Thinking of going from SPD-SL to SPD

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Re unclipping, IME it has nothing to do with the release tension, but with technique. People have "Clipless moments" because they try to pull upwards from the pedal as they rotate their foot. That is the very thing the mechanism is designed to prevent. Just keep your foot flat on the pedal as you rotate and it doesn't matter how high the release tension is, it will just slip out.
That definitely was not true when I got stuck. I ended up getting another rider to help me turn my foot because I couldn't manage it by myself!

I am wondering now if the cleat position was a factor. Maybe I had mounted the cleat too far to one side of the pit?
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
 

Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
The first clipless pedals I used were Look, in the 1980s, but now I use double sided SPD on all my bikes, I can't see the point in single sided, so easy to clip into, if you want the same feel as SPD SL get a good carbon soled shoe, but make sure the cleats are recessed for more comfortable walking.
 

briantrumpet

Legendary Member
Location
Devon & Die
I genuinely wonder if Shimano realised they'd made something really practical (easy to clip into, cleats last for ages, and you can walk with them), but realised they were too cheap and too long-lasting, then invented SPD-SL to increase turnover with all the plastic involved, and the always-proud format. Then they came up with the 'better power transfer' codswallop to justify them to the punters.

It's all a bit The Man In The White Suit, except in this case, the SPD pedals don't fall apart.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
That sounds about right. If the pedal won't release at max tension it is either a faulty pedal or wrong setup.
I just put it to the test...

I thought that I had previously adjusted the tension to halfway but there are way more click points than I had realised so I think that it was closer to @Drago's suggestion of 1/3 up from minimum.

I managed to tighten another 15 clicks. That was quite hard with a small allen key though, which explains why I hadn't tightened pedals that much in the past. It could also be that you have never tightened them that much either?!

And the result was? :whistle: Answer: Cleat release was possible, but WAY too hard for riders who might need to unclip unexpectedly! I would fall off my bike (still clipped in!) on nearly every ride if I had my pedals set up like that... I can see why sprinters would want the extra security though.

Shimano's advice on the subject HERE.
 

PaulSB

Squire
Go to flats. You wont notice any difference except less faffing around.

There's a huge difference between flats and any of the clipless systems.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
That definitely was not true when I got stuck. I ended up getting another rider to help me turn my foot because I couldn't manage it by myself!

I am wondering now if the cleat position was a factor. Maybe I had mounted the cleat too far to one side of the pit?
I have my cleats near enough touching the inner side of the shoe and i dont have issues with release
 

PaulSB

Squire
That definitely was not true when I got stuck. I ended up getting another rider to help me turn my foot because I couldn't manage it by myself!

I am wondering now if the cleat position was a factor. Maybe I had mounted the cleat too far to one side of the pit?

I completely agree. If the tension is too high unclipping is more difficult and in an emergency might not be quick enough to get a foot down.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
I genuinely wonder if Shimano realised they'd made something really practical (easy to clip into, cleats last for ages, and you can walk with them), but realised they were too cheap and too long-lasting, then invented SPD-SL to increase turnover with all the plastic involved, and the always-proud format. Then they came up with the 'better power transfer' codswallop to justify them to the punters.

It's all a bit The Man In The White Suit, except in this case, the SPD pedals don't fall apart.

according to what i can gather from the interweb shimano designed the road shoe 1st in partnership with look before bringing out the spd design later
1987 for the road and 1990 for spd
1747678220037.png
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Originally also aimed at tourers who might have to get off and push or even walk at their destination as well as MTBers, but it was the latter that really took it to their hearts.

All these years on its somewhat out of favour with the MTB lot.

Wasn't the original Look system cribbed from a ski binding?
 
Top Bottom