I just started using Shimano 105 pedals last week. These are my first SPD-SL pedals and man are they a pain in the butt!

The very first thing that I noticed is that it takes a huge amount of force just to click into the damn things. I checked and double checked that I had the lightest setting on the tension, and yet I still have to stomp on the pedal. And if I set it any tighter, it is completely impossible to clip in at all. I understand if they need to be worn in or something (do they?), but come on, the cleat is plastic. In fact the very first day I tried it, the rear lip of the cleat deformed and wouldn't even click in. I had to use a utility knife to reform the edge, but it seems to be working now.

So I'm getting a little more used to clipping in now, but half the time the pedals aren't even facing the right way, and I end up stepping on the bottom of the pedal with full force and slipping right off. I think I've sprained something in my ankle 3 times already doing this. I've learned not to blindly take off like that. I used to be able to find a hole in traffic and quickly take off from a standing start, but I can forget about that now. Every time I take off, I have to look down, and use my left foot to carefully flip the pedal right-side-up, and then *stomp* on it to clip in, and the whole time I am just barely able to coast along at minimum speed until I am fully clipped in.

But the most annoying part of all is the creaking/ticking/clicking noises. So far it has only happened on the left pedal. Every time I applied any force, it made a series of loud clicks (I mean, I could hear it echoing off nearby buildings). I could push and pull on the pedal with my hand when I was off the bike and it made the same noises. It took me a while to figure out what it was, but finally I removed the janky metal plate that is screwed on top of the pedal, and low and behold the clicking stopped. I replaced it and the noise hasn't come back yet. What is the point of this part anyway? It only seems good for making noise!

Am I doing it wrong? Did I receive some defective pedals? Or do I need to HTFU? I guess I'm just used to the 2-hole SPD cleats and double sided pedals. I didn't even have to think about it then, the cleats practically slid into place like a magnet, and I didn't have to worry about whether the stupid pedal was facing right side up.

tl;dr: I hate these things.

End rant.

I have had the 540's and 105's and never had any of those problems.

same^

No problem here too, maybe a dud set of pedals?

Have those pedals. No problems as you are experiencing.

I also used 105 pedals for a time. None of those problems.

Also went from SPDs to 105's.

wow this sucks. Bought them on Amazon for $63.56 (seemed like a good deal at the time). The bike accidentally tipped over the other day and landed on a hard surface, and the black paint chipped right off the pedal. It looks terrible now, but aside from that I probably can't return them at this point.

It will take a while to get used to the one sided pedals. The metal plate you removed and replaced is where the cleat contacts the pedal. Maybe it was a bit loose making the noise. Give it some time and just keep practicing clipping in.

I have Ultegra SPD-SL and they are a bit harder to clip in than my mountain SPD's. You could also try getting a second set of cleats to see if they make a difference.

Are you going into them toe first or just trying to stomp in straight down? You really need to catch that front end of the pedal with the front of the cleat before you push down and click in. Otherwise it won't work at all. FWIW I just ran through my first SPD-SL cleats and while the new ones are just as easy to engage they are a bit tougher to release.

You might just have too much muscle memory invested in your old pedals, and need time to get used to SPD-SLs. Personally I like them a lot better than SPDs. The pedal gives me a much bigger target for my cleat and I get a cleaner start from them.

Clip in should be almost effortless if you're doing it right.

I had a set of Ultegra SPD-SL pedals that were a royal pain to get into for several months. I did loosen the cleats somewhat (forgot how I did it) and it helped some, but it gradually got a lot better with use.

Ironically, the cheaper Shimano R540 or something pedals I got on sale for $40 at Nashbar are SPD-SL and work flawlessly.

SPD-SLs are good stuff though - if the problem persists, it suggest something is off with your pedals and might be worth a trip to the LBS for a lookover - might cost you $10-$15 for a fix, but is worth it.

I have the 105's, they work flawlessly.

You do have the tension settings screwed all the way to the left, right?

Have the 105 SPD-SL's. They take a little bit of effort to get out before the cleats break in, but almost no effort at all to get in.

I started with the Dura Ace version of SPD-SL and they didn't work for me either. I sold mine on EBay after 3 weeks and bought Speedplay pedals. I have been with Speedplay for 5 years.

There's nothing easier than Speedplay's for people uncomfortable with pedals

I got the cheap R540s and it's easy dude.

Unclip on your strongest foot for now and learn how to do the other foot later.

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm a bit calmer now. I still kind of feel like these are junk, but I'll keep at it and see if it gets better. I'd hate to have wasted all that money on pedals and shoes for nothing.

I hope that's the case. I think I'll try the zero-float cleats (more stuff to buy, yay ).. I'm not really comfortable with my foot slipping around on the pedal anyway.

Yep, I am trying to go in toe first. I knew before I got them that it would be different, and I pictured how I would have to move my foot to engage the cleat. And it's not so bad when I put my first foot in. But I do have to stomp down with most of my weight after the toe is in to make the rear click in; it doesn't just click in .

And the worst part is when I already have one foot clipped in, after I push off from a standing stop and rotate the crank, it's difficult for me to slip the other foot in, because that pedal is almost completely upside down at this point. I have to take my eyes off the road and divert my attention to righting the pedal.... You are right about the muscle memory though. The motion with SPD just became automatic to me after a while.

A trick the LBS showed me on the first day was the blind clip-in. It has pretty much been my only method of clipping in:
1st the back of the pedal is always down (or should be once the bearings are worked in...)
All I have to do is put my toe up to the cleat and slide it forward into the pedal and it's like butter every time... yet to miss(when I used this tactic... I have missed many times just putting my foot down). I do notice the cleat I use to balance at long stops unclips very smooth, I will be replacing them soon too... been walking around on them too much.

the float of the pedal is good, it allows a general fitting of the cleat rather than a perfect fitting... as would be needed with zero float...
I often look down to align my foot with the pedal...

as for the start: try reversing the crank so as you start your clipped in foot is just forward of top, that should give you a good amount of forward motion to then clip in leisurely.

Weirdly enough, I never had a problem with SPD-SL pedals, but when I put SPD/platform (one side SPD, one side platform) on my beater, it seemed a lot harder to clip in for me. But after a number of rides it eventually became second nature too.

In addition to the tips above, remember that you can always pedal with one leg if you don't manage to engage your second foot right off. Also if you relax and avoid being in a hurry, it makes you less likely to mess up the clip-in.

My old bike had platforms, my allez had cheap toe clips when i first bought it, and i finally moved up to spd sl's 1-2 months ago. they are a bit annoying to clip in. It's a lot harder to cross a busy street during brief openings since i still dont know if it will be the first time without effort, second time, or possibly third attempt to clip in(still learning). Sometimes i just find a cross walk.

Ive never had any noises coming from my pedals though, only a click going in, and a decent pop coming out. also, as long as your aim is good, clipping in should be effortless, when i clip in, as long as i can get the toe in, moving my heel down to level out my foot does it.

I never even noticed the float on my pedals until the other day when i wiggled my feet in my shoes, and my shoes moved left n right. i never notice while pedaling, they feel rock solid like im friggin welded to the pedals.

I feel you on the slipping off the pedals though, taking a left turn at a busy 5 lane intersection i almost went down in the very center of the intersection because i thought i had my toe in and didnt! my coinpurse hit my top tube, and both ego and manhood were bruised

All in all, i love em. ill take annoying clip ins over platforms any day since i have a 12% hill i have to climb to get home. get a little more practice, check, check again, then triple check your cleat tightness. then go to the LBS and have them check. stomping efforts shouldnt be needed, and the fact you damaged the cleat on the first clip in is indicative of something....

One other thing that can help you buy some time to clip in is to learn to pedal a couple of revolutions with the one foot that's already clipped in, not using the unclipped foot. Just rest that foot on the pedal and then when you have some momentum going, clip that foot in.

As has been posted, you have to step forward and down. The front bit of the cleat has to go in and under the front of the pedal, and then you just step down the back.

If you don't, it will be difficult and you can damage the cleat. I recently went to these from mtb pedals and I still don't get it right every time, but once you get onto it it's not a big deal. Give it some time.

I stand up and click in, 90% of the time it's effortless. If I miss, I sit down and cycle through another revolution and click in, looking down if I have to. This is much safer than continuing to stand like I used to with my mtb pedals.

Definitely a different feeling to the SPDs. I had SLs first and then got a set of SPDs for my fixie. At first, I thought they were awfully difficult to operate compared to my SLs and it took a few weeks before it felt natural to clip in this way. I suspect the fixed wheel element didn't help me there, either.

My point is the same as posted by someone above: muscle memory and experience with the system is the key to smooth engagements every time. The other issues you describe (noise from the stability plate) I cannot comment on as neither of my sets of Ultegra pedals have made any noise. One for the LBS to check, if you're unsure.

Hope that helps.

+1, I love my speedplay zeros! Not looking forward to the maintenance that everyone's talking about but.... they're so easy to use.

Dont get me wrong, SPD-SL's are fantastic. Sitting on a trainer with them on truly makes you feel like you're one with your bike... but the disengaging is something that bothered me for a period of time.

OP, you should definitely have your lbs take a look at those pedals because the only clicking you should be hearing is from your rear wheel! -- keep us updated

Make sure your cleats are tightley secured to the shoe. If the bolts are even a bit loose, the cleat will twist when you disengage, making the next clip in way off line. I discovered this a few weeks ago when I had trouble clipping in after a water stop. It felt like I had a rock in my cleat but after the ride, I discovered that I was missing the front bolt completely and the other two were loose enough to allow the cleat to twist off line.