new to spd's what to expect

car.crash

so i finally got myself some shimano spd's and a pair of specialized shoes and hope to get it all fitted up tomorrow but what should i expect when i first use it all? i have never used them and not a clue on what they will feel like.

nicklouse

get on the bike next to a wall. lean against the wall and practice. a corridor is best so you can support yourself both sides.

ricardo_smooth

I found I had to adjust certain parts of my riding to suit.... but in a good way (ie not putting a foot down for the sake of it) however, one you've practised clipping in/out then ride like you would normally on flats, or there isn't much point really

weeksy59

i spent an hours ride today, clipping in and out quite a lot to get used to SPD's. I still can't say i'm proficcient., however i'm better than i was at the start

ljs1977

Wind the adjuster all the way to the -ve side and then add 3 clicks to the right on both. This should give you enough feel for being in the clips and getting out is a breeze. Tighten them when you feel more confident.

When you have your feet clipped for a while you get used to having your feet in the correct position (make sure you set your cleats up properly) you naturally clip in and out

Enjoy

Redhog14

On the road/trail they wont' feel much different, downhill your feet won't bounce around on or off the pedals.

ensure you are happy with the tension in the springs as getting your feet out in a hurry is important, they are easily adjusted. I use SPD's on my cross bike and cleats on my road bike, but have stuck with flats on my MTB.

lemoncurd

Expect that you'll fall of a couple of times, start somewhere soft like a playing field, preferably a quiet one because you look a right twonk when you fall sideways after stopping.

It doesn't take long to get used to them, just make sure that you're comfortable using them before you venture into traffic (if you ever go on the road) for obvious reasons...

Also, take the allen keys required to adjust cleat tension and position with you as you may want to adjust them when you're out.

car.crash

brilliant, thanks chaps. i shall practice getting in and out before riding. im going to be riding through woods etc. nothing hardcore but i was ruining my trainers with flats so thought i would get some correct shoes and pedals.

akcc05

lemoncurd wrote:

Expect that you'll fall of a couple of times, start somewhere soft like a playing field, preferably a quiet one because you look a right twonk when you fall sideways after stopping.

It doesn't take long to get used to them, just make sure that you're comfortable using them before you venture into traffic (if you ever go on the road) for obvious reasons...

Also, take the allen keys required to adjust cleat tension and position with you as you may want to adjust them when you're out.

Good advice, practice before going into traffic. I once met a bloke in a bike shop, he just bought a new bike and was fitted with new shoes and SPDs. Nice guy and all, obviously excited about his new bike. We were casually chatting and he said he'd never used clipless pedals before so I told him it wasn't a good idea to go straight into 7pm rush hour traffic in central London but he said he'd be fine and left the shop. I really hope he got home ok.

Fenred

As above, set a low spring tension and dont panic. I've been riding MTB dual sided spds for 15 years and they're now second nature, you get used to them very quickly!
Recently switched to road specific Look Keos on my road bike which are single sided cleats and weighted so you have to flip them over whilst clipping in, very scary to start with but all about technique. Practice makes perfect....You'll be fine

andrewyzfr6

I started using looks on the road bike in the early ninties, so converting to spd's on the mtbs in the mid ninties was easy. Last year i got a pair of v12's. I had to almost learn how to ride as i kept coming off the pedals on the up strokes. And now my calfs are covered in scars where the studs landed in the back of them!! A pair of 5 10's helped massivly but I still cant progress uphill anything like i could. but what a diffrence on technical decents!
Point is you will get used to them quickly as long as you practise on your regular routes, and then it will become second nature pretty soon.And keep the tension fairly loose to begin with!