Pedals with a lot of free float?

[bicycletricycle]

I have been off of clip in pedals for a long time. I took a few rides on them recently and I felt like having a lot more free float would help my knees out. I was using yellow cleats on SPD-SL pedals which I believe are 6 degree.

In the past I used the original Coombe pedals for a long time and I really liked them. I only gave them up because they stopped making them and my cleats all wore out. I think they had 15 degrees plus of float but perhaps more importantly it was non centering float.

Coming back to today. I would like to get some pedals with more float, if possible, non centering float. Looking around at the current pedal market I don't see a lot of options. I never liked speedplays because of the fragile cleats but they might be the only option for a system with a lot of float. I can't remember if speedplay pedals drive you back to center or not though.

I know that pedal float may not be the best long term solution and I would be open to switching to a more constrained system eventually but for now I think a system with a lot of float would be best.

Any ideas? Am I missing another option?
Also, I am open to road or mountain systems but I do prefer a larger cleat to avoid hotspots.

Thanks

[dsimon]

IM the opposite I prefer less float but...what comes to my mind are the Wahoo/speed play I tried them on and felt like i was walking on ice. plenty of float

[icepick_trotsky]

Look Keos are adjustable float based on which cleats you use. The max float for the red ones is 9 degrees, I believe. More than you'd get with SPD-SL.

Speedplay is probably your best bet if you need the 15 degrees. That's why all the old guys use them!

[windsurfer]

Eggbeaters are great for lots of float, not much lateral stability though.

[Steve in SLO]

Agree on the Keos if you are going road pedals. They don’t center especially hard, just a subtle pull towards centerline.
For something a little different, Time ATAC pedals have about 5° of rotational float and also have a fair bit of lateral float to help adjust Q factor.

[Mark McM]

For road pedals, I think Speedplay still has the most float. Time pedals have always had float, but the current pedals only have +/- degrees of float.

Time ATAC pedals have a lot of float (13 or 17 degrees, depending on mounting orientation).

For what its worth, I find that different pedal rotational float systems have different dynamics, due to different rotational axes. For example, Look cleats rotate at the front of the cleat (ahead of the ball of the foot), Time MTB and SPeedplay cleats float under the ball of the foot, and Time Road pedals rotate behind the ball of the foot. I'm not particularly fond of the feeling of Look pedal float, and actually liked the Time road pedal rotation best, but I'm fine with Speedplay and Time MTB float.

Also keep in mind that if cleat size is an issue, MTB cleats are typically smaller than Road cleats, due to the need for the ability to clear mud. However, "hot spot" issues are often more related to shoe sole stiffness rather than cleat size.

[makoti]

Alas, the Speedplay X pedals were the best for this. I think you can dial in the float you want on the other versions.

[Dired]

Been using Time RXS with 5 degrees float since forever. I'm sure that the later models are better, but this seems to work really well and pedals are really unobtrusive to hoard.

[bicycletricycle]

All excellent points, I have never been able to find stiff carbon shoes that agreed with me. It seems like softer shoes soles with a bigger cleat is a better option although that doesn't always work either.

Originally Posted by Mark McM

For road pedals, I think Speedplay still has the most float. Time pedals have always had float, but the current pedals only have +/- degrees of float.

Time ATAC pedals have a lot of float (13 or 17 degrees, depending on mounting orientation).

For what its worth, I find that different pedal rotational float systems have different dynamics, due to different rotational axes. For example, Look cleats rotate at the front of the cleat (ahead of the ball of the foot), Time MTB and SPeedplay cleats float under the ball of the foot, and Time Road pedals rotate behind the ball of the foot. I'm not particularly fond of the feeling of Look pedal float, and actually liked the Time road pedal rotation best, but I'm fine with Speedplay and Time MTB float.

Also keep in mind that if cleat size is an issue, MTB cleats are typically smaller than Road cleats, due to the need for the ability to clear mud. However, "hot spot" issues are often more related to shoe sole stiffness rather than cleat size.

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by Steve in SLO

Agree on the Keos if you are going road pedals. They don’t center especially hard, just a subtle pull towards centerline.
For something a little different, Time ATAC pedals have about 5° of rotational float and also have a fair bit of lateral float to help adjust Q factor.

I had keos for a while when they came out, hmmm... maybe I should try them again.

I wonder if different Keo's while have a different amount of centering pressure. I guess the spring pressure and the shape of the cleat to pedal interface would drive that.

A local shop has some Exustar (keo clones) for super cheap..... Probably should get the real thing.

[icepick_trotsky]

There's a batch on the classifieds right now:

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=274999

[Veloo]

Time Impact S for a while then went to Keywin.
Lotsa float.

[572cv]

I like clip in and a solid foundation, but at this point in life, I like to be able to walk around when I’m stopped.. so MTB. And at this point in life, knees need happiness too. My trials included egg beaters, SPD, something else I don’t remember, and settled at ATAC. These just really agree with my knees, easy in-out, not too heavy (8’s or 12’s) and last. I know ownership has changed, but the most recent pair for my new-this-fall bike are as expected. I’m a fan, YMMV.

[duff_duffy]

I found Speedplays to be my favorite with float years ago. Eventually gave up on those to and now just enjoy being on flats. Love being able to adjust my whole stance on the fly and hop off and walk away as needed.

[fmradio516]

I have a set of speedplays (with shoes/cleats if youre a 12-13) that you can borrow to try out if you wanna pick em up in Orange?