Adjusting tension in clipless pedals?

[Sniper68]

I had the end of a Look Keo cleat snap off due to wear on a Sportive in Wales a few years ago.I take cleat covers out now if I plan a coffee/beer stop as plastic cleats and Tarmac are not good friends
I still replace them every year or before once they look scuffed and ragged around the edges.

 

[simongt]

The newer Shimano M525 has a much easier visual for adjusting the tension that the older M515, so makes things less guestimating.

 

[rogerzilla]

Most clipless pedals have varying amounts of tension. Some are made for casual users with very low tension and are very easy to unclip.

Other more "serious" pedals have greater default tension.

This is true. A couple of extremes: Shimano Click'R pedals are meant to be easy for beginners and release very easily. Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals hang on for grim death even at their minimum tension, which is where I have them.

I am happy with everyman M520 or M540 SPDs as they come out of the box. The original M737s were quite a bit tighter - complicated in that case by the fact that they have two moving jaws per side, and entry is a bit different to modern SPDs.

 

[Chap sur le velo]

I had the end of a Look Keo cleat snap off due to wear on a Sportive in Wales a few years ago.I take cleat covers out now if I plan a coffee/beer stop as plastic cleats and Tarmac are not good friends
I still replace them every year or before once they look scuffed and ragged around the edges.

Who knew so many new toys to buy!

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-sp...uxUi8cOx89Ot5HRYsrneVc4gK8o6u5jBoCBeoQAvD_BwE

Anyone else use these?

 

[Sniper68]

Who knew so many new toys to buy!

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-sp...uxUi8cOx89Ot5HRYsrneVc4gK8o6u5jBoCBeoQAvD_BwE

Anyone else use these?

The Look covers are a bit smaller than that,weight nowt and fit easily in a jersey rear pocket.

 

[Anonymous1502]

Who knew so many new toys to buy!

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-sp...uxUi8cOx89Ot5HRYsrneVc4gK8o6u5jBoCBeoQAvD_BwE

Anyone else use these?

I am definitely buying these

 

[Ajax Bay]

Beware. They will stretch your cycle top pockets and make you less aero.
A not insignificant risk that you'll fall over putting them on or taking them off, unless you are a yoga ninja (like @ColinJ )
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/need-to-warm-up-digits-steadily.270489/#post-6258353

 

[biggs682]

Unwind the tension adjuster to the lowest setting and then turn it two flats and check you can unclip ok then leave at that is exactly what i did and do to every new set of pedals i fit

 

[johnnyb47]

I went clip less last year for the first time. What a revelation. From personal experience i would slacken them off to the max and see how you go. That's what I did and have never felt the need to tighten them

 

[semakof]

I went clip less last year for the first time. What a revelation. From personal experience i would slacken them off to the max and see how you go. That's what I did and have never felt the need to tighten them

Thats exactly what I did. After falling off my bicycle twice, I slacken them to the maximum and it has been easy unclipping them. In fact, I noticed one was too tight which was responsible for my inability to unclip quickly.

 

[Deleted User]

There should be approximately one-half inch of movement in the chain up and down at a point halfway between the front and rear sprockets.

On the Pedals?

 

[figbat]

There should be approximately one-half inch of movement in the chain up and down at a point halfway between the front and rear sprockets.

That sounds like single-speed talk. Or geared hubs. Doesn’t work for a derailleur setup, nor for clipless pedals.

 

[Sharky]

There should be approximately one-half inch of movement in the chain up and down at a point halfway between the front and rear sprockets.

Just to add to this, for fixed & SS chains. Make sure that you check the slack as described above, when the chainring is in the "tight" position. Chainrings are never completly circular and checking the slack when the chainring is in the "slack" position, could lead to a very tight chain on parts of the rotation.

 

[simongt]

From personal experience i would slacken them off to the max

Completely agree on this point. I've been riding clipless for years and all my SPDs are at minimum tension setting. Never had an issue with falling out or releasing when needed.