clipless pedals!

darrena8

Hi,i just purchased some of these and bought a pair of specialized shoes.
I've never used clipless pedals before but though i'd give them a bash as i heard they make a big difference.I commute a few times a week and do a bit off road stuff...

I fitted them tonight and iam finding them very tricky to get my feet hooked in,i did manage to get them both in and had a little spin round the block,got my feet out no problem with a little twist,does it just take time to get good with them?

your thoughts and advice please guys
cheers

Darren

diy

Depending on the type e.g. SPD you can slacken the binding screws until you get used to them. Also worth getting the multi release clip, which unclips more naturally. But yes it takes time and the loss of a fair amount of skin before you get used to them.

darrena8

yeah mate there shimano spd's,i take it its the actual pedal you can slacken?

kaytronika

There's usually a tiny screw in front of the plate where you engage the cleat.

Loosen that a bit and try it like that.

They do take a lot of practice, as I recall, but after a while you won't want to be without them.

I've just ordered a new set so I'll be learning all over again.

rf6

It does sound like you need to slacken off the pedals. Maybe worth firing a bit of oil through them, they may have dried up a bit if stored for a while. They will make a big difference to your ride in terms of feel and efficiency, so stick with them.

Salsa

It takes a while until you learn how to clip in/out without thinking. A friend of mine just got them & I was watching him yesterday trying 20+ times to clip in
He was trying to stab his shoes into the pedal & constantly missing, after a while you will learn where the cleat is on the shoe & where the pedal interface is then you just clip in almost 1st time every time.

amt27

put the shoe on the pedal and check for contact between the pedal casing and rubber on the shoe sole,
you may need to raise the cleat a little using a spacer,

bentes

They require a bit getting used to.

Just loosen the pedal to make it easier to clip in/out until your confident about it.
I got used to mine in about 2 or 3 rides. Only fell after getting used to them and was too confident....

And remember always clip out BEFORE you stop!

kaytronika

And don't wheelie clipped in.

Unless you're filming it.

prawn star

and check your cleat bolts are tight regularly,i lost on once ending in a comedy stack cause your shoe just twists & dont release,

Anonymous

Or just stay with flats, always an option.

Airienteer

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Or just stay with flats, always an option.

I was wondering when that was going to be said!

diy

Some cheap shoes have quite thin plates which makes them more prone to the thread slipping and the bolt falling out.

I have two pairs of lidl shoes because I jet wash them to keep them clean and the standard plates need to be replaced with a shimano plate or similar. Still a good deal at under 20 quid for a pair.

I have standard clips and multi clips. I use standard for enduro/xc and multi for am.

kaytronika

The Lidl shoes I have are ok, but I'd think twice in future.

Nothing major, but the first time I put them on I bent the metal ring you hook the strap through.

Need to find something to replace it with.