New SPD's

[MikeO]

Finally made the switch to SPD's yesterday, and bought some Shimano PD-M520's, these I thought were an absolute bargain for £19.99 online, and also a pair of Shimano-M063 shoes, low budget stuff but ideal for me as I didn't know if i'd take to SPD's or not.
After fitting these to my Rockhopper, I was a little nervous after hearing all the horror stories out there, but touch wood, I havn't had an SPD 'moment' as yet !! I was amazed at the difference they make, so much more power to your pedalling, I love 'em. Almost came a cropper yesterday when trying them out for the first time, as I was slowing down to stop I got my right foot out okay, but while I was still moving tried to get my left foot out and couldn't....Panic stations !! lol..I was okay though...managed to get it out at the last moment...phew !
I've now got it weighed off and just get my right foot out each time I stop
Fingers crossed for the next few days !!

 

[rsvdaz]

Finally made the switch to SPD's yesterday, and bought some Shimano PD-M520's, these I thought were an absolute bargain for £19.99 online, and also a pair of Shimano-M063 shoes, low budget stuff but ideal for me as I didn't know if i'd take to SPD's or not.
After fitting these to my Rockhopper, I was a little nervous after hearing all the horror stories out there, but touch wood, I havn't had an SPD 'moment' as yet !! I was amazed at the difference they make, so much more power to your pedalling, I love 'em. Almost came a cropper yesterday when trying them out for the first time, as I was slowing down to stop I got my right foot out okay, but while I was still moving tried to get my left foot out and couldn't....Panic stations !! lol..I was okay though...managed to get it out at the last moment...phew !
I've now got it weighed off and just get my right foot out each time I stop
Fingers crossed for the next few days !!

congratulations that was your first moment

ive taken to them ok as well...my first moment was up a very steep hill..got the gearing all wrong..ground to a halt couldnt get the unclipped fast enough...startet to teater..2 choices..into road or other side..chose other side..against some low level railings with spikes ..just mangeed to break my fall with my hand..so no extra holes!!

i got m520s for the road bike and a530's for the mtb..with the lidyls shoes

 

[Steve H]

Well done Mike. I got a pair of spd's recently. I took the attitude that it was "when" I was going to fail to get my foot out and fall rather than "if". True enough - on my first outing with them and at the third set of traffic lights, I thought I could slow down and balance long enough before the lights changed... But I was wrong. Slowly started to lose my balance, and I fell over to my left with a big line of cars behind me. No harm done though. I got straight back on though and things have been great since then. I agree that you have more power with them and it seems also to be a smoother pedalling process.

Steve

 

[djondjayvadas]

Going to be trying SPDs next week, looking forward to a moment...

 

[Moodyman]

SPD's don't bring as much speed advantage as the marketeers would have us believe.

The big selling angle is that you can pull up and push down, but that's B8llsh1t as nobody in the real world pedals down and pulls up in one cycle. It's been proven by extensive research that you can't do this longer than a couple of hundred metres.

They do, however, help you perfect your pedalling technique. That is, pedalling in a more circular motion. So rather than putting down all your power between 1-5 o'clock (pedalling clockwise), you pedal between 11-7 o'clock. This helps to spread your total power over a longer range; thus making your pedalling less intensive.

Less intensive pedalling is better for the muscles and knees and means you can travel longer without fatigue.

So SPD's are good but not for the reasons given by the bike industry & bike shops.

 

[thanos]

I also am looking at purchasing a set of m520's for a road bike and I havent settled on shoes. I want to be as efficient as possible in my commute.

To the guys who had the falls.. isnt it possible to give different 'escape' tensions to each leg? for example make things easier on a 'slaking' right leg after the left has pulled out?

I went for a run today, and I saw a guy on a pretty pricey specialized road bike trying to turn right on a three lane carriage way (leading uphill) and he had a heck of a time after having pulled out his left, then pretty much waiting until traffic subsided, and hopped one lane over to an island and on to the third lane. I assume he had pricey road shoe / pedals.

 

[Moodyman]

M520's are MTB pedals though they're great for commuting bikes too.

I find them a little narrow for long distance road rides due to their small contact point. A520 is a good road pedal that uses the same cleats as the M520.

 

[Chrisc]

I also am looking at purchasing a set of m520's for a road bike and I havent settled on shoes. I want to be as efficient as possible in my commute.

To the guys who had the falls.. isnt it possible to give different 'escape' tensions to each leg? for example make things easier on a 'slaking' right leg after the left has pulled out?

I went for a run today, and I saw a guy on a pretty pricey specialized road bike trying to turn right on a three lane carriage way (leading uphill) and he had a heck of a time after having pulled out his left, then pretty much waiting until traffic subsided, and hopped one lane over to an island and on to the third lane. I assume he had pricey road shoe / pedals.

Lots of people use M520s on road bikes, me included. Prefer em over A520s for the double sided design.
They come with adjusting instructions but it's straightforward to do. They will be on the weakest setting our of the box usually so check but that's the way to start. I've never actually wound mine up as yet and will only do that if they start to loosen through wear though it's probably better to fit new cleats if this happens.
You only need to release one leg at a junction. I use the left out of motorbike habit of keeping the right foot on the brake at junctions but whatever suits you is fine. Just unclip well before the junction resisting the temptation to roll to a stop clipped in and you'll be fine.