Difficulty clipping in
 

Just bought a pair of Shimano WR42L roadshoes with SPD cleats for indoor cycling classes ($25 since the bike shop has decided not to sell shoes anymore! SCORE!). The guy at the shop installed the cleats, so I don't think there's an issue with that, but 2/3 different bikes I've tried using them on, won't let me clip in. Now, I'm new at the clip in shoe game, but with one of the bikes, I tried the studio's loaner shoe and was able to clip right in, so I don't think it's me. It feels like the cleat is going in, but isn't big enough to stay put. The shoe comes right out as soon as I start pedaling. I have very small feet (size 37 shoes). I've read elsewhere that small road shoes have a tighter sole radius, and that I might need to add a plastic shim. Has anyone else heard of this or experienced it personally?

Are you certain the bike shop installed SPD cleats?

That's what he said he installed. I can't post a URL but they say 98A on them. I told him multiple times it was for indoor spin class only. I will say that the two bikes I could NOT clip into had more of a raised clip that I had to slip into (the front and back of the clip was curved up). The one I was able to clip into was fairly even with the pedal. Almost like the clip was recessed into the pedal. I don't know if that makes any sense.

There are two types of SPD cleats.

SH56 multi-release will be easier to get out of and are marketed toward beginners, touring and recreational riders.

SH51 single-release cleat are more secure and only release by rotating the ankle away from the crank arm. These are for aggressive riders and racers.

Is it possible that you have SH56 cleats and are pulling out when you start to pedal because of the way you are moving your feet?

http://cfile29.uf.tistory.com/image/...4BE4002989E1D3



-Tim-

Are you sure the pedals you can't clip into are compatible with your cleats?

Those cleats are Wellgo ones. They *should* be compatible with Shimano pedals. But maybe the spin bikes have VP pedals on them. There are sometimes issues with VP pedals and shimano cleats, because they are different shapes. For example, I have some VP pedals that Shimano cleats will click into, but they don't stay there very well.

On the bike I have been able to clip into, I have to twist my ankle out to release the shoe from the pedal. It's pretty secure and I hear a very distinct click when engaging the shoe and pedal (this doesn't happen with the other bikes)

I would assume all indoor spin bikes would have the same pedals. That would make no sense if you couldn't use your shoes for different classes.

That would be a wrong assumption, you have to know what pedals the bikes have in order to install compatible cleats. SPD is a Shimano standard. Other pedal manufacturers who made pedals were not obliged to adhere to Shimano standards. While there is some degree of inter compatibility, this is not always the case. Do not imagine that SPD is as generic as Kleenex, they are different things

Yea, find out specifically what pedals work for you and which don't. Post that information, maybe with photos to identify if you can.

You should never assume.

So your problem may be because of a brand or type mismatch, or possibly misalignment which has you riding with the cleat beginning to unlatch.

I'd start by clipping the shoe to the pedal without your foot inside. If it's sloppy, you know there's a problem with the cleat. If it latches well without a foot, but not with, then maybe it's an alignment question.

One photo should solve everything.

Look at the gym's shoe cleat and compare it with your shoe's cleat.
Are they identical in shape/size?

I've had the spin instructors place my cleat where it needs to go, but it just never engages with the pedal. I'll try to get pictures, but it was just so disappointing to finally buy shoes after years of spinning class, only to find out they're not working.

OP, go to your spin class and find the brand name and model number of their pedals. Then go to your bike shop (or one you can trust) or go online and get the appropriate cleats. Don't waste your time getting close. Cleats cost $15. Your shoes aren't the issue. Once you get the cleats sorted out, you'll be fine and glad you did.

There are lots of places on bikes where other manufacturers parts work just fine, sometimes better. But for the small steel SPD and SPD-like cleats and pedals, this is not the case. I pulled my foot out and crashed my first try with clipless using a mismatch very similar to yours 17 years ago. I now use all-Shimano SPD cleats and pedals on one bike. Work like a charm.

The much bigger plastic cleats of the old LOOKs are nowhere near as critical. I happily use black LOOK or Wellgo cleats on Forte Pedals with no issues. (The red cleats with float may be more critical, I wouldn't know. The float would kill my knees.)

Ben

OK, so you know it's the cleat. No pictures are needed.

Apparently it's a brand mismatch, so find out what pedals they use, and buy the EXACT, same brand cleat. Or, there may be a shortcut, if the spin class sells cleats or shoes as many do. Then just buy whatever cleat they use and sell.

Do the shoes have a tread on them?
On some MTB type shoes with tread, the tread on the shoe sole will interfere with the pedal body. I have that trouble with my Giro Republic and my Shimano pedals. I had to grind some of the tread off and now they are fine.

^^^This.

Her shoe uses SPD-SL cleats, not SPD cleats. Save for the one bike the OP seems to have been able to clip into, I have to wonder if the pedals at the gym are flat on one side and SPD on the other. That's the way they were at a gym I used to go to. I had to by and adaptor so that I could fit SPD cleats onto my SPD-SL using shoes.

Are SPD cleats more universal than SPD-SL? If so, I'd probably just replace the cleats vs getting an adaptor.

No tread. The cleats stick out on my shoes. I actually saw this as an issue when researching my problem, but it's not applicable. The loaner gym shoes that worked actually had a tread on them.

At Flywheel in NYC I've used SPD clips on my own shoes, and the shoes that the Studio supplies. The pedals are two sided, one for SPD and the other for the Studio's much larger clips. Perhaps the same is true at your spin studio....

In the spinning word, I don't know, but my shoes (Sidi Genius 5) would not accept the two-bolt SPD cleats so I had to get an adaptor if I wanted to use them for spinning. I looked at the OP's shoes on line. The description I found mentions only that they take SPD-SL cleats. If that's the case, and the problem is that the spinning pedals only work with SPD cleats, an adaptor will be necessary. The adaptor attaches to the three-bolt holes of SPD-SL shoes and has the two-bolt SPD pattern for attaching SPD pedals to the adaptor.


Here is one example:


Shimano SPD Adapter

The shoe the OP posted apparently can take both types of cleats:


Additionally, in the second post by the OP it is mentioned that the cleats say 98A on them. This indicates to me that they may be Wellgo SPD style cleats which are supposed to be compatible with SPD pedals but maybe they do not fit well with all.

I didn't look- I will have to do that next time I go in!

So I looked at the pedals today in class. The ones I can clip into say shimano. The pedals I can't clip into say WAM-S1. We took the shoe off and placed them into the WAM-S1. It looks like the front end is going in fine, but it's like the cleat is not long enough vertically to securely clip in on the back - hence the reason I can slip out easily. As some posters have mentioned, I think my shoes require SPD-SL cleats, as it is written on the sole of the shoe. We found some SPD cleats that my instructor had in storage and she's going to try installing them Thursday. Hopefully no adaptor required.

These look like the ones I CAN clip into.
I can't post urls so just put the http part in.
drivemybike.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/spdpedal.jpg