.
On the road side, if you like float in your road pedals, then Speedplays are the only game in town it seems.
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Ive got Syzr pedals on my Gravel Bike and really like them. I wanted a much larger platform than Spd’s or Time Atac’s gave as I suffer from hot spots and numb feet on longer rides and they seem to do the trick.Plenty of float as per my Light Action on my other bike. I’m not sure the mud clearing abilities would be up to much but I’m not concerned about that. As per my other Speedplays they are not the fit and forget kind of cleat ie greasing pedal spindles every now and then and spraying the cleats with a PTFE spray after every ride. Very easy to clip and unclip once you’ve got the hang of it and got the tensions right. I’d definitely buy a second pair if I needed to.
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Yes they are
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SPD (the 2-screw MTB variety) do have float.
- Edit to add: 4* of float, per this link.
- It has definite rotation from center before actual cleat release. This is typically a spring-centered action that leads to a more centered position in most cases, but the foot can rotate to the angular limits with a range, and not release.
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The Time ATAC pedals also offer float.
- The cleats can be setup with either 13* or 17* of float. Unlike the SPD’s, the Time cleats and pedals provide non-centered float. Meaning that the foot can land in any angle within the range and stay there. It is just like the effect from the Speedplay pedal.
- Shimano and Look pedals offer cleats with varying amounts of float (in addition to the 0* fixed option).
- Shimano is 6* max, and they have two different cleats (yellow or blue) that shift the effective pivot location for that float. It is a non-centered float that allows the foot to stop rotation at any point in the float range.
- Look is essentially the same as Shimano, but they offer 2 different amounts of float at 4.5* or 9* float.
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Can anyone who has used both Speedplays and Look 4.5 or 9 deg cleats compare the experience? I’ve been on Speedplay Zero for a long while, I really enjoy the float they give and the ease of entry/exit, but the absence of a powermeter option makes me wonder if I should switch. Low or restricted float definitely gives me knee problems.
Don’t know if this is an option for most people but I’ve gone from Garmin Vector 3, to favero assioma, to Stages L/R and then finally Quarq Dzero. I’ve been using Speedplay with Stages and then Quarq. Quarq has been the best, less fuss solution I’ve had to date with the four power meters I’ve tried. The Speedplay allow different float on each pedal (which helps me since my left leg is different than my right, as far as toe in/out), dialing it in doesn’t take much and I set a calendar notice to grease the cleats and spindles. I don’t like maintenance but this maintenance once you get into a routing is very simple. I’ve had no issues walking on the new zero’s. Getting used to the clip in the very beginning was a learning curve and if you don’t grease the cleat, it will stick or become a little tougher when you try to get out of your clips. That’s something I’ve learned.
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Thanks for the list.
I should have been more precise in my post: the amount of float you get with Shimano SPDs is much, much smaller. I have ridden Shimano SPDs for years and had tendonitis issues on and off. After switching to Eggbeaters with up to 3-5x the amount of float, I never experienced problems — until I tried the 0/10 degrees float cleats. I haven’t ridden Time clipless pedals, so I can’t comment on them.
But it is a pity: Shimano pedals are extremely robust. Some riding mates screwed on their 10+ year-old, ratty 105 pedals to their new BMC road machine. Also my old Shimano pedals did not fail (I wanted to switch away, but wanted to be frugal and wait until they failed).
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Thread dredge for related discussion about the ghosting of SP from existence:
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This acquisition never made sense to me…unless Speedplay already had a pedal-based power meter in development (and damn near done), buying a pedal company with the plans to incorporate a PM into an existing design is not the best plan, IMO.
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Thanks for the update. I’m probably at the point where I need to service my sets although I see no need to replace. Also bought a no-name ebay titanium longer axle as I have duck feet so also good to hear that longer options are still part of the package.
Did you get a sense of what the redesign achieves? I was never too bothered about having to regrease as it wasn’t really that difficult and I’ve done one lot of replacement of bearings using an online kit.
If you want float on the road side, I’m pretty sure the Time Xpro/ Xpresso have the most float.
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Yeah, I only ever used the MTB stuff, but I think the road stuff performed similar for float and feel. Will be interesting to see what SRAM has in store for the Time models now. Could be a pedal revival and new power meter war.
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I’ve been on Speedplay literally since day one…and I still have one of my first pairs of the alloy body pedals from 1992 (does anyone even remember those? 
)
Always been in the X series, never tried the Zeroes. Anyone know if the new designs using a new cleat or are they compatible with existing ones?
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The sram pedals on the mtb side might be the more interesting change with the way it might tie in with the suspension
Why would that rely on pedals? They already have Quarq spindle power meters for any data use you need. The biggest difference might be better left right data, but I don’t know how that would be useful for suspension?
Additionally, that would likely require SRAM to get their RockShox brand to offer electronic controls for suspension, since I don’t expect integration with their competitors at Fox and Live Valve.
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Good to see SRAM joining the elec susp party and may end up leading by the looks of things, if they get ahead of Fox at least.