avmech

There are those that have, and those that will.......................

tergal

I was told by the LBS that for the first few weeks i should check the tension because they will loosen up and you have to re-tighten them.

jethro56 

I have them set about 1/3 tight.

tergal

if they stay at that tightness and you are still finding it easier to clip in then lets just put it down to skill

phlydude

Got those for my hybrid Trek Navigator - figured it was the best of both worlds for that bike being able to clip in for longer rides and platform with street shoes for errand runs

sstorkel

The cleats wear and the fits get sloppier the more you use them. It's also possible for the release tension screw to loosen of it's own accord. You need to keep an eye on both. At this point in your ownership, my guess is that you're just getting more accurate at lining the cleat up with the pedal...

rhammons

OK, so today was my first trial-by-fire with the clip-less pedals. I've had the crank bros. candy 1's on my bike on the trainer for a bit over 2 weeks now and have had zero issues getting in and out, so I thought why not, it's 55 degrees out and supposed to be an absolutely perfect day here in Cleveland. So off to work I went. Well, clipping in and out on the trainer's another world in comparison to doing it on a busy street. I think I nearly fell 3 times, no complete topples, but some close calls, one where I had to actually lean on a car. Man, did I feel like an idiot. It'll just take some practice I think. I find it way easier to clip in than out, sometimes clipping in even when I'm not actually trying to.

jethro56 

For me when I rode several times a day clipping in got easy. After riding other bikes with platform pedals I had to relearn clipping in again. I can see now why people like them for climbing being able to put power into the pedal without worring about slipping is great.

rec3036

So far I have not fallen, but have had several close calls... Still loving them...just waiting for the fall!

rhammons

I experienced this immediately. Powering over the bridge on the way to work was much easier than the last time I rode it. Not sure if it's due to all the indoor training I've been doing this winter or the pedals, or both, but i definitely made it over averaging 3-4/mph faster than before.

mprelaw

Anticipate when you'll have to stop, and clip out well before you have to. On SPD-SL pedals, at least, you can rest your foot easily on the pedal and keep on pedaling. When you're clear to go, press down a little harder and you should clip right back in.

pat5319

I like em too but have bikes with both types, several flavors

Prabuddhadg

I rode toe clips for years and years and shifted to clipless only in 2009. Initially I had road pedals, first Look and then SPD-SL's but I soon shifted to SPD's because these are double sided and I can walk too owing to the recessed cleats. Where I ride,traffic is very busy at most hours, except of course the early mornings. So, on every ride, I need to unclip a number of times. With double sided pedals it is easier to clip in quickly. Fortunately, I have never fallen because of having forgotten to unclip or uncleat.

CommuteCommando

This is similar to my experience, including the not falling bit. I commute so recessed cleats and two sided pedals are da bomb. Now I find the challenge is to clip in with out fumbling. This is a really big deal for me when I am in a controlled left turn lane. I need to clip in quickly and sprint to twenty mph by the time I clear the intersection so the car behind doesn't get too annoyed.

TrojanHorse

I have speedplays (two different models) and they are a dream to clip INTO because they're two sided and naturally flatten out when you step on them... but walking with those monster cleats on is a PITA.

funrover 

SPD Issue: I don't forget to unclip, I just can't. The last few rides out I have had to lean against a tree, car, etc and work like hell to get out of my pedal. Any ideas?

CraigB

Something's not right.

Sorry, that's the only idea that came to me.

troutbreath

I did this last summer. I finished about 45 miles, and rolled into the driveway only to topple over at the end. I had unclipped my left foot, but I think I turned the handlebars which leaned the bike to the right. I had no hope of stopping the fall.

I just laughed. Then, I remembered there were people in the road when I pulled up to the house. Sure enough, when I looked back, there were 3 people looking down the drive at me. They asked if I was OK, and besides embarrassment, I was. Had a SWEET bruise on my backside, though. Didn't notice it for a couple of days (I don't even look at my butt, much less others), but my right cheek/hip was eggplant purple.

sstorkel

The release tension is set too high? The cleats are worn and need to be replaced? Pedal is rusty?

Do you have trouble clipping in? Or just trying to get out? Which cleats are you using: SH-51 lateral release or SH-56 multi-release?

funrover 

No issues clipping in at all. How do I check on the cleats?

sstorkel

Check what? The type of cleat or whether they're too worn?

Type can be distinguished by color, though I don't remember which color is what cleat. The SH-51 lateral release is the standard cleat. Unless you've specifically purchased the SH-56 multi-release cleat at some point, you probably have the SH-51.

You can check wear by comparing to a new cleat, or just figure that if they look beat up or are more than a couple of years old they might need to be replaced.

Prabuddhadg

Very similar for me as well. When I stop at a light in busy traffic, I usually set a slightly higher ratio so that as soon as the light turns green, with a strong push of the pedal with the foot already cleated, I can be some distance away from the vehicles following. That also gives me some time to cleat in the other foot.

jethro56 

Yesterday I went a 1/4 mile trying to get my left foot clipped in. I finally looked down to see I was trying to clip in to the platform side. There's something magical about clipping in on the first touch of the pedal.

rhammons

Absolutely. This weekend I logged about 40 miles; some mozying around with the wife, and some trekking pretty quick; I only had one clip issue the entire time. At one point I tried turning around in a tight radius on the path as the wife decided to take a break, and in doing so, my left foot, still clipped in, hit the tread of my tire and I totally tumbled on my side. What an idiot... I wouldn't usually try to pull that maneuver on platforms, let along clipped in. At least we were both able to laugh about it and I wasn't hurt. Otherwise, the remaining time on the bike went without any clipped tragedies.

CraigB

That's why for last year's Hilly Hundred I swapped out my road bike's Look-compatible pedals with my Fisher's SPDs. It meant having to ride in my mountain bike shoes, but it was worth it to be able to step down and go instead of fumbling for momentum and pedal orientation at the same time. Add to the mix that many times you're starting in the middle of a hill, and it was a huge improvement. Enough to make me seriously consider switching over full-time to a double-sided pedal, probably Speedplays. It'll be a budget stretch right now, but I'll tell you, if the cleats came with the pedals (like all my Looks have), I'd do it in a heartbeat. But another $30 or $40 for cleats on top of the pedal price is making me put it off for a while. I need to call the shop and ask them about it.