SPD moments..

Paul 8v

Any tips on how to avoid them apart from chanting a mantra of "clipped in clipped in clipped in" so I don't forget

nicklouse

lean against a wall and practice.

always unclip before you know you want to.

Paul 8v

cheers, don't want to make a massive tit out of myself on the first ride!

CanalRider

Paul 8v wrote:

cheers, don't want to make a massive tit out of myself on the first ride!

Why should you be an exception.

First time out on a longish ride with dear daughter, while camping, I misjudged the fading light so we crept along the side of a dual carriage way for three quarters of a mile, pulling off whenever a car approached. well once I forgot and and tipped straight over rolling down an embankment. Then spent 10 minutes trying to find my iphone and four blocks of galaxy I'd dropped. Obviously my daughter has been very sympathetic and told all my mates so they can learn from my experience.

Paul 8v

Lol, mental note to take lights 8)

meanredspider

I rode a couple of Spinning classes in my SPDs before my bike arrived. Though I've been using them daily now for a couple of months, I'm still caught out occasionally. unclipping early (especially coming up to junctions and other potentially sticky situations) is good advice too. Setting them up loose will also make it easier to start with (apparently - I didn't bother)

joshtp

iv been on spd for 6 months, never had a bad moment, a few hesitations when theyv been caked in sand or mud, but usualy fine.... i spent ages practicing on a wall before i ever went out, and i for the first few rides unclipped before i new i needed too....

*AL*

Paul 8v wrote:

cheers, don't want to make a massive tit out of myself on the first ride!

Sorry, but that's not going to happen.

I can even predict exactly when it will happen, approximately 30 seconds after you think you've mastered them

Paul 8v

I shall have to make sure I never think i've mastered them!

*AL*

Paul 8v wrote:

I shall have to make sure I never think i've mastered them!

That's about the size of it

Wouldn't be without them though !

joshtp

*AL* wrote:

Paul 8v wrote:

cheers, don't want to make a massive tit out of myself on the first ride!

Sorry, but that's not going to happen.

I can even predict exactly when it will happen, approximately 30 seconds after you think you've mastered them

very true! lol, but if you can get used to them quickly enough to never have a moment, as i did, your sorted.... its worth the effort as well, they are awsome...

mancjon

Go out for a ride on grass first if you can because then it doesn't hurt so much when/if you fall

You'll get used to them fairly quickly, for the first few rides concentrate on unclipping when coming up to junctions etc.. and you'll be fine. Most clipless falls are when you are going very slow or have stopped so like i say practice on grass unclipping as you stop.

This is where trackstands/ability to balance on the bike come in handy.

As for crashes at speed don't worry because your feet generally come free without you having to do anything.

Jon

coolboarder

Ive been riding spd`s for years now and wouldnt be without them. The only advise i would give is slacken them right off. It just so natural now, even the quick foot dabs are fine for me cause they are still loosened off

jayson

Ive used spuds for a few years now but back in jan i crashed on some black ice and was off my bike for 3 months cause i damaged my wrist/hand where i landed on it cause i couldnt put my foot down quick enough.

Im back on my bike albeit very gingerly but still cant lift anythin heavy or do anythin strenuous with my injured hand, it is gettin better now just very slowly.

The moral of my painful tale is to neva take spuds for granted no matter how long you've been using them because there'll always come a moment u dont anticipate and WAM!!! they'll bite u without mercy.

I still prefer to ride with them (actually cant ride without them) but im even more aware now of what can happen when using them.

cgarossi

The pain of falling off will train you in time

Dr Feesh

Just got my first for my road and mtb last week. Gots some M324s for the new road bike, and M520s for the mtb. Haven't fallen off yet, but had a couple of close shaves where I forgot and tried to just lift off. That lovely feeling of panic...

The Rookie

Been on m520's for about 6 months, practiced in the back garden, had 2 comedy moments on the sof lawn, once in front of the daughter, although I beat her mobile phone camera hands down on the recovery, no evidence so it never happened! No problems at all since then, no problems when out riding.

Unclipping early helps, but when you rest your unclipped foot on the pedal it clips in a lot easier than when your trying to clip in.......

Simon

neninja

Having used Shimano spd's for a few years I recently got a set of Crank Bros Candy pedals.

They seem somehow more natural to clip in and out of and don't need the tension adjusting as release is angle dependent. I certainly won't go back to using the Shimano's again.

Paul 8v

Do the standard cleats still offer a degree of float, don't want to do my knees in! I remember back in the day the Look pedal cleats came with/without float

The Rookie

The Shimano's all come with some float, my M520's allow 'enogh' for me to get comfy and have the odd 'wriggle' to get comfortable.

Simon

t121anf

i fell off yesterday on my drive, thankfully fell onto the grass of the garden.

i lol to myself, glad no one saw me, i blame the badly adjusted side that had the flats on.

TorchXC

tried my M520s last weekend and fell over 4 times comedy style, usually happens when your going slow
if in doubt try the SH56 cleats as they are multi release instead of the supplied SH51's which are single

jmillen

The guys and gals I ride with have been saying recently how they think I should get some SPDs, I'm not sure if this thread has convinced me to get some, or put me right off

cgarossi

I would bet if you put to bikers of equal fitness in a race, one with flats and the other with SPDs, the SPD guy would win out each time.

Paul 8v

Just went out on my fist ride with SPD's, it was like having afterburners when climbing or sprinting, god knows why anyone would want to use flat pedals for XC riding after trying them, I'm definitely a convert :-)

richg1979

if you think to much about it, you WILL fall off, i found it very natural and never have had a spd related incodent, no prectice or leaning against a wall, banged pedals on stuck shoes on then straight off into the woods.

the way your foot moves from a pedal even a flat is ankle 1st so you will prob find that your already making the unclipping motion on flat pedals without even knowing it.

only up pull on climbs and when you feel you need more tourque as its pretty obvious the more muscles you are using the more energy consumed.

keepitattached

when i first started using spds i fell over (from a standstill) which scared an approaching horse so much it wouldn't go past me, so i had to go and hide around the corner...

kaytronika

In my days of riding spuds, my old riding partner was a bit of a show off... He quickly learned two lessons

1. Don't try an endo with SPDs engaged.
2. Don't try a wheelie the same way.

I laughed, he didn't.


Currently in the process of turning my house upside down to find my M535s (getting back in to riding after 10 years)... So I may well have stories to add at some point.

joshtp

loving the horse story!

Paul 8v

Is there any way of getting more float on the pedals, they've been set up with the easiest release setting on them but I just can't seem to get my left foot to feel right, I've had problems with my knees and I went out for a short ride, (about 6 miles but pretty intense) on them and my knees are pretty bad again :-(

joshtp

Paul 8v wrote:

Is there any way of getting more float on the pedals, they've been set up with the easiest release setting on them but I just can't seem to get my left foot to feel right, I've had problems with my knees and I went out for a short ride, (about 6 miles but pretty intense) on them and my knees are pretty bad again :-(

cleat position. the cleats need to be in the right place for you, try fiddling with that