Clipless pedal adjustment

[stevecoh1]

I'm fairly new to clipless pedals, got my first set of SPDs on a new bike I bought recently. I saw the humongous "first time" thread. I fell once, harmlessly, on my first ride when I forgot to clip out but never since.

The problem I have is with adjustment. I sometimes have a hard time getting INTO the pedals. Moreso when I first got them, but sometimes even now, I sometimes find myself pedaling unclipped for a mile or more, frantically, and then angrily trying to twist in. Other times I click in effortlessly. The annoying thing to me is that I never know what I've done right when I click in easily or wrong when I don't. Maybe I'm just a klutz.

I know that my pedals have two sides and have thought that one side might be adjusted wrong, but I brought it back to the dealer twice who adjusted it twice. It happens rarely enough now that I don't think that one side's properly adjusted and the other isn't. If that were the case, my odds would be more like 50-50.

Conversely, in spite of problems clicking in, on a couple of occasions I've found my feet flying out of the pedals for no apparent reason. Didn't go over a bump or anything, just flew out. And it hurts if you don't get your foot out of the way in time to avoid being whacked by the free pedal as it rotates by.

Any ideas what can be going on here?

 

[shannons dad]

I'm fairly new to clipless pedals, got my first set of SPDs on a new bike I bought recently. I saw the humongous "first time" thread. I fell once, harmlessly, on my first ride when I forgot to clip out but never since.

The problem I have is with adjustment. I sometimes have a hard time getting INTO the pedals. Moreso when I first got them, but sometimes even now, I sometimes find myself pedaling unclipped for a mile or more, frantically, and then angrily trying to twist in. Other times I click in effortlessly. The annoying thing to me is that I never know what I've done right when I click in easily or wrong when I don't. Maybe I'm just a klutz.

I know that my pedals have two sides and have thought that one side might be adjusted wrong, but I brought it back to the dealer twice who adjusted it twice. It happens rarely enough now that I don't think that one side's properly adjusted and the other isn't. If that were the case, my odds would be more like 50-50.

Conversely, in spite of problems clicking in, on a couple of occasions I've found my feet flying out of the pedals for no apparent reason. Didn't go over a bump or anything, just flew out. And it hurts if you don't get your foot out of the way in time to avoid being whacked by the free pedal as it rotates by.

Any ideas what can be going on here?

Nah, you're not a klutz. Happens to everyone, even if they deny it! Make sure the little bolts on either side of the pedals are set to the same tension. You say you 'twist' into the pedals? Really you're supposed to stamp on the buggers, toe first. Use all your weight to engage properly. That might solve the flying feet problem too. Other than that, well, it's not a perfect design and you gotta live with it till some smartarse comes up with a better idea!