Scary clipless moment...

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Going to work this morning, my left foot seemed reluctant to unclip, but I was seriously hungover so put it down to a lack of co-ordination.

Coming home it was still odd...on unclipping my knee felt the twist.

Stopped at Lidl, loaded up the panniers, set off, stopped at the car park exit and would my left leg pull out? Not at all - managed (just) to throw my weight to the right to avoid embarassment and probably groceries all over the road, and twist my foot out.

Set off and my left wouldn't clip in at all. Stopped and looked at my shoe - one of the cleat bolts had sheared leaving it held with one, the cleat was at about 70 degrees.

Just when I had been getting used to clipless

 

[fossyant]

Oh heck..

PS this is not normal.

Also when assembling SPD cleats, put coppa slip on the threads...... they are known to snap if fused in.

 

[thomas]

Set off and my left wouldn't clip in at all. Stopped and looked at my shoe - one of the cleat bolts had sheared leaving it held with one, the cleat was at about 70 degrees.

I had a bolt fall out, and as there are two it meant when I twisted my foot, the cleet stayed in and my foot just twisted on the spot. Thankfully, the other foot did come out, and I didn't notice the entire 15 miles to work, until I got to the door and tried taking out the other foot. Thankfully I could just lean against the wall as I took my foot out

 

[hackbike 666]

I had trouble quite a few years back when I had a shoe which wasn't compatible with the pedal so I was locked in.Great fun....Think I fell off as well.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Oh heck..

PS this is not normal.

Also when assembling SPD cleats, put coppa slip on the threads...... they are known to snap if fused in.

I figured it's unusual.

Lidl shoes and budget VP pedals....I've been considering upgrading - I think i may do just that at the weekend.

It;s taken a while to get used to clipless, after years out of the saddle it took a while, since I had always been used to old fashioned clips (leather straps on chrome steel - old skool!) before. But I do like clipless now so I know it won't be money wasted.

 

[Poacher]

Worth noting that Shimano & Wellgo aren't quite compatible, as my elder brother found out.... mind you, his first attempt was worse, when he fitted the cleats back to front.
When all else fails, read the manual! (Him, not you Tiger, I hasten to add).

 

[fossyant]

Before I sound like a snob....go for the upper end pedals.....

They last...... and look around... you can get XT SPD's for about £45.... easy to service.

SPD 520's are good value, but look and do searches as the better stuff is often discounted.

I run XT SPD's and Top end LOOK Delta's (never needed any work doing - one set got some grease once......)......

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

M647 pedals? Any good?

I mainly ride with cleats but may occasionally need to ride in normal shoes so pure clipless pedals aren't an option.

 

[Keith Oates]

I've never used the M647 pedals but they seem to be a good idea if you do some riding with normal shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quite a while ago I bought some pedals that were flat on one side and clipless on the other, so that I could also ride them with normal shoes, I found that I never really needed or used the flat side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GrasB]

Interestingly I found that you can ride fine with normal shoes on Look KEO pedals. I rode about 4 miles without any problems really.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Well, I ended up forgetting the idea of wearing normal shoes ever and going for some open M520s. Wish I'd not pratted about with the alternate sided things before, these are so much easier, I stopped bothering to lean on posts and rails on the ride home, unclipping wasn't so much of a hassle as it always had been.

The MTB can have the VP pedals, I don't like being clipped in off-road but do sometimes take the MTB to work, and can use that if I need to ride anywhere in normal shoes