A slipping pedal cleat is a dangerous thing. Too many times, have I scared myself accidentally slipping out (slowing down, speeding up from lights, accidentally releasing without harm) but not enough to really do something about it. Now I've been ejected ass over tea kettle from the false confidence of SPD clipless and need to rethink my riding game in terms of a brakeless fixed gear in the city.

I'm looking for some user experience information on different clipless pedal platforms. I've been looking at different SpeedPlay pedals, apparently they're the only ones who make cleats with hardened steel. Paired with actually wearing a helmet, I need to find a seriously secure foot retention device designed for high performance.

I want to know if others have had similar scares and what they've done about it, if anything.

What pedal combos are you running and what luck have you had riding brakeless fixed with them?

Some options I'm considering are: SpeedPlay Frog mountain clipless pedal combo or a stronger alternative to shimano spd clipless. I like recessed cleats as a messenger. Hoping there are some wise old performance fixed riders lurking with knowledge to plop.

Been using SPD for a few years now; no problems if you replace the cleat when it starts to wear out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFyX...6zPoymgKaIoDLA

I think I see your problem.

Are you on a track or in traffic in a city?

Is the question here how to make sure you can stop when riding a bike with no brakes?

If that is the question, the answer is to get brakes!

I don't have issues running SPDs on any of my bikes, I check the cleats every so often to make sure they are tight (as I would with any cleat from any manufacturer) and when they need replacing I will replace them. There are people who think they never need to replace things that actually wear on their bike and they wonder why they have problems with those items or with other items associated with them.

Don't know about the wise part but I'm certainly elderly, used to race on the track and have been riding FG on the road for >40 years, using clipless Look delta pattern since '84.

A Dual Plop:

1) Install a front brake, we did back when so it's Retro and prevents ass over tea kettle syndrome.

B) Replace your cleats before they are worn out.


-Bandera

Mmm, yes. Obviously it's the pedals that need rethinking here.

Be kind, he might have bumped his head in that crash.

Eh ?

Have you tried raising your tension? I use SPD brakeless in Chicago and I've only ever accidentally unclipped twice. Either you suck at riding or your tension is way too loose.

The accident was caused when I was wrenching forward, my cleat popped out of the pedal. Lever brakes do not apply to this situation. Ass over tea kettle was me pushing and pulling so hard at the wrong time when it popped out that my energy shot me over the bars into unbalance. Lever brakes are not required for control of a fixed gear bicycle, respect for the road, knowledge and flow are.

Yes, I did hit my head. Hence the helmet remark. A fixed rear hub braking mechanism is perfectly legal in my jurisdiction and like I said, requires more respect for the road and more flow on it. A front brake is a remotely valid recommendation for safety. But, this thread is about clipless pedal safety, so Team Brakes, please pipe down.

So did you adjust the tension or not? I suspect you might also benefit from a lighter gear if this is happening mostly at lights. At any rate you don't seem that serious about your safety so why does it matter?

Crashes are an Accident when an unexpected adverse condition occurs, an Equipment Failure that causes a crash through lack of preventative maintenance is not an Accident.

The Flow needs to be re-directed to setting pedal release tension properly and keeping worn out cleats out of the system regardless of what flavor of foot retention one chooses.

-Bandera

So, you crashed, it appears to have been mostly your fault, and you cannot see the information that is currently being provided to you in this thread. Maybe a pic of the helmet, so we can see how badly you hit your head, and then understand you a bit better????

Good, good condition, clipless pedals do not come unclipped that way....

Man oh man, you fit right in here.

Darwin Award candidate.

Yes, it may be user error to not have done preventative maintanance. Alas, I am still fairly new to clipless pedals, and just starting to push harder on a new light and strong track bike I got. Why do you say I cannot see the information in this thread? I completely understand I could have provided better preventative maintenance. You're right Bandera, it was an incident, not an accident. People make mistakes and learn lessons. I hope you've got your Darwin award chuckles out of the way. Good day!

No, Proof. I have not yet adjusted the tension but I suppose I will in the mean time until I can afford a more reliable setup.

Just for ****s and giggles, do you know what type of cleats are installed on your shoes? SPD shoes often come with SH-56 cleats, which are designed to release easier than SH-51s:

I periodically yank my cleats out hill climbing, so I usually adjust them to the point where I can barely get them in. And yanking them out becomes rare. I still seem to be fine getting them extracted.

I have purchased used pedals, so they perhaps didn't have as sharp of a grip as new ones might have had.

It does seem as if my Wellgo, SPD style pedals are a bit easier to adjust than the Shimano pedals, but both work.

Most brands and styles of clips will have some kind of variable tension adjustment, so I wouldn't dump one style until you've at least got the tension set right.

Oh, I have also avoided the Shimano Multirelease cleats... as that doesn't sound like what I wanted.

Aren't the Multirelease cleats marked with an "M"?

Yep, mine are.



Sorry about the grungy shoes, haha.

Selective arrogance. "I have the answers for everything I need to know, except for the stated question, so please don't give me any advice that doesn't pertain to the question I asked whether it is related or not."

Sounds like you got everything under control. If you can already ride "safely", then why the hell do you need to make your pedals "safer"?

When I was young I knew everything and tended to only learn how wrong I wad via painful events. Hopefully this guy can hear what is being said and learn with less pain. If not, the least he could do is post some GoPro footage!!!