Speedplay Platformers

Some people (like myself) prefer their bikes with clipless pedals, but still want platforms for the quick ride or commute to work in non-cycling shoes. The usual solutions I’ve used are either hybrids that give you the worst of both worlds, or plastic platforms that clip in to the pedals that look better than they actually work.

My buddy Nick thought the same thing, so he was excited to show me these Speedplay Platformers (think “Transformers”) that he designed.

These are still in the prototype stage, but the Platformer is the coolest clipless-to-platform convertors I’ve seen. The Platformer is a clamshell doodad that wraps around Speedplay Zero or Light Action clipless pedals to convert them to platforms. They’re secured in place with the metal clip shown in the photo. Other cycling news resources report a screwdriver is required to pry the clip out, but Nick showed me how to do this by hand. He tells me they’re working on some final manufacturing details now and they should be available at Speedplay dealers “Real Soon.”

This is the type of thing that may finally convince me to switch to Speedplay from Shimano SPD.