First time with SPD-SL

ocaaaaa

Bought some SPD-SL pedals today for my Synapse - first time ever using anything but a normal pedal.
Rode back from the LBS which is only about a mile - didn't fall over luckily , but will take a bit of getting used to - feels strange at first

Will go for a ride in a bit around some quiet roads , want to get more used to these before I start commuting in them :P

rjh299

Couple days and you'll be fine. Congrats on not falling off on first ride, give it time, it'll happen!

AGNI

I used them on my mountain bike before trying them on the road bike. Not so bothered if I fall off the mountain bike, which I have done loads of times with SPD's.

ocaaaaa

Went for a quick ride around Richmond Park and had to clip in/out a few times and got along very nicely :P

screebs

My wife was laughing at me last night when I told her I had been out a few weeks ago and fell over at the traffic lights - that second long panic as your falling and you can't get out your pedals.

Must be funny for motorists when they see you falling off!

v.e.e

I've had SPD's for a while but managed to fall over yesterday for the first time. I was doing some hill repeats and screwed up my gear changes causing the chain to fall off. I was so busy looking down to see what had happened to the chain that I failed to notice that I was grinding to a halt and promptly toppled onto the verge as I was still clipped in.

What a twit! Glad that there was only one passing car to witness me disappearing into the ditch.

watershed2100

I bought my SL`s about a month ago, first time in a clip-less pedal first week or so no bother lets tighten them up a wee bit....... next time out off at a set of traffic lights next to a bus on a busy Saturday morning. Couldnt get up and moving fast enough, on the plus side it made the folk on the bus laugh.

ocaaaaa

I find starting from traffic lights a bit iffy -if I get rolling then look down I clip in no problems, unclipping I have no problem with.

Was messing about in the garden and managed to fall sideways into a nice wet bush with bike still attached to me :oops:

Rather in the garden then on the road !

miurasv

I am new to cycling and used my brand new Shimano Dura Ace pedals for the second time today. I practised up against a wall before going out. Went down a hill, as I approached the junction I couldn't get my feet out. Tried hard to twist, but no, my feet were stuck and off I came. Brand new Dura Ace pedal scratched to hell along with wheel clamp, Ultegra Shifter and seat. I am gutted. These pedals are very dangerous if you ask me. Are these pedals meant to be so difficult to get out of?

ocaaaaa

If you can change the tension on them, try and lower that a bit - I guess its just practise otherwise , I found it difficult to get out the first few times !

I'm commuting to work through London tomorrow so hope that goes smoothly .. also need to remember to bring a spare pair of shoes with me tomorrow

Speedykid

I've been using my pedals for about three weeks now and i'm doing fine. But not to sound so snobby I did practice for a whole evening and morning before just going up and down my road for two days. And I did fall over but my shop loosened them off loads when they put them on. But anyway it is just practice!

Essex Man

Now thinking of going down the route of proper pedals/shoes myself after a couple of months cycling. Is it easy to set up the shoes/cleats etc yourself?

Also, do the shoes/pedals come with the cleats?

Thanks.

bobpzero

Essex Man wrote:

, do the shoes/pedals come with the cleats?

most pedals would come with cleats.

just wondering what the comparison between the spd sl and look keo carbon pedals with chromoly spindle would be

ok i forgot that new pedals do come with cleats.

watershed2100

like ocaaa i can find it difficult when starting,no bother if i have the road/lights/junction to my self but put a car there and it gets a whole lot more interesting. All joking aside anticipate unclipping and dont panic you`ll be fine.

dag_on_a_bike

bobpzero wrote:

Essex Man wrote:

... for spd sl you have to buy the cleats seperately...

My Ultegra SPD-SLs came complete with cleats.

ocaaaaa

DAG on a bike wrote:

bobpzero wrote:

Essex Man wrote:

... for spd sl you have to buy the cleats seperately...

My Ultegra SPD-SLs came complete with cleats.

My Ultegras also came with cleats

Getting some practise commuting through London the last few days - still having to look down everytime I start at lights to clip in but hopefully will come naturally soon

Rich Hcp

If you loosen thenm right off and practise, then it's no problem with SLs

Over time you'll tighten them up a bit

redddraggon

SPD-SLs aren't exactly a good choice for commuting

Landlocked

ocaaaaa wrote:

Bought some SPD-SL pedals today for my Synapse - first time ever using anything but a normal pedal.
Rode back from the LBS which is only about a mile - didn't fall over luckily , but will take a bit of getting used to - feels strange at first

Will go for a ride in a bit around some quiet roads , want to get more used to these before I start commuting in them :P

Wow, that could be writing that!

Bought some SPD-SL's for my Synapse, been using regular SPD's on my hybrid tank for a while.

Quite frustrating when i can't click my feet in when trying to pull away at the lights!

must look like a right kook!!

ocaaaaa

Been getting on fine with these - not fallen over (apart from in my garden!) yet ... did around 100 miles through London over the weekend as well with lots of unclipping and no problems.

Still have to look down to get clipped in though, but only for a second and then I'm off!

Also noticed some improvement when going uphill - the steep bit in Richmond Park going clockwise isn't as bad as before (although, still difficult!)

sliesnham

I have just returned to road biking having only used toe clips in the (distant) past. It has taken me a little while to get used to these pedals and I quickly realised that trying to pass up the inside of traffic at lights etc needs some practice and on my first attempt I was very nearly off. I also have to look down to clip the other foot in when moving off but that's only really to see which way up the peddle is so I can clip in properly. I'd imagine commuting thorough busy traffic with these would be tricky too.

I haven't tried any of the Look pedals but assume they are all pretty much the same.

MrIP

I have Looks but certainly would not use them for comuting, Flats or SPDs much safer. On long open road trips or Sportives etc the Looks are great but lots of lights and stop starting with cars and buses you would have trouble getting the Looks up the right way to clip in.

Mrip

Mothyman

so which shoes and pedals would be good for a beginner who wants to try to get used to the cleats? i need wide fitting short, high arched shoes as well..presumably shimano?

msw

Mothyman wrote:

so which shoes and pedals would be good for a beginner who wants to try to get used to the cleats? i need wide fitting short, high arched shoes as well..presumably shimano?

I started off commuting with standard (mountain bike) Shimano SPDs and now use Shimano SPD-SLs, but I'm thinking of going back to the standard ones. The main reason is that even after a year or so with the SPD-SLs I still can't get clipped in by feel alone -- they hang vertical-ish but I can't get it right every time. The SPDs I had worked either way up so I could just "feel and stamp" to clip in coming away from the lights. Also, the shoes that fit SPDs tend to be easier to walk in because the cleat fitting's recessed into the sole. I have tried using standard SPD cleats on stiff-soled road shoes and there's not much to recommend it unless you enjoy striking sparks off manhole covers.

Some of the more expensive proper racing cleats work both ways up too, though (Speedplays I think?).

Just to confuse things further there is a one-sided standard SPD pedal called the A530 which I found quite easy to clip into. It also has the advantage over other SPD pedals that it's big and flat so if you need to ride in normal shoes every now and then it's not too uncomfortable.

STEFANOS4784

If commuting with spd-sl's don't forget your pump.
On Wednesday i got a flat half way to work, had levers, repair kit but no pump :oops: My mate gave me a lift eventually but i walked about 4 miles and my cleats are almost dead now

P.s to the 3 riders who just gawked at me whilst cycling past; Thank-you very much!

Was my own fault but still........

Mothyman

thanks msw...anyone have same/different opinion on first cleats?

stefanos - you now need new ones - gonna get same again?

STEFANOS4784

Got no choice really, i have ultegra sl pedals on the Kuota.
I have M520 spd pedals on the Cannondale which means the cleats on the shoes are metal and recessed making the cleats last longer and walking a doddle in comparison. Also the pedals are double sided making them easier to get used to but the spd sl's feel so much clunkier to click into and gives me more confidence, if i hadn't forgotten my pump i'd have no problem. Definatel replacing the cleats when i get back from holiday, they're not that expensive and it was definately a lesson learned