first ride w/647 pedal (SPD+platform)

Monique Y. Muda

After much hemming and hawing and feedback from amb, I decided to go for
the 647:

/Footwear_Pedals/Pedals/componenttemplate.asp?partnumber=PD-
M647

My other pedal experiences have been:

- Shimano 515s (mid-level bare SPDs) that came with
both my bikes
- Platforms with traction pins

Now, the paperwork for the 647s warns specifically against
using the SH-55 multirelease cleat, claiming that it will
neither hold properly nor release well. Instead, if you're
going to use multirelease, they recommend the SH-56. Well,
these don't actually exist, as near as I can tell, as
they're not on the Shimano site, can't be found in google
searches, and certainly aren't available through
Performance. The guys at the Performance store said "don't
worry about it, just ride the 55s," which didn't really
give me warm fuzzies ... but I got the Shimano tech
support number, and they said the same thing, so I decided
to give it a go.

We set the new pedals to their loosest release point and I
tried 'em out around the neighborhood. My very first
impression was how easy it was to get both into and out of
these guys. In fact, we (no, no mouse in my pocket -- I'm
talking about Eric and me) were working on a disc brake drag
issue, too, and I braked hard in front of the house without
remembering to clip out. The pedals let go of my cleats like
they knew what was going on. The whole process just felt
smoother than my old pedals.

Anyway, the proof is on the trail. We were going to try a
relatively unknown trail someone told me about this morning,
but wussed out and went to the familiar Betasso loop
instead. Not only was I getting used to new pedals, but Eric
was testing out his front derailleur, which had been
reshaped after some bendage.

Unlike almost every ride I do, Betasso isn't rocky, but it
has some tight turns and almost every inch of the trail
has a dropoff to one side. I decided to make it my goal to
stay *in* the pedals, dammit. I wasn't perfectly
successful -- there's a particular downhill switchback
that scares the bejeezus out of me -- but I managed to
stay clipped in except for certain specific obstacles,
rather than staying clipped out for, say, an entire
section as I have in the past. And I stayed clipped in for
even more on the second loop.

I also managed to clear *every single* section that I'd
never cleared before in this direction. Not on the first
loop, where I learned that my pedals would indeed let go
when I stalled out, but on the second loop. I managed --
feet unclipped; I'm not *that* brave -- to finally get that
downhill switchback I'd never been able to make. It
particularly surprised Eric, who commented on the fact that
I was out of my seat throughout the turn. I managed to get
up the rooty uphill section right after a tight turn. And I
managed to cross the narrow bit of water in a tight turn
that I'd never had the guts to attempt.

Maybe it's a placebo effect, but I love these pedals. I
don't have the trouble finding the clip mechanism that I had
on my 515s -- when I want to clip in, I do, instantly. Eric
suggests that the platform may guide my foot into position a
bit better. If I don't want to be clipped in, the extra
surface is definitely a help, though I still need to slide
my foot forward a smidge to keep from engaging cleat to
pedal. Strangely enough, this platformed clipless pedal may
actually help me stay clipped
in.

--
monique