Adjusting Your New SPD SL's and Using Them!

Welcome back ya'll!
So this is a super easy tip that can help you some embarrassing moments, lol.
The pedals I am using are Shimano SPD-SL R540's with yellow cleats (+6 float, link below).
www.ebay.com/itm/New-Shimano-...
Mine have gone through the ringer, so pay no mind to them, lol.
But forward to the point!
When setting up your (assuming) new SPD-SL's, ALWAYS CHECK THE TENSION ON THE EASILY VISIBLE ADJUSTER! If it's all the way to the bottom, the tension is extremely high, and it'll be really hard to clip out of them (this is meant to be used for someone who already knows how they operate, or you want more tension for your cleats, like when you're sprinting for example). Leaving the tension all the way to the top or even the middle gives you the ability to easily unclip and reclip into your cleats, and makes the learning process a lot easier.
If you are right leg dominant, chances are you'll be clipped in with that pedal and using that foot to start your rotation(s), and vise versa with left leg dominant people, but, I've learned that alternating between both is a really good habit to learn!
That's all for this one!
Make sure to Like/Comment/Sub!
-Rail The Gutter

[@BenyBenator]

Thank you. That visual explanation on the markers at the back of the pedals was really helpful. My pedals are a different brand (look), And don't have those 3 marks, but still I was able to see the tension ease off on the spring.

[@railthegutter]

Glad it helped even if they are Keo pedals! 🤘🏻

[@davidcoria1050]

Thank you so much! I’m a beginner and I have been watching videos on this topic and no matter how many I watched from the big big blogs and sites, there were not that many details on the video as you did it. Your video definitely gave me more info and peace of of mind hahaha and I didn’t feel intimidated. I felt like a good friend was explaining it to me and not making me feel dumb.

[@railthegutter]

I know the feeling! I was there a few years ago and still find myself in those kinds of moments all the time. I’m happy that this video helped you out in one way or another to make your bike a lot more fun! That’s what it’s all about for me. Thank you and I hope you have a crap ton of fun and check in for more vids in the future! 🤘🏻😀🤘🏻

[@stevejpm1]

I have just installed these cleats after using the 2 bolt spd cleats for a year,so this is good instruction and advice.Cheers.

[@railthegutter]

Thank you. I tried to be as clear as possible, lol. To this day my foot still slips randomly from time to time, but that’s part of the territory. 🤘🏻

[@bazerra854]

Great video. Exact thing happened to me I couldn’t unclip cuz I didn’t adjust the tension but your video solved my issue thanks bud.

[@railthegutter]

No problem! Glad it helped! 🤘🏻

[@hairministry9548]

Thanks bro. Simple and straight to the point

[@railthegutter]

Glad it helped out! 🤟🏻

[@jamesramirez523]

Just got a pair of spds. Great vid man, thanks!

[@railthegutter]

Glad it helped out! 🤘🏻

[@danbustalinio4105]

Thank you so much for the instructions. I learned a lot . new subscriber, watching you from the Philippines 🇵🇭

[@railthegutter]

Glad it helped you out! Shout outs to the Pinoy! 🤟🏻

[@bluestilling101]

Rail the Gutter I have been looking for a video that would give a simple explanation about adjusting the tension. I am new to using SPDs, but now I know how to make it easier to get out. Looking at the current adjustment, I now see where the problem is coming from. Thank you.

[@railthegutter]

I’m happy that my explanation helped you out! That’s all that matters to me.

[@nederlandsarchief9528]

Thanks a lot! It's a very clear/well explained video.

[@railthegutter]

Glad it helped you out! 🤟🏻

[@Josee1619]

I just bought my brand new pedals, thank you so much bruv!

[@railthegutter]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet! Welcome to the club!

[@mostromiami]

Thanks a lot sir!! Newbie here so fell yesterday but your video helped for my next ride

[@railthegutter]

Lol. Pretty sure it’s happened to every single person who’s ridden on these kinds of pedals, and it might happen again! No worries and happy riding! 🤘🏻

[@vinceprice4089]

Yes, as David Coria said, your explanations gave more information and were concise, and easy to understand. Thank you and keep you the good work.

[@railthegutter]

I appreciate that and thank you for watching! 🤟🏻

[@perrymcguire3806]

Great video - very informative. Despite using the Shimano SPD pedals for so many years, they can still be awkward at times to clip-in. Bizarrely, when wearing my winter overshoes, I seem to clip-in without any issues

[@railthegutter]

Thank you! That’s an odd thing to happen though when wearing overshoes? Have you checked the section that clips into the spring section of the pedal? It could be wearing down or maybe it’s the cleat that is slightly out of alignment with your shoe? 🤔 hmmm…..

[@ivan6navi]

This video is excelent for begginers like me, thank you so much.

[@railthegutter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tomato12terra]

great, exactly the info I was looking for; thanks!

[@railthegutter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@danieltorres-qk4fm]

Thanks for the video!! Very helpful!

[@railthegutter]

Glad it helped you out! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@buzzandselunsupervised649]

Spot on. Worked a treat ✊👏👏

[@railthegutter]

🤘🏻 🔥 I’m happy this helped!

[@lance6749]

thanks for this sir this was really helpful!!

[@railthegutter]

No problem! 🤘🏻thank you for watching!

[@williamkterrell]

Great information so true, Thanks!

[@railthegutter]

No problem! 🤟🏻

[@gary6463]

Thanks for this video. Im starting out with using clips..🚴🏻 Im a new subscriber to your channel. I also tapped the like button and hit the notification bell 🛎

[@railthegutter]

Welcome good sir! Currently working on putting together some lengthy videos which are taking time, but stick around! 🤘🏻thank you!

[@sersolo3112]

This helped thank you dude

[@railthegutter]

Sweet! That’s what it’s all about! 🤘🏻

[@inigo2502]

Thank you sir!

[@sakuranakamura5098]

Thank you so much bro This video help us like me bigginner

[@railthegutter]

Yeah no problem! Glad this helped you out! 🤘🏻

[@migueluisndomigo2280]

Thank you sir salute💜

[@pwrshots]

its best to release with the pedal in the down stroke.easier to twist out. people tend to panic when starting out and forget to twist the foot. been there done that.

[@railthegutter]

I agree. BUT, once you've gotten the hang of it and have broken in the cleats/pedals, unclipping at either the upstroke or downstroke becomes almost second nature and rather easy. Personally I unclip at the upstroke a lot when using a sidewalk to stay upright, and downstroke when unclipping and putting my foot down at a street light (sitting in traffic). I should have noted that, but thank you!

[@dev1ce888]

@@railthegutter we have same habits man haha

[@highway67theband]

Thank you!

[@railthegutter]

No problem! Thank you for watching!!🤘🏻

[@toite3x3ninjah]

My ankle is so sore right now. Just started using ultegra ones i will be adjusting them before my ride today 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

[@railthegutter]

Welcome to spd-sl’s, lol.

[@carlosmotta6537]

Thanks! 👍

[@railthegutter]

No problem! 🤟🏻

[@p181]

Thank you.....👍

[@railthegutter]

No problem!

[@jielogy]

I have a brand new pedal but even if i adjusted it to the loosest setting (plastic all The way up), it is still too tight. Does it get looser the more I use it or I received a defective one?

[@railthegutter]

Out of the box is should be pretty easy to unclip at the loosest setting, and hard to unclip on the hardest setting. If you’re shifting your ankle correctly out of the pedal, then most likely it’s a defective set. Sorry for the bad news!

[@colinjanpaclipan3308]

I just got some 2nd hand look keo pedals and it's very hard to clip in to them. is this normal? I have to really lessen the tension on the pedals just to be able to clip in. so much so that the clip on the pedal is a bit loose. I'm a beginner to clipless pedals.

[@railthegutter]

So if I’m correct, KEO pedals are extremely similar (almost identical) to Shimano. There could be two things going on. Your cleat might not be aligned properly to the clipless pedal when you’re trying to clip in. You’ll want to make sure your cleat and pedal are lined up and it should easily clip in (try this while not moving at all, lean up against a wall and just go through the notion of clipping into it). If for some reason its not that, then perhaps adjusting your pedals tension to the minimal amount can possibly help (I’m not too savvy on KEO pedals, but the system is basically the same as Shimano). Last thing it could be is your cleat might be worn out, or it could be damaged somewhere that’s causing a hard clip in to happen (this has happened to me before, I struck something with the cleat and I guess it slightly deformed a section of the cleat, which actually made it harder to clip in). If it’s worn, you’ll need to replace it (cleats are pretty cheap), same thing if it’s deformed. Hope this helps! 🤘🏻

[@yayyay2529]

thanks bro

[@railthegutter]

No problem!

[@salazarjustinmard.2143]

i adjust my spdl all of them but my cleat shoes can't get it in

[@richbowie76]

Lol I've been riding clipless for 20 years and i still miss my entry when stopped at a traffic light . And its always in front of an audience !

[@railthegutter]

I’ve missed my clip on two different occasions and flap jacked to the ground while going 0 mph and I still miss the pedal EVERY SINGLE RIDE one way or another. I feel your pain, lol.

[@scientia_potentia_est]

​@@railthegutter yeah I switched from the SPD system ("mountain bike" metal cleat style) to this SPD-SL system and I'm REALLY struggling to consistently engage the pedals. It's specially dangerous when starting on hilly terrain on green lights. With the SPD (especially double-sided pedals) you just stump your feet (with a somewhat front sliding motion of course) and you're clipped in. Almost like the Wahoo Power play system. But this is like threading a needle or clipping two Lego blocks in place. Takes a while to develop the muscle memory

[@railthegutter]

​@@scientia_potentia_est You are not wrong there, lol. I've lost count on how many times I've missed the pedal and hit the back of my heel, my shin and etc on the pedals for missing them. You just have to make sure the pedal has grease in the spindle so it can rotate slowly so it gives you just enough time to clip into place. I learned that lack of servicing can cause the pedals to spin fast, and if it spins fast, it's NOT a good thing. It'll just make clipping in a lot harder and you'll wreck the bearings. My only tip for riding on a hill and say you have to unclip is to have you strongest foot/leg clipped in, have it in a pretty easy gear so you can spin it up quickly with one leg, once you have your balance up and going, clip in with your other leg quickly. I practice single leg ascending for short bursts all the time and this works for me. I even switch it up and use my weaker leg/foot. I hope you keep at it and it works out for you or something similar! SPD-SL's are great to love, but also to hate! lol

[@scientia_potentia_est]

@@railthegutter yep, 100%! I've started taking off on easier gears while I get used to clipping in 😁 I do miss the fun of taking off on hard gears when I had my Shimano XC5 SPD shoes. I could clip in in under a sec 😩 But yeah loving my SPD pedals and shoes for sure. Definitely an upgrade for doing harder/longer road cycling (lighter, more comfortable, better power transmission, etc). I think it's worth the troubles through the learning period. Interesting about the spindle grease though. I had the pedals installed at a bike shop and I didn't see the install. Will look into it. Thanks for the tip!

[@ka_chxngzzz]

thank you

[@railthegutter]

No problem! 👌🏻🤘🏻

[@franciscohurtado3357]

dude thanks

[@railthegutter]

No problem!

[@PYYYYYY]

Thanks 🙏

[@railthegutter]

No problem!

[@gilmassis]

Hahahahaha cool! The guy still got the bruises from his clipped fall 😎

[@railthegutter]

Lol 😂 that left shin has seen a lot of failed clip ins, but that weird darker patch of skin is actually a scar from my bike fall (I uploaded a video about that before this one). Thank you for the laugh! Lol

[@gilmassis]

@@railthegutter Aww so sorry for that. I'll try to check it out as I'm in recovery from a broken wrist (cycling fail :/ ). Can't wait to be clipped up again 🤷🏻‍♀️☹️

[@railthegutter]

Perfectly fine! Oh man. Sounds like your injury was a lot worse than my road rash scars. 😬 heal up quickly and get back on the bike! You’ll be at 100% in no time!

[@gilmassis]

@@railthegutter It was a pretty bad one indeed... Tragic, ironic.. full package! Well.. I'll be ready for next soon! Positive vibes!

[@railthegutter]

Positive vibes and focus on healing! 🤟🏻wishing you a speedy recovery!

[@richardgore6638]

Thank you, saved hours of practice, and going to hospital 😂😂😂👍

[@railthegutter]

Lol🤘🏻🤣🤘🏻glad this helped avoiding a nasty bill or a sweet scar.

[@jerichoholic5805]

Pls help me!! I m using shimano SPD and some decent road shoes. They work great (using them on an indoor trainer only as of now). However, whenever I do max effort sprints where I'm basically hammering on the pedals, my foot clips out 8/10 times. I DONT KNOW WHY! Has it got something to do with my form or are the pedals sorta loose?

[@railthegutter]

There are only one set of pedals that I’ve heard that will unclip very very easily all the time and those are the SPD SL RS500 (they will say SPD SL in white on top of the tension bolt). Those pedals aren’t meant to be sprinted in. If you DO NOT have these specific pedals, you’ll want to check three things: 1) how tight is the tension on your spring? Is is just slightly tightened? Or is it tightened mid or all the way to the hardest setting? 2) your form could be the problem (if you have a tendency of twisting your ankle at the bottom of the stroke, it can possibly cause the cleat to unclip in some random moments). On a stationary trainer I personally just focus on mashing down and keeping myself centered and without swaying too much during extremely hard efforts. 3) your cleats could be worn out. This one is a lot more common. This just happened to one of my friends. He kept mashing the same cleats for who knows how long, and he started noticing that his would clip but would almost always unclip at the downstroke or during a sprint. Might want to check these things first! Hopefully it’s nothing major.

[@imtyimty6902]

I’ve got same pedals my feet don’t click in and every time I’m riding my feat slip out I’ve hit red ones on

[@railthegutter]

Hmmm.....you might want to check the pedal. Sounds like either you aren’t clipping in at all, or, your pedals have some kind of mechanical defect. Sometimes when you try to clip in, you won’t unless the cleat clips in at the right angle. This happens to me a lot but I’ve learned how that works over time. But if you do clip in and your foot slides out, I’d say get another pair or warranty claim them. Hopefully this helps!

[@damiansaul80]

I just got some shimano pd-6610 9/16 pedals new from Facebook market im trying to ajust them they click but the adjuster indicator does not move any advise

[@railthegutter]

Hmmmmm, that’s not good. Try to tighten them as far as they will go. Do you feel resistance the more you tighten them or nothing changes? If the tension does increase (you would need to clip in and test it) then it could just be the indicator is busted (no real fix for that) but don’t worry too much about it since that is more “cosmetic”. The main thing is the tension spring. If that tension is literally the same from the loosest point to the tightest point (from threading it in further) then yeah there is no fix unfortunately. Sucks I know.

[@davidearl4022]

Yo the man!

[@railthegutter]

I try to help where I can, lol. 🤘🏻

[@kurosawataiki8002]

I lost the cover of the indicator is it ok? Thank you

[@railthegutter]

Hmmmmm, maybe/maybe not. Anything that has a lost covering could have water ingress or dirt ingress into it. It’s difficult to say. If mechanically it’s in good working condition then it should be fine? But I would be somewhat cautious of your weather/riding conditions since the internals are sort of now exposed.

[@kinger-gaming8660]

Which way should I turn if I wanna clip out easy

[@railthegutter]

If you have a Shimano pedal, then it would righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Your pedals should also have a + and a - marks on them just like the ones I have on mine. Those indicators show you which direction to turn for which tension you'd like. Hope this helps!

[@patty109109]

Mine were WAY too tight from factory. I have them on almost lowest setting now and can get in and out easier. Haven’t popped out accidentally yet.

[@railthegutter]

Glad the information helped!

[@shannanhough8179]

Great video, thanks! So basically if my shoe is a little loose in the clip, I should tighten with a 2.5 mm Allen key?

[@railthegutter]

Thank you! And yes! If you’re able to clip in but the retention is still somewhat “loose” and you’re able to un clip a bit too easily, then adjusting the tension with that Allen key will help keep your cleat locked in a bit more. I’ve left mine on super loose, then as I got more accustomed to using them, I’ve moved the tension up. But remember as the tension goes up, you’ll need need more force to unclip, so it will take a little practice! 🤘🏻

[@shannanhough8179]

@@railthegutter It worked!

[@kurtisaiah1458]

Hi we have the same pedals what can i do because i can't clip in in my left pedal and i loose the tension still can't clip in the pedal is like a month to me sorry for my bad English

[@railthegutter]

Oh man that sucks. Have you hooked the front portion of the cleat first and then pushed down? If you have your cleats set up however you prefer them, you will need to follow the cleats direction. I personally have my cleats set up almost dead in the middle of my shoes and I’m able to clip in easily. I would say to check the orientation of your cleat and try again. Also make sure that for practice that your pedals tension is on the easiest setting.

[@jaybautista3549]

Just got mine for the first time. Kinda nervous to use it tho

[@railthegutter]

It’s definitely a bit daunting at first, but after a few clips in and out it gets much easier to use them. You will learn that you won’t be able to clip in successfully first try every time. It’s just part of using these kinds of pedals, but that’s also something you get used to, lol.

[@MarcraM82]

Great video. Can I ask how many clicks from loosest to tightest?

[@railthegutter]

Mmmmmm, it’s roughly 4 clicks per adjustment section, it’s around 12-14ish clicks from top to bottom/bottom to top. In my experience of course, lol. But then again, it’s just easier to look at the side of the pedal for the visual plastic meter to tell where you want your adjustment at. Top is easiest/middle is a happy area between easy-hard/lowest is tight to get out of. I hope this helps!

[@MarcraM82]

@@railthegutter thanks so much that's exactly what I needed to know! Have subscribed!

[@smegoz]

I think I see some bruises on the shin there....looks like mine after slipping off the pedals a couple of times and somehow catching it on my shin!

[@railthegutter]

Lol. Actually what you’re seeing are old skateboard-to-the-shin scars (both legs). The weird large section on the left leg is actually a scar from road rash I got from my bike crash video (slid on rough pavement going fast). Surprisingly enough I’ve only had one bruise from missing the pedals but it’s been a while (still miss the pedal every week though, lol).

[@johnkennethbuagayan7127]

Hi, I have PD RS500, I can't decrease/increase tension and doesnt hear clicking sounds. I already applied WD40 but still cant adjust

[@railthegutter]

Unfortunately the one area in spd sl pedals that cannot really be worked on or fixed is the tension area. Sucks I know. I suggest a return/exchange or if you’ve had them for a while then absolutely replacing them. Sorry for the bad news!

[@johnkennethbuagayan7127]

@@railthegutter that's sad, btw thanks for your immediate response.

[@CraigAndres]

Do i need it set on lowest negative setting for a absokute beginner? 👍

[@railthegutter]

If you’ve never used SPD’s before, I recommend having them on the easiest setting until you familiarize yourself with how they clip in and out and how it feels overall. Once you’re used to that, just tighten them down a bit more (but remember to test the tighter setting as well so you familiarize yourself with the new setting or else you’ll fall over, lol).

[@pakboi6927]

BRO THE TENSION BOLT OF MY PEDAL CLEATS IS ALREADY LOOSE THREAD.. WHAT IM GOING TO DO????

[@railthegutter]

The tension adjustment screw loose? A genuine shimano pedal screw doesn’t really come out of it’s threading. At least not that I’ve seen? If you shake your pedal slightly and you hear rattling inside of it, and it doesn’t thread down, either the screw has come out of the threading or something is damaged inside. Either way, you can’t safely repair that unfortunately. Best to contact the seller and get a replacement.

[@spicybread6643]

I need help, my Shimano R540 pedal is not turning up (toward above) but it just lying like a flat and when I try to spin it, it's just like not spinning fast but rather like slower and feel like stuck ( sorry for bad English)

[@railthegutter]

Did you try to service it? Sounds like maybe the bearing are stuck or something seized up the bearings.

[@spicybread6643]

@@railthegutter wait I think it is working normal, I asked the local shop who sold it to me and they said it is just need times for the grease to work on it. It is functioning like normal now

[@railthegutter]

Woooooo, lol. Good save. Might have been just some grease that was forcing it to stay upright. Could be semi old. Should consider buying a tool later on if you plan on servicing it so you can fix it yourself in the future. But glad you got it working! 🤘🏻

[@toritohaters6056]

Hi am going to buy it those pedals, my first time used they are good ?

[@railthegutter]

Honestly, they’re good pedals for commuting and chill group riding, nothing too intense. However, using them for hard sprinting/high intensity workouts, I wouldn’t recommend them. I’d go with the R550’s (slightly wider platform, and slightly better connection), or the 105 (r5800 or r7000, if you have the money for them). I haven’t had any real issues though. I’ve even crashed in them and have hit all sorts of things, lol. They’re all banged up and scratched and have yet to fail me. Hopefully this info works for you! 🤘🏻

[@rickaristotlejorge2618]

When I tighten the tension bolt, the spring kicks back the bolt, what should I do? It's a Racework RB cleats pedal. Thanks

[@railthegutter]

Typically what that means is there is an issue with the spring mech itself. I had an issue like that before with a fake 105 pedal (the spring would only tighten so far and then sort of stop at a certain point and constantly just click and jump a bit). You can’t really fix that. It’s not even worth it honestly. You can try turning it upside down to see if maybe it’ll “catch” when you’re turning it to tighten it, but if it doesn’t work, I suggest new pedals. Been there and it sucks. Sorry for the bad news man. But you can get a new set of pedals (even some off brand ones) for cheap that work (just be careful and test them). Best of luck!

[@rickaristotlejorge2618]

@@railthegutter this is exactly my problem, a few turns then it the bolt snaps back to its starting point. Though it was not like that out of the box.

[@railthegutter]

Yeah chances are it’s just a bad tension mech. And you really can’t fix it. Believe me, I looked into and it would cost you more to fix that section and trouble overall than to just buy a new set (unless you have warranty on them, just have them swapped). Happens to the best of us. It’s part of the game I guess? It blows I know.

[@WhosCandice-vf3km]

Im a beginner i have a 105 r7000 cleats my sm -sh11 wont fit can you pleae help me

[@railthegutter]

Oh that sucks! Are they genuine Shimano cleats? Or are they Non-Branded cleats that look like SH11’s? OEM shimano cleats will literally say “shimano/sh11” on the bottom. Non-branded cleats will have nothing, and the yellow sections will have this weird “yellow sheen” and a bit more rounded.

[@winstonshaw2533]

really good advice great thanks 😊

[@railthegutter]

No problem! Thank you for watching! 🤘🏻

[@1269lima]

What type of shoe do you used, pls?

[@railthegutter]

If I remember correctly these shoes are Bontrager Starvos.

[@sydpao2224]

Isn’t it easier to clip out when your foot is at 6 oclock position?

[@railthegutter]

It's easier to unclip at the 6 o'clock position, I will not disagree. However, I think everyone should be able to clip/unclip at any position (takes a bit of work, but once you can clip in and clip out at any position, the bike sort of becomes faster to operate, and who doesn't want to be faster?). In the end, you'll work on your ankle muscles, and who doesn't want that? lol

[@johnbrianalbano687]

how to fix bro, my cleats cant adjust using allen

[@railthegutter]

If your pedals aren’t adjusting at all, chances are that the adjustable Allen screw is probably damaged or something else? Do you hear something rattling around? We are talking about the pedals and not the cleats on your shoes right?

[@xyrusdelacruzdm1745]

@@railthegutter i have that problem sir i cant adjust the tension to tightly and it makes crazy clicking sound

[@pbrown4]

I find the fact that when your foot isn't clipped in and the pedal rotates facing up a pain. I always have to look down to clip in to make sure the pedal hasn't spun to the other side. I would prefer them to auto rotate level lol

[@railthegutter]

Lol 😂 that would be ideal, unfortunately, these pedals have a mind of their own. I found that over time, with just enough practice, you sort of stop looking down as much and just trust that you’ll clip in (unless you miss, then yeah definitely glance down quickly and clip in, lol).

[@pbrown4]

@@railthegutter I seem to always get them on the underside..does my head in

[@xyrusdelacruzdm1745]

When i tight the tension its making sound like clicking and it keeps going back to lower tension please notice me

[@railthegutter]

Oh man. I’ve had that happen to me on a pair of fake 105 pedals, and honestly, you cannot fix that. If the tension adjustment doesn’t go down and stay down it’s best to get it replaced under warranty or just replace them. Unfortunately you can’t really open that area of the pedal (if it’s something like the one in my video or 5800 and up). I hope this helps.

[@rickaristotlejorge2618]

Same situation, I tightened the tension bolt a bit too much and wanted to decrease the tension, but when I was tightening the bolt this happens.

[@OFWMoneyQatar]

Pinoy here

[@cheeba2k]

The problem is that no tools fit on my tension hole even the allen keys :( sorry for my bad english

[@railthegutter]

I believe the tension holes take a 1.5-2mm hex key (metric, not standard). Unfortunately I don’t know any other way to get those adjusted without that tool? Hopefully you find one! 🤞🏻👍🏻

[@cheeba2k]

@@railthegutter All good bro I got a new allen key. It was my old allen key that doesnt have the size for it lol my bad. But when I adjusted it I cant turn it anymore and still its not yet fully loose. How can I fix that? Thanks bro!

[@railthegutter]

@@cheeba2k The adjustment tab should be all the way to the top if you're spinning it counterclock wise, and you should hear clicking as you're doing it. Once it's at the top, that's the lowest tension you're going to get. However, if the tension is really high even at the lowest tension set on the pedal, maybe there is an issue with them? If you've never used these kinds of pedals before, it will take some time to get used to them, and also, brand new cleats in brand new pedals take time to adjust. Sometimes just being up against a wall or something to hold you up and clicking in and out of them can help loosen up some of the "brand new" tension from the cleat/pedal interaction. That's what I personally did, and this worked for me. You'll know what I mean as you wear them down, and have to get new cleats on your shoes. Your tension will actually go up again, and it's normal. Hope this helps!

[@cruzito_gaming195]

what do i do if its loose thread? pls help me

[@railthegutter]

Loose threading? Does it thread all the way and it’s still loose? Or it doesn’t thread all the way into the crank arm and it’s loose?

[@cruzito_gaming195]

@@railthegutter the tensioner allen hole is the loose threaded the very small one?

[@railthegutter]

Ahhhhhhh. That one, sorry. If you have tried tightening it down, and it’s just refusing to tighten down, then it’s very possible that you might have a bad set of pedals. If you were to shake the pedals and hear anything rattling then that’s another sign you got a bad set. Unfortunately there is no real fix for that problem other than getting them exchanged (you can’t really open and fix that).

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

It is impossible to use these pedals where I live, it's so many stop lights your ankle will be sore after 2 hours of riding with the over un-clipping . This is why I am still on normal pedals for both my road bikes. I do have a pair of them but still have not installed them, it's just useless where I live.

[@railthegutter]

I’m not sure where you live, but where I live I have a similar issue. However, I personally wouldn’t give mine up. I agree, it’s annoying to go from one red light or stop sign to another light or stop sign about 100ft away, but, I’ve gotten used to clipping/unclipping quickly that I honestly don’t care. Also, I’m learning to properly balance myself more and more to track stand so I don’t have to unclip as much. It can be annoying, but I actually enjoy some challenges, and I don’t mind finding some way around a problem to make it work for me. In the end, if my ankle gets a bit tired (which has happened), then I know it’ll be stronger a week later (after some rest of course). I wouldn’t give up on them, but they aren’t for everyone and that’s okay, ride whatever you want, just enjoy the hell out of it! 🤘🏻

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

@@railthegutter I know the benefits of the pedals, but the way they work they were never really meant for the mass consumers on open roads with multiple stop signs. In Ontario it's all stop signs every 100 meters and inside Windsor, Essex area good luck it's like every 50 meters stops and lights. It's not like Europe with their bike infrastructure and more roundabouts than lights. I gave up and put the normal pedals on my Carbon bike since my cheap bike already is set with normal flat pedals. Plus I can take my comfortable running shoes and walk around normally lol.

[@railthegutter]

Sounds like you’ve got some serious infrastructure issues going on over there, lol. That sucks man. My situation isn’t great, but we do have trails nearby so I don’t usually have to worry about street lights/stop signs as soon as we’re in there. If the flat pedals work for the commuting, then it’s all good! Or if you’re feeling a bit fancier, adidas just made some VeloSamba shoes with a two bolt system! Not the friendliest on the pocket (roughly $135-150?), but they’re just some Sambas with an integrated pedal system to clip in and out! Might be worth it in your case? Would be able to use both the flat and some mtb two bolt pedals! And easily walked in! Lol

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

@@railthegutter Yep I did buy some cycling shoes from Aliexpress, they are multiple use so 3 different arrangements, plain, 2 screw or 3 screw mount. For 56$ a nice pair so you can either use them as regular shoes ( they have a front and back sole) or use the multiple screw homes for different kinds of pedals here some basic shoes www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002467390523.html

[@railthegutter]

Those actually remind me a bit of some Pearl Izumi Road shoes I got roughly two years ago? Three and two bolt system, and pretty cheap (paid like $80?). Although they weren’t easy to walk in, but I managed (didn’t have the middle rubber on the left or right). Hey if those shoes work for you and gets the job done, then it’s a win! 🤘🏻

[@si_lance_to]

Why mine doesn't click

[@railthegutter]

Common things that cause that issue: Counterfeit Damage to the tension portion of the pedal. Typically a counterfeit set of pedals from say Aliexpress will almost always never work correctly. It’s a hit or miss. Sometimes they are real and they just don’t work (but this isn’t common with a genuine pedal set). Physical damage can pretty much wreck anything. This could also be where you crashed/dropped the pedal hard/or over tightened them to the point of malfunction. Hard to say which one it is unless you provide more details. Third is that they are probably super old and have just stopped working.

[@bernardchryslerignacioruiz3677]

How to fix if tension are not downing?

[@railthegutter]

Unfortunately there is no way to fix the tension on these newer versions of SPD pedals. The older ones you could buy parts like the tension mech to replace and get them working, but if the tension doesn’t get harder the more you push the tension screw, then it’s most likely defective or gone bad. Sorry!

[@bernardchryslerignacioruiz3677]

@@railthegutter inshort i need to buy a new one?

[@railthegutter]

Unfortunately yes. That’s going to be your best option in this case. Sucks I know.

[@pinoyxbox]

Wait lol i set my tensions all the way down. No wonder it’s hard to get out of the pedal. I thought “decrease” will loosen it up lol 🤦🏻

[@railthegutter]

Lol 😂 we live and we learn. On the upside of this, your ankles probably got a serious workout. No rolled ankles any time soon, lol.

[@pinoyxbox]

@@railthegutter omg yes! I thought the upper of my shoes is gonna ripped out lol 😂

[@Louisduong13]

Same. I tho the same and over adjusted my bolt, now it stucked at the hardest 😅😅😅

[@kethya5432]

I can't clip into my pedal i tried both tension

[@railthegutter]

I think the most common things I’ve run into when it comes to not being able to clip in are: - Tension -One side of the cleat is angled weird so it doesn’t make proper contact with the one pedal, or it’s damaged somewhere where it clips into the pedal. -Not enough force is being applied to connect and clip in. I suggest checking that your cleat is installed properly and it’s not at an odd angle because it can cause all sorts of clip in issues (had this happen to me as well). And an improperly installed cleat can make you think you need more force and you could end up damaging something. Also have your cleat set to the easiest tension and lower you crank arm closest to the ground and try clipping in (by far the easiest way to get in there). You do need a bit of force, but not a crazy amount. If the cleat is damaged or deformed anywhere (which is uncommon to have a wonky one), you need to replace it. Hopefully this works! Let us know!

[@kethya5432]

@@railthegutter yes now I'm selling it and looking for a new one i appreciate ur reply bro😘

[@Louisduong13]

Bro i over screwed and stuck at the highest tension. Horrible

[@railthegutter]

That just straight up sucks! Just send them back for a warranty claim. Can’t really repair that issue with the spring. I hope that works out for you!

[@relaxingday7150]

the video is too dark 

[@railthegutter]

I apologize for the inconvenience, perhaps adjusting lighting on phone or comp? I will make sure to work on my lighting in my future vids for sure. Thanks! 🤘🏻