New To Spd's

Muz81

Hi

I have been riding my mountain bike seriously for the past 5 years and thought why not go down the route of spd pedals/ shoes.

It was my first ride out today with spd's and it was great on the road, got used to them real quickly on the road, BUT when i went off road it didnt go so well, I was only on a beaten track nothing too hardcore and it didnt seem natural at all to be clipped in to the bike, felt totally wrong infact, feel like i may have made a big mistake. I felt like doing a little jump here and there but didnt feel confident being clipped in and leaving the ground.

Is it a case that i need to just get used to riding off road clipped in, or would you say its bad practise and better to be in normal shoes and standard pedals when riding off road!

any advice would be grately appreciated!

Thanks

Muz

piker

Where you not happy with flats,i ask because i keep thinking maybe spds are worth trying,but then i ride bits of trail and think i really woudn't want to be clipped in here.
But i also think most spd shoe styles are better suited to wet british riding.

Anonymous

If you want to try them, give them a few rides. If you're still not happy, bin them and go back to flats.

Muz81

piker wrote:

Where you not happy with flats,i ask because i keep thinking maybe spds are worth trying,but then i ride bits of trail and think i really woudn't want to be clipped in here.
But i also think most spd shoe styles are better suited to wet british riding.

I was totally happy with normal pedals and shoes, I had 24/7 pedals with pins which used to stick pretty well to my shoes, but most of my riding is on the road, i will ride a few miles to get any off road site then maybe do 1 or 2 miles of road riding. Like you i only ride bits of trails, I was even thinking of changing pedals as and when i know i going off road.

Muz81

yeehaamcgee wrote:

If you want to try them, give them a few rides. If you're still not happy, bin them and go back to flats.

But is it possible to ride off road with spd's, i mean do other people actually use them whilst off road on trails?

Anonymous

Muz81 wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

If you want to try them, give them a few rides. If you're still not happy, bin them and go back to flats.

But is it possible to ride off road with spd's, i mean do other people actually use them whilst off road on trails?

Assuming that's not a pi**-take, then yes, plenty of people ride them off road.
I tried them for a few years, then decided to go back to flats. They didn't offer much advantage, ultimately.

Wobblehead

I'm new to this lark, after a few years of road biking have finally taken the plunge.

Been out on my new mtb about 6 times now, everyone (bar one) I have ridden with rides flats, I've got spd's.

Not sure if they are helping or hindering as they are the only way I have ridden.

Keep wondering whether i have made the wrong decision, however, the only way I'll really know is to buy some flats and give them a go.

More expense....

Anonymous

The way I see it, there's a lot of valuable bike control techniques that you will only learn on flats, and those techniques will still transef to SPDs.
SPDs mean you can get away by NOT learning that control, and can lead to dodgy situations.

For example, if you're confident on really rough terrain on flats, then you have learnt to get your feet and legs to flow with the bike. If you only ever rode SPDs, then that flow isn't such a critical part of riding, UNTIL you hit something large, and unexpected, which buks the bike and you over.

cooldad

Most people have an old pair of flats lying around. Borrow a pair and try.

omegas

Muz81 wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

If you want to try them, give them a few rides. If you're still not happy, bin them and go back to flats.

But is it possible to ride off road with spd's, i mean do other people actually use them whilst off road on trails?

You have been riding for 5 years then make a statement likes that and your first post as a new member ?

TROLL ALERT, TROLL ALERT, TROLL ALERT, TROLL ALERT, TROLL ALERT, TROLL ALERT,

diy

I nearly crippled myself the other day riding the mrs' bike (which has flats) went to jump the way I normally do on my FS with SPDs and landed on my bollox because my feet left the pedals unexpectedly.

Many, many people use SPD's for off-road riding and in fact for long distance stuff I can't remember the last time I spotted someone not using them.

Personally I prefer Multi-release on trial/AM type stuff, as the risk of loosing balance e.g. when climbing can sometimes result in undesirable lock-in on single release.

Generally I would say (if you are looking at SPDs) its better to go SPD with multi's and then progress to single release clips once you get used to clips.

just in case you don't understand what I am talking about
SPDs come in multi and single release

Ian43

I have just gone to SPD from flats and use multi release cleats, they give more control and feel I think in my riding and greater confidence, I have only washed out once on some wet roots and they let go instantly as they should.

Most people start with flats and then go onto SPD's and most people I ride with are clipped in, I see very few XC riders on flats these days but saying that I suppose both have their merits it depends on what style of riding you do, downhillers prefer flats I would assume.

Fenred

I swap about from flats to spd's. If you are feeling a bit 'wobbly' about being clipped in whilst riding gnarcore stuff then try some Shimano M545's, that way you can always unclip and 'hover' on the platform until your pooper stops twitching, then clip straight back in again.

p3eps

I've just changed from having standard flat pedals (with toe clips) to a set of Shimano PS-M647 SPD pedals.
As I opted for a pair of FiveTen Minnaar shoes, I needed something with a decent flat base to them as the shoes are apparently not as supportive as some due to their trainer type design.

I started off with the single release cleats that were supplied - and then bought the Shimano multi release cleats instead as I was scared of falling off with my feet still clipped in!
The multi release are great, and I can pull my feet out at the last minute from almost any angle.
As above - if I'm on any scary trails, I can still ride with my shoes unclipped as the pedals have a nice big flat base to them.

I've only used them a handful of times so far - and its still in my mind that I need to 'think' about unclipping as I come to a standstill. Hopefully as time goes on it will just become a natural reaction and I'll do it without having to think!

Incidentally, the FiveTen shoes are just like wearing my DC trainers - apart from a little bit heavier. Very comfy and they look better than most cycling shoes out there!!

c00lh4nd

To get an opposite view there was an article in either of the Feb 2011 editions of MBR or WMB mags where the writer had been forced to move back to flats for a review of a bike surplied with them. He was a big fan of SPDs until that day when he felt he was better able to shift his weight and balance when riding.

Worth a read.. Personally I am still where p3eps and fenred were, nervous about having my feet clipped to the bike. Can see the benefits for road users but am nervous about having my feet restricted while negotiating steep down hill on a rocky trail..

No doubt I will grow a pair sometime and move to SPDs

c00lh4nd

toasty

People are always going to have a list of excuses why what they do is the best, you need to give it a shot and see whether it suits you.

I found it easiest having a bit of a crossover, have the odd ride on flats to get confidence up on bits of trail, then switch back to SPDs. In the end I felt more confident with the SPDs on.

Uchiga

There has always been the debate over flats and SPD pedals. We could argue for days weeks maybe even years about them. Ultimately it's up to you as to whether or not you like them. Give them more than a few rides to get used to them. Some people take only a few rides to get used to them but the larger majority take quite a while to get used to them.

I personally do prefer my SPD's i'm only a light rider (less than 50kg) so whenever i went over fieldy or bumpy stuff no matter how grippy my shoes or platform pedals were and how ever much weight i stuck on them my feet would inevitably fly off or loose grip from a comfortable position. As soon as i went to SPD's not only were my feet in place, but i could also pedal on said surfaces that would have otherwise left my feet flying around in the air if i was on platforms.

If you decide to make the real plunge and are adamant to stick with SPD's it's always good to learn as many skills as possible with platforms first. Bunnyhopping with platforms and just simply lifting the rear end of a bike up with platforms are good skill sets which if you use SPD's you can cheat. Which is never good. As Yeehaa pointed out.

SPD's are becomming increasingly popular though even in the downhill racing you'll find most riders are riding with platform pedals with spd's integrated, they'll swap to fully platforms on the hairier down hill rides though like when its tipping it down with solid rain for a few days and they still have to make the run.

Try it out for a month or two, it's the best way to find out. Also do make sure you have the cleat properly positioned in your shoe relating to your feet. Some people have been put off SPD's only to be later informed that the reason for their discomfort was poor cleat placement.

m1tch666

I used to ride flats, but moved onto m770 xt spd's....have to say I wasn't overly keen on them, great for the uphills (unless you had to stop behind your pal suddenly, then couldn't get going again lol).They were too easy to miss, so I moved onto the m545, much happier, more confident and anything where i'm unsure I unclip with the multi release cleats and ride like i'm using flats again........also no issues starting from behind my 'sudden stop on hill because i hit the only rock visible' friends......

Atz

I personally do prefer my SPD's i'm only a light rider (less than 50kg) so whenever i went over fieldy or bumpy stuff no matter how grippy my shoes or platform pedals were and how ever much weight i stuck on them my feet would inevitably fly off or loose grip from a comfortable position

That's a technique thing, nothing to do with your weight. We ride with someone from these very forums who probably weighs 50kg including his bike (wet and covered in mud and carrying a camelbak) but he never seems to fly off his pedals over lumpy stuff.

That said you're riding what you want to ride, which is the most important thing so why you arrived there is irrelevant as long as you're happy.

Uchiga

Atz wrote:

I personally do prefer my SPD's i'm only a light rider (less than 50kg) so whenever i went over fieldy or bumpy stuff no matter how grippy my shoes or platform pedals were and how ever much weight i stuck on them my feet would inevitably fly off or loose grip from a comfortable position

That's a technique thing, nothing to do with your weight. We ride with someone from these very forums who probably weighs 50kg including his bike (wet and covered in mud and carrying a camelbak) but he never seems to fly off his pedals over lumpy stuff.

That said you're riding what you want to ride, which is the most important thing so why you arrived there is irrelevant as long as you're happy.

If it's technique, why on earth is it my feet flew out the pedals? I had flat pedals nailed can do everything i can with SPD's just as well as platforms when i get on my BMX the only thing is my feet flying off the pedals. That i have never ever worked out why. I put my weight on them and tilted them back a bit and i also tried doing it the other way as well, i've tried all sorts of ways of doing it and my feet still flew off the pedals. If there is a technique would you be so grand as to elaborate and inform me what i was doing wrong?

cooldad

Because it's not as much about feet and pedals as your whole body riding the bike. Your body, and particularly your legs act as springs absorbing the shock.

Atz

Hard to tell without watching you, but given I've seen people riding everything from tow paths to shore and they've managed to keep feet on pedals, it can't be you have something special that ejects your feet from pedals.

edit - And what cooldad said

Uchiga

cooldad wrote:

Because it's not as much about feet and pedals as your whole body riding the bike. Your body, and particularly your legs act as springs absorbing the shock.

Yer i've known that for quite some time now... which does beg the question what tips do you actually have that can help prevent this problem? It's not like i'm a newbie or stupid in the world of cycling when it comes to actually cycling and technical problems...

This is why i have a hard time udnerstanding my feet flying from pedals issue...

cooldad

Knowing and doing are two different things. If you let the bike move underneath you, and absorb the shock, your feet will stay on the pedals (within reason). Too stiff and you have a problem.

Uchiga

cooldad wrote:

Knowing and doing are two different things. If you let the bike move underneath you, and absorb the shock, your feet will stay on the pedals (within reason). Too stiff and you have a problem.

Yer... all i'm hearing here is what i'm doing. I've heard nothing new. I'm used to lettign my legs absorb the shock, i've ridden hard tails all my life and you've probably not seen the cross country running i used to do... It wasn't so much stopping to climb over fallen trees etc it was more like run up and jump over them... Not to mention i play badminton and if youve ever seen a jump smash you know how high badminton players jump and have to land again and be ready for the next shot. I'm sure i know how to use my legs.

I'm not bragging but my legs know what they're doing... Heck how on earth i have stiff legs and not let the bike move underneath me is actually more challanging!

thel33ter

Atz wrote:

I personally do prefer my SPD's i'm only a light rider (less than 50kg) so whenever i went over fieldy or bumpy stuff no matter how grippy my shoes or platform pedals were and how ever much weight i stuck on them my feet would inevitably fly off or loose grip from a comfortable position

That's a technique thing, nothing to do with your weight. We ride with someone from these very forums who probably weighs 50kg including his bike (wet and covered in mud and carrying a camelbak) but he never seems to fly off his pedals over lumpy stuff./quote]

Guessing that's me I'll have you know I'm up to 55kg now

But yea, I rode with crap flats, then SPD's, the decent flats. I loved SPD's for almost all riding, and you could just pedal though almost anything, until that moment where you had to dab a foot down, so I switched to a decent pair of flat pedals and a pair of 5 10's, and with that combo, I can still pedal through most terrain, and I can put a foot down.

Not bouncing off the pedals is purely technique, if you drop your heels a bit and put your weight on your quads, not your ankles you will find it much easier to stay on the pedals.

Uchiga

thel33ter wrote:

Not bouncing off the pedals is purely technique, if you drop your heels a bit and put your weight on your quads, not your ankles you will find it much easier to stay on the pedals.

Again something i was doing... :? Really not sure why i was bouncing off my pedals then to be honest!

i used to be 45Kg before i started college 2 years on i've only gained 5Kg although my fitness and speed has incread a hell of a lot more! Though it's also good that ive not been injured for a long time either

Incidently i dont have problems getting my feet out of my single release SPD's quickly :P I've been able to put my foot down just as fast from my SPD's as i have done with my platforms, and defintly a heck faster than with toe straps!

thel33ter

Uchiga wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Knowing and doing are two different things. If you let the bike move underneath you, and absorb the shock, your feet will stay on the pedals (within reason). Too stiff and you have a problem.

Yer... all i'm hearing here is what i'm doing. I've heard nothing new. I'm used to lettign my legs absorb the shock, i've ridden hard tails all my life and you've probably not seen the cross country running i used to do... It wasn't so much stopping to climb over fallen trees etc it was more like run up and jump over them... Not to mention i play badminton and if youve ever seen a jump smash you know how high badminton players jump and have to land again and be ready for the next shot. I'm sure i know how to use my legs.

I'm not bragging but my legs know what they're doing... Heck how on earth i have stiff legs and not let the bike move underneath me is actually more challanging!

Cool story bro.

We can all use our legs here, I'm also a cross country runner, and the only transferable skills are cardio, and to a point picking a line. Then the jumping, this involves pushing away from something, what you need to do is almost pull the bike into your body, by shifting your whole bodyweight depending on the trail.

I agree it is harder to stay on the pedals on a hardtail, but that comes down to correct footwork and picking the best line.

cooldad

Uchiga wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Knowing and doing are two different things. If you let the bike move underneath you, and absorb the shock, your feet will stay on the pedals (within reason). Too stiff and you have a problem.

Yer... all i'm hearing here is what i'm doing. I've heard nothing new. I'm used to lettign my legs absorb the shock, i've ridden hard tails all my life and you've probably not seen the cross country running i used to do... It wasn't so much stopping to climb over fallen trees etc it was more like run up and jump over them... Not to mention i play badminton and if youve ever seen a jump smash you know how high badminton players jump and have to land again and be ready for the next shot. I'm sure i know how to use my legs.

I'm not bragging but my legs know what they're doing... Heck how on earth i have stiff legs and not let the bike move underneath me is actually more challanging!

No idea what your last sentence means, but as you say you have hugely experienced legs so it must be something else.

I'd blame Wiggle.

Uchiga

thel33ter wrote:

Then the jumping, this involves pushing away from something, what you need to do is almost pull the bike into your body, by shifting your whole bodyweight depending on the trail.

So jumping the only transferable skill is the actual lift off... How does that make sense surely you have to land as well which means taking up a shock... And when you're running it's a lot heavier on your knees... Did i mention i used to do parkour?

thel33ter

Uchiga wrote:

thel33ter wrote:

Then the jumping, this involves pushing away from something, what you need to do is almost pull the bike into your body, by shifting your whole bodyweight depending on the trail.

So jumping the only transferable skill is the actual lift off... How does that make sense surely you have to land as well which means taking up a shock... And when you're running it's a lot heavier on your knees... Did i mention i used to do parkour?

Great, you can do everything, but you can't stay on your pedals, a fundamental part of cycling.

I did no sport whatsoever till about 3 years ago, now I outpace most people I ride with up and down stuff, and can stay on my pedals.

Uchiga wrote:

I'm not bragging

Neither am I :twisted: