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I just bought my first SPD pedals/shoes! I got the cheapest SPD mountain bike pedals I could find on Wiggle along with a pair of Shimano touring shoes (look reasonably light, easy to walk around in).
Any tips before I hit the road (hopefully not literally)? Should I change from fixed to freewheel while I get used to these? I've only used straps or toe clips until now, but felt like upgrading.
Cheers
Do you have a foot that you tend to disengage when you stop? I favour my left so that one is set loose so that I can unclip easily. And I've developed the habit over the years of unclipping a lot when there's only a chance that I'll need to put my foot down. I learned the sore way that slowing to a near stop and then trying to unclip can see you panicking and wrenching up when you should be twisting out. And then you fall over.
Don't do the pedals up too tight to begin with. Accept that you'll fall off at a standstill once. Try not to stage your inevitable fall in front of a packed police car like I did.
Well I usually keep my left foot in the strap at all times, my right foot is the one I put down when stopping. Thanks for the tip about starting with one side looser, I'll try that. My only concern is that with the pedals constantly turning it might be tricky to clip in at first. However I'm able to get in and out of a strap okay while fixed so I hope it'll be easy enough.
"...and then trying to unclip can see you panicking and wrenching up when you should be twisting out..."
Mine are loose enough to let me out if I wrench upwards panickily enough.
"My only concern is that with the pedals constantly turning it might be tricky to clip in at first."
I rarely get in enough of a mess that I need to stop pedalling to clip in - if I miss on the movement in which I've lifted my foot off the ground during the first downstroke by the still-clipped-in foot I just wait until the unclipped foot is on its first backswing to shuffle it slightly.
Great, thanks!
"My only concern is that with the pedals constantly turning it might be tricky to clip in at first"
It's a lot easier than it is to get your feet into toe straps.
Clipping IN is never the problem.....
'It's a lot easier than it is to get your feet into toe straps'
This is good to hear!
Shimano make two different kinds of SPD cleats - SH51 release only by twisting out but SH56 are multi-release and release in any direction so are a lot easier for new SPD users to learn with.
To echo, you'll get used to it very quickly. On the odd occasion I miss clipping into my SPDs on my fixed, I happily pootle along pushing on the pedal with the shoe sole until I have a chance to clip in again. However, it's a bit of a faff if I miss on a steep hill, so I tend to trackstand to avoid any mishaps in that situation!
It's certainly easier to clip into a freewheeling bike than a fixed, but by using straps you've already crossed the rubicon of impressing on yourself the need to think about un-retaining your feet before stopping. While you're still almost certain to go through the rite of passage that is Failure to Unclip, you'll probably do it less often than most, unless you trackstand a lot and like me found it harder to unclip than unstrap during said activity.
I used toeclips/straps with fixed about 20 years ago. I don't remember falling off but I didn't use cleats! I do remember being frustrated at trying to tighten the straps with the cranks going round!
I've returned to fixed only recently with double-sided SPD's and it's brilliant-much easier than the old strappy things.
I rode Uberuce's SPD-equipped fixie for over fifty metres last autumn without falling off, despite never having ridden a fixie prior thereto.
I've tried the -51 and the -56 and I would heartily agree with the suggestion to start with the -56.
The first time that you come to a stop and get that falling feeling you will move your heel in any direction except outwards and embarrass yourself with the -51. The -56 will release even upwards if set light enough.
I also tried Uberuce's fixie, but I think it propelled me - I can't remember if I was clipped in, but I was definitely a passenger!
I'm not entirely certain that one ever rides a fixie, more that it tolerates your presence...
Robert
Silly, silly Roibeard. It's a beautiful, harmonic dance; a single soul in two bodies.
Urm....only one of the bodies is a bike without a freewheel.
Whoah these things are great! So easy to get in and out of and pedalling feels much more effortless. Why didn't I do this sooner?
Ah yes, I'd forgotten; asking that question is the Other Rite of Clipless Passage.
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