For pedaling platform contact area Speedplay claims to have an area at least 25% greater then their competitors. I haven’t done enough research to confirm or dispute that fact. Critical to the success of the contact area is a shoe that is in good shape with a solid sole and a properly mounted and aligned cleat.
Pedal float is another feature that requires consideration when selecting pedals. By allowing the foot to float in the pedal shoe interface you can reduce the risk of injury to the knee. Here again a fit specialist can assist you in deciding how much float fits your needs best. This will vary by each rider and their pedal characteristic. At the Crofton Bike Doctor we use a device known as a R.A.D to set cleat alignment. The manufactures all manage float in the cleats. Look uses different cleats for different amount of float. They have a zero float cleat, four and half degrees of float and a cleat for nine degrees of float. A neat feature on the new Keo cleats is a device in the center of the cleat that allows users to change to a new cleat and place it in the exact place that the old cleat was. Shimano and Time both have only one cleat. Where Speedplay offers different pedals with different amounts of float. Their original pedal the X series does not have adjustable float but their new pedal the zero has float adjustable between zero and fifteen degrees.
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