Wahoo Speedplay Comp Pedals

The Wahoo Speedplay Comp Pedals are the most affordable in the Speedplay range, using a heavier chromoly axle to save cost but gaining 10g over a set of the £65-more Zeros. They still offer a huge range of adjustability, are easy to walk in and are double sided, but the cleats are sensitive to dirt ingress and expensive to replace. These ship with a set of 'easy tension' cleats rather than the 'standard' version, which lighter riders in particular will find much easier to clip in with.

The Wahoo takeover of Speedplay has resulted in a slight rejigging of nomenclature, with the five sets of pedals now being called the Comp, Zero, Aero, Nano, and Powrlink Zero, with the latter being available in either single or double-sided power meter form.

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The Comp sits at the bottom of the range, with a chromoly spindle as opposed to stainless steel or titanium, as used on the more expensive options. This leads to the largest aesthetic difference, with the Comps' spindles being black as opposed to silver on all the others. It also results in a claimed weight of 232g for the pair, which we found to be bang on with the road.cc Scales of Truth. Unlike the 168g Nanos, the Comp pedals do not have a rider upper weight limit, so nothing to worry about there.

If light weight is a high priority then it is worth considering that a Speedplay cleat weighs 81.5g, significantly heavier than Shimano (32g with fastenings) or Look (48g with fastenings). This means the Speedplay's total system weight (395g) is heavier than a set of Look Keo Blade Carbon pedals (236+96=332g) or Ultegra R8000 pedals (248+312g), though the Ultegras are more expensive at RRP, £159.99, while the Keo Blades are slightly cheaper, £125.

Cleats

As with nearly all pedals, you get a set of cleats included in the box. In this case it's a set of 'easy tension' cleats as opposed to the 'standard tension' cleats that come with all the other pedals in the Speedplay range.

Lighter riders and anyone new to using clipless pedals may find these preferable as it requires a smaller force to clip both in and out; heavier riders and sprinters will be glad to know that the Comp pedals are also compatible with the standard tension cleats, which can be bought separately for £49.99.

Using the easy tension cleats proved little issue, and after more than 1,000km I haven't accidentally unclipped at any point. More noticeable is the clipping in – the standard ones really need standing on whereas these will do it under the force of the first pedal stroke.

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Wahoo says the cleats should last between 3,000 and 5,000 miles before needing replacing, which is similar to how long Look and Shimano cleats last in my experience. Those are half the price, though.

Cleat setup

Setting up the cleats does take a little longer than others, but this doesn't need doing very often. It's worth getting right, though!

For anyone bar a few riders with four-bolt shoes, you will first need to install the three-bolt plate with changeable inserts that allow the plate to sit flat against the bottom of just about every three-bolt shoe out there. The four-bolt cleat system is then mounted to this to provide smaller adjustments to both the fore and aft position and left/right position to suit your preference. All of this is achieved with a hex key, which is a welcome update from the pre-Wahoo days when it required a small toolbox.

The three-to-four-bolt adaptor increases the stack height of the pedal system to 11.5mm (from 8.4mm), but that's still less than Look or Shimano SPD-SL systems. This is generally regarded as advantageous as it means your foot sits closer to the axle and uses less muscle to stabilise the foot. Wahoo claims that this allows more efficient power delivery; I can't back that up with any proof but I don't think a low stack is ever going to have a negative impact.

It is then possible to change the float and release angle. The total float is adjustable between 0 and 15 degrees, which gives a huge range to suit a wide variety of riders, without the need to switch cleats as with other systems. Make sure you do this with a suitably small crosshead screwdriver, as I know plenty of people who have rounded these screws off by using the wrong tools.

> When should you get new cleats?

One notable point about using the float is that it is icy smooth, with none of the resistance that you get from classic cleat systems. This can be unnerving at first, but you do soon get used to it.

Once this is all set up, you can add the walking cover.

Clipping in and out of the pedals does take a bit more practice than with Look or Shimano designs, as you have to line the cleat and pedal up perfectly and then push straight down rather than sliding your foot forwards as with other systems. To begin with this was taking me a few attempts, but as with everything, practice makes perfect and after a few weeks it felt natural and perhaps even easier because the pedals are double sided, so you can clip in either side.

Adjustability

One of the main appeals of Speedplay pedals has always been the huge degree of adjustability. The cleats have 13mm of fore-aft adjustment, which is more than most other brands, and there's 6mm of left-right adjustment, which is fairly typical. The fact that the mechanism is in the cleats does mean they're quite sizeable things, but because of the smooth shape they're not actually that bad to walk in – just stay off the beach and soft mud because that will require quite a thorough clean with a toothbrush if you ever want them to work the same again.

Another draw of the Speedplay system is the cornering clearance thanks to the diminutive dimensions of the lollipop. Wahoo claims a cornering angle of 39 degrees, which should help prevent pedal strikes when pedalling around corners. This will be particularly useful for criterium racers, and is significantly more than the 33 degrees of the Ultegra R8000 pedals or 35 degrees of the Dura-Ace R9100s.

During the testing period of about 10 weeks, which has included pretty wintry conditions, I've racked up over 3,000km on the Speedplays and they're still turning like new. Obviously, this is to be expected with any set of decent pedals, but I've had some that have gone gritty sooner. Durability has been a big focus of Wahoo, doing away with the grease ports and instead triple sealing the needle and cartridge bearings inside.

So far this seems to have paid off, and when they do get a bit tired it does appear they can be opened up.

Value

Comparing these with pedals we've tested recently, the Speedplays stack up about middle ground in terms of price. You could get a set of Look Keo 2 Max Carbons for less (£95), and although those initially look heavier, as with the comparisons I made earlier, the weight when combined with cleats is actually less (346g vs 395g). However, in my experience I've found the durability and build quality of the Speedplays to be superior. From Shimano, the Ultegra R8000 pedals have an RRP of £159.99 but are lighter, as mentioned earlier, though you don't get the benefits of them being double-sided or as easy to walk in.

> 7 of the best high-performance lightweight clipless pedals

It's hard to draw direct price comparisons as each pedal system brings its own advantages and disadvantages; if weight is the only factor then the Speedplay Comps get beaten, but even looking higher up the Look and Shimano trees, the Keo Blades or Dura-Ace R9100s can't offer the same corner clearance angles or adjustability.

So, at £134.99 the Comp pedals aren't cheap for the 'entry-level' offering, but they don't sacrifice a lot in terms of performance, weighing in just 10g more than a pair of Speedplay Zeros we tested last year, despite costing £65 less. The Comps are definitely the best value way to get on board the Speedplay train – whether you want to is a different question entirely. If you are looking for exceptional adjustability and low stack height then these are great, but unlike the Look and Shimano rivals, it's unlikely you'll find these at much below RRP.

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Overall, the Comps are an excellent set of pedals and the best value in the Speedplay range. If you're craving low stack height and prepared to take the time setting them up then they offer more adjustability than other pedal systems, and even though you might have to pay more for them than pedal and cleat systems of a similar weight, I'd say for many riders they're more than worth it.

Verdict

Excellent pedals, and the best value way into the Speedplay system