Speedplay or time

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whataboutEee
Posts: 117
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:55 pm

by whataboutEee

Time has a re-centering cleat, meaning it will let your heel move, but it always forces it back to center. For some people this is fine, but for others it causes knee problems. I love the time pedals, but my left knee doesn't, so I have to use speedplays. The free float of speedplay takes a couple hours to get used to, but after that you won't notice it. As others have mentioned, a professional fit is probably a good idea, but speedplays give a bigger margin of error when it comes to knee issues, so I would start there.

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BdaGhisallo
Posts: 3261
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:38 pm

by BdaGhisallo

whataboutEee wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:09 pm
Time has a re-centering cleat, meaning it will let your heel move, but it always forces it back to center. For some people this is fine, but for others it causes knee problems. I love the time pedals, but my left knee doesn't, so I have to use speedplays. The free float of speedplay takes a couple hours to get used to, but after that you won't notice it. As others have mentioned, a professional fit is probably a good idea, but speedplays give a bigger margin of error when it comes to knee issues, so I would start there.
Have you given Keywin pedals a look? They have non-centering float like SP, and the resistance to it can be tuned like it can on Times, but they have none of the maintenance and complexity issues that SP does.

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wheelsONfire
Posts: 6283
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Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

I have thought about trying SP pedals for a long time. But it seems they need a lot of maintenance!?
I think my Mavic (basically Time Xpresso 12) has been flawless since 2015 without any maintenance.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

satanas
Posts: 315
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 5:45 pm

by satanas

The sprung recentring of the Time cleats caused me knee problems. I don't know if you can adjust the angle on newer cleats but this wasn't possible on the older ones, and this plus recentring meant my knees spent most of the time at the wrong angle; YMMV. :-(

Since Wahoo stabbed previous Speedplay users in the back I refuse to have anything to do with them. As well as refusing to make cleats for three Speedplay pedal systems (all of which I have), they've also stopped production of many of the bikefitting parts. I hate Wahoo.

The Dura-Ace pedals have a few advantages:
1. The bearings are pretty well bombproof
2. Cleats are cheap and readily available
3. Two Q factors are available

As said by someone above, if you can get on with the float options, then IMHO Shimano pedals are well worth a try. Plus, Shimano won't be going away anytime soon...

calicyclist
Posts: 91
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2022 5:54 am

by calicyclist

satanas wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 1:17 am
Since Wahoo stabbed previous Speedplay users in the back I refuse to have anything to do with them. As well as refusing to make cleats for three Speedplay pedal systems (all of which I have), they've also stopped production of many of the bikefitting parts. I hate Wahoo.
Is there something preventing you using old pedals with newer cleats or the other way around? I have multiple bikes all with Speedplay including my wife's bikes and we've never had any compatibility issues over the years. Going all the way back from 2008-2022.
Argonaut RM3 | Pivot Trail 429

allrandomletters
Posts: 67
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2021 2:46 pm

by allrandomletters

You can adjust the angle on the Time cleats. 2 Q-factors are also available on the Time cleats. The cleats are marked L and R, but installing them on opposite shoes widens the Q-factor by 3.5mm - comparable to the +4mm Shimano option without needing a whole different spindle/pedal.

ghostinthemachine
Posts: 780
Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 9:18 pm

by ghostinthemachine

The last time cleat you couldn't adjust the angle on was the red Impact cleat. And i think they were probably discontinued 15 years ago...
RXS cleat type onwards use a three bolt set up similar to the look cleats.

BdaGhisallo
Posts: 3261
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:38 pm

by BdaGhisallo

allrandomletters wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:42 pm
You can adjust the angle on the Time cleats. 2 Q-factors are also available on the Time cleats. The cleats are marked L and R, but installing them on opposite shoes widens the Q-factor by 3.5mm - comparable to the +4mm Shimano option without needing a whole different spindle/pedal.
If my memory serves, the outermost position for Time cleats gives a Q number of 54.3mm compared to 56mm & 57mm for the Shimano +4mm options.. And, if you factor in the fact that there isn't a huge amount of lateral adjustment range for the Time cleat, their 'wide' stance pedal option isn't all that wide.

It works for some but there are some of us that need more width in that area.

whataboutEee
Posts: 117
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:55 pm

by whataboutEee

BdaGhisallo wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:48 pm
whataboutEee wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:09 pm
Time has a re-centering cleat, meaning it will let your heel move, but it always forces it back to center. For some people this is fine, but for others it causes knee problems. I love the time pedals, but my left knee doesn't, so I have to use speedplays. The free float of speedplay takes a couple hours to get used to, but after that you won't notice it. As others have mentioned, a professional fit is probably a good idea, but speedplays give a bigger margin of error when it comes to knee issues, so I would start there.
Have you given Keywin pedals a look? They have non-centering float like SP, and the resistance to it can be tuned like it can on Times, but they have none of the maintenance and complexity issues that SP does.
I can say without any exaggeration that keywin pedals were the worst pedals I have ever used. They look, felt, and performed like a students senior engineering project. I appreciate that they are light and everything is rebuildable, but that is the limit of anything positive I can say about them. To the point of this post, the limited float around the pedal axle is very unlikely to suffice for someone who needs real float in their pedal. I know that some people really lke them, and that you push them every chance you can, but for me, they rated very low.

bikeboy1tr
Posts: 1395
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:19 am
Location: Southern Ontario Canada

by bikeboy1tr

Long time SP user here and when I saw the issues that Wahoo was having in the transition of the SP pedal I purchased two sets of Pave pedals as I knew they would last longer than the plastic body zeros. I installed all the Ti bits on one set as they are not light in any way but would bridge me until either Wahoo delt with their quality issues or I researched another pedal system for the next purchase.
So far my list goes with Time 15 as first choice followed by Shimano SPD but outside of that nothing much appeals to me. I still have hope that Wahoo gets through the quality issues and doesnt go broke in the process.
I hope OP finds something that works as I have been following this thread closely. Let us know what you finally decide on and how it goes once you have decided please and thanks.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=154188
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PeanutButterCups
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:12 am

by PeanutButterCups

The TIME Xpro's in my opinion are the better option. I've used every edition of TIME's since their inception and the same with Speedplay until the Wahoo takeover.

The TIME recentering is mild in tension at best, I notice one of me feet sits a bit off center naturally and the feel is more natural than with the Speedplay's which is just a circular pivot. I used Speedplay for many years and then went back to TIME and couldn't believe the relief I felt, no hot spots anymore and no rocking as the cleats wear.

With the issues Wahoo are having with these that's another nail in the coffin with that choice.

Dat
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2020 7:57 am

by Dat

I use time, was already sick of speedplay with rocking cleats. "Upgraded" to the wahoo pedals and had 3 pairs before giving up. Back with time xpro 10 pedals.

BdaGhisallo
Posts: 3261
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:38 pm

by BdaGhisallo

Dat wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:41 am
I use time, was already sick of speedplay with rocking cleats. "Upgraded" to the wahoo pedals and had 3 pairs before giving up. Back with time xpro 10 pedals.
It seems like Wahoo might be in the process of doing a "Time" with the SP pedal design they bought.

Time had a dominant position in the pedal market in the 1990s and, through poor design and poor marketing, let that slip away until their pedals became super rare on riders bikes. Wahoo are seemingly in the process of taking a pedal that was very popular under its original owners and, through bad design and poor manufacturing choices, are going about gravely damaging the brand. I am sure that there are many who, while they may be long time users of SP pedals, won't put up with defects of the new Wahoo pedals and will move on to other brands, and never return.
Last edited by BdaGhisallo on Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

bikeboy1tr
Posts: 1395
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Location: Southern Ontario Canada

by bikeboy1tr

+ 1 ^^ on that note and it looks like I might just move over to Time.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=154188
2018 Colnago V2R Rim Brake
2019 Colnago V2R Disc Brake
2014 Norco Threshold Disc Brake
2006 Ridley Crosswind Rim Brake

by Weenie


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Nickldn
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:35 am

by Nickldn

Wahoo are in financial trouble.

Not much prospect of an improvement in their pedal manufacturing process, while they have more urgent issues to deal with.
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