Stuck cleat on new pedal. Never came across this before.



I've been using SPD type cleats since they first came out. Ideal for
touring.

Last week I put on a new pair of SPD-type pedal, two sided, one plain
one cleated.
I found it more and more difficult to disengage the right shoe and for
a finish I couldn't. The force actually caused the cleat to twist on
the shoe. Took off cleat and finished tour. When I came home I tried
different shoe. Same result. There was nothing jamming the spring and
changing tension had no effect until it let the cleat go. I found that
I could only move the spring on that side with many times more force
than on the other side, using big screwdriver. The spring, which looks
exactly the same as the one of the left, and clearly has nothing
obstructing its movement, is several times stiffer than the left one.
Never came across this before. Bike shop swapped it. They never saw
this before either.
Pedals made by B&B
 
[email protected] wrote:
> I've been using SPD type cleats since they first came out. Ideal for
> touring.
>
> Last week I put on a new pair of SPD-type pedal, two sided, one plain
> one cleated.
> I found it more and more difficult to disengage the right shoe and for
> a finish I couldn't. The force actually caused the cleat to twist on
> the shoe. Took off cleat and finished tour. When I came home I tried
> different shoe. Same result. There was nothing jamming the spring and
> changing tension had no effect until it let the cleat go. I found that
> I could only move the spring on that side with many times more force
> than on the other side, using big screwdriver. The spring, which looks
> exactly the same as the one of the left, and clearly has nothing
> obstructing its movement, is several times stiffer than the left one.
> Never came across this before. Bike shop swapped it. They never saw
> this before either.
> Pedals made by B&B
>

typical description of a loose cleat screw.
Prise the pedal open, remove cleat, oil or grease threads and reinstall
cleat to mfr suggested torque. Retighten after or during next couple of
rides.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
 
Andrew Muzi writes:

>> I've been using SPD type cleats since they first came out. Ideal
>> for touring.


>> Last week I put on a new pair of SPD-type pedal, two sided, one
>> plain one cleated.


>> I found it more and more difficult to disengage the right shoe and
>> for a finish I couldn't. The force actually caused the cleat to
>> twist on the shoe. Took off cleat and finished tour. When I came
>> home I tried different shoe. Same result. There was nothing jamming
>> the spring and changing tension had no effect until it let the
>> cleat go. I found that I could only move the spring on that side
>> with many times more force than on the other side, using big
>> screwdriver. The spring, which looks exactly the same as the one of
>> the left, and clearly has nothing obstructing its movement, is
>> several times stiffer than the left one. Never came across this
>> before. Bike shop swapped it. They never saw this before either.
>> Pedals made by B&B


> A typical description of a loose cleat screw.


> Prise the pedal open, remove cleat, oil or grease threads and
> reinstall cleat to mfr suggested torque. Retighten after or during
> next couple of rides.


My experience is that once the cleat-to-pedal rear contact is galled,
it continues to weld solid with every engagement unless a lubricant
(even water) is applied. I get this condition when riding on dry dirt
roads where dismounts are necessary especially if the cleat is wet
before placing it in the dry gritty dirt. If unaware of this condition,
one can readily fail to disengage when trying to dismount.

A drop of oil, sun lotion or other grease applied under the rear lip
of the cleat completely fixes this problem. I once had this to such a
degree that my right foot would not respond to the normal twisting
force of the leg and could only release it by striking my heel with
the fist. Fortunately I hadn't tried to dismount on that side.

Jobst Brandt
 
It wasn't a loose screw or galling. It was just that the spring was
MUCH stronger than the one on the other side. I had reinstalled the
cleat and even tried a second shoe with a cleat. Same result.
When I took the shoe off I found it much more difficult to move the
spring with a big screwdriver than on the other side. There was nothing
obstructing it and in fact if you loosened the tension screw, loosening
the spring it move on its axis without difficulty.