A bit scary but….

Rad2474

Had my first off road ride out on my spd's today went to my local woods in Beamish. A bit scary at times but otherwise ok found myself trying to grip with my toes lol i assume that's down to the small contact area than when using my flats, oh and yes i did fall off, came to an intentional stop and forgot i was clipped in i must have looked like Del boy at the bar.

ednino

Start with them lose then tighten up as you get more confident.
I couldn't ride without them now

ddraver

Opinion varies on this but I ve seen MTB coaches that say slam the cleats right back in the shoes so that your foot is in a position that would be similar to where it would be on flats. The ball, of foot over pedal axle rule is for maximum roadie power (and that's contentious too)

It might make the transition a bit easier?

Festerfeet

Good luck with that, I tried them for a few weeks but didn't persevere and went back to flats. I don't think I have the skill yet to benefit from them.

It would be good to hear how you get on.

Ulysses

First time with cleats last night, was only a quick pootle out. Spent a while in the garage trying to get clipped in. Didnt take too long to get the hang of it, still need a lot more practice though, unsure how I'll do on the trail :?

Unclipping is a doddle, kick out my heel and job done. Also done as others have said and set the pedals as weak as possible whilst learning - did a few hops and jumps off speed humps and no accidental unclips. Feels like a lot more control over the bike, though a bit weird being attached to it Will see how it goes once I get off road.

I've set the cleats on mine as far forward as I can ... not sure if thats right or wrong, however thats about where I'd have mine feet when riding on flats - my feet are are size 14 so might be different for people with (you lucky buggers) "normal" sized feet.

ddraver

The traditional starting point is so that the middle of the ball of your foot is over the pedal axle - there are many websites that will explain it. However as I said that's mainly a road biking thing and is supposed to give you the maximum power. However as I said it is contentious even for that reason.

It's a good place to start but don't be afraid to shift them around until you find what's right for you. If you have problems with hotspots or pain it can be surprising how much difference moving them a mm or so can make (less so with MTB pedals but still...)

pilch

The cleat angle can be important in some cases, you tend to move your feet to the most natural position on flats, if you don't get that angle right on cleats you can start to get pain on the inside/outside of your knees, most have a degree of float but it can take a little time to get right and it doesn't always show up immediately.