SPD-SL cleats and pedals - do they loosen up? Tips

uvox

Granted, with SPD-SL's the idea is they're for long-riding, not frequent unlocking, and not for walking around in...

Granted. there's a good chance you won't unclip as easily as SPDs and you're gonna fall over in urban settings at the most unfortunate time (in front of the next Kate Moss fashion shoot, just when Jennifer Maquire of the Republic of Telly crew is about to interview you, etc.)...

...but...

I have new SPD-SLs - but it seems to me it takes a heck of a twist to get those cleats off the pedals - not an inconsiderable twist of the knee joint involved... they seem incredibly hard to decouple.

So, are there any tips for reducing the effort to decouple? (without negating the lock intention) - e.g., doing some manual modifications, lubrication, etc? Or do they loosen up in time?

H.E. Pennypacker

Have you tried loosening the tension using the little adjuster?

blobbie

1:09 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLou_AD6hHw

uvox

Awesome thanks everyone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPjbDIULqqw Didn'r realize there was a little tension index at the back too. All set.

uvox

cool. thank you. no, but I am all set now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPjbDIULqqw

Juan More Time

Yeah I know exactly what you mean. I previously bought a pair of Dura Ace 9000 spd-sl pedals, just to see how I would get on with their very restricted seven degrees of float with the yellow cleats.

One short ride was enough to convince me to go back to riding speedplay zero's..

uvox

I know the feeling... I could still do with a bit more float too... where's me Swiss Army Knife....