SPDs + Singletrack: Discuss

I've just put SPDs on my MTB, and after a few rides am now happy that I'm not going to fall off. Did a nice 15 mile training ride in Swinley Forest last w/e, and was very happy. Except when I did a short section of single track, and suddenly felt rather anxious...

Interesting! I have SPDs on my road bike and am happy with them. I have just purchased a new MTB and it has SPDs as standard........not used it yet as I am unsure weather to change pedals.
I've never had or done any MTBing so look forward to more response.
NB at my age I no longer bounce if I fall off

I feel better knowing that my feet are not going to come off the pedals when I don't want them to. Having said that - I have the release tensions set to minimum so that I unclip in a hurry if I need to!

Been using them on road for ages but only put them on the mtb a year or so ago. Jury is still out, on most stuff they are fine and i like the connected feeling. However, I still struggle a bit especially on steep very rocky uphill sections eg where you are almost at a standstill and have to put in a big push to get over a large rock and don't know if you're going to make it or not!!

Don't like being clipped in on the mtn bike. Just wear big boots now.

Wouldn't be anything else but clipped in. Just don't think about it, concentrate on going faster through the trees.

+1 for clipped in. But I have single sided pedals so for some sections I unclip just in case. I fall much heavier now also

clipped in for me. singletrack doubletrack fire road and tarmac.

Interesting discussion... Some of you will not doubt have read that I'm now the proud owner of a Cube Attention (owned previously by fellow CC'ers theloafer and cubist) and I've been swithering about fitting SPD's to it. I'm a complete convert to the clipless way having fitted them to my commuter (Flight), but I do have reservations about sticking them on the MTB...

Apart from having some boulder-bashing fun out on my own, the other role for the Cube is as "daddy's bike" – i.e. riding with my eldest daughter who's turning 11 (and getting new bike for her birthday on the 14th.. sshh!!), and also with my youngest (4 1/2 yrs old) in tow on a tag-a-long.

Now, I've not fallen yet (touch wood), but I really don't want my first clipless moment to be when I'm towing a precious cargo. I wonder if anybody uses (or has specifically avoided) SPDs in such circumstances? I do prefer the feeling of "connection" being clipped in, and I'm leaning (no pun intended) towards another set of Shimano M520's with the platform adaptors for when I'm in "Dad" mode. I guess the M324's would be an option too.

Any thoughts?

Ditto!

I'll ride red routes clipped in (not black, not that skilful!) and wouldn't do it any other way. I find it much more reassuring having my feet attached rather than bouncing off the pedals.

Ditto again..exactly what I used to do. I,m not doing the rough stuff these days but still use single sided spd,s for when I get a clear run or a hill.. I need the platform one side because of all the daytrippers and dogs clogging up my beautiful prom cycle path..its stop start all the way sometimes...wish they,d all go to Blackpool instead.

Like ColinJ, rollin and TheCopper, spd's but not overly tensioned. I find it much easier to climb when clipped in. I can crash going downhill no matter what pedals I am using

Here is an article I read about a year ago which finally convinced me to ditch SPD's on the mtn bike. Well I didn't ditch, I've flats/spd's but I don't wear SPD shoes anymore.

wear shoes without cleats when it Dad mode?

I will confess to a little buttock tightening when riding clipped in on some rooty singletrack going across the side of a mountain (sheer drop on the left hand side) in the Alps a couple of years ago such that I unclipped for large sections of it. But that is the joy of the DX series clip and platform SPD.

And in my younger days, staying clipped kept the bike with me and saved me a few undignified scrambles down a mountain side to retrieve it post-off. I tend to have the tension on my chocolate foot a bit higher btw. Asymmetry is a terrible thing.

That would be the idea, yes... either the M324's (or M520's with platforms) would seem to be the ideal dual-purpose solution allowing me to be on flats with the kids in tow, and clipped in when trail bashing myself.

Thanks for posting that... interesting reading

Got M324's on the ruff stuff tourer but won't use them when MTB'ing. Too much faff to get the correct side uppermost when you need to be clipped in.

I find M520's, which I have on one or two bikes, almost impossible to ride on for any distance when not clipped in.

M424 I reckon is the way to go, if budget is tight, or M545 if your more flush. I've more money than sense, and ride on the cleat choking clays of Sussex so I've got M647 on the mtb.

Wellgo do a range of removable pedals; I've a pair of spd's and a pair of flats to go on my Brompton. Takes about 5 seconds to swap them over. (Not a cheap option though)

Cheers Greg

I'd spotted the M424s, which I guess are perfect if you want the option of cycling in normal footwear (i.e. trainers, walking shoes or, er, slippers). Since I habitually pull on my Shimano MTB shoes when riding now, the M424's would always end up being clipped in. With a "platform one side, cleats the other" pedal (such as the M324), I could wear my normal cycling shoes but ride either clipped in or not.

A common misconception. You just move your foot slightly off the clipped in sweet spot and zero clippage occurs. Then pedal as if you were on flats. It only becomes a problem when you forget you are not clipped in!

I found the graunch graunch of cleat on pedal a little disconcerting, and it messes with the finish, but that is true of M324 too. Wearing mtb shoes with cleats on a platform pedal puts my teeth on edge tbh, and can be very very slippery. Got A520 on the fast tourer/audax bike. Riding on the platform side in mtb shoes (Spesh BG Sport) with cleats (not tired it in road shoes with cleats), especially when pushing off from a stop, is a hair raising experience; your feet just slide straight off the pedal, like ice on teflon,and I've got the scars on my shins to remind me.