Speedplay Zero Aero Walkable Cleats

Speedplay's Zero Aero Walkable cleats solve one of the system's biggest drawbacks: protecting them from wear and making it considerably easier to walk from your bike to the coffee shop counter without ending up on your face.

Speedplay pedals are controversial beasts. Many riders (and I'm one of them) love them for being light, double-sided and, in the case of the Zero, for their adjustable float. However, despite liking them overall, reviewer Dan Joyce wasn't impressed with some aspects, notably the cleats' tendency to get bunged up with dirt and the overall need for ongoing maintenance.

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Dirt isn't the only problem with the original Speedplay Zero cleats. Their aluminium outer plate wears quickly if you walk on it, or even if you just touch it down frequently, stopping at lights while commuting for example. And walking itself is more awkward than with any other system I've used because those aluminium plates are slippery on many surfaces.

Wearing out, say, a Look Keo cleat isn't a very big deal; they're only a tenner a pair. A pair of Speedplay Zero cleats is £40, so you really don't want to have to replace them too often.

By putting a curved, dimpled plastic cover over the cleat mechanism, Speedplay solves some of these problems.

However, Speedplay hasn't just added a cover to the existing Zero cleats (though you can buy Walkable Cleat Covers for the original cleats too – for £23.99). The construction of the cleat has changed, with a steel outer plate replacing the aluminium one, giving the covers a lip to grab so they stay in place.

And they work well. For a start, walking is much easier. Sure, you still wouldn't want to deliberately jog up a mountain, Chris Froome stylee, but the waddle into the coffee shop is a lot more secure.

It's also much harder for dirt to get in, thanks to the included Cleat Buddy plugs, which fit securely into the cleat's pedal hole to seal out the dirt.

Speedplay's other claim about these cleats is that they improve aerodynamics. They've got the streamlined shape and dimpled surface we've become familiar with from aero components such as Zipp wheels, but without a wind tunnel it's impossible to say how much effect they have. My guess is that there'll be a tiny improvement when coasting, but when you're pedalling you're dirtying the air enough with your flailing feet that it'll make less difference.

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With the extra features, it's not surprising that Walkable Cleats are more expensive than regular Zero cleats: £60 vs £42.50 at RRP, £54 vs £30 or so if you shop around. The increased cost is worth it if you're replacing your Zero cleats anyway, as you no longer have to faff with cleat covers to walk around. I wouldn't immediately rush out and buy them, though, unless you really need to be able to walk in your cycling shoes. If you're about to buy Speedplay pedals, then you should definitely spend the extra for Walkable cleats rather than the standard version; they make Speedplays much easier to live with off the bike.

Verdict

Much-improved cleat makes walking easier and reduces clogging problems