Speedplay (bicycle pedal)

Speedplay is a brand of clipless bicycle pedal manufactured by Speedplay Inc. in San Diego, California. Models include Zero, Light Action, and X for road cycling, Frog for mountain biking, and Drillium for downhill. Speedplay pedals are used by many top professional racers, such as Cadel Evans, Fabian Cancellara, Jens Voigt, Taylor Phinney, and Thor Hushovd.[1] Speedplay road pedals are popular with triathletes.[2]

Speedplay X pedal
Speedplay Frog pedal

History

The first Speedplay pedal, the X, was patented in July 1989 by Richard Byrne. The company was founded in July, 1991.[3] The Frog, the lightest recessed-cleat pedal system at the time, was patented in September 1992[4]

Technology

Speedplay road and mountain pedals are characterized by double-sided entry, a rider can step on either side to engage the cleat, and float; the foot is free to rotate from side to side about the center of the pedal.[5] The float is reported to be easy on the knee joints.[6]

Metrigear designed a cycling power meter to fit inside the hollow spindles of Speedplay pedals,[7] but the company was acquired by Garmin in 2010 and the technology incorporated into Garmin's Vector pedal system.[8]

gollark: Compact Machines: Making crazy compacted automation fun!
gollark: Maybe *another* nested compact machine with whatever botania has...
gollark: Don't have that.
gollark: Hmm, I would have my coffee machine do those, but milk is hard to obtain automatically.
gollark: This is a game, fun is more important than realism.

References
  1. "Speedplay News". Speedplay Inc. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  2. Gary Kristense. "A Speedplay Pedal Review". Daily Peloton - Pro Cycling News. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  3. Lynette Carpiet (May 26, 2009). "Speedplay: From Startup to Small Giant". Bicycle Retailer & Industry News. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  4. "Bicycle Pedal Timeline". Speedplay Inc. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  5. "Gear & Bike Reviews: The Speedplay Zero Pedals". Bicycling Magazine. Dec 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  6. Jez Loftus (1 Apr 2007). "Buyer's Guide to Clipless Road Pedals". BikeRadar. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  7. James Huang (6 Jan 2010). "Delays push MetriGear Vector release to mid-2010". BikeRadar. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  8. "Garmin acquires MetriGear, creator of pedal-based power measurement device - VeloNews.com". velonews.competitor.com. January 28, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
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