Maiden Ride with Clipless Pedals

[mick1836]

Well after buying a pair of road bike cycle shoes and SPD pedals several months ago I finally bit the bullet and went out on a ride to day using both.
Still struggling to click in the pedal and Oh feeling like a transvestite

( I presume? ) in high heels when walking in a tiled floor cafe

 

[RegG]

Well done! Just remember to unclip at least one foot before stopping and make sure it is the unclipped foot you put to the ground! Otherwise it will be a slow motion fall!

 

[vickster]

Do you have the pedals on a loose setting? Do you mean SPD-SL if you have roadbike shoes?

 

[screenman]

How do you already know what it feel like to walk in high heels?

 

[mick1836]

Do you have the pedals on a loose setting? Do you mean SPD-SL if you have roadbike shoes?

These are the shoes I bought, to be honest didn't know there was road & MTB types

The peddles I bought were Shimano PD - M520, all quite cheap but it was just to try, I fitted the peddles months ago to my Cube AMS 130 Pro MTB but have been riding until today with the Shimano PD-22 platforms that came with the peddles. The pedal cleat tensioner is as low as it goes.

Screenman:

How do you already know what it feel like to walk in high heels?

I have no practical experience but after today can imagine

 

[vickster]

Pedals

Those are indeed SPD pedals with a non recessed cleat...lethal on slippy floors (even more so that the 3 bolt more road cleats), so be careful!

 

[ColinJ]

These are the shoes I bought, to be honest didn't know there was road & MTB types

The peddles I bought were Shimano PD - M520, all quite cheap but it was just to try, I fitted the peddles months ago to my Cube AMS 130 Pro MTB but have been riding until today with the Shimano PD-22 platforms that came with the peddles. The pedal cleat tensioner is as low as it goes.

Screenman:


I have no practical experience but after today can imagine

Oops, you bought road shoes and mountain bike pedals ... You can attach the metal cleats to those shoes, but as you have discovered - they stick out of the bottom of the soles!

Mountain bike shoes have recesses so the cleats are not exposed when walking about. That is why many of us use the mountain bike type.

Here is a photo of the sole of one of my mountain bike shoes so you can see what I mean:

 

[13 rider]

It look like the shoe will take both SPD and SPD L cleats . But lose the advantage of most SPD shoes by not having a tread to recess the cleat . Walking will always be a bit of an issue with them just be careful metal cleats on slipy surface is not good

 

[Mrs M]

Just keep practising but be careful

 

[mick1836]

Thanks guy's & girls for your advice however if you do come across

just pick me up dust me off and point me towards my bike .

 

[biggs682]

I use the recessed mtb shoes with the same pedals much easier and no walking issues

 

[Apollonius]

I use the three-point SPD-SL pedals, and have no issues with them, but my wife, and most other people I ride with, prefer the metal two-point mountain-bike type SPD. They also tend to use hard-soled shoes without recesses. They cope. One thing they do insist on is using the multi-way release cleats. These are not the ones the pedals come bundled with. You have to buy them as an extra. The picture on the packet shows that they will release in several directions. They also have an M on the square end of the cleat. Whatever you use, keep them tight!

 

[Gez73]

If you google 'cleat pontoon' you will see adapters that can be used on flat soled road shoes using SPD cleats. They don't make walking easier but will protect the cleat from wear. Best bet is to use recessed cleated shoes when beginning with clipless pedals. All depends on how much walking you need to do. There are also rubber covers too but you need to remember to take them off when trying to clip in. I have forgotten more than once and gave up and got the pontoon ones for the seldom used road shoe. Gez

 

[mick1836]

Been out on 2nd 35mile ride with two friends today wearing the SPD road shoes, had only two heart stopping moments when I didn't un-clip sooner both times caused by indecisive movements of my friends, my 1st ride solo last week only 12miles no problem riding but walking into a cafe with tiled floor raised a few eye brows

 

[mick1836]

Been out today for the first time using my Xmas prezzie a pair of Decathlon MTB shoes and what a difference over the 'road' shoes, clipping in & out was easy so was walking especially on hard floors so here is a question, what is the thinking or advantage of using a road bike shoe with clip less pedals over a MTB shoe, I can now having tried both of the disadvantage of wearing/using road shoes?