my 1st SPD shoes & pedals (help)

[urbanrider]

Got them today the shoes are Specialized BG Taho MTD and the pedals are Shimano M520 SPD
Been trying them out in my local park, the left foot unclips fine but having problems with my right foot unclipping i have tried moving the cleats around seems ok when my leg is extended but when at the top of the rotation cant unclip very easy will keep trying to sort it out, at the moment i'm not looking forward to my ride to work tomorrow

 

[Kirstie]

There should be a tension screw on the back of the clip which you can undo if you're having difficulty unclipping...also you normally don't unclip at the top of a rotation...and if you're right footed, you'll normally unclip the left first at junctions and traffic lights - that's what I find anyway.

 

[urbanrider]

i have tried turning the screw -= loose += tight is that right ?, BTW i am right footed but feel strange unclipping left foot first when stopping

 

[Kirstie]

Anticlockwise slackens the spring I think...

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I have single release cleats, and i have them as loose as I can. I am right footed and always release the right foot first. I also add a little chain lube to the cleat before I ride to help with the release.

 

[Fnaar]

Anticlockwise slackens the spring I think...

Righty-tighty, lefty-loosy!

 

[urbanrider]

Have you got single- or multi- release cleats?

I've always used multi-release, and they've never released me when I've not wanted them to. But they are easier to get out of.

arrr, not a clue how can i tell ?

 

[barq]

The cleats should have a number on them: SH51 = single release, SH56 = multi release.

To be honest if you have reduced the tension on the springs then it's probably just an issue of getting used to the sharp heel twist you need to give to clip out. It does feel a bit disconcerting at first, but it is worth it in the long run. Good luck.

 

[urbanrider]

Well done my first ride with me new shoes, didn't come off but took it very slow and rode some of the way with right foot unclipped hope i can get on with them

 

[ChrisKH]

They probably need a bit of wear. I had new cleats and shoes (for my new bike!) two weeks ago and I had to do a few miles of clipping and unclipping before they felt normal (i.e. not so tight). They were on the loosest tension.

 

[Fnaar]

Good stuff. I've been using SPDs for about 18 months, I think. I could never go back to flatties, at least not for a decent ride.... have fallen off x2 because of not unclipping, once into the road at the top of a hill, once comically into a puddle, whilst MTBing. But they're the business!

 

[urbanrider]

BTW they are SH-51's

 

[Globalti]

Check that the cleat is secure on the base of the shoe. If it has worked loose, it will be difficult to unclip. The bolts need to be effing tight. Oh, and did you fill the slots with silicon sealant before you fitted the cleats?

 

[urbanrider]

Oh, and did you fill the slots with silicon sealant before you fitted the cleats?

not sure the shop fitted them for me will check

 

[ChrisKH]

Check that the cleat is secure on the base of the shoe. If it has worked loose, it will be difficult to unclip. The bolts need to be effing tight. Oh, and did you fill the slots with silicon sealant before you fitted the cleats?

Bugger, no I didn't.