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Speedplay pedals – really that expensive??

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  • January 21, 2019 at 7:55 pm #29298
    IanEdward

    Feeling oddly aggrieved with Speedplay, they sell a product which seems like the answer to the constant niggling knee and foot pain I experience on the bike, but even a set of the basic speedplays plus custom spindles seems to come in at £250!!

    Multiply that over three bikes and it starts to get reeeeaaallly silly. I guess I could swap one pair of pedals around, but I’ve had bad experiences with regular pedal swapping (e.g. eventually knackered crank threads).

    I’ve experimented with pedal washers but have reached the rather limited extents of what I can do (2mm, not even the thickness of my overshoes…). Pedal extenders are the opposite extreme at a  minimum of 20mm extension.

    What am I missing, is there a non-silly way to try these pedals? Any other way to experiment with increasing pedal width (to allow for my excessive toe out) without remortgaging the house?

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  • January 22, 2019 at 3:59 pm #934547
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    fukawitribe

    Whoa. @Pilot Pete – do you

    Whoa. @Pilot Pete – do you happen to know off the top of your head if that’s for a pair ? I also like that they have a super-long length – would be perfect. 

    January 22, 2019 at 3:49 pm #934545
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    Pilot Pete

    Yea,

    Yea,

    Dulight quality is great, I even had a pair anodised gold before fitting them to match a build! I just buy the chromalloy for the bodies, replace with titanium Dulight spindles (I just go for standard length).

    There’s an article on the web somewhere about removing the bodies – heat the retaining screw with a soldering iron to melt the thread lock otherwise you can damage the bolt head.

    As long as you use a needle nose grease gun (doesn’t have to be the Speedplay gun) and regularly grease them (especially after wet rides) then in my experience the bearings last years. I’ve got three sets and never replaced a bearing yet, although I have bought a service kit in anticipation…!

    The Dulight spindles take a (Allen) hex key – 6mm from memory. I put coppaslip on the threads before hand tightening, then just nip them up with the key. Ensure the threads are scrupulously clean and free of debris before you start and the coppaslip will prevent them from seizing. As I said I just give them a bit of a clamp with the key and don’t lean on it trying to get them as tight as possible! If you have a torque wrench that would make more sense.

    You can just swap them from bike to bike but that will become a bit of a pain, I personally would have two sets, then you don’t have to swap, but can if one needs stripping/ rebuilding.

    I have replaced the bow ties a few times as they wear with use. Again, the Dulight ones are good quality. They also supply the correct bolts, which is important as they are the only thing ultimately holding your cleat to the pedal, so you don’t want them to fail. As mentioned, Rock Brothers quality was appalling and would have been dangerous as the bolts were a loose fit and too long (only by a mm or so, but that meant they would protrude and damage your shoe.)

    What I have noticed on the pair on my winter bike is that the pedal bodies themselves have started to wear and there is a perceptible rock from side to side when clipped in. Now, if only I could find somewhere selling aftermarket Zero bodies…

    PP

    January 22, 2019 at 12:34 pm #934543
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    IanEdward

    Certainly makes it seem more

    Certainly makes it seem more attractive, I’d heard bad things of some of the aftermarket axles, poor machining leading to accelerated bearing wear etc.

    My other concern was needing a set for every bike, but did a bit of reading and see no reason why I can’t swap the pedals between bikes, painful experience stripping threads as a teenager means I’m clinically careful now when fitting/removing pedals!

    January 22, 2019 at 11:44 am #934541
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    macrophotofly
    Pilot Pete wrote:
    I always buy mine from Dulight in France…much cheaper and fantastic quality…

    https://www.dulight.fr/en/road/259-speedplay-zero-titanium-spindles-long.html

    i also stick with them for replacement bow ties etc – don’t be tempted by Rock Brothers, their quality is appallling (wrong size screws and two bow ties which hadn’t been countersunk!

     

    Wow thats a great deal – I can’t see the point of buying the Titanium Zeros now – surely you buy titanium spindles from Dulight (EUR40)and upgrade a basic £100 pair of speedlights yourself! Thanks for the info.

    January 22, 2019 at 9:35 am #934539
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    Pilot Pete

    I always buy mine from

    I always buy mine from Dulight in France…much cheaper and fantastic quality…

    https://www.dulight.fr/en/road/259-speedplay-zero-titanium-spindles-long.html

    i also stick with them for replacement bow ties etc – don’t be tempted by Rock Brothers, their quality is appallling (wrong size screws and two bow ties which hadn’t been countersunk!

    January 22, 2019 at 7:16 am #934537
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    IanEdward

    I can find the zeros for £100
    I can find the zeros for £100, and replacement axles for £100, although only in one size. RRP one the axles is £150…

    Captive market I guess…

    January 22, 2019 at 1:41 am #934535
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    longassballs

    How much are the custom
    How much are the custom spindles?? Chromoly speedplay with cleats are £100.

    I don’t have any medical conditions but love my speedplay. I’ve recently been riding spd-sl a bit on my old turbo and it feels very restrictive.

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