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Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????



 
 
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  #11  
Old October 15th 03, 01:04 AM
Doug
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Default Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????

I agree. This is pure crap.

I'd be surprised if your pedals caused your knee problems. More likely, it
was your position on the bike, or the position of your foot within the shoe
(do you need an orthotic or footbed), or your cleat position on the shoe, or
your need to prematurely push huge gears, or a sudden increase in mileage,
or a pre-existing condition creating a disposition toward injury, or a
combination of the above. Float does not generate "bad habits."

That being said, if you don't want float, you can always opt for the
Speedplay Zeros, with which you can reduce or entirely eliminate the float.
I believe that the spring mechanisms in the Zeros tend to last longer
because the flat spring/clips tend not to wear out as fast as the rounded
spring in the regular Speedplays.

Getting in and out of the pedals SHOULD be a major concern. If you are
racing, think on the start at any criterium -- do you want to fumble with
your cleats and end up in the back of the pack going into the first corner.
If you ride in traffic, think about starting from a stop light. The fact
is, that once your are engaged in a pedal, there isn't much difference
(perhaps apart from he amount of the float). Differences in functionality
relate to entry and exit.

For what its worth, I've been through numerous knee reconstructions
resulting from playing dumb contact sports earlier in my life. I've used
Speedplays for close to 10 years now (I can't believe that they've been
around that long!). Before that, I used other clipless systems. I
wouldn't consider using anything other than Speedplays now.



"Mack Mad" wrote in message
...

"Mike Lana" wrote in message
om...
I do not recomend speedplay for those with limeted riding experience.
I trained about 60-100 miles per week four 4 years before I switched
to speedplays. I started gaining some bad habits because the float
allowed me to rotate my heel in. I had a major knee injury that ended
the season. Of course I was the one with the bad form but the pedals
allowed the range of movement . Since then I have stuck with Time(my
favorite but expensive) and Look pedals. They force me to have better
form. I have not had an injury since.
Good Luck
Mike



(Ryan Bates) wrote in message

om...
Looking for opinions on speedplay versus Shimano dura ace pedals. i'm
about a 1:00 40k bike rider for triathlon (5'11, 160lbs)with a cadence
of about 90rpm, and want to know which to buy. speedplay is lighter
and has more float, but seems like a lot of pros are going the dura
ace route. why would you pick dura ace over the lighter speedplays???
(let's pretend price doesn't matter). thanks!


Is it just me or does this argument make no sense? More float isn't going

to
cause knee injuries - that is one of the reasons Look pedals went to the

Red
Arc cleat and the float. If you are locked in a bad position and can't
rotate injuries would appear due to the improper setup. Seems to me the
float would prevent this.

I would have to know more to even begin to believe that Speedplay's would
cause injury.




Ads
  #12  
Old October 15th 03, 05:22 AM
Frank Jaworski
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Posts: n/a
Default Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????

Now there's a new take. Allowing your foot to go where it would naturally
go isn't going to cause injury.........on the contrary.........it is the
being secured to an un-natural ("good form") position that is the cause of
most peoples problems.


"Mike Lana" wrote in message
om...
I do not recomend speedplay for those with limeted riding experience.
I trained about 60-100 miles per week four 4 years before I switched
to speedplays. I started gaining some bad habits because the float
allowed me to rotate my heel in. I had a major knee injury that ended
the season. Of course I was the one with the bad form but the pedals
allowed the range of movement . Since then I have stuck with Time(my
favorite but expensive) and Look pedals. They force me to have better
form. I have not had an injury since.
Good Luck
Mike



(Ryan Bates) wrote in message

om...
Looking for opinions on speedplay versus Shimano dura ace pedals. i'm
about a 1:00 40k bike rider for triathlon (5'11, 160lbs)with a cadence
of about 90rpm, and want to know which to buy. speedplay is lighter
and has more float, but seems like a lot of pros are going the dura
ace route. why would you pick dura ace over the lighter speedplays???
(let's pretend price doesn't matter). thanks!



  #13  
Old October 15th 03, 05:27 AM
Tim Lines
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Posts: n/a
Default Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????

I used to use speedplays. Then I hurt my kneee in a running accident.
The speedplays had nothing to do with the injury. When I was
recovering, I found that well adjusted SPD pedals with no float at all
were the best thing for me. They locked my foot into a position that
was good for my knee. Since then I haven't worried about float.

Mack Mad wrote:
"Mike Lana" wrote in message
om...

I do not recomend speedplay for those with limeted riding experience.
I trained about 60-100 miles per week four 4 years before I switched
to speedplays. I started gaining some bad habits because the float
allowed me to rotate my heel in. I had a major knee injury that ended
the season. Of course I was the one with the bad form but the pedals
allowed the range of movement . Since then I have stuck with Time(my
favorite but expensive) and Look pedals. They force me to have better
form. I have not had an injury since.
Good Luck
Mike



(Ryan Bates) wrote in message


om...

Looking for opinions on speedplay versus Shimano dura ace pedals. i'm
about a 1:00 40k bike rider for triathlon (5'11, 160lbs)with a cadence
of about 90rpm, and want to know which to buy. speedplay is lighter
and has more float, but seems like a lot of pros are going the dura
ace route. why would you pick dura ace over the lighter speedplays???
(let's pretend price doesn't matter). thanks!



Is it just me or does this argument make no sense? More float isn't going to
cause knee injuries - that is one of the reasons Look pedals went to the Red
Arc cleat and the float. If you are locked in a bad position and can't
rotate injuries would appear due to the improper setup. Seems to me the
float would prevent this.

I would have to know more to even begin to believe that Speedplay's would
cause injury.



  #14  
Old October 15th 03, 11:22 AM
John Forrest Tomlinson
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Posts: n/a
Default Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????

On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 04:22:00 +0000 (UTC), "Frank Jaworski"
wrote:

Now there's a new take. Allowing your foot to go where it would

naturally
go isn't going to cause injury.........on the contrary.........it is

the
being secured to an un-natural ("good form") position that is the

cause of
most peoples problems.


You have a simplistic view of biomechanics. Imagine someone with bad
technique running or doing squats with their knee drifting out as it
flexes. That's what's "natural" for them, and yet they can hurt
themselves.

That's what excess float can be like in *some* cases. And you can see
it on the road -- riders with their knees drifting out on the
downstroke. The causes are many (too low seat, lack of experience,
muscle imbalance, tiredness) and excess float contributes to this. Not
all get knee pain, so it's not always a big deal, but it's an example
of excess float not helping. If the underlying causes of the knee
drift are addressed, many people's knees would be more stable and they
could ride effectively with much less float (or, for a few people, no
float at all).

Back to the runner or someone doing squats -- if they were somehow
forced to do this motion with their knees drifting out (analagous to a
pedal with no float with the cleats set wrong) it would be even worse,
sure, but that doesn't mean that float is always good and no float is
alway worse.

The pedal companies market float as the cure for knee problems (and
too many people buy into that whole-hog), and in a *lot* of cases
they're right (confirming the conventional wisdom). But it's not
always the case, and sometimes float can be bad. It depends on the
person's experience and biomechanics.

JT
  #15  
Old October 27th 03, 02:12 AM
BoulderGeek
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Posts: n/a
Default Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????

I have used both. Actually, I started riding with wooden soled shoes and
nail-on cleats. Getting your rotational adjustments correct the first
time really mattered back then.

I've been using Speedplay X-1s for the past two years on my road bike.
Just for reference, I mainly do brisk country rides and some club spins (I
did climb Les Deux Alpes and the Cols du Lautaret, Telegraphe and
Medeleine on Speedplays). On my mountain bike I use Shimano 858s, which
have about 3 degrees of float.

I have noticed that I tend to allow my heels too much of an exaggerated
motion since I have been using Speedplays. I got them thinking tha, like
riding rollers, the decreased lateral stability would keep my muscles
hones and my technique sharp. It's probably not a big deal, but I do
notice it on occasion.

I've never had knee pain since using Speedplays. I have never prereleased
while using them, and when I need a fast entry, I can get it immediately,
rather than fumbling for a small-format single sided SPD cleat, like used
to have. I've never used the newer Dura Ace large cleat, but I am sure
that it is fine when you get it properly adjusted.

I rode a friend's Colnago this summer with Time pedals, and it have a very
scure entry and retention. I just prefer double sided pedals for city
riding. I actually miss track quill pedals and slotted cleats with toe
straps, for immediate sight-free entry and immense hold.



On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 09:55:32 -0700, Ryan Bates wrote:

Looking for opinions on speedplay versus Shimano dura ace pedals. i'm
about a 1:00 40k bike rider for triathlon (5'11, 160lbs)with a cadence
of about 90rpm, and want to know which to buy. speedplay is lighter
and has more float, but seems like a lot of pros are going the dura
ace route. why would you pick dura ace over the lighter speedplays???
(let's pretend price doesn't matter). thanks!


  #16  
Old October 27th 03, 02:00 PM
Qui si parla Campagnolo
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Posts: n/a
Default Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????

Ryan Bates wrote:

Looking for opinions on speedplay versus Shimano dura ace pedals. i'm
about a 1:00 40k bike rider for triathlon (5'11, 160lbs)with a cadence
of about 90rpm, and want to know which to buy. speedplay is lighter
and has more float, but seems like a lot of pros are going the dura
ace route. why would you pick dura ace over the lighter speedplays???
(let's pretend price doesn't matter). BRBR


I think the Zero, with adjustable float along with all the other advantages of
SP, like double sided entry, light weight, big cleat platform, low sindle to
shoe distance, make it a better choice, IMO..The DA are nice but really just a
re-designed LOOK system..

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"
  #18  
Old October 28th 03, 03:16 AM
Keeper of the Mighty Macaulay
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Posts: n/a
Default Speedplay VS. Dura Ace????

on 03.10.14 8:55, Ryan Bates asserted:

Looking for opinions on speedplay versus Shimano dura ace pedals. i'm
about a 1:00 40k bike rider for triathlon (5'11, 160lbs)with a cadence
of about 90rpm, and want to know which to buy. speedplay is lighter
and has more float, but seems like a lot of pros are going the dura
ace route. why would you pick dura ace over the lighter speedplays???
(let's pretend price doesn't matter). thanks!


The first road pedals I used where the old Look-style Shimano Ultegra
circa-1993. They were great- never pulled out, even on the track, loud
click told me I was in, you could adjust 0 or 6 degree float on the fly with
a switch in the back. Then I gave them to a friend because I thought the
Speedplay Zeros were going to be "it". For me, they really weren't.

I rarely had a clean bike mount- had to make more than one attempt to find
at least one pedal because I just couldn't hit that small target. With my
old pedals, I just hooked the cleat under the front (weighted to always be
up) and pushed down until I heard the loud click. The Speedplay cleats made
unnerving noise when I walked- the metal alway sounded like it was etching
deep grooves into whatever I was walking over. I liked having little or no
rotation, so I adjusted the screws, which was very cool, but they weren't in
great shape from walking and I never quite got the position I wanted on my
left foot. I don't have an opinion on the other Speedplay models- I haven't
used them.

So I sold the Zeros and bought the new SPD-SL Ultegras. Like Peter said
they're basically a Look-style pedal, but that's what I wanted. They're
sweet. No switch on the back of the pedal to zero the float while riding
and no bolt on the bottom to add the extra security of a toestrap (for the
track), but otherwise they look better than the old ultegras and the cleats
are quite bearable to walk in, especially compared to Zero cleats. Maybe
they're lighter, too; I haven't weighed them. It's easy to find the target
than the Zeros (which seems like it would be a serious issue in triathlon
after you're not quite coordinated from swimming- I saw quite a number of
near-crashes at the last tri I watched from people trying to get in their
pedals). Whether the D/A version are worth it (for finish and a few grams
only, as far as I can tell) is up to you- they weren't for me. Oh, yeah,
the Shimanos are way better if you want to just ride your bike around
without putting on the dorky shoes.

Seng


 




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