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TECH NEWS
2021 Wahoo Speedplay_AERO(3).jpegCheck out Speedplay’s updated pedals + new power meter model
Wahoo has announced a major refresh of its Speedplay pedal range and confirmed that it will release a power meter called Powrlink Zero this summer – the first road pedal-based power meter to offer dual-sided entry.
The standard (non-power meter) pedals now have a revised pedal body designed for increased durability and triple-sealed bearings for minimal maintenance, while adjustable float (the amount your foot can move while you stay attached to the pedal) is now standard. Setup is handled by an 8mm hex key – or a 6mm hex key in the case of the version with a titanium axle – rather than a pedal wrench, so wrench flats have been removed from the axle. The range has also been simplified.
Wahoo says that it has worked hard to build high-quality seals into its revised pedals to prevent the need for regreasing. With typical usage, Wahoo says that the bearings have an expected lifespan of around eight years without the need for regular re-greasing.
The most obvious visual change across the range is a new steel surround to the pedal body. Wahoo says that in the past Speedplay's resin pedal bodies with a plate across the centre would compress slightly in use and that the new design prevents this.
Wahoo doesn’t anticipate that the steel will need replacing as a result of normal use, but says that spares will be available if it gets damaged in a crash, for instance.
There are two Speedplay cleats, both of which feature float that’s micro-adjustable from zero to 15°, and a dimpled surface that’s designed to reduce drag. Wahoo says that the curved shape and rubberised material also help with walking.
The Standard Tension cleat comes with an integrated surround that shrouds the pedal once you’re clipped in – again to improve aerodynamics, as well as looking neat.
As the name suggests, the Easy Tension cleat has a lighter spring action (unlike most other systems, the parts that move when you clip in are on the cleat rather than on the pedal).
Both cleat options are compatible with all pedals in the new Speedplay lineup and are backwards compatible with all earlier Speedplay Zero models.
Many people found the Speedplay range difficult to navigate previously; the structure wasn’t immediately obvious. That has all changed now. Here’s the essential info in a handy cut out and keep format:
Speedplay Comp
Axle Chromoly
Weight 232g
Cleats Easy Tension
Price £134.99
Speedplay Zero
Axle Stainless steel (four lengths available)
Weight 222g
Cleats Standard Tension
Price £199.99
Speedplay Nano
Axle Titanium
Weight 168g
Cleats Standard Tension
Price £379.99
Speedplay Aero
Axle Stainless steel
Weight 224g
Cleats Standard Tension
Price £239.99
They all look pretty similar apart from the Aero. This model is similar to the Zero except that it’s single-sided with the non-usable side given a dimpled cover.
Speedplay pedals are the same size as previously – meaning that they’re tiny compared with other road pedals, having a very low stack height and loads of cornering clearance.
Wahoo has also released some details about the Powrlink Zero pedal, the first dual-sided pedal-based power meter that will be released this summer.
No, you can't see much; the image has been darkened to keep the details from prying eyes. We've whacked the brightness right up but you still can't see a whole lot other than that all the clever stuff is at the crank end – which is what you'd expect anyway!
Wahoo says that Powrlink Zero will come with a stainless steel axle and weigh just 276g – so just 54g more than the Speedplay Zero. It will use Speedplay’s Standard Tension cleats.
Although Wahoo isn’t releasing full details at this stage, it says that Powrlink Zero will be in line with other power meters on the market in terms of accuracy – so around +/-1%. It will communicate to head units via standard wireless tech: ANT+ and Bluetooth.
The price and exact release date have yet to be confirmed.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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19 comments
Wahoo haven't innovated since 2017 when they released the Bolt. Since then, nothing. This latest 'release' proves that the company has zero ideas. And no, a 'new bearing design' is not innovating.
It's a shame really because they actually had the opportunity to challenge Garmin...
*cough*
I suspect you meant to say in certain areas you care about Wahoo havent innovated.
I'll just leave this here.
https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/smart-bike/kickr-bike
What is annoying is that support for all previous versions has ceased. I have three pairs of Zeros all suffering body wear which causes a bit of rock when clipped in.
Unless the spindles on the new pedals are exactly the same, and Wahoo make components available to buy - such as new pedal bodies, my pedals will be useless.
I also have two pairs of Pave pedals which with metal bodies don't suffer the same issue. However, despite what Wahoo say, the bow ties do wear on their front and rear lips where the cleat spring is forced open every time you clip in. With the Zeros I sourced aftermarket bow ties and changed them periodically. The Pave pedals have never had an aftermarket bow tie manufacturer and Speedplay never sold them. I am looking to a mate who is an engineer to help me see if I can cut down aftermarket Zero bow ties to fit the Pave pedals, which are a different size. If I can't do this then my Pave pedals will be junk once the bow ties are worn (the lips are the part of the pedal that keeps you clipped in - once worn there is a danger of accidental unclipping).
I really like the pedal system, but it is not without flaws like those mentioned above, and the lack of spares and previous rip-off rebuild service provided only by Speedplay, at virtually the price of a new pair of pedals was very annoying.
It is good that the new cleats are backwards compatible, but the V2 cleat was a crap design and appears to be what Wahoo have stuck with - the V1 cleat had a metal plate covering the spring mechanism. This was heard wearing, but obviously slippy as hell to walk in.
The V2 tried to get around this issue by removing the metal cover and instead replacing it with a rubberised plastic cover. In theory that's great. In practice, this cover just pushes on over the four serrated corners of the metal cleat, a groove in the cover locating over the serrations. ANY twisting motion whatsoever when walking leads to the cover dislodging. Speedplay's solution? Telling the user not to twist their foot at all when walking - almost impossible.
I have resorted to gluing the cleat covers on and tried about three different glues until I've found one that doesn't deteriorate and fail with use. So if you ask me, it's a crap design, and sadly the one that Wahoo have stayed with.
The other issue is with buildup of crap in the cleat if you put your foot down or walk on soft ground. This is what lead to wear of Zero pedal bodies and then rock from side to side.
The Pave pedal solved this by not having a resin body and not having a complete 'lollipop disc' design - it's more of an 'iron cross'. This means there is plenty of room for the dirt to shed as you clip in, rather than to remain trapped between cleat and pedal body.
So in my opinion they could have just replaced the Zeros in the lineup with Paves and supported them with aftermarket spare parts such as the bow ties, bearing kits, seals, bolts and various spindles and all would be good. Sadly, that's not the case it would appear.
PP
The brilliant Pave pedal.....
Have you thought about giving these a go? Might be worth a punt for £50?!
YouTuber Trace Velo - specialist in cycling items of questionable IP / provenance off AliExpress et al - did a video on them recently and really rated them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwt4SXTqJA0
A friend of mine bought some and he said they were junk, axles bent straight out of the box.
In fairness to Trace Velo he does lean heavily on the caveat emptor side of things and says that you're gambling with QC when you buy these sorts of things. Sounds abou right in your friend's case.
Sorry, I wasn't meaning to suggest anything about the guy on you tube. I've watched a number of his videos and he's very good about the QC side of things with regards to these sorts of purchases as you say.
I don't know why this isn't being taken up by the cycling press as Wahoo/Speedplay have been selling off all old stock of models that they only now state they are discontinuing, like the very expensive Syzr mtb pedal for one, which if you have bought a pair in the last few weeks you are going to pretty miffed to find you won't be able to buy new cleats when the time comes! I think it's a bit of a scandal in my opinion and a very poor way to treat loyal customers!
Absolutely. I suppose I am 'lucky' that at least the new Zero cleats are backwards compatible.
Regarding the Chinese knock offs - I don't need any more pedals, and as the cleat spring which locks you onto the pedal may have variable QC issues, I'm not sure I'm happy to chance my arm on a safety critical part.
I did buy some Rock Bros bow ties several years back - the QC was non-existent. One bow tie didn't have a countersink on one of the holes and the bolts were a fraction too small for the holes! The threads barely caught, and they were too short. There was no way I was going to even attempt to fit them. Got a refund and then found Dulight in France who do quality aftermarket compatible components. Had about 4 pairs of stainless steel bow ties off them, all excellent quality and no different to the originals.
PP
I have done the aftermarket bowties and cleats for Zeros and I agree the QC is hit or miss at best!
I think the selling off of stock to customers without letting them know that in a few months/weeks time they were going to be practically useless is just incredible and they are going to get away with it because they were probably a bit niche and won't face too much of a backlash?
I was pretty miffed when I found out, about a year ago, that the Frogs and X series had been discontinued.
Even though they're long in the tooth products, I've been a loyal customer and used them for over 20 years. I would have thought they might have given a bit of a warning and kept some spares (ie cleats) going for a while.
I did email Wahoo about this and enquired about the Syzr as I thought I might migrate to that. But they were very vague and promised nothing so fortunately didn't spend a lot of money on a now obsolete pedal.
I really love their pedals and haven't found anything else that vaguely suits me which makes it all the more disappointing to be a bit shabbily treated.
I love the adjustment and float you get with Speedplay and having used Zeros for years on the road it was why I wanted to try the Syzr when my previous Look S-Track was discontinued. I bought mine just before the Wahoo takeover and didn't give it a second thought until I started trying to purchase some new cleats about 6 months ago and haven't been able to source any! At least I've had a couple use unlike anyone who has bought more recently. They are expensive but the quality is absolutely awesome and I have no hesitation to say they would have lasted 10 year! I think it's bad that they have continued to sell them knowing that whoever bought them had a product that was only good for the life of the one set of cleats that they come with!
One thing that is slightly retrograde is the move to hex key install only - won't affect the vast majority of riders but means fitters won't be able to attach then to solid backed pedal spacers (which can be worked around, and is mitigated by continuing with some of the various spindle lengths). Liking what Wahoo have done with them generally though.
Compatibility with existing Speedplay pedals, and existing cleats?
Apparently yes.
Despite feeling left high and dry by the abrupt cessation of the X and Frog pedals, I still like the design of Speedplay pedals. With the emphasis on how well the bearings are sealed, I'm suspicious that the bearings aren't going to be serviceable/replaceable and this becomes a product one throws away once things get gritty.
Looking at the pedal body and construction, and given Wahoo's history, i'd be extremely surprised if you couldn't take the whole thing apart and be able to replace at least the bearings.
just blue LEDs on the power meter pedals? RGB or I'm out