speedplay pedals to help with knee issues

I made the switch from Time pedals to the X series, (the times are very similar to look and the shimano DA/ultegra/105 pedals).


First ride was a bit weird, felt like i was on ice when out of the saddle, next ride i noticed it maybe twice, after that it was totally normal.

And the dual sided pedals, well i'm never leaving them now.

I have had knee issues, had my knee scoped, and use SDP pedals.

After my knee scope, I would clip and and just slightly move my heel around left and right until I found the comfortable spot. SDPs have float and I would think unless you toe in or out a lot they should be adequate float.

What type of bike fit did you have?

My last Retul fit showed that I had my left leg was tad bit shorter functionally so I have my left shoe shimmed. Retul is a tool that allows my fitter to see exact position I'm in while pedaling. It is pretty neat to see how I look sort of like stick figure video game. He picked up slight different in left vs. right due to the angle of my ankle at bottom of my pedal stroke. I also have orthotics in my shoes.

Do you know if your issue is run or bike related? Has your PT figured that out?

It can be a tough and confusing path to sort things out and get things back so you are injury free.

Good Luck!

Edited by bmcgee 2010-12-30 1:09 PM

wow...a rare triple post...I am getting impatient!!

Edited by bmcgee 2010-12-30 1:10 PM

I'd highly recomend the speedplays for knee issues...off course depends on what's going on.  But generally speaking, I'd say you should give them a try.  I have the x series as well as the zero's.  I have an ankle issue that puts unwanted side pressure on my knee if my foot were to stay in a fixed position...the float allows more comfort.  Some will say that the float will decrease power...that's complete hogwash. 

I'd say spend $50 or so on some x series pedals and see what you think...you can usually find a set in the classifieds or e-bay relatively cheap.

I had the Retul fit as well.  He mentioned that there was not much difference between my right and left knee movement, as the pattern traced was symmetric in both.  I went in for another follow up for the cleat positioning and that was when he mentioned the SPDs as he has had multiple knee problems as well.

The patellar tendinitis was related to cycling, as seat was little too low.

And she is trying to fix the running issues IT band, which i mentioned in another post after this one (changing my technique).  She is very much into the biomechanics and was recommended by many in my local tri-club.

 

Sounds to me like there is another issue (muscle imbalance, etc.).  I've dealt with feet/knee issues for years so I got orthotics.  I then recently (3-4 months) started having hip/IT band issues that were excruciating.   What is funny is that I just got a pair of the Vibram Five Fingers shoes for Christmas, mainly because they look fun and drive my wife crazy.  The part that is nuts is that after just walking in them for a week, my foot pain is gone, knee pain is gone, hip pain is almost gone.  It's as if everything was just out of alignment.  I didn't really expect that but goes to show you that everything from your feet up is constantly adjusting in alignment based on other factors.   

Good luck - I know from experience that trying to deal with a hip/IT band issue is a beating.   

To the OP, if you want to give the X series a shot cheaply, i have a set of cleats and pedals i'd let go for around 20 bucks.

I would not race on them/ride them for a long time as they have some pretty decent wear but it would be more than enough to give them a shot cheaply.

I ride zeros. I rode SPD for years both on my road bike and mountain bike. I mostly had knee pain on the trainer. I switched to zeros a year ago. I love them. They are not for everyone though. The cleat has a big platform, but small pedal.

I am not pain free due to an IT band that gets tight. I have to roll it. It is much better with float pedals.

Just made the switch from Mavics to the SP zeros based on many recommendations from cyclists/tri guys with knee issues.  I plan to log many hours on them on the indoor trainer before I take them on the road for the spring.  They take some time to get use to, but they already seem easier on the knees (especially when clipping out).  Time will tell, but I figured winter training was as a good as time as any to give them a spin.  I had the pedals and cleats installed as part of a bike fit on a new ride.

When I first started tri's, I had issues with my knees in both biking and running. I had SPDs, and when I switched to speedplays, I got rid of most of my knee pain. I've been pain free for a long time now. I think I solved my muscle imbalance problems as well, because now I can ride SPDs on my cross bike for 2 hours without any pain. Granted, the bikes fit differently (tri vs. cross), but the speedplays really helped at the time.

Back in 2005, I switched to SpeedPlay because of knee issues. I also switched from low cadence to high cadence (90-100 RPM).

Those two things together fixed my knee problems.

Took me a couple of months to get use to high cadence, but once that was done and my knees were healed up, I haven't had any problems since.

You are right on the money, she diagnosed me with right side imbalance, poor rotational mobility in my right hip, causing me to have left side problems.  When I looked at myself in the mirror, my right shoulder was much lower than my left and has probably been that way for years.  So I have been doing balance exercises/posture exercises to help fix the problem.  She has been working on my arches, and finally said, that I will never be able to run in Vibrams.