Life after SPD pedals and shoes

montarius

Rule 34...http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

simon_masterson

I'm a real cyclist, thanks; not a poser. I prefer to choose my bicycle appointments based on function.

P.S. Old jokes that were never actually funny tend to go away if people stop telling them.

lawrences

Don't stop in a high gear or just trackstand while you clip in.

rodgers73

Who can't walk in shoes with spd-sl cleats on???

Fursty Ferret

Raffles wrote:

To be honest the situation I really dont dig with spd-sl`s is say you are on a club ride going up a long hill and somebody flat tyres, naturally the pack comes to a halt but the act of trying to get clipped in again from a standing start on a hill has been a real pain from my perspective.

Best thing to do is pop to the other side of the road, wait for space, point yourself downhill and roll till you're clipped in then swing round and up. Couple of seconds.

Jez mon

Practice clipping and unclipping on a turbo, or just on the flat, without looking at the pedal. It should be extremely easy to clip in road pedals, just hook in at the front, bring your foot forwards and press down. No need to go down hill.

jameses

Pedal one-footed until you can get the other one clipped in?

thescouselander

Another spd user here. I'm not sure about this shoe flex / hot spot malarkey, all I know is it doesn't happen with the shoes I have and I can still walk without going arse over tit which is a major bonus imo.

unixnerd

I went SPD-SL because my ten year old SPD shoes were getting a little worn at the heel and I thought I'd see if the grass was greener on the other side. After two years of using SPD-SL on my main road bike I far prefer SPDs. I notice little difference once clipped in but SPDs are so much more practical for commuting and easier to clip in with.

What I really dislike about SPD-SLs is that almost all the shoes are thin or have mesh tops, they're designed by Italians not Highlanders! To avoid cold / wet feet in out Scottish climate I'm in overshoes a lot of the time and that defeats the purpose of having flash looking lightweight shoes.

robbo2011

If people don't like SPD-SLs then don't use them. it's not really a big deal.

There are pros and cons to both systems, use what you prefer.

essjaydee

I use SPD on both bikes. Tried some Look pedals and Shimano road shoes, but got a lot of numb toe problems, although the shoes had plenty of room and felt like slippers off the bike. Tried adjusting the cleat positions, but gave up in the end and went back to SPD again.
Longest ride so far was 102 miles, and zero issues with 'hot spots' or numbness.

thefd

Raffles wrote:

Ive checked out the hill starts using spd-sl`s on other bike sites and it seems quite a well documented issue with plenty of riders having difficulties getting clipped in, the need to rotate the pedal downwards being a constant.

But because your toes have to clip in first they are angled just right so you don't need to rotate them. Push your toes and they turn to the correct position.

As others have said get into a nice low gear then push hard and click in - it does work. No need to turn and go downhill first :roll:

MountainMonster

I've had more problem trying to clip in on SPD pedals on hill on my MTB Than I have doing anything with SPD-SL's. Even that was simply due to being on loose ground on a steep climb.

I love both, I am still undecided about the SL's simly because it is harder to walk in them than in normal SPD shoes. Oh well, everything works.

Inutero

rodgers73 wrote:

Who can't walk in shoes with spd-sl cleats on???

I certainly can. Ended up having to walk 10 miles in them after my rear derailleur broke off after i hit some black ice. :?

Jon_1976

I recently went back to using road shoes (and time I clic 2 pedals) after a couple of months using SPD pedals. While my mtb shoes weren't a full carbon sole (they were carbon reinforced according to northwave) they were very stiff. I would suffer from hot spots on rides lasting longer than a hour. Its obviously a personal thing, some people don't suffer from it and some do. I did

As for clipping in, I find the I-Clic 2 pedals a lot easier to clip in than the SPD pedals. clipping in on hills, I always shift to the largest cassette cog (28 for me). so, unless its a mega steep hill, I can always pedal one footed or rest the unclipped foot on the pedal to get some momentum.

As for walking, fair enough if you're commuting. But when I had SPDs, I found I was getting a bit lazy when I was approaching steep hills. I always had it in the back of my mind that I could walk if needed. Using the times, makes me more determined to get up the hills on the bike as the alternative is a slow walk and worn cleats.

Bar Shaker

Jon_1976 wrote:

While my mtb shoes weren't a full carbon sole (they were carbon reinforced according to northwave) they were very stiff. I would suffer from hot spots on rides lasting longer than a hour. Its obviously a personal thing, some people don't suffer from it and some do. I did

This is only down to shoe quality, it has nothing to do with how the shoe connects to the pedal.

If they gave you hotspots after an hour, the must have been as stiff as a pair of Uggs.

slowbike

Inutero wrote:

rodgers73 wrote:

Who can't walk in shoes with spd-sl cleats on???

I certainly can. Ended up having to walk 10 miles in them after my rear derailleur broke off after i hit some black ice. :?

Time to carry a chain breaker tool with you?

junglist_matty

I vote for SPD-SL's

1. I don't walk in my cycling shoes, I never leave my road bike anywhere other than at work or at home, so never have to walk, and I can fix most mechanicals at the roadside.

2. Clipping in is super easy, don't have to look down, in fact, don't even have to think about it, it just happens.

3. I last changed the cleats in August, they are just about starting to need replacing as they are quite worn, but still work ok, they just become harder to clip in.... I've ridden just over 3000 miles before having to spend all of £15 on some new cleats; hardly expensive!