First time SPD

the only thing stopping me wearing them now is my wasitline.

Then do not fear, your gut will cover your winky.

See you at dawn Northwind..

Reason i’m binning my SPDs 😳

Guys thanks for all the great comments and amusing stories just had a few giggles and enjoyed the video I’m fairly clumsy I see me falling off at slow speed regularly, have got the spds tried a few types shoes on and got a pair of 47 on order look like clown shoes so big so hopefully be up and running spds by the weekend.

Nice ride tonight but now the bloody rear mech is playing up not selecting gears in mid range when required limits top and bottom is fine so take it all apart good clean and see what I can figure out any suggestions.

Proper loving the thread.

North wind has it though, there is no right or wrong, just different.

I went from flats to spds after a year of riding properly, then after another 3 years of doing races and XC stuff I went back to flats and my technique is massively better.

*I* can’t see how I would be able to control the bike properly with spds, as I really use my feet on the flats in different positions to dynamically weight and unweight the bike.

*However* others will say the exact opposite. And thats the right answer for them.

With that in mind, I’d recommend some secondhand shoes and pedals. Worn cleats and pedals are easier to exit and clip. And if you don’t like it (you’ll need at least a week riding in them) then its not much loss.

🙂

Oh.. And you’ve got dirty cable outers, or a kink in your cable inner. Its getting stuck. Simple solution is to replace the cable, with a few squirts of wd40 in the outer to clear it out.

*I* can’t see how I would be able to control the bike properly with spds, as I really use my feet on the flats in different positions to dynamically weight and unweight the bike.

Can you elaborate? I don’t get what you mean? As in, different foot positions for climbing or descending?

With that in mind, I’d recommend some secondhand shoes and pedals. Worn cleats and pedals are easier to exit and clip. And if you don’t like it (you’ll need at least a week riding in them) then its not much loss.

They are but in my book thats not a good thing, slipping cleats if the worst of both worlds.

For entry level I would have to suggest CB’s for the clipping action (forward/backward/stamp) and the release is very predictable.

The fear thing is right up there, people are unsure how they could get out but wont try it, my GF broke her ankle out riding. The flat(never tried SPD) mates all said thats why they use flats, irony was she was using flats and flinging her foot out caused her to break her ankle.
There was something a while back about flats letting you get feet out etc for cornering and balance more, but spd users committing harder and not needing to.

Still going back to flats though, alot of my riding is in local woods and involves lots of stopping and dropping into stuff. Trying to get drop into a descent in SPDs is a bit of a nightmare. I have a video i will upload to prove it later

It takes practice
These
and some of these

mean that you can do some proper foot out, fast drop in deal with the clip later stuff. Many years in though I can clip within the first contact more than 95% of the time. I also work hard on some trackstanding skills which are very useful all round.

Just rembered this thread, remember you always get unclipped when you crash and never get tangled up. Unless you’re some sort of noob…

http://instagram.com/p/c4qhOBsbva/#

Ive given up on SPDs again. Lee quarry was a nightmare with them…
Fell about 7 times just on slow rocky stuff. Gave me no confidence and had a pretty crap day!
Flats are back on now.

yorkshire89 – Member
Ive given up on SPDs again. Lee quarry was a nightmare with them…
Fell about 7 times just on slow rocky stuff. Gave me no confidence and had a pretty crap day!
Flats are back on now.

POSTED 50 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

That’s the stuff, blame components for poor technique! Well done sir!

slow rocky stuff. Gave me no confidence

for me that’s the issue – i’m too slow and too crap when it gets technical and speed should be your friend found I was often unclipping out of fear and that is a crap way to ride so back to flats after a few years in spds and very happy especially if on unfamiliar ground and natural which is what I mostly ride

That’s the stuff, blame components for poor technique! Well done sir!

Yep another flat pedal rider in piss poor technique shocker 🙂

I know its poor technique, Its me not the pedals. Other people got on fine with them.
It still ruined my day though, and when it takes the fun out of it thats enough for me to give up!

Anyway, i can go back to trying to manual now 🙂

Shimano M324’s. Flat on one side, spd on the other. Cheap and robust – never destroyed a bearing yet, despite some serious wet muddy abuse.

I always recommend them to beginners because you can ride flat when you lack the skills think you might need them. You can even sharpen the flat side if you so desire for better grip. My 12yo rides these road and off road, and hit a stump and went down hard last night. Unclipping from the bike was the least of his problems. Once you’ve improved you can move them to another bike. Double sided XT here, and I love them.