Wish me luck

[RhythMick]

Fitted SPD pedals last night, cleats attached to new Shimano size 48s, brief try out on the estate. Happy birthday me... 7^2 much more interesting than 50.

Anyway, will get a ride in at lunch - somewhere quiet in case of the feared slow-sideways-fall.

... every day is a winding road...

 

[NormanD]

You'll be fine, just don't think about it too much and it'll become natural in no time. Even if you do fall what do you lose, just your dignity and once you've lost that, you won't care anyways

 

[rb58]

Good luck!

 

[numbnuts]

I fell off twice, the first time it hurt my pride, the second time it hurt my shoulder, but I would never go back to normal pedals again. Good luck

 

[Dave7]

Just make sure you 'think ahead' so by the time you get to the corner/'T' junction your foot is already out of the cleat........unlike me on my 1st attempt. But I got used to it and didn't come off again.........until the next time
But I still wouldn't go back to 'normal' pedals.

 

[Arsen Gere]

Good luck, cycling allows you to count your age in hex so 50 is now 32.

 

[RhythMick]

You'll be fine, just don't think about it too much and it'll become natural in no time. Even if you do fall what do you lose, just your dignity and once you've lost that, you won't care anyways

I'm 49 today. Dignity is not an option...

... every day is a winding road...

 

[NormanD]

I'm 49 today. Dignity is not an option...

... every day is a winding road...

I'm 49 next month .. I know the feeling well
Happy Birthday too

 

[stu1903]

You aren't a proper cyclist until you've fallen using SPD's or SPD-SL's!

 

[cyberknight]

You aren't a proper cyclist until you've fallen using SPD's or SPD-SL's!

When someone is around to have a good laugh when you do it in the most clumsy way possible ......

 

[RhythMick]

OK, did a 10 miler dawdle with the wife and kids yesterday. The wife couldn't decide whether to laugh at all my new kit ("you never do anything by half do you Mick") or worry about the SPDs. The Planet X socks with coloured cycles on them tipped the balance so we had a worry free ride.

No problem at all clipping in or out, actually it felt totally natural immediately. Grateful for the tip "program your brain/feet that they need to twist out in an emergency". I think that works well. I did that by picking a random stimulus( in my case whenever I saw a bird) and immediately unclipped.

Did that for 10 mins till I got fed up. Later when one of the kids stopped suddenly in front of me I unclipped without thinking about it, after I'd braked then started to topple.

Pedals and cleats are Shimano M530. I have nothing to compare them to but they seem to suit me very well as a beginner.

... every day is a winding road...