First ride with SPD cleats

[benb]

OK, so I finally got round to fitting SPD pedals (I got double sided ones, for when I don't want to be clipped in).

I must admit I didn't lean against a wall to practice, I just jumped on and gave it a go on this morning's commute. I'd adjusted the spring tension to be quite weak, and I can unclip really easily. I'll probably tighten it up a bit as I gain confidence.

Seems OK. The first set of lights I unclipped one side, but the bike decided to lean the other way, which nearly made me look very silly. Luckily I managed to unclip the other side and get a foot down. After that I unclipped both feet just to be on the safe side.

I like it, it feels much smoother to pedal. I can't always tell from the feel whether the pedal is flat side up or SPD side up, and getting my foot in the right place to clip in is a bit tricky, but that will come with practice.

 

[hackbike 666]

Always hiccups at the start but you will wonder what the fuss is all about when you get used to them.

I did it last night though...missed my footing on the pavement at traffic lights at Waterloo and just about managed to right it...Happens sometimes.Not so much the clips though just misjudged the pavement a bit.

 

[gaz]

I allways unclip my right foot, so I always lean to the right. I haven't had a moment in a few years as I am so used to it. Really is second nature!

 

[BenM]

Clipped in on the 'bent since April. I still have little wobbles - often the bike seems to want to lean right when the left leg is on its way to the ground.
I haven't managed to pin down why I manage to do that but hey, its even more entertainment for the public

B.

 

[Murf]

It does take a bit of getting used to but i couldn't go back to flats...i tried and my feet kept slipping off the pedals.

I still have moments when i should really have been a bit more careful...like today when i got to work and swung my right leg leg off the left side of the bike so i had 2 legs on one side if you get my meaning. Rolling to a stop and realised that i had no way of unclipping! Over i went. No one saw though so it didn't officially happen.

 

[magnatom]

I must admit, I haven't thought about the act of clipping in or out for probably over a year now until I read this thread. It just, happens. It's amazing how second nature it becomes.

I shudder at the thought of ever having to ride a bike without clipless pedals now. It really makes a huge difference!

 

[DrSquirrel]

OK, so I finally got round to fitting SPD pedals (I got double sided ones, for when I don't want to be clipped in).

I must admit I didn't lean against a wall to practice, I just jumped on and gave it a go on this morning's commute. I'd adjusted the spring tension to be quite weak, and I can unclip really easily. I'll probably tighten it up a bit as I gain confidence.

Seems OK. The first set of lights I unclipped one side, but the bike decided to lean the other way, which nearly made me look very silly. Luckily I managed to unclip the other side and get a foot down. After that I unclipped both feet just to be on the safe side.

I like it, it feels much smoother to pedal. I can't always tell from the feel whether the pedal is flat side up or SPD side up, and getting my foot in the right place to clip in is a bit tricky, but that will come with practice.

Good.

Practising against a wall is for pansies that think its a bigger deal than it is.

I have also balanced the wrong way but your foot will come out in time.

You'll have more problems with them if you endlessly faun/worry about them - when its second nature you won't have problems.

 

[hackbike 666]

I remember clipless being a godsend when I discovered it...Was it the mid 90's?

Bloody toeclips were making big gashes in my trainers that I actually thought about making some sort of pedal to prevent this...I was looking for all sorts of solutions...then I found SPD's.

 

[Peter10]

I found SPD pretty easy to get used to, I don't have to consciously think about clicking in and out any more (they click in so easy anyway). HOWEVER, when I used my SPD-SL shoes, that was when I had issues. I really had to think about what I was doing, where I would stop so I could get enough of a push-off to have time to click in again. Since changing from SPD-SL to SPD, I've knocked a few minutes off my commute simply due to being more efficient with getting going.

I think the SPD-SL will go into the cupboard until summer for training rides only.

 

[clarion]

I loved toeclips, but clipless are just so easy that it's a very simple choice. People are intimidated by them, and it does mean that you have to have some 'cycling' shoes,even if they are of a more casual style, so acceptable off the bike (I'm wearing dhb T1s in the office right now). But it is the best way to go.

 

[jonny jeez]

Good for you Benb.

personally I've never go round to tightening mine up, they work just fine for a commute when set to "stun" and I can always slip out of them when I need to.

I swapped my pedals in the school holidays as I was riding a lot with the family and didn’t want to have to wear daft shoes all day. I hated it, every time I stopped I kept pulling up my foot to put in into a good position to get started and just kept loosing the pedal.

My shins were a mess that night!!

 

[Jezston]

I started using crank bros pedals after being recommended them, only ever used flats before. Had no troubles, dead easy.

 

[adds21]

Practising against a wall is for pansies that think its a bigger deal than it is.

I have also balanced the wrong way but your foot will come out in time.

You'll have more problems with them if you endlessly faun/worry about them - when its second nature you won't have problems.

+1

 

[fimm]

I ride a road bike with SPD-SLs, and a Brompton with flat pedals. I don't have any problem swapping between them (I suspect the totally different size etc of the Brompton helps. However the other day I went out on my mountain bike for the first time in at least a year - and spent the first 15 minutes twisting my trainer-clad foot in order to get it to release from the flat pedal... !

 

[Jezston]

Just a thought, I've never used SPDs, always Crank Bros.

Are there any relative pros and cons between the two types?

What about other clipless 'formats' like Look?