Originally Posted by
Copper_head
OK my first thought with the new pedals and shoes was "Wow these take more force than I had presumed, to lock in and out". Set all the way minimum. Perception is that the force needed is significantly more than downhill ski bindings.
You didn't mention the clipless system you are using, but SPD should not take that much force. Are you certain you turned the pedal retention to the minimum and not the maximum setting? I have two styles of SPD pedal (M324 and A530). Each is set to a low, but not minimum, retention setting and stepping in is nearly effortless, requiring only light pressure to get the cleat to clip in. Clipping out is even easier as long as I don't try to step forward or straight backward off the pedal. Just a few extra degrees of ankle turn in or out, or a light tug sideways and I can step off the pedal without hindrance. I've also tested how much pull it takes to disengage the cleat pulling straight up. It takes a good hard tug and wouldn't happen accidentally during any type of riding I do, but not so much that they wouldn't disengage in an accident. With the settings I have and multi-release cleats, I've never had an accidental clipout, even over washboard gravel or potholes, but have been able to easily put a foot down without consciously clipping out on sudden stops or on soft surface washouts. If you are using SPD, I'd recheck the retention setting and get multi-release cleats if you aren't already using them.
I pounded the bridge landing pretty hard but thankfully my body took the brunt and my bike was not damaged. I felt like a turtle for a minute as I labored at getting my feet out as I held my bike up off the gravel.
Kudos on sacrificing yourself to save your bike
