mack_turtle

i just got some free spd shoes (thanks Gary!) and i have never ridden clipped in. i have ridden a fixed gear bike with straps and clips though. i don't ride a fixie anymore, i have a flat-bar road bike now.

i looked around for some online FAQ guides but didn't find a whole lot. please share your general knowledge about SPD pedals.

spring tension?
cleat placement?
clipping in, clipping out?
not dying?
anything else i should know?

AndrewP

Wellgo cleats will work with Shimano pedals, but the Shimano cleats work much better. Have spring tension as low as you can, without getting accidental releases, then clipping out will become a natural part of taking your feet off the pedals as you stop. Try adjusting fore/aft position of cleats and check for comfort over a couple of hours. Practice clipping/unclipping.

Danre

Get your self some gloves and knee pads.

CACycling

Do you have pedals yet? If not, I would suggest Shimano M520s. They are reasonably priced (you can find them new for less than $50), they are double-sided (don't need to flip them over to click in as you would with single-sided pedals), release easily (always a good thing when you are learning) and don't get clogged up with dirt/mud easily.

Spring tension should be at the lowest setting to begin with and raise it if you find yourself accidentally coming out of the pedal (I've never seen a need to increase tension on any of my pedals).

Start with cleats centered front to back on the ball of your foot and side to side so you have at least 1/2" between shoe and crank when clicked in.

Get everything mounted up, straddle your top tube and practice clicking in and out one foot at a time till you are comfortable with the motion. Then start riding. Pick the foot that you usually put down when you stop (for me it is my right foot) and as you come to a place where you need to stop, unclick that foot well before you come to a stop. You need to make this a concious effort for a while till it becomes more automatic.

As for not dying, most people who crash clipless do it at low speed or stopped. It most likely will happen and it is more embarrasing than anything.

Only thing I can add is go for it. I got my first clipless setup last December and now all 3 of my bikes are clipless (2 SPDs & 1 ARC). I even got my wife to clipless and she loves it.

bikinpolitico

If you've ridden with toe straps, they this should be a real improvement. I'd leave the spring tensions where it is to start. If it is really hard to clip out, loosen it. If you pop out with the slightest pedal, tighten. You want your cleat to stay engaged unless you deliberately twist your foot.

Cleat placement is another personal preference, but I'd start as far back as you can go. This is the most power efficient placement and if it's comfortable, keep it there.

As for getting used to it, I'd get on your bike next to a wall with your arm pushing against the wall to hold you up. Practice clipping in and out as amy times as you need to feel comfortable (somewhere between 20 and 100 times.)

As for not dying, if you've already done toe straps you'll be fine. It is way more easy to clip out of SPD than toe clips.

resipsa

Practice, practice, practice. They're really quite easy to use and not much need be said about their use, but because you're coming from clips and straps, you're going to have to overcome the instinct to pull out of the pedal backwards and get used to twisting your foot out.

I went the opposite way, and it still messes me up from time to time some two months of daily riding later.

lazlo

Practice clipping in and out while riding on grass. Practice riding slow and clipping in/out. It will quickly become second nature. I've honestly had more trouble getting clipped back in quickly than not being able to unclip.

ItsJustMe

I bought a pair of Shimano M520s off eBay for about $18 IIRC.

Set the tension pretty low, at least at first. I have mine set low enough that even if I panic and totally forget what I'm doing and just try to pull straight out, I can do it. It obviously takes a harder pull than normally happens while pedaling but that's fine, if I panic I'm sure I'll yank like crazy.

It's not true that EVERYONE falls over, I haven't yet, but it can happen.

Above all, check once in a while to make sure the cleat screws are tight - several members here have been unable to clip out and have fallen because the screws rattled loose while they were clipped in.

eagleb

Just get the pedals and ride. Just unclip at a higher speed a while before coming to a stop. The only way to learn is to just do it (to quote some shoe company)

JAG410

+1. Start practicing while holding onto something, then when you think you're ready practice on the grass. I found that clipping out 100 feet or so before I get to a stop sign, then rest my feet on the pedals and coast to a stop helps a lot. Plenty of extra time "just in case". You'll soon realize you had no reason to be scared and you'll feel dumb for not having them sooner!

Speedball

Nice thread.......I am soooooo thinking about going clipless so I can enjoy my 40 mile weekend rides.

unkchunk

Pre pick what foot you will unclip first now and always unclip with that foot first for the rest of your life. And what what Andrew said, set the release at minimum tension and only increase it if you have unintentional releases.

RedC

I started using SPDs about a month ago and I can't imagine going without them now. I'm looking at Road Bikes now and since you are using both types of pedals I want to know why I would want to have different pedals and shoes for the new bike. Help me understand the advantage?

Pdxpark

After using them for awhile, you'll ask yourself why you didn't switch to clipless sooner

Practice clipping out your first foot down.... that's about it.
I've been looking for a new commuter bike, so did a test drive.... and found myself having a difficult time keeping my feet on the pedal because I'm so used to the clipless.

My motivator : I learned to use clipless mountain biking in the desert on technical single track surrounded by cacti. Needless to say I was highly motivated to not fall .. and I didn't.. not because of the clipless anyways...

Kim

ZombieButcher

Just remember "Heel out" before you slow down to a stop. Also practice lifting with your legs on the back part of your pedal. So down in front up in rear. This will give you more life and help your hill climbs.

CACycling

I returned to cycling a year ago when I purchased an old MTB. I went clipless around Christmas with the M520s and picked up some SPD skater looking shoes on eBay. They were great. Big difference over clips and straps I'd been using.

In late February, I dug a '77 Schwinn road bike out of a dumpster and reentered the world of road bikes (it had been 30 years since I'd been on one). Picked up a set of A520s for that bike.

April found me buying a new road bike. I moved the A520s to it but, as my distance increased, I started thinking stiffer soles would be nice.

May brought the purchase of a new bike for my dear wife. Around the same time I convinced her to go clipless. Found a pair of road shoes that fit and moved the M520s to her bike. She really liked clipless so I bought 2 pair of ARC compatible road pedals, one set for her and one set for me, so I could get the M520s back on my MTB and the A520s back on my commuter and also bought a pair of real road shoes. Put the new pedals on my bike and the stiff soles and wide contact area of the ARC cleats work really well for me. She, however, loves the M520s and they are now a permanent fixture on her bike (I have since picked up a used pair of M505s for my MTB).

So, the moral of the story (long winded I know) it ain't about the pedals or retention system as much as it's about the shoes. Road shoes make a big difference when you are doing distance. Whether you stay SPD or go with something else, do yourself a favor and get some nice, stiff road shoes. Your feet will thank you.

cdalefan

+1

I always clip/unclip the left for starting and stopping. That way you never have to think about it, it just comes naturally. Now, If I could find a place to buy just left cleats-

bikinpolitico

You realize you've just set yourself up to fall over within the next 48 hours.