First ride on USS Yiggy clipless

SamP

Guru
Probably due to a crash, my left pedal started feeling rough and made grinding noises, so my intention to try clipless pedals next year was advanced to now! Some more details here.

So I changed the pedals yesterday and went to mount the cleats. Hmm... how are you supposed to know you've got the cleat adjustment right? Oh well, put it right in the middle of the adjustment ranges for now.

Next step, try to clip in. I sat in USS Yiggy, with the front of the wheel against a curb and balanced with a hand on my car. For quite a while I couldn't figure out how to get my foot located in the right spot. Eventually I took off the left shoe and looked closely at the cleat and the pedal. The light went on, I recall reading (on an anti-clipless article) that Look brought their ski binding technology to bikes to create the first clipless system, and I could sort of see where that idea translated. Get the front of the cleat tucked under the front of the mount on the pedal then push down to get the rear of the cleat seated.

Some more balancing, and I could eventually feel that the front was tucked in but I couldn't get the cleat to clip in. Another light went on, I remembered reading that clipless pedals were usually shipped with the tension at maximum. Pulled out my bike multitool and reduced the tension to minimum. Some more balancing, and eventually I found I could get the clip to click when the pedal was at "bottom" but not at any other part of the stroke.

So then I started off and riding around a nearly empty parking lot. I clipped in and out several times, getting better at clipping in but clipping out got harder and harder, requiring a lot of heel twisting. Another light went on, I didn't tighten the cleats down much as I was thinking I might have to adjust it. Took a look at the bottom of the shoes and the cleats were now quite angled and no longer at the middle of the adjustment range. Fixed that and tightened the cleats a lot.

I then spent an hour riding around the parking lot (and then other nearby parking lots) practicing clipping in and out without much difficulty. I didn't feel very strange to be clipped in--I had ridden with toeclips with the straps tightened about as hard as I could, but clipless was so much more solid. After some practice, I could even clip in on other parts of the pedal stroke, but "bottom" was still the easiest.

The shoe-pedal interface no longer was mushy, now the foot-shoe interface is the weak point. I could feel that spinning worked better. Intentionally clipping out is working, but I'm still worried about clipping out in emergency/panic situations. Training over time will probably make the unclip motion unconscious, but I worry about injury until then. The pedals came with the Shimano SM-SH51 Single release mode cleats, I'm considering getting SM-SH56 Multiple release mode cleats, which I've read can come out when you don't want it, but release without thinking about it when you need it to.

I'm still not quite sure how to figure out the right adjustments to the cleats.

The ride itself probably isn't very interesting but here's the Strava link.
 

hurri47

Well-Known Member
I don't know why anyone uses single-release SPDs. I have been riding SH-56 for almost a decade - they release at the slightest (deliberate or accidental) provocation EXCEPT when I am pedaling. Then they are solid and NEVER release.

The cleat adjustment can be interesting due to the lack of float in the pedal. Pay attention to where your feet want to be - I've heard it suggested to jump up in the air with your feet apart by the Q factor and see where your feet position themselves on landing. I never tried that, but I watched my walking feet positions. My own situation is not symmetrical - my right heel wants to be a lot more inboard than my left. Your knees will thank you for getting it right.

-Dan
 

SamP

Guru
After about 50 miles on clipless, my inner thighs are slightly sore. This isn't a new phenomenon, they tend to get sore when I push the length and intensity of my bike rides, but these were two medium length rides. I suspect I should try getting cranks with a narrower Q factor. The clipless pedals may be keeping my feet slightly farther apart than they were with the toeclips & straps. On Monday, I adjusted the cleats to put my feet somewhat closer together, I think I'll adjust them as close as the adjustment allows.
 
Due to hotfoot issues, many find that the further back the cleat the better when riding recumbent. I've drilled out my shoes to get the cleats even further than manufacturer spec. I also angle the cleat pointy end inward and set the release very light to make it easy to get out of.
 

SamP

Guru
I'll give moving the cleat backwards a try. Seems like this is just going to be a series of adjustments until it feels really good. On the adjustment on Monday I angled the cleat a bit so that the toes are pointed slightly outwards, and the release tension is at the low end of adjustment.
 

AbramClark

Active Member
I just switched to SpeedPlay Light Action cleats from regular platforms on my Silvio for my latest ride. I found that if I adjust them for my feat to be closest to the center, my heels strike the chain stay because my toes tend to point outwards. SpeedPlay cleats are great because you don't have to adjust the angle. Your feet can twist freely up to 15 degrees. I've read this is much better for your knees, which is why I use them. I used to use CrankBros egg beater style pedals, which were great because they work with shoes with recessed cleats that you can walk kind of OK in.
 

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
I just switched to SpeedPlay Light Action cleats from regular platforms on my Silvio for my latest ride. I found that if I adjust them for my feat to be closest to the center, my heels strike the chain stay because my toes tend to point outwards. SpeedPlay cleats are great because you don't have to adjust the angle. Your feet can twist freely up to 15 degrees. I've read this is much better for your knees, which is why I use them. I used to use CrankBros egg beater style pedals, which were great because they work with shoes with recessed cleats that you can walk kind of OK in.

Add "KeepOnKovers" for $15US and you'll be able to walk in your SpeedPlay a lot easier and you cleats won't get any wear. 1 pair lasts about 1 season.

http://www.keeponkovers.com/Product.html
 

AbramClark

Active Member
Hmm, seems like I could just cut a hole in my existing covers. Still about as awkward as walking in high heels though.
 

DavidCH

In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
If I am going around a corner, I drag the cleat along the road. Pedestrians sure know I am coming
 
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