Help!

darrenmcd1

Hi all,

i've just bought myself some Shimano M520 pedals and Sidi Giau shoes but im having problems.

having real difficulty unclipping from pedals when i need to stop or quickly put a foot down resulting in me landing on my backside several times :oops:

i've tried reducing the spring tension to its lowest level but it still seems too tight. i heard that your food should be practically falling out of the system when the spring tension has been reduced that far.

so is their any suggestions from anyone before i sent them back and revert to my old flats??

nicklouse

lean against a wall and practice.

also read this
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12654875

Redfred237

Hi,
when you are new to spd pedals you tend to think about it too much this leads to tension / panic and probably an awkward action for clipping in / out.The more you do the more you will relax and it will become an automatic action that doesn't require conscious thought process.
Firstly prop your self up against a wall and clip in out with a twisting action turning your heel out, repeat this until you feel you have the knack.
Next if you know a nice safe simple place to cycle ie local park not on or off road etc with distractions and dangers set off and repeatedly clip in out without stopping bike, you will find the right position as you move crank round to start the twist clip out action.
Keep clipping in out in out so on until you've nailed it, now the tricky bit STOP thinking about it. If you drive a car you don't think about changing gear / pressing brakes etc you just do them and supposedly concentrate on what's going on ahead and around you.
Before long you won't need to think about clipping in / out it will be totally automatic.
But every now and then life will throw you a curve ball and catch you out and you will fall over with every one looking at you thinking what a plonker, it's happened to all of us at some point.
Hope this helps.

mancjon

Firstly when you first start with clipless practice as others have said. It's a lot easier to unclip when you foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke, if you try at the top of the stroke it's a lot harder, or it is for me anyway.

As for stopping thinking about it you don't really make a conscious decision to stop thinking about it. I have used clipless now for a couple of years and i am still conscious at times of unclipping but the vast majority of times it is automatic. Funny going back to flats which i do occasionally as i find myself still turning my heel out when stopping

And also be aware that most times you crash your feet will come free of the pedals without you doing anything. In fact you are more likely to fall over clipped in when you are virtually stationary than anything else. You probably will fall at least once forgetting you are clipped in but it really does become second nature the vast majority of the time.

As for tension, i have never changed the tension on any SPDs i have bought, I use shimanos and time atac pedals and much prefer the shimanos both for clipping in (lovely sound) and clipping out. Even when powering up up hills etc. my feet have never come unclipped and i have never felt i couldn't get my foot out so i would just go with the default setting.

Jon

Deputy Dawg

Multi release cleats might help. My brother had the same problem 'til he got some.