speedplay question

[Dlevy05]

Just picked up a pair of frogs, and noticed as I was playing around with the pedal and cleat, (unmounted) that it SEEMS that the claimed 20 degrees of float only exist to one side of center (the outside of each pedal).

My questions are:

1. Is my assumption correct?
2. Do the Zero's/X2's only offer float towards the outside half of 'center' as well?
3. If the answer to number 1 is yes, what do mountain riders that need to move their heels inside of center do?

[thegunner]

dunno the answer to 1, but for x's have infinite (this statement always bothered me since it'd imply you can't even unclip) float in either direction. the zeros have screws that control the amount of float on the cleat (fore and aft).

[dave thompson]

Just picked up a pair of frogs, and noticed as I was playing around with the pedal and cleat, (unmounted) that it SEEMS that the claimed 20 degrees of float only exist to one side of center (the outside of each pedal).

My questions are:

1. Is my assumption correct?
2. Do the Zero's/X2's only offer float towards the outside half of 'center' as well?
3. If the answer to number 1 is yes, what do mountain riders that need to move their heels inside of center do?
Your assumption is correct. If you need to be more 'heels in' while riding, you can cant your cleats to make this so. You will reduce the amount of outward float and you will unclip at an earlier angle.

[Dlevy05]

you can cant your cleats to make this so.

I didn't quite understand. I get that my assumption is correct in that the float is only offered to one side (off center), but can I compensate for this, or not?

[dave thompson]

I didn't quite understand. I get that my assumption is correct in that the float is only offered to one side (off center), but can I compensate for this, or not?
Yes, you can cant (skew) the cleats to the left or right (within limits) so they're not pointing straight ahead. By doing this you are 'adjusting' the angle at which you can rotate your heel inward and reduce the angle at which you unclip.

To illustrate: my wife's right foot has 4 screws/staples because of arthritis. She cannot rotate her heel outward enough to unclip from her Frogs. I 'canted' the cleat so the nose points more inward thus reducing the amount of angle that she has to use to unclip. This also has the effect of allowing the heel to rotate more inward than if the cleat were aligned in it's normal straight ahead position. This is her right shoe...

[Dlevy05]

Awesome, Thanks!

[Bob Ross]

I've had several mountain bikers tell me they've Dremel'd off the "nub" that prevents inward rotation on their Frogs.

[Dlevy05]

ha, so that stupid thing isn't even necessary... we'll if I can't get the adjustment I want out of adjusting the cleats, I'll shave down the nub

[Mike748]

I think the nub is there as a safety only... to keep you from accidentally releasing to the inside.

I do what DT suggests and rotate the cleat until I'm happy with where the inward travel stop is... just inside my normal rotation. I find this puts the outward rotation release point a little sooner than I'd like but it works ok. Sometimes I get an accidental release while mountain biking if I let my ankles flop around too much.

[Bob Ross]

what do mountain riders that need to move their heels inside of center do?

Now I'm curious: why exactly would mountain bikers need to move their heels inside of center? To squeeze between two rocks on a very narrow path?

[Dlevy05]

Now I'm curious: why exactly would mountain bikers need to move their heels inside of center? To squeeze between two rocks on a very narrow path?


Only to make the knees comfortable. When you have very bad/sensitive knees, minor adjustments in foot position can have a HUGE impact - for better or worse. I made my question specific to MTB'ers because we were on the subject of the Speedplay Frogs, and to my knowledge there isn't another comparable mountain pedal geared towards float on the market.

[pdbrye]

Now I'm curious: why exactly would mountain bikers need to move their heels inside of center? To squeeze between two rocks on a very narrow path?

Actually, for MTB riders, if you are riding very tight, technical single track, there are occasions when you can get caught in a slow, twisting, off-canter fall where you are falling one way and the bike is going the other. Then you really do want your cleats to release inward. It has saved my ass from some potentially nasty falls and is way better then a broken leg! I ride the Frogs (without nub) and love that they release instantly.

Great for mountain biking but removing the nub is probably unnecessary if you are only riding on the road.

[wombatspeed]

I guess it's personal style and preference. I have Frogs on all my MTB and Crossbikes. On one of them the nubs that keep the heel from releasing inwards/towards the frame are starting to wear. Sometimes I can now release to the inside which I find VERY disconcerting in technical sections on the MTB (particularly in rock gardens where my hardtails get knocked around a bit). I realized how much I LIKE the nubs as through these bumpy sections I can apply slight pressure by rotating me heels inward so that I am very secure and my foot cannot possibly bounce off the pedal when hitting a bump.

I hear the argument that other MTBers like to be able to unclip to the inside and shave away the nub. It might save you from some falls. Or you try to learn to unclip regardless. Anyway, personally I find I rather risk some of falls where I can't disengage the pedal but have a more solid connection to the Frog pedal when it gets technical (and don't risk meeting my top tube or stem when my foot gets knocked off a nub-less pedal...).

Bottomline: I wouldn't shave off the nub until you can maybe borrow someone's Frogs that have them shaved off to see if you like it. You can't put the nubs back on!!!

Oh, and regarding the angle/cant of the cleat: I set them so that my heel just clears the chainstays (but I am slightly duckfooted).

A Frog-lover from WY (whose Frogs are happy to have escaped the clogging mud of Upstate NY - and I still preferred the Frogs there)

[Mark McM]

I hear the argument that other MTBers like to be able to unclip to the inside and shave away the nub. It might save you from some falls. Or you try to learn to unclip regardless. Anyway, personally I find I rather risk some of falls where I can't disengage the pedal but have a more solid connection to the Frog pedal when it gets technical (and don't risk meeting my top tube or stem when my foot gets knocked off a nub-less pedal...).


The 'nubs' (inward rotation stops) were actually added as a design improvement to Speedplay MTB pedals. Speedplay's first off-road pedal was called the Magnum, and it used a some similar free-rotation concept as the Frogs. However, it had no rotation limiter, and the feet were free to rotate in both directions without limit. While this allowed the feet to release inwards, it also presented some liabilities. For example, if the heels were rotated inward when pedaling, then when pedaling through the 3 o'clock position the feet could land on top of the crank arm, immediately stopping crank rotation (and power delivery). On the upward part of the crank rotation it was also possible to swing the heel all the way into contact with the rear spokes. I suffered both these issues when I used the Magnums. Magnums were only produced for about a year and were were quickly phased out in favor of the Frogs, which not only improved the cleat engagement mechanism, but added the inward rotation stops.

Here's the Speedplay Magnums:

http://www.bikepro.com/products/pedals/pedal_jpg/v1v_spdply_mag_side.jpghttp://www.bikepro.com/products/pedals/pedal_jpg/v1vv_spdply_mag_top.jpg