Clipping in...

huggy

I've just bought a pair of SPD SLs and shoes, but I'm having trouble getting used to them.
I've got the tension turned right down but I still can't seem to get off very easily or without falling over. Can anyone give me a few tips? Thanks

Doobz

you mean clipping out :shock:

I have got spd's and found the best way to get out of them is just by turing the back of your foot outwards as if your trying to snap out. do it slowly otherwise you might end up flinging your leg all over the place.. i dunno any other way to explain it..

huggy

You're right, I do mean clipping out

Did you fall off many times when you were learning?

redddraggon

huggy wrote:

You're right, I do mean clipping out

Did you fall off many times when you were learning?

I fell off about 3 or 4 times.

Shadowduck

Are you having trouble unclipping at all, or just doing it fast enough to avoid falling over?

If the former, try increasing the tension to about half way - you might have it set so low that it's allowing a huge amount of float (foot twist) before unclipping and you just can't get your foot round far enough.

If the latter, maybe try unclipping one foot while you're still moving so you don't fall over if you don't get it right straight away. You can do it later and later as you get the hang of it.

huggy wrote:

Did you fall off many times when you were learning?

Not once with SPDs, sorry. :oops:

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I did fall off a couple of times learning to use old-fashioned toeclips in the 80s though. After those deathtraps, SPDs are bliss! :P

huggy

I get a bit of both - though in hindsight I think I may have too much float. The other day I was doing 0 mph and just wobbled and couldn't get my foot out quick enough and then hit the deck - shame it took most of the paint off my team pedal.

I think I'll tighten the tension a bit and see how that goes, thanks.

Red Rock

I use SPDs and I put a little oil on the pedals where the cleats make contact, otherwise I struggle to unclip. Not sure if it will work the same on SPD SLs though, but worth a try.

Red Rock

geoff_ss

I use SPDs and have since they were first introduced. Never had any problems.. Must admit to trying them out on my trike first, though, so there was little danger of falling over

Geoff

huggy

"I did fall off a couple of times learning to use old-fashioned toeclips in the 80s though. After those deathtraps, SPDs are bliss! "

Now for me that's the other way round, I'm very much used to toeclips and love 'em, just thought I'd take it 'up a gear' with road shoes.

Oil did work, it's easier to get off now, though it's still a bit precarious! Must be great trying them out on a trike - far too easy!

Zendog1

The cleats "wear in" rapidly (like a couple of rides) clipping out then gets a lot easier.

daniel_b

Zendog1 wrote:

The cleats "wear in" rapidly (like a couple of rides) clipping out then gets a lot easier.

That's very interesting to know.

I found my clipping out has become easier when I altered my cleats so my feet are in there more natural position, as in the fronts pointing outwards slightly - previously, they were straight ahead, and I guess I was at the extreme edge of the inner float to get them in their right position, consequently the unclip would have required travelling from one side of the float to the other before being able to unclip, not it has half the distance to go before disengaging.

Going out again this weekend, for only my 3rd spd ride - fell off once first time, but no issues, or near moments on the last ride which was 38 miles - it is starting to feel more natural, which is a relief!

Dan

huggy

Dan, I think you're right, having your feet pointing slightly outwards feels much better!
Hopefully everything will wear in a bit and it'll start feeling even better.

Mike59

Sounds good advice, Dan. Just about to go out on my FIRST clipped in ride :shock:.

Just out of interest, are you the Dan that used to be on the old WHTMTB forum? I seem to remember a Dan having a Marin, and giving me some excellent advice on my first hardtail MTB. Nearly bought a Nail Trail, but went for an XTC on your last-minute advice.

(Apologies if this is not you!)

Mike.

huggy

Good luck on your first clipped in ride! My first long one will be on saturday and I can't wait.

daniel_b

huggy wrote:

Dan, I think you're right, having your feet pointing slightly outwards feels much better!
Hopefully everything will wear in a bit and it'll start feeling even better.

I hope so too huggy, I was uber nervous about going spd as well, and the first fall didn't help, but it also did in a bizarre way, as it kind of engraves it into your mind to always unclip!
Glad the feet direction thing helped I just looked down when I was riding my commuter bike, and noticed that my natural position was slightly outwards, so just adjusted my cleats, and all feels good

Mike59 wrote:

Sounds good advice, Dan. Just about to go out on my FIRST clipped in ride :shock:.

Just out of interest, are you the Dan that used to be on the old WHTMTB forum? I seem to remember a Dan having a Marin, and giving me some excellent advice on my first hardtail MTB. Nearly bought a Nail Trail, but went for an XTC on your last-minute advice.

(Apologies if this is not you!)

Mike.

Mike, ah yes that rings a bell, yes I am a Marin nut, and I think I was rather dissapointed at the time to have talked you out of a Marin :oops:
I do remember your posting name now you mention it.

SO how did your first clipped in ride go, or are you still cycling around as I type......?

How goes the Giant, and what roadie have you purchased?
Are you sticking to both forms of cycling?
I couldn't drop one, I enjoy both variants far too much 8)

I'm just about to have some new shiny superlight forks fitted to my Marin - dropping it off tonight, and hoping to go out for an off road excursion on Sunday, preceded by a road ride on Saturday - meant to be better weather then.

Cheers

Dan

Mike59

Huggy, thanks for the good luck message!

Hi, Dan

Yes, it is you! I bought the Giant, but now have ended up with a Scott Spark, as the hardtail was shaking me up a bit :oops:

I have always had a hankering for a road bike (at my age, that's where we all started as kids!), so I did loads of research and bought myself an titanium Enigma Etape. I'd forgotten how good road cycling feels, and the Etape is just right for me - clearance for 28c tyres and mudguards, but really light and smooth.

I still love both forms of biking - I could never give up MTBing, but tend to prefer long XC rides, rather than jumps and scary downhills!

Right - the first clipped-in ride: firstly, I was struck by how powerful the pedal stroke is, especially up hills. I love the feeling, and it feels perfectly natural. Now the bit you've been waiting for : although I managed to stop OK a few times, at the 10mile mark, I tried to leave it late, but couldn't do it. Cue a 'slow motion' falling off to the left, landing on my knee and hand.

No major damage done to me or the bike. Must persevere - unclipping seems very easy, my only worry is that I'll forget.

Cheers

Mike.

daniel_b

Mike59 wrote:

Huggy, thanks for the good luck message!

Hi, Dan

Yes, it is you! I bought the Giant, but now have ended up with a Scott Spark, as the hardtail was shaking me up a bit :oops:

I have always had a hankering for a road bike (at my age, that's where we all started as kids!), so I did loads of research and bought myself an titanium Enigma Etape. I'd forgotten how good road cycling feels, and the Etape is just right for me - clearance for 28c tyres and mudguards, but really light and smooth.

I still love both forms of biking - I could never give up MTBing, but tend to prefer long XC rides, rather than jumps and scary downhills!

Right - the first clipped-in ride: firstly, I was struck by how powerful the pedal stroke is, especially up hills. I love the feeling, and it feels perfectly natural. Now the bit you've been waiting for : although I managed to stop OK a few times, at the 10mile mark, I tried to leave it late, but couldn't do it. Cue a 'slow motion' falling off to the left, landing on my knee and hand.

No major damage done to me or the bike. Must persevere - unclipping seems very easy, my only worry is that I'll forget.

Cheers

Mike.

Hi Mike,

Scott Spark looks nice, what flavour, my search bought up one at £5000!!! :shock:

The Enigma looks really nice as well, what was the rationale for titanium - I haven't done any research on that front.

Good to hear your sticking to both types of biking, I can't understand the only one or the other camps :?

I too tend to prefer XC, but have a mate who likes to search out more hairy descents, and more testing drop offs, so that is quite useful, as it takes me plaecs I wouldn;t normally go - does improve your riding I have to say.

Your first clipped in fall, well it had to happen I guess.....best to get it out of the way
At least you did minimal damage eh - I scuffed my bike a bit, but she's ok really

Cheers

Dan

Doobz

although I managed to stop OK a few times, at the 10mile mark, I tried to leave it late, but couldn't do it. Cue a 'slow motion' falling off to the left, landing on my knee and hand.

lolz - I did the slowmo fall right outside my front door waiting for the missus to let me in.. I rode up, rung the doorbell and forgot I was clipped in and just went to step off... luckily I fell on to the grass and no harm was done.. was a bit funny when the missus came to the door to find me lying on the grass with my legs still attached to the pedals..

huggy

Hehe just the thought of that sounds like something off of chuckle brothers

Mike59

Daniel B wrote:

Scott Spark looks nice, what flavour, my search bought up one at £5000!!! :shock:

No, Dan. It is an ex-demo Spark 20 - well under the 2k mark!

The Enigma titanium ticked all the right boxes. Not a 'race' bike, but not a Dawes Galaxy either. Very light and supple and can take the larger tyres and guards and racks for light touring if I wanted to.

On the MTB front, I do do some of the steeper stuff (Holmbury, Pitch and Leith hills etc), but I don't/can't do jumps :oops:. You're in Berkshire - do you ride Swinley? Been there a few times, but don't know my way round well enough to string the trails together to make a decent length ride.

Knee a bit sore this morning, but hey - at least I know what I shouldn't do whilst clipped in

Cheers,

Mike.

daniel_b

Yep, have been to Swinley, but only been in Berkshire for a year, and only had access to my bikes for 6 months, so have only been once, which was last month.

Really really enjoyed it, much better than I had hoped for, we also didn't know the trails quite well enough to find our way around properly, but that will come with repeated visits I guess.

It's sprawling, and even though the carpark was rammed, it never felt crowded out on the trails.

We did find a jump area, but probably like you, weren't really in a frame of mind to 'have a go' maybe next time though......

Your knee will remind you next time you need to unclip

Cheers

Dan

huggy

Just done my first long SPD SL ride.

It was great, shaved 2 minutes off my normal time, however, I turned round and cycled back to my cycling partner once I had finished, he went past and said he'd meet me at the bottom of the hill so I turned, realised I wasn't turning sharp enough, did a trackstand for about 2 seconds and realised there was no way I was going to get my foot out - so I just had to go with it. I got up after the 0mph crash and checked the road and bike, no scratches nothing came off, all ok, so I carried on.

I got home and was just putting my bike away when I noticed one of the plugs had come out of the bar end. It must have dropped out on the way home after the circuit. Does anybody know where you can get ultra cheap plugs?