After much hemming and hawing and feedback from amb, I decided to go for
the 647:
http://bike.shimano.com/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