cleats

christy02

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice from some more knowledgeable than me...

Been using toe clips instead of cleats as I do adventure races from time to time and cleats don't work due to transition zones and not been able to run in them.

Anyway as I have gotten more into cycling decided to buy new peddles and cleats as they are highly recommended on here. Ordered spd cleats and peddles at a good discount on wiggle. Can still change back to old peddles when I need them

Anyway question is, they will probably come Wednesday or Thursday. Working rest of week so won't get out till Sunday. Doing a sportive on Sunday (100k). Should I use cleats if I have only practiced around the estate or should I stick to old ones until I get chance to practice some more on.my own?

Cheers

fran oconnor

I used them for the first time by riding in the park for an hour or so, tried stopping and starting in an area were I couldn't do to much damage. Once I did that I was fairly happy and comfy getting in and out when stopping etc. I don't think it takes that long to get used to them tbh.

countrykid

christy02 wrote: »

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice from some more knowledgeable than me...

Been using toe clips instead of cleats as I do adventure races from time to time and cleats don't work due to transition zones and not been able to run in them.

Anyway as I have gotten more into cycling decided to buy new peddles and cleats as they are highly recommended on here. Ordered spd cleats and peddles at a good discount on wiggle. Can still change back to old peddles when I need them

Anyway question is, they will probably come Wednesday or Thursday. Working rest of week so won't get out till Sunday. Doing a sportive on Sunday (100k). Should I use cleats if I have only practiced around the estate or should I stick to old ones until I get chance to practice some more on.my own?

Cheers

Stick to the old ones...
More important than just getting used to them is getting the positioning and fit right!
Cleat position is a really really important part of bike fit to prevent injury to knees and muscles
Don't rush it!!

christy02

countrykid wrote: »

Stick to the old ones...
More important than just getting used to them is getting the positioning and fit right!
Cleat position is a really really important part of bike fit to prevent injury to knees and muscles
Don't rush it!!

How do you ensure fit is right? Kinda assumed that you just put cleats on your shoes and off you go. Do they not slot into a defined location on the peddle?

Thanks for advice btw.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Aside from going to a reputable local bike shop to have a fit done there are a few good youtube clips re. fitting the using cleats.

Lumen

Just make sure you have the same leg bend with new shoes and cleats. Adjust saddle height if necessary.

Attach the cleats in the centre of their range of adjustment.

Professional bike fit is total overkill for a change of pedals.

smacl

Given you've gone for SPD cleats, you have adjustable tension. If you set this very loose to start with, getting in an out of the cleats is very easy. As you get used to the cleats you can increase the tension so they feel tighter to the pedal. You can also still get a full pedal stroke without being clipped in, so for me at least the trick trick starting out was clipping out in advance of stopping rather than the moment you stop, and clipping in once your moving rather than as you move off.

christy02

smacl wrote: »

Given you've gone for SPD cleats, you have adjustable tension. If you set this very loose to start with, getting in an out of the cleats is very easy. As you get used to the cleats you can increase the tension so they feel tighter to the pedal. You can also still get a full pedal stroke without being clipped in, so for me at least the trick trick starting out was clipping out in advance of stopping rather than the moment you stop, and clipping in once your moving rather than as you move off.

Bought the ones with medium movement. 3 types so got middle ones. So are you saying with a small bit of practice I should use them Sunday for a 100k?

smacl

christy02 wrote: »

Bought the ones with medium movement. 3 types so got middle ones. So are you saying with a small bit of practice I should use them Sunday for a 100k?

Are they SPD or SPD-SL pedals, and which cleats exactly are you using with them? SPD are designed as a mountain bike pedal with a recessed cleat, and pretty easy to clip in and out of. You can use them with an SH51 or SH56 cleat, where the latter clips out with a twist in any direction. I haven't used SPD-SL so can't comment on them, other than they're a road pedal.

For me, it took a number of long rides to get used to clipping in, but from reading here I'm slower than most in that regard. If you can cycle with them for half an hour in the park with plenty of stop/start, you should have a good idea whether you feel ready to take them on a longer outing. Also try starting on a hill and see how you get on. I certainly wouldn't have been taking on a sportive after one days practice, but I know of friends who were.

Lemming

As others have already said; getting the fit/setup of SPDs is really, really important. You've got one pair of knees - ever - and they don't take kindly to being forced into repetitions at angles of movement they disagree with.

Unless you are fortunate enough to just be able to set up clipless and go, or nail setup in short-order, I'd consider using the old pedals for this upcoming race.

christy02

Thanks Smacl. Bought the spd-sl. The road version. Already had shoes and they are compatible. Think I will take you advice and have a go off them on Saturday in the estate. From what I hear the power transfer is way better and that's what is tempting me to use them.

smacl

christy02 wrote: »

Thanks Smacl. Bought the spd-sl. The road version. Already had shoes and they are compatible. Think I will take you advice and have a go off them on Saturday in the estate. From what I hear the power transfer is way better and that's what is tempting me to use them.

Haven't ever used them, but best of luck one way or another. Given how icy the roads are at the moment, I'd be erring on the side of caution.

Wishbone Ash

christy02 wrote: »

How do you ensure fit is right? Kinda assumed that you just put cleats on your shoes and off you go. Do they not slot into a defined location on the peddle?..

They do slot into a defined location on the pedal but the cleat can be attached to the shoe in various positions - forward/backward or to a lesser extent - side to side. You'll have to work out what suits you best. I like them as far forward as they will go whereas others prefer them as far back as possible.