SPD Pedal Tension

[zoso7]

I have just recently changed to SPD pedals and am getting on well with them and have noticed slight improvements in performance!!

As recommended I have kept the pedal tension as low as possible to get used to them however I cant see why I would want to tighten the tension. I feel securely locked in when on the move and can also get out easily enough when required, so what are the benefits of increasing the tension, if any or is it just a personal preference thing?!

 

[Paulus]

At the moment your pedals are nice and loose and that obviously suits your style of riding. But, if you were to get out of the saddle and honk up a hill you could quite easily pull your feet out of the pedals. That is where the extra tension comes into it. With a tighter setting it is just as easy to release your feet. Try it, you can soon loosen them off again.

 

[swee'pea99]

I had the tension set too loose and swerved round a speed bump at high speed, my foot slipped forward out of the pedal and somehow got itself in between the wheel (twisted at an angle) and the down tube. I bear the scars - literally. You want them tight enough so you can unclip easily when - and only when - you want to. Looser is unsafe.

 

[accountantpete]

It's usually when you develop sufficient muscle pulling up on the pedal that problems arise.

 

[dub-no-bass]

I've had mine as loose as they'll go for 3 years and my feet have never accidently unclipped. In fact, the only time I've had my feet come out without me making the effort to unclip was in 2 crashes - one my own fault (hit a kerb on the way to a cycle path too steeply, and wiped out), the other when someone turned left in front of me and I crashed into them. Both times, my feet came out of the pedals, no problem at all.

 

[Blue]

Like the poster above, I have had my spd's on the min tension setting for years without problem.

 

[raindog]

Yep, me too. Been using SPDs on the 'loose' setting for about 4 years and never had a problem.