how to use look pedals in comparison to spd

[den911]

i have been using spd's now for about 6 months . i have been over on many ocassion and bad knocks on my ankle and shins . i am looking at look pedals on the net can anyone tell me how you get in and out of them and is it safer or easier than spd or is it the same i know you should allow some time to get used to them , but i have this habbit of forgeting to slip out at a stand still or struggle and end up trying to jump out of them my fault i know and not the pedals i was just wondering if anyone out there as had same prob and changed to look pedals . i would like to say that when my feet are in there i would not have anything else . thanks

 

[Call Me Bob]

On 18 Aug 2003 04:43:45 +0950, den911 <[email protected]> wrote:

>i have been using spd's now for about 6 months . i have been over on many ocassion and bad knocks
>on my ankle and shins . i am looking at look pedals on the net can anyone tell me how you get in
>and out of them and is it safer or easier than spd or is it the same i know you should allow some
>time to get used to them , but i have this habbit of forgeting to slip out at a stand still or
>struggle and end up trying to jump out of them my fault i know and not the pedals i was just
>wondering if anyone out there as had same prob and changed to look pedals . i would like to say
>that when my feet are in there i would not have anything else . thanks

Well, if your problem with SPDs is that you just keep forgetting you are clipped in then you'll
likely not benefit from a switch to Looks. I haven't used them myself but I understand Looks have a
similar engage/release method to SPuDs. Shoe clips in with a downward and forward motion, and
releases with rotation of the foot, a panic unclipping shouldn't be any easy with looks than your
current setup.

Have you tried lowering the tension on your existing pedals? Most Shimano models can be
adjusted to make release easier of harder depending on your own preference, perhaps tweaking
them might help you?

Bob
--
Mail address is spam trapped To reply by email remove the beverage

 

[A Lee]

den911 <[email protected]> wrote:

> i have been using spd's now for about 6 months . i have been over on many ocassion and bad knocks
> on my ankle and shins . i am looking at look pedals on the net can anyone tell me how you get in
> and out of them and is it safer or easier than spd or is it the same i know you should allow some
> time to get used to them , but i have this habbit of forgeting to slip out at a stand still or
> struggle and end up trying to jump out of them my fault i know and not the pedals i was just
> wondering if anyone out there as had same prob and changed to look pedals . i would like to say
> that when my feet are in there i would not have anything else . thanks

Are you talking about the large flat Look cleats,beloved by roadie racers, that you cannot walk on?
If so: I think Looks are about the same to get out of (compared to SPD), but they are more difficult
to get into, as most (all?) Look pedals are only one sided.I think they are more secure when clipped
in,compared to SPDs, but the big downside is that you cannot walk very well with these cleats on
your shoes.If you are racing/training in them, then it isnt a problem, but if you intend stopping
off at a supermarket with a nice shiny tiled floor, then you'd better be careful, or you'll be on
your ****! I've change my bikes over to Time ATAC pedals now, and find them really good.They have a
small cleat, similar to SPD, but they seem to be far superior to SPD for getting in/out, and
secureness. Alan.
--
Change the 'minus' to 'plus' to reply by e-mail. http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road Cycling in the
North Midlands.

 

[Les Kennedy]

If you have those problems - you'll still have them with Looks. you can't just jerk your feet out
in a panic.

I think pretty much all pedals need you to slide the heel sideways ? I'm sure someone will correct
me though !

--

"A Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1fzuu6l.qawr9f48zcjaN%[email protected]...
> den911 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > i have been using spd's now for about 6 months . i have been over on many ocassion and bad
> > knocks on my ankle and shins . i am looking at look pedals on the net can anyone tell me how you
> > get in and out of them and is it safer or easier than spd or is it the same i know you should
> > allow some time to get used to them , but i have this habbit of forgeting to slip out at a stand
> > still or struggle and end up trying to jump out of them my fault i know and not the pedals i was
> > just wondering if anyone out there as had same prob and changed to look pedals . i would like to
> > say that when my feet are in there i would not have anything else . thanks
>
> Are you talking about the large flat Look cleats,beloved by roadie racers, that you cannot walk
> on? If so: I think Looks are about the same to get out of (compared to SPD), but they are more
> difficult to get into, as most (all?) Look pedals are only one sided.I think they are more secure
> when clipped in,compared to SPDs, but the big downside is that you cannot walk very well with
> these cleats on your shoes.If you are racing/training in them, then it isnt a problem, but if you
> intend stopping off at a supermarket with a nice shiny tiled floor, then you'd better be careful,
> or you'll be on your ****! I've change my bikes over to Time ATAC pedals now, and find them really
> good.They have a small cleat, similar to SPD, but they seem to be far superior to SPD for getting
> in/out, and secureness. Alan.
> --
> Change the 'minus' to 'plus' to reply by e-mail. http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road Cycling in the
> North Midlands.

 

[Pete Biggs]

den911 wrote:
> i have been using spd's now for about 6 months . i have been over on many ocassion and bad knocks
> on my ankle and shins . i am looking at look pedals on the net can anyone tell me how you get in
> and out of them and is it safer or easier than spd or is it the same i know you should allow some
> time to get used to them ,

It's very similar. To get in, foot is scooped forward and pressed down. Same as SPD to release -
just twist heel outwards. I find them safer partly because the entry is much more positive - cleat
goes in with a firm and loud snap.

> but i have this habbit of forgeting to slip out at a stand still or struggle and end up trying to
> jump out of them

More practice is required, I think - it should become automatic. Idea: Maybe your shoes aren't
different enough from your normal ones so brain doesn't go fully into "cycling mode"?

Are you rotating heel outwards to release? Try that if not. I know pedals also release the other way
but that's the best way.

~PB

 

[Marten Hoffmann]

[email protected] schreef ...

> i have been using spd's now for about 6 months . i have been over on many ocassion and bad knocks
> on my ankle and shins . i am looking at look pedals on the net can anyone tell me how you get in
> and out of them and is it safer or easier than spd or is it the same i know you should allow some
> time to get used to them , but i have this habbit of forgeting to slip out at a stand still or
> struggle and end up trying to jump out of them my fault i know and not the pedals i was just
> wondering if anyone out there as had same prob and changed to look pedals . i would like to say
> that when my feet are in there i would not have anything else . thanks

Apart from the other sound advice: have you ever set the tension spring (which controls the force
you need to get out of the SPDs) to the minimum? If you haven't, please try this first before
spending money on a possible recurrence of the same problem.

The tension is set through a 3 or 4 mm. Allen bolt at the back of each cleat. So if you have
double-sided SPDs, there are 2 of these bolts.

--
Regards, Marten

 

[Wafflydirtycatl]

>Are you talking about the large flat Look cleats,beloved by roadie racers, that you cannot walk on?

Cleat covers work wonders in facilitating walking in such shoes. Mind you, I wouldn't suggest they
are suitable for a long hike in them, but covers on the cleats make a *huge* difference*

Indeed, I have been known to wander around the shiny floors of my local Tesco in Look shoes with
covers over cleats and not a single wobbly moment was had - well, not a wobbly moment due to
slipping feet, anyhow ;-)

Cheers, helen s

~~~~~~~~~~
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h*$el***$$n*$d$ot$**s**i$$m*$m$**on**$s$@*$$a**$*ol*$*.*$$c$om*$ by getting rid of the
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[Just Zis Guy]

"A Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1fzuu6l.qawr9f48zcjaN%[email protected]...

> I think Looks are about the same to get out of (compared to SPD), but they are more difficult to
> get into, as most (all?) Look pedals are only one sided.

Not my experience: the Look pedal hangs at a predictable angle and I rarely miss the clip; it is
much easier to miss with Spuds.

But the Look is certainly no easier to get out of than the Spud.

> I think they are more secure when clipped in,compared to SPDs, but the big downside is that you
> cannot walk very well with these cleats on your shoes.

Heh! If I wanted to walk, why would I have brought the bike?

SPDs can be tweaked to release more easily (allen key tension spring, don't forget to do both
sides), and the dual-release cleats are easier to pull out (which is why I use the
single-release ones).

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.com

 

[Simon Brooke]

den911 <[email protected]> writes:

> i have been using spd's now for about 6 months . i have been over on many ocassion and bad knocks
> on my ankle and shins .

If you've been having problems with SPDs I honestly don't believe changing pedal systems is going to
help you. SPDs are extremely easy to get out of, provided they're correctly set up. There's an
adjustment screw which tensions or slackens the spring loading. But essentially the trick is just
flick your heel out.

I admit you get moments of panic when the bikes come to a stop and for one reason or other you
haven't got your foot out yet, but I've never fallen over with SPDs. They do let go when you need
them to - *if* you've set them right.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

to err is human, to lisp divine ;; attributed to Kim Philby, oddly enough.

 

[dailuggs]

posted by: Les Kennedy

"If you have those problems - you'll still have them with Looks.
you can't just jerk your feet out in a panic."

thought id correct you, you certainly can jerk your feet out in a panic, i use the look pedals, and on saturday had a rather nasty crash- chain came off, bike wobbled, i woke up lying in the middle of the road, apparently i hit a parked car aswell but i still dont remember that bit
but when i woke up the bike was about 30 metres away from me, they came off pretty easily im guessing, and i had them set on factory tension. also the other day i decided to go off road for a bit, pulled a nice wheelie going over a dirt mound and flew onto my back, pedals came off suprsingly easily, this worried me as i wondered could it happen if i stand up and apply the pressure up hill, but despite loads of testing and trying to yank them i couldnt, must be an automatic reaction from the body when it knows it needs to get out

 

[Pete Biggs]

dailuggs wrote:
> posted by: Les Kennedy
>
> "If you have those problems - you'll still have them with Looks. you can't just jerk your feet out
> in a panic."
>
> thought id correct you, you certainly can jerk your feet out in a panic

I agree. ...Although it's more important to concentrate on controlling the bike in any emergency.
Feet can either come out after you've come to a stop (balance for a second beforehand if possible;
or at worst, falling over from stationary isn't so terrible) or they'll automatically disengage
during the crash when a crash is unavoidable! In fact I think it might be a bad idea to even try and
deliberately unclip first.

>, i use the look pedals, and on saturday had a rather nasty crash- chain came off, bike wobbled, i
>woke up lying in the middle of the road, apparently i hit a parked car aswell but i still dont
>remember that bit
>> confused: but when i woke up the bike was about 30 metres away from me,
> they came off pretty easily im guessing, and i had them set on factory tension. also the other day
> i decided to go off road for a bit, pulled a nice wheelie going over a dirt mound and flew onto my
> back, pedals came off suprsingly easily, this worried me as i wondered could it happen if i stand
> up and apply the pressure up hill, but despite loads of testing and trying to yank them i couldnt,
> must be an automatic reaction from the body when it knows it needs to get out

Or more likely, you or bike twisted to one side at one point causing automatic release. No-one ever
falls off dead straight all the way - even when going over the handlebars.

You might still be better off with the tension up a notch or two, especially when cleats are
nearly worn out.

~PB

 

[James Hodson]

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:37:58 +0100, "Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote:

>> thought id correct you, you certainly can jerk your feet out in a panic
>
>I agree. ...Although it's more important to concentrate on controlling the bike in any emergency.
>Feet can either come out after you've come to a stop (balance for a second beforehand if possible;
>or at worst, falling over from stationary isn't so terrible) or they'll automatically disengage
>during the crash when a crash is unavoidable! In fact I think it might be a bad idea to even try
>and deliberately unclip first.
>
[SNIP]
>
>Or more likely, you or bike twisted to one side at one point causing automatic release. No-one ever
>falls off dead straight all the way - even when going over the handlebars.
>

Wanna bet, Pete? My 515s do release if pulled straight up hard enough. My new-to-SPDs-tumble ouside
a busy supermarket leads me to disagree with you. In fact, I've found that SPDs release quite
similarly to Salomon ski bindings (I've never used any other make.) The shoes unclip outwards (the
usual way), inwards (tricky to achieve in practice) and over the top.

OTOH, I did once manage a forward roll on my toe strapped MTB when I hit a hole in the middle of
a playing field I was riding across. I was watching a cricket match at the time and didn't see a
slight depresion. I ended up on my back wheel then fell back onto my back - not enough speed,
I'd guess. Luckily, none of the ites strapped to my crossbar were damaged, nor was anything in
my rucksack.

I doubt I could repeat the trick.

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.

 

[Anonymous]

"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> The shoes unclip outwards (the usual way), inwards (tricky to achieve in practice) and over
> the top.

What flavour cleats - single or multi-release? The latter are supposed to release as you describe,
and have an angled surface at the top (ie the bit facing the shoe) at the back to enable this.

cheers, clive

 

[James Hodson]

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 22:01:33 +0100, "Clive George"

>"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> The shoes unclip outwards (the usual way), inwards (tricky to achieve in practice) and over
>> the top.
>
>What flavour cleats - single or multi-release? The latter are supposed to release as you describe,
>and have an angled surface at the top (ie the bit facing the shoe) at the back to enable this.
>

MS515 pedals & MO36 shoes. (I may well have the numbers slightly wrong.) Whatever, I do know I've
released as described.

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.

 

[Pete Biggs]

James Hodson wrote:

>> Or more likely, you or bike twisted to one side at one point causing automatic release. No-one
>> ever falls off dead straight all the way
>> - even when going over the handlebars.

> Wanna bet, Pete? My 515s do release if pulled straight up hard enough.

You're misunderstanding me James. I don't mean it's impossible to pull straight out......

> My new-to-SPDs-tumble ouside a busy supermarket leads me to disagree with you. In fact, I've found
> that SPDs release quite similarly to Salomon ski bindings (I've never used any other make.) The
> shoes unclip outwards (the usual way), inwards (tricky to achieve in practice) and over the top.

I don't think that's a disagreement. It's just adding another method of release. So as well as
twisting, some pedals can disengage by pulling straight up (or whatever).

In any case I maintain that your feet or the bike or both will twist to one side at some point
during any crash or fall - and that's usally enough (but not always) for the cleats to unclip.
That's not to say you might not unclip by pulling straight out first, or will only unclip by
twisting after you've hit the deck - and I'm not sure whether that's necessarily more dangerous than
unclipping first.

The point of all this originally was to explain how feet come come out without any deliberate
conscious or subconscious action from the rider.

~PB

 

[James Hodson]

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 12:47:55 +0100, "Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote:

>> My new-to-SPDs-tumble ouside a busy supermarket leads me to disagree with you. In fact, I've
>> found that SPDs release quite similarly to Salomon ski bindings (I've never used any other
>> make.) The shoes unclip outwards (the usual way), inwards (tricky to achieve in practice) and
>> over the top.
>
>I don't think that's a disagreement. It's just adding another method of release. So as well as
>twisting, some pedals can disengage by pulling straight up (or whatever).
>
>In any case I maintain that your feet or the bike or both will twist to one side at some point
>during any crash or fall - and that's usally enough (but not always) for the cleats to unclip.
>That's not to say you might not unclip by pulling straight out first, or will only unclip by
>twisting after you've hit the deck - and I'm not sure whether that's necessarily more dangerous
>than unclipping first.
>
>The point of all this originally was to explain how feet come come out without any deliberate
>conscious or subconscious action from the rider.
>

Last September I ploughed into a child who wa riding his mother's bike. I don't recall a great deal
of the crash but I do remember doing a 3/4 somersault and landing on my back. I ended up lying in
the road with my bike hovering above me - I was still attached. I guess SPDs don't always release
straight up :-(

I've never really seen what all the fuss regarding intentional release is about. The SPDs on my road
bike are quite tight but they're still very easy to unclip from. Approaching my house and riding at
quite a speed, I almost always just flick both heels outwards. No problem. Releasing or unclipping
before a junction is a reflex action for me. Even in those "aaarrrrrgghhh" times, I unclip one foot
without thinking. When riding in slow moving traffic, I almost always leave one foot unclipped.

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.

 

[Simon Brooke]

> "James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > The shoes unclip outwards (the usual way), inwards (tricky to achieve in practice) and over
> > the top.
>
> What flavour cleats - single or multi-release? The latter are supposed to release as you describe,
> and have an angled surface at the top (ie the bit facing the shoe) at the back to enable this.

I have supposedly single release SPDs on my road bike and supposedly multi release ones on my hill
bike. I honestly don't notice any diffrence. Also, the cleats that the shop droids all tell you are
not compatible between the two types actually are - I use the cleats which came with my hill bike
pedals on my one pair of cycling shoes, and they work fine for both sets of pedals. This is a good
thing - I didn't fancy forking out an extra sixty quid for another pair of shoes!

It may be that - because I had SPDs on my road bike for years before I got the courage to put them
on my hill bike - I automatically do the outward flick thing. But when you're in a panic and the
bike's toppling if you just jerk up out they come.

Oh, and, now I've ridden a hill bike with SPDs I won't be going back to toe clips. SPDs are much
nicer and are actually considerably easier to get your feet out of.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; ... exposing the violence incoherent in the system...

 

[Anonymous]

"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 22:01:33 +0100, "Clive George"

>
> >"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >
> >> The shoes unclip outwards (the usual way), inwards (tricky to achieve in practice) and over
> >> the top.
> >
> >What flavour cleats - single or multi-release? The latter are supposed to release as you
> >describe, and have an angled surface at the top (ie the
bit
> >facing the shoe) at the back to enable this.
> >
>
> MS515 pedals & MO36 shoes. (I may well have the numbers slightly wrong.) Whatever, I do know I've
> released as described.

That's the pedals and shoes - the cleats are a third distinct part of the package. They say
something like 'SM-SH55' or 'SI-SH52' on them. Of course after a while you can't read this...

cheers, clive

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 21:05:17 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email protected]> wrote:

>I have supposedly single release SPDs on my road bike and supposedly multi release ones on my hill
>bike. I honestly don't notice any diffrence.

Try riding a recumbent, you'll notice it quick enough ;-)

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com New!
Improved!! Now with added extra Demon!

 

[James Hodson]

On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 11:32:04 +0100, "Clive George"

>> MS515 pedals & MO36 shoes. (I may well have the numbers slightly wrong.) Whatever, I do know I've
>> released as described.
>
>That's the pedals and shoes - the cleats are a third distinct part of the package. They say
>something like 'SM-SH55' or 'SI-SH52' on them. Of course after a while you can't read this...
>

Hi Clive

<removes left shoe and inpects cleat> You're right. There's nothing to be seen. <removes right shoe
and inpects cleat> Similar result. Of course, there may well be some indication of the cleats' type
inside the shoe but I'm to going to bother looking there.

FWIW, the cleats are the ones that came with the shoes.

<dons shoes>

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.