Been using SPDs (or flats) for the last 20 years. Never tried anything else, as the Shimano stuff just works, however I thought I ought to try Time/Mavic as the guys who use them seem to rave about them, and they seem really easy to get back into which is my main bugbear with SPDs – finding the cleat in a hurry on steep slidy terrain after you’ve dabbed.

A little while ago I picked a pair of Time MX2s from Ton of this parish. He’d bought them, ridden them round the carpark, decided he didn’t like them then sold them on. I’ve been waiting to get some new shoes before trying them.

So Sunday, new shoes, new pedals, new cleats. I can clip in alright, but I am absolutely, utterly buggered if I can get out of them – especially right leg – I’ve got my foot at 45° to the crank and still not unclipped. (They are definitely set up for the lower release angle) The only way I can get out is by twisting my hips across the bike which means I can twist my foot yet further, then with a loud CLACK I break free.

2 crashes and a couple of near misses on the loamy run through the local woods near my house and I was straight back home to swap for my old SPDs.

So what am I missing?

Wow. Been using ATACs for years and never had that problem.

I don’t think that model has any spring tension adjustment. Sounds like it’s somewhat over tight (maybe a manufacturing defect).

The actual locking part of the cleat will be completely clear of the bars by about 15-20 degrees, the base will have pushed them apart, so something is wrong.

Are the cleats on the right way round (they aren’t on backwards are they?) if they are you’ll have the high release angle on the wrong bar, which makes things really, really tricky.

And a Pro-tip, chamfer the corners on the cleat base, if you do it right it pushes the cleat out of the pedal on release and redueces the load slightly. Just have to have a think about it and work out which corners to chamfer……

Part of the shoe fouling the cleat/spring and stopping the release?

As ghostlymachine says, the cleats are designed for dual options fit them one way for easy release and the other way for harder release, try swapping them over

nah, he already has them set to “low release”. But if they are back to front, it all gets a bit confusing.

Never had that issue, you sure the cleats are properly tight. Otherwise as others have said I’d look at the shoe fouling the pedals and if the cleats are on correctly.

When I first started using Time ATAC pedals (in 96) they seemed to have a very harsh release, but they soon wear in and then become more or less perfect. 20 years later I’m still using a pair of original ATAC from 96… along with some more modern ones as well 😉

Try popping them back on the bike and locking and releasing by hand and watching whats going on. Might give you some more clues.

i reckon Gotama has it.

never had that problem with mine

I recently made the move from Candys back to Time ATACs, my pedals and cleats were brand new and were significantly harder to release from than the Candy and had a loud click when i did so, they soon wear in and your brain/foot pathway soon relearns the new method, bear with them.

Give the cleats and pedal mechanism a squirt of WD40.

Then clip the shoe into the pedal by hand , and wiggle back and forth by hand.
Best done upside down so you can see what is going on.

Sounds like a toight spring and new cleats.

It all beds in pretty fast.

Some good suggestions above – I’d double check cleats are on the correct feet too and there’s room around the cleat in the shoe ‘box’.

Also worth five mins of the old-school lean-on-wall-clip-and-unclip to make sure it’s all hunkydory.

Are they specialised shoes by any chance – had similar with specialised – no issues with my Sidis – it is something to do with the sole on the round bar times – there square bar ones don’t seem to have the same issue but do eat the soles of the shoes ! I ran mine with some crank brothers sole protectors and they were fine for a long time after that

Strange, far from my experience of using them for the last 10 years, and just renewed my pedals, so it’s not like I’ve just experience of their older kit. I’d maybe suggest swapping the cleats round to the other way, in case you’d manage to mis-interpreted the instructions, but check that your shoes aren’t fouling the cleat/pedal is a good shout.

I’d 2nd (3rd?) checking the shoes if the cleats are definitely the right way around (‘G’ on left foot, ‘D’ on right) for low release angle.

I’ve used ’em for years and only had a problem with some Shimano shoes where I had to trim away a bit of the tread to get the engage/release working smoothly.

My Specialized Rime shoes came with a piece of paper saying you need to cut bits of the sole away for some Time pedals, just as well as I wouldn’t have thought of it and when I did try them they completely fouled the cages to the point of being near impossible to twist out of.

never use out else, good pedals.

As already said, check the interface between the sole and pedal. The only problem I’ve ever had with Time pedals was with a single Shimano shoe that I had to cut away a piece from.

OK, will have another play.

The shoes are Giro Terraduros.

Can’t say I really like the idea of chopping bits off the shoe, mind. Guess I could try an old pair of shoes first where the sole is worn down some.