Clipping out of SPD pedals.

kambuh

Hi,
I'm trying to upgrade to clipless pedals but I'm having a really hard time.
I bought Shimano Pdm 324 single sided pedals to start with and a pair of cheap Muddyfox junior SPD shoes to practice.
The problem is I cannot clip out. I tried twisting at various angles, both sides. I do manage to clip out but it's very random and usually takes at least 20 goes. I made sure the spring bolt is at it's weakest position so it should be very easy to clip out, yet it is extremely difficult.
The shoes have a bit of a sticking out grip on the sides as they are MTB design. Could that be the problem?

t4tomo

simply rotating your heel outwards should release you, especially if you have wound the tension all the way over on the "-" side. the grips won't have anything to do with it. possibly either a dodgy pedal

can you try your shoes with someone elses pedals (or bike shop if you bought shoes from there?) or get a pair of standard M520 pds to try with?

afterthought - did you use the cleats that came with the pedals - There are two different model numbers of SPD cleats IIRC SH51 and SH56. you might have the wrong ones?

markhewitt1978

Make sure the cleat is properly fastened down, if the bolts are slightly loose this can mean you can't get out - happened to me, took a good 10 minutes to release my foot from the pedal!

But as said, unclipping should be an easy flick.

kambuh

Thanks for the replies. I installed the cleats that came with pedals. So they must be compatible. They are sh 56. The pedals have great reviews and they are recommended to new starters, so I'm really confused. Maybe I just can't master the technique, but believe me I spent a few evenings experimenting.
Another thing that I wonder about is that when I'm clipped in the cleat is very loose. Also I can't hear the clipping in or out click. It sort of slips in soundlessly. Is that normal?

kambuh

Cleats are fastened tight. I tried moving them up and down but no improvement.

markhewitt1978

Normally you can hear a click. Try tightening up the resistance a bit?

I had a set of those and found them to be fine. Got rid of them eventually in favour of double sided SPD.

SH56 are multi release cleats. SH51 are the more usual for SPD single release - by twisting.

scottishgeek

I used SH56 for a while then moved to SH51. The 'click' with the 51's sounds, to me, more positive although I could still hear something with the 56.

pupuke

I use double sided SPD pedals with these clipped into one side,

great for commuting, if you're riding in traffic you can unclip and kick the pedal over for better reaction time when the tin boxes do something stupid

I also wear Lake MTB/BMX shoes and have no problemsgetting in/out, it does take a little while to get accustomed to clipless

also try a thin smear of grease on the pedal clamps, but don't walk inside with the shoes on or 'er indoors could go spare

The Rookie

The cleat in that photo doesn't look square, get it wrong and you may need to twist the foot out even further to unclip.

davis

Can you unclip when your foot's not in the shoe?

I.e. get on the bike and clip-in, then undo the shoe and take your foot out (you might want to do this inside against a wall!). Then, get off the bike. Grab the heel of the shoe, and making sure the shoe is the right way up, pull the heel away from the bike. I.e. so the heels go out and the toes go in. Does it work consistently then?

I'd second The Rookie's suggestion about the cleat not looking square.

Bordersroadie

The sh56 have tapered shoulders and are easier-release than the sh51 which are square shouldered. 51's only release by twisting one side or the other but the 56's allow an upward pull release too. I use the more common 51's.

Ignore the "not square" comments, mine are far from "square" because I align them to allow for the fact that I walk toes-out so I have my heels canted-in on the pedals (and cleats). Before I did this I had terrible knee problems. By going "non square" my knee problems were solved. There is a good amount of movement on the cleat/shoe interface to get it right for you personally. Getting the position mm perfect can be the difference between future knee problems or no knee problems. Everyone's different.

The grips on the shoes should be designed so that they are "flush" and sit on a small part of the pedal platform when clipped in. If the Muddy Fox shoe grips are a little thicker than standard (eg Shimano shoes) then they will compress and cause the shoe to grip the pedal tightly. This may be your problem with releasing. Click the shoe on to the pedal then take out your foot and check the contact points. A possible solution might be shaving/sanding a bit of shoe tread.

davegore2005

sounds like a daft suggestion, but if they are single sided pedals are the pedals actually in the right side???, would that make a difference??

Dave

The Rookie

Your right, that is a daft suggestion...the pedals are left and right hand, you can't fit them the wrong way round and single side refers to the cleats being on one side only.

keef66

davegore2005 wrote:

sounds like a daft suggestion, but if they are single sided pedals are the pedals actually in the right side???, would that make a difference??

Dave

Yes, if he's actually managed to install the pedals the wrong way round it would mean he's completely buggered the threads in the ends of both crank arms.

And he'd have to ride the bike backwards

hanhamreds

I had the same problem when i first clipped in with my Shimano M088 to these pedals.

The default spring tension was too stiff for me, so i decreased the tension of both pedals - problem solved.

lesfirth

I use the SH51 cleat. I have the tension almost as low as it will go and I have never pulled my foot out when I did not want to. The best bit of advice I ever read on the subject was to push DOWN as you twist out. Your natural instinct is to pull up even though you are trying not to. Give it a go.

bdave262000

I bought a pair of muddy fox shoes and with the same pedals as you I also had this issue. The plastic sole on the shoes just didn't seem up to the job and eventually just ripped the cleat out when I tried to unclip. Got a pair of Spesh shoes and they are fine.

dj58

The problem is more likely to be the shoes, looking at your photo there does not seem to be a lot of clearance around the cleat interface/sole moulding. With the SH-56 multi release cleat you should be able to release by pulling up quite easily, especially if you have the pedals on there (-) low tension setting.

As already suggested try chamfering the edges of the sole moulding adjacent to the cleats to give more clearance.
The SH-56 will feel sloppy when riding because of there design function, made worse by having your pedals on there low tension setting. The SH-51 single release cleats are much better in my opinion because even if you have your pedals at there low tension setting, you can pull up without accidentally unclipping. To release you simply twist your foot out to the side, it wouldn't take you very long to master them. Also double sided pedals are more practical in the long run as they negate having to flip your single sided pedals the right side up.

kambuh

Hi guys,
just to let you know I put a tiny bit of grease on the cleats... and it works like magic now...
Thanks for all tips.