Originally Posted by
cafzali
They’re R540s. Maybe that was part of my mistake. Perhaps I should have bought either the 5800 or R8000 model.
I think the more expensive pedals feel more consistent but I don't think you're going to feel less resistance. Look at Shimano's light action pedals. They might be a better fit for you. However, I believe shimano only makes a 540 LA.
"These pedals are designed for on-road recreation. These pedals can be engaged with and released from the cleats more easily than other SPD-SL pedals. These pedals are designed for non competition and non aggressive uses. If you use these pedals for such usage, the cleats may become accidentally released from the pedals and you may fall off the bicycle."
If you seriously cannot adapt to the lowest resistance of 540 pedals, either your definition of "hard" is very different from ours (unlikely), you're not setting the tension right (most likely), or the pedals are defective (also unlikely).
How about a video clip? I'll post a clip of how easily I can get in and out of my pedals. Just give me a few.