still struggling with SPD SL's

Pumpkin Positive

I've ridden 4000km on SPD SL pedals (having upgraded from SPD's which were giving me hotspots) but I still find them awkward and difficult to engage - disengaging is not a problem.

Would I get on better with Speedplays? Are they worth the extra £££? How long does it take to get used to a different action to engage and the 'pedalling on ice' sensation that others have reported?

Duffer65

I still have occasional problems clipping in with SPD-SLs. However, since changing from cleats with float to fixed cleats I'm not having as many missed clip-ins. I don't know why this should make a difference but it seems to have.

gilesjuk

With the right shoes and pedal you shouldn't have any problems with feeling the cleats etc.

Have you got a turbo trainer you can practice on?

Pumpkin Positive

gilesjuk - Yes I have a turbo trainer and I don't have any problem engaging when I'm on that but it's not quite the same as sitting at traffic lights or crossing a road where it's important to make a clean break. On the turbo I can take my time but on the road I would guess that I engage cleanly on the first attempt maybe one time in three. Normally it's just an inconvenience but if my foot skids over the wrong side of the pedal (which used to happen frequently but rare now) it's a bit more of an issue.

rodgers73

I find at traffic lights etc that if you push off with your unclipped foot and get a little momentum going before trying to clip it in then it works every time. Its when I dont do that and my forward momentum is weak that my cleat wont engage.

Overall it makes your getaways a little slower but your "hit rate" will be much higher.

upthedale

The same here.

I always unclip my left foot then put it down at traffic lights or when i have to stop elsewhere.I then make sure my right peddle is uppermost then i push of with that to gain momentum.
I then clip in with the left foot or peddle on till i clip in.I have to have a quick glance down sometimes if i do miss 1st time but most of the time its in straightaway then away i go.
This works well for me.Only had SPD SL since May.

rafletcher

Well I'm another who never got on with them, so went back to Looks, with which I've had far fewer issues - we all miss clip-ins onec in a while.

hopper1

I went from SPD-SL's to Speedplays... Whilst I am happier with Speedplays, they are just as easy to miss your clip-in, and slide right over the top of the pedal.
Don't be in too much of a hurry to clip in after pushing off, this is usually th e cause of missing.
Push off at a 'normal' pace, then calmly locate and engage your cleat.

Pumpkin Positive

hopper1 wrote:

I went from SPD-SL's to Speedplays... Whilst I am happier with Speedplays, they are just as easy to miss your clip-in, and slide right over the top of the pedal.
Don't be in too much of a hurry to clip in after pushing off, this is usually th e cause of missing.
Push off at a 'normal' pace, then calmly locate and engage your cleat.

I assumed as they're double sided that they ought to be easier to engage. I find with my SPD-SL's that they are often not properly 'presented' when I go groping for them with my foot. When I use SPD's on my mountain bike I hardly have to think about it I just seem to be able to hit the thing first time every time.

Mark Bom

Sometimes, if the pedals are new they may need a bit of time to loosen up so that they 'hang' properly.

If they're stiff they might not be hanging vertically so you don't get the clip in the right position.

hopper1

Pumpkin Positive wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

I went from SPD-SL's to Speedplays... Whilst I am happier with Speedplays, they are just as easy to miss your clip-in, and slide right over the top of the pedal.
Don't be in too much of a hurry to clip in after pushing off, this is usually th e cause of missing.
Push off at a 'normal' pace, then calmly locate and engage your cleat.

I assumed as they're double sided that they ought to be easier to engage. I find with my SPD-SL's that they are often not properly 'presented' when I go groping for them with my foot. When I use SPD's on my mountain bike I hardly have to think about it I just seem to be able to hit the thing first time every time.

Like I said earlier, if you rush to find the pedal, it'll usually be upside down! If you calmy go for it, it will have had time to level itself.

HebdenBiker

If you're not getting on with them after 4000km, it's probably time to look at another solution. Speedplays look like cracking pedals.

chrisc2151

Had same sort of issues, changed to Time i-clic, get in 9/10 times but when you miss there is enough 'nobbly bits' to give you grip until you have time to try again, about £50 but i love em.

blinddrew

Fundamentally it's not such a good design compared with the Look approach, the reason being your actual target area to secure a connection at the front is smaller. With the Look design (having a raised lip at the front) your cleat can hit almost anywhere around the middle of the pedal and is guided in. With the Shimano design you have to get the front of the cleat into the hole in the pedal, it's a smaller target area and hence less easy to hit.
I used to ride looks waaaay back but on getting back into cycling i got some shimano pedals. I'd assumed my occasional struggles to engage were just down to my own incompetence until I had a go on my friends look-equipped bike...