New to SPD Pedals

"Artemisia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

At least I'm on a trike. It boggles my mind that anyone has ever
survived these things on a two wheeler!

Send them back, they're clearly too complicated.

Tim
--
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My 'reply to' address is valid, mail to the posting address is dumped

On Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:27:31 +0100, Artemisia <[email hidden]> wrote,
in part, of clipless pedals:

Quoted message said:

One of the bolts fell out this morning.

That's bad.

They must be tight or you'll be unable to release your foot. The
cleat will twist in the shoe rather than twisting out of the pedal.

After the cleat position is adjusted to your liking you'll want to
put in the bolts _really_ tight and check them again during a ride.

Nail polish works if you don't have Loctite for the bolt threads.
--
zk

"Artemisia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So Widdershins has SPD pedals, which means that I finally brought my
Specialized BG Comp shoes into operation.

I'm mystfied by some of the instructions. The cleats have a side that has
a recessed oval area and an M on the bottom square section. The flip side
is serrated, and less recessed. Which side is Up? I realized that I had
put one on each side and that both were getting into the pedals, but the
right foot, with the serrated side, was harder to clip and unclip than the
left. So now I have the M side up on both feet. Is that right?

Also, there are four bolt holes on the bottom of the shoe but only two
bolt holes on the cleats. So do I bolt them on the top two holes or the
bottom two?

I'm slowly getting the hang of it but those things are infernal to master.
And I hate the horrible, slippery crunch on the concrete floor of the
garage. One of the bolts fell out this morning. It was a hopeless task to
find it. But the old cleaning lady came, and started, pathetically, going
over the floor of a corner of the underground parking (two stories about
50 meters long) with a broom and pan. She said the syndicate kept saying
they'd give her a vacuum but never did. Anyway, there in her broom pan
was - the bolt. Looks like Spica and Arcturus were already active.

At least I'm on a trike. It boggles my mind that anyone has ever survived
these things on a two wheeler!

I think you need a visit to a local bike shop. Or, do you know a friend who
rides and uses SPDs?

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

So Widdershins has SPD pedals, which means that I finally brought my
Specialized BG Comp shoes into operation.

I'm mystfied by some of the instructions. The cleats have a side that
has a recessed oval area and an M on the bottom square section. The flip
side is serrated, and less recessed. Which side is Up? I realized that I
had put one on each side and that both were getting into the pedals, but
the right foot, with the serrated side, was harder to clip and unclip
than the left. So now I have the M side up on both feet. Is that right?

The serrated side should be against the shoe with the bolt heads in the
recessed area.

Quoted message said:

Also, there are four bolt holes on the bottom of the shoe but only two
bolt holes on the cleats. So do I bolt them on the top two holes or the
bottom two?

That is to allow some adjustment back and forwards to go with the
adjustment allowed by the oval bolt holes. You want the cleat to be
under the ball of your foot so try both and see which pair feels best
for pedalling.

Quoted message said:

I'm slowly getting the hang of it but those things are infernal to
master. And I hate the horrible, slippery crunch on the concrete floor
of the garage. One of the bolts fell out this morning.

You need to do the bolts up really tight to stop that. It may also be
that if you had one cleat upside down the bolts were not long enough to
tighten it properly.

Don't worry about the crunch - the soles of your shoes will be in
contact with the floor but bits of grit sticking up will hit the cleat
metal making the crunch sound.

Quoted message said:

At least I'm on a trike. It boggles my mind that anyone has ever
survived these things on a two wheeler!

Make sure the pedal tension is set to minimum until you are used to
getting in and out of the pedals. It feels strange at first but you'll
quickly get used to them and then you'll wonder how you managed without
them.

--
Tony

" I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
Bertrand Russell

Artemisia said:

I'm mystfied by some of the instructions. The cleats have a side that
has a recessed oval area and an M on the bottom square section. The flip
side is serrated, and less recessed. Which side is Up?

The serrated side should bite into the sole of the shoe.

Quoted message said:

Also, there are four bolt holes on the bottom of the shoe but only two
bolt holes on the cleats. So do I bolt them on the top two holes or the
bottom two?

Whichever pair makes for the correct cleat position. Remember that you
generally want the ball of the foot centered on the pedal.

Quoted message said:

I'm slowly getting the hang of it but those things are infernal to
master. And I hate the horrible, slippery crunch on the concrete floor
of the garage.

I guess this is where I brag about my Shimano M075's, with their recessed
cleats that only rub on textured concrete, and even then not always.

However, you at least won't fall over at a stop light.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email hidden]
(_)/ (_)

In article said:

So Widdershins has SPD pedals, which means that I finally brought my
Specialized BG Comp shoes into operation.

I'm mystfied by some of the instructions. The cleats have a side that
has a recessed oval area and an M on the bottom square section. The flip
side is serrated, and less recessed. Which side is Up? I realized that I
had put one on each side and that both were getting into the pedals, but
the right foot, with the serrated side, was harder to clip and unclip
than the left. So now I have the M side up on both feet. Is that right?

Serrated side up, gripping the sole of the shoe. (The "M" is probably
for "multi-way", meaning those cleats release if you move your heel
in or out.)
There should be a sort of twin washer thing that fits in the recess.
If you don't have one, that may be why your bolt fell out. But I'm
surprised you can clip the cleats into the pedals if the cleat isn't
the right way up, and that you can get out once clipped in if it isn't
done up tight.

Quoted message said:

Also, there are four bolt holes on the bottom of the shoe but only two
bolt holes on the cleats. So do I bolt them on the top two holes or the
bottom two?

Whichever is more comfortable for you. The two sets of holes are just to
allow more range of adjustment of how far forwards/back you want your pedal
relative to your foot, at least on the shoes I've used/seen.

Alan Braggins said:

There should be a sort of twin washer thing that fits in the recess.
If you don't have one, that may be why your bolt fell out. But I'm
surprised you can clip the cleats into the pedals if the cleat isn't
the right way up, and that you can get out once clipped in if it isn't
done up tight.

If the cleat is the wrong way up, it is very difficult to get it into
the pedal, and will ping out with the slightest tap.

Martin.

"Tony Raven" wrote: (clip) Make sure the pedal tension is set to minimum
until you are used to getting in and out of the pedals. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's good advice, but one warning: As you back the tension off, be sure
not to overdo it. The adjusting screw could come all the way out, and I am
told it is almost impossible to restart it.

Tony Raven said:

Make sure the pedal tension is set to minimum until you are used to
getting in and out of the pedals. It feels strange at first but you'll
quickly get used to them and then you'll wonder how you managed without
them.

As a trike rider myself I'd advise against this. What with the cross beam
of the trike lurking in wait to do nasty things to your lower leg should
you have an unintended unclipping at speed, I'd suggest running the pedal
tension fairly tight. Because it's a trike, you don't actually need to
unclip at stops, until such time as you want to get off and walk, so the
main reason for for loose tension (being able to easily unclip at stops to
prevent pratfalls while you get used to spds) doesn't apply.

--
Colin

Quoted message said:

Make sure the pedal tension is set to minimum until you are used to
getting in and out of the pedals. It feels strange at first but you'll
quickly get used to them and then you'll wonder how you managed without
them.

SPDs are great, but there is an alternative. This year I've been
trying out these Power-Grips in readiness for the winter
http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/pg_benefits.shtml . They're dead simple
and really effective - the big plus is you can use any shoe or hiking
boot - so unlike any SPD shoes I've ever tried they can be totally
water-proof and there's no metal in the sole that causes cold feet
when it's freezing, and plenty of room for layers of woolen socks!

I might get another pair for the MTB, because their even easier to
release than SPDs

Duncan

On 04/11/2007 12:21, Duncan Smith said,

Quoted message said:

there's no metal in the sole that causes cold feet
when it's freezing,

A couple of layers of duct tape inside the shoe (under the insole) seems
to cure any problems along those lines, including water ingress.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Colin said:

Tony Raven said:

Make sure the pedal tension is set to minimum until you are used to
getting in and out of the pedals. It feels strange at first but
you'll quickly get used to them and then you'll wonder how you
managed without them.

As a trike rider myself I'd advise against this. What with the cross
beam of the trike lurking in wait to do nasty things to your lower
leg should you have an unintended unclipping at speed, I'd suggest
running the pedal tension fairly tight. Because it's a trike, you
don't actually need to unclip at stops, until such time as you want
to get off and walk, so the main reason for for loose tension (being
able to easily unclip at stops to prevent pratfalls while you get
used to spds) doesn't apply.

Low tension also (hopefully) helps you to automaticaly unclip in a crash as
yourself or the bike rotates. On a trike, is it better to stay connected
until you've finished crashing?

~PB, never accidentally unclipped from Shimano SPDs and Looks set at
near-minimum.

Only times I have accidenatlly unclipped was with FPD (sic) pedals with
worn-out cleats - and that was when spinning fast.

~PB

Artemisia said:

I'm slowly getting the hang of it but those things are infernal to
master.

IMHO Time ATACs are a lot easier. You've got a line, rather than a
point, to clip in, and there's no faffing about with tension
adjustment. They also seem to suffer less from cleat wear
affecting the release.

Quoted message said:

One of the bolts fell out this morning. It was a hopeless
task to find it.

As others have poited out, this is a Bad Thing. I have found that
an aide to getting them in properly is lightly grease the threads
before screwing them in. It sounds counter intuitive that greasing
the threads should help stop them falling out, but it does work
(for me...), and I think it's because they go *in* better in the
first place. You want them done up as tight as you can reasonably
get them, as it will prevent the cleat from moving.

Quoted message said:

At least I'm on a trike. It boggles my mind that anyone has ever
survived these things on a two wheeler!

Damn site easier than balancing a unicycle, and loads of folk can
do that with a bit of practice. A bit of practice and you're
there, and it beats running over your own legs and feet when you stop.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Artemisia wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

One of the bolts fell out this morning. It was a hopeless
task to find it.

As others have poited out, this is a Bad Thing. I have found that
an aide to getting them in properly is lightly grease the threads
before screwing them in. It sounds counter intuitive that greasing
the threads should help stop them falling out, but it does work
(for me...), and I think it's because they go *in* better in the
first place. You want them done up as tight as you can reasonably
get them, as it will prevent the cleat from moving.

Works for me too. A greased bolt can be done up more tightly than a dry
one. Compression in the threads stops it unscrewing; you don't have to
worry about low friction.

The only time grease should not be used with bolts is when you are not able
to tighten them much for any reason. (I've never found this to be the case
with cleat bolts). Otherwise, saturate the threads with grease, and grease
the underside of the heads as well. Any excess will just squeeze out.

Grease also helps to prevent seizure. Copper antiseize can be used if
you're particularly worried about this. It's luby enough to help get the
bolts tight as well.

~PB

Paul Boyd said:

On 04/11/2007 12:21, Duncan Smith said,

Quoted message said:

there's no metal in the sole that causes cold feet
when it's freezing,

A couple of layers of duct tape inside the shoe (under the insole) seems
to cure any problems along those lines, including water ingress.

--
Paul Boydhttp://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Will give that a go. Had some partial success with Shoe Goo before,
but never got a fully good seal for long.

in message <[email hidden]>, Peter Clinch

(') said:

Artemisia said:

I'm slowly getting the hang of it but those things are infernal to
master.

IMHO Time ATACs are a lot easier. You've got a line, rather than a
point, to clip in, and there's no faffing about with tension
adjustment. They also seem to suffer less from cleat wear
affecting the release.

Agree, but she's bought SPDs now, and frankly on the trike neither clipping
in nor unclipping involve the sort of anxieties which they can on two
wheels. If it takes her a bit longer, in and out, the trike won't fall
over. Also, the other downside of SPDs, that they're not very good at
clearing mud, shouldn't affect her at all.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

((DoctorWho)ChristopherEccleston).act();
uk.co.bbc.TypecastException: actor does not want to be typecast.
[adapted from autofile on /., 31/03/05]

Simon Brooke said:

Agree, but she's bought SPDs now, and frankly on the trike neither clipping
in nor unclipping involve the sort of anxieties which they can on two
wheels. If it takes her a bit longer, in and out, the trike won't fall
over. Also, the other downside of SPDs, that they're not very good at
clearing mud, shouldn't affect her at all.

Thanks to all. I'm starting to get the knack of them now. The main
danger is thinking I'm clipped in when I'm not. Also I have to unclip to
reverse, for example when I don't make it round a curve in the garage.

I've set the one that was on backwards right, and have tightened the
screws. The one that came off yesterday hadn't been properly screwed in
because I was supposed to see if they were correctly positioned first. I
wouldn't know if they are or not, but the upper two holes already seem
quite low in relation to the ball of my foot, so I'll leave the cleats
as they are now.

EFR
Ile de France

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

I've set the one that was on backwards right, and have tightened the
screws. The one that came off yesterday hadn't been properly screwed in
because I was supposed to see if they were correctly positioned first. I
wouldn't know if they are or not, but the upper two holes already seem
quite low in relation to the ball of my foot, so I'll leave the cleats
as they are now.

Just a thought as you had one upside down, have you got them pointing
the right way. The pointed end of the cleat should be at the front, the
squarer end at the rear.

--
Tony

" I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
Bertrand Russell

Tony Raven said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

I've set the one that was on backwards right,

I think that should say upside down

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and have tightened the
screws. The one that came off yesterday hadn't been properly screwed in
because I was supposed to see if they were correctly positioned first. I
wouldn't know if they are or not, but the upper two holes already seem
quite low in relation to the ball of my foot, so I'll leave the cleats
as they are now.

The cleats should be in line with where the axle would be in your
normal pedaling position.

Quoted message said:

Just a thought as you had one upside down, have you got them pointing
the right way. The pointed end of the cleat should be at the front, the
squarer end at the rear.

This is covered in the instructions that come with Shimano shoes

<http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/Shoes/SPD/SI-40L0R_EN_v1_m56577569830612959.pdf>
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"