SPD Problem

Headhuunter

I bought a pair of Shimano M520 Clipless SPD from CRC last Dec for one of my commuter bikes. I don't use the bike very often but have started using it again recently. I'm having probs with the right pedal, the shoe appears to clip in fine with a bit of a click (perhaps not a firm click) but it pretty much lifts straight out again with very little resistance, there's no way I can pull up on the pedal as the shoe just comes straight off it.

Never had a problem like this with an SPD before. Has anyone else? I don't think it's the shoe cleats, they don't look particularly worn and I've only been using them since about Jan anyway. Is there any solution or should I just send the pedals back to CRC?

bigmat

Double sided pedals right? Does problem occur on both sides? If not the pedal is dodgy, if so, try swapping the cleats on your shoes. Does problem still occur? If so, the pedal is dodgy.

(this assumes that you have tried tightening them up a bit to resolve the issue...)

rjsterry

Bit of grit in the spring mechanism stopping the rear 'jaw' from closing properly?

Headhuunter

Yeah double sided. I haven't specifically tried both sides, will have to have a go at that but I rode home last night and into work today and my foot seemed to slip out every time, I would have thought that I would have used both sides along the way....

I have never fiddled with SPDs before, I pretty much put them on and go, when yuo say tighten, do you mean twist an allen key in the little adjuster thing towards the "+"? I tried that and it didn't make any difference. I can't see any other way of adjusting them....

Headhuunter

rjsterry wrote:

Bit of grit in the spring mechanism stopping the rear 'jaw' from closing properly?

I gave it a spray of WD40 this morning to loosen it up but it seems to have made it worse!

meanredspider

If it's both sides (which seems likely given your ride - unless you've been incredibly unlucky) then I'd be checking the cleat too. Try swapping the cleat (unless you use the cleats on the other bikes).

Otherwise, I'd send the pedals back. I've used 3 sets of M520s - all straight out of the box - all with no issues. Save for the odd squirt of GT85, I've never touched them

Buckled_Rims

The cleats should last for years unless you walk a long distance in them. I also suspect the spring. Is there any rust or has the tension screw snapped?

meanredspider

Buckled_Rims wrote:

The cleats should last for years unless you walk a long distance in them. I also suspect the spring. Is there any rust or has the tension screw snapped?

I haven't looked too closely but aren't the two sides of the same pedal "independent"? ie have their own spring and adjustor?

Headhuunter

I hardly ever walk in the cleated shoes apart from to and from the bike rack and perhaps around the supermarket a couple of times a week. The shoes are the type with grips on the sole so the cleat is recessed. I compared the right pedal with the left and both look exactly the same, I can't see anything that has noticeably broken off or anything. As yuo say, I've only every used SPDs straight outa the box, never adjusted anything....

timpop

Are your cleats and pedals completely clean without any dirt or stones wedged in anywhere? That's the main probablility I can think of. I would adjust the tesion on the pedals as if it's too loose your cleats will just pop out really easily. Always do that with new cleats; sometimes they're set too high and you won't be able release your shoes quick enough and thus topple over helplessly.

Headhuunter

timpop wrote:

Are your cleats and pedals completely clean without any dirt or stones wedged in anywhere? That's the main probablility I can think of. I would adjust the tesion on the pedals as if it's too loose your cleats will just pop out really easily. Always do that with new cleats; sometimes they're set too high and you won't be able release your shoes quick enough and thus topple over helplessly.

Yep, they're pretty clean. I don't use them offroad or anything, just for commuting on London roads and as I said, I have barely used the bike I fitted them to. As mentioned above, I twiddled the little dial thing towards "+" but it hasn't made any difference...

Buckled_Rims

meanredspider wrote:

Buckled_Rims wrote:

The cleats should last for years unless you walk a long distance in them. I also suspect the spring. Is there any rust or has the tension screw snapped?

I haven't looked too closely but aren't the two sides of the same pedal "independent"? ie have their own spring and adjustor?

Yep, you are correct, both side have independent springs and metal fixings. It's just the OP mentioned he never tried both sides of the pedal.

Headhuunter

Buckled_Rims wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

Buckled_Rims wrote:

The cleats should last for years unless you walk a long distance in them. I also suspect the spring. Is there any rust or has the tension screw snapped?

I haven't looked too closely but aren't the two sides of the same pedal "independent"? ie have their own spring and adjustor?

Yep, you are correct, both side have independent springs and metal fixings. It's just the OP mentioned he never tried both sides of the pedal.

Yeah it has adjusters on both sides, I twiddled them both but no change....

rjsterry

If the adjuster screws aren't affecting the spring tension, then that suggests that the springs are either jammed or broken in some way, which would certainly explain why the pedal is not holding the cleat properly. I'm not sure how serviceable M520s are, though, so it may be easier to just replace them and keep the old ones for spares.

Headhuunter

Just spoke to a guy at Cycle Surgery round the corner, he said that the pedals look fine although said that my cleats are a bit worn although not that much... He didn't really seem to know why there would be a problem, suggested I tighten the dial a bit more... Will try that and also try a different pair of shoes and if nothing works will return them to CRC...

meanredspider

Can you try clipping into the offending pedal with the other foot (ie left foot onto right pedal). Might help narrow down if the pedal or the cleat is the issue.

Or find someone else with SPDs and try clipping into theirs.

Headhuunter

meanredspider wrote:

Can you try clipping into the offending pedal with the other foot (ie left foot onto right pedal). Might help narrow down if the pedal or the cleat is the issue.

Or find someone else with SPDs and try clipping into theirs.

I've got another pair of shoes with SPD cleats, although they are quite worn. I've also got another bike with SPD pedals so will try switching bikes and pedals when I get home to try to isolate the prob...

optimisticbiker

Hi - I recently had a similar problem with new shoes and cleats... couldnt figure it until i discovered I had bought the SH55/56 cleats and not the SH51 I have on the other shoes. The 55/56 cleats are 'multi-release' in that they pull out vertically as well as twisting and on the lowest setting of the pedal I couldnt even pull up on the pedal without them unclipping. It needed at least a couple of turns of the allen key to hold them in which makes the older cleats quite stiff so I swapped them back to SH51s. Hard to see what makes them different though, to the naked eye they look near identical... must a be a very fine difference on the chamfers...

SmellTheGlove

Have you (or possibly ANOther) possibly wound the +- adjuster so far out that it's out of its threaded hole? On mine, you can do this, without however losing the screw completely - its trapped by the rest of the pedal structure, very clever design, +1 for the FMEA. You have to wiggle it a bit to get it started again in its threaded hole after which its AOK.

Or maybe the thread's stripped (either screw or in hole) in which case, back to supplier?

Headhuunter

Problem solved. It was wear to the cleats. The shoes were new for Christmas and they're the 1st set of "walkable" clip in shoes I have had but they seem to have forced wear on the tip of the SPD cleat, the guy at Cycle Surgery was right. As they were both like it I assumed they were OK, but as soon as I tried another pair of shoes at home on the pedals all was fine, in fact now that I've dialled up the right one I could barely get my foot off the pedal! I've put new cleats on and all is fine.

However it's very annyoying as it means that the shoes that were bought for me specifically so that I could jump off the bike and walk around (at the supermarket, at a pub etc etc) are in effect useless for that purpose and I will have to go back to carrying another pair of shoes unless I want to be changing the cleats every few months. Anyone else had this with "walkable" SPD shoes?

mudcow007

if the soles of the "walkable" shoes have worn down any, surely you will then be walking on the cleat.

i've noticed on my spanking new pair of M063's that the cleat is only recessed about 4mm in the shoe to protecting the cleat

Headhuunter

mudcow007 wrote:

if the soles of the "walkable" shoes have worn down any, surely you will then be walking on the cleat.

i've noticed on my spanking new pair of M063's that the cleat is only recessed about 4mm in the shoe to protecting the cleat

No the shoes are new! As I mentioned, I got them in Dec. They're not worn much at all. But when I walk in them, the cleat is in such a position that the tip of the front wears down and then no longer clips in...

mudcow007

does it feel like you are walking on the cleat when your wearing the shoes then?

how about adjusting the cleat back in the shoe to see if that protects it more, this may feel horrible to ride though!

MonkeyMonster

Headhuunter wrote:

But when I walk in them, the cleat is in such a position that the tip of the front wears down and then no longer clips in...

Is this therefore too far forward and the cleat is not in the optimal position against your foot?

Headhuunter

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

But when I walk in them, the cleat is in such a position that the tip of the front wears down and then no longer clips in...

Is this therefore too far forward and the cleat is not in the optimal position against your foot?

It certainly feels like it's in the right position, under the balls of my feet....

chrishd883

+1 for using SH51's (and not the multi release SH56 type).

I've hit the deck twice - with a foot unclipping at speed.
Both times on my racing shies with exposed cleats.
Change them regularly!

Although I would have thought that they would last 12 months.
But as you say when they are "worn" you can't see it with the naked eye.
Still got the original cleats on my first pair of shoes (recessed cleat).