# SPD-SL Pedals and coming to a stop



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Just switched my road bike from SPD pedals to SPD-SL pedals. The shoes with the SPDs were more mountain bike with a more treaded sole, and the new road shoes are smooth carbon soles. Clipping out and coming to a stop, I have been completely clipping out then putting my weight on a pedala to get off the saddle and then put the other foot down with the SPDs. Doing that with the SPD-SLs and road shoes my foot is sliding off the pedal and I find I have to be VERY careful getting off the saddle not crash my butt into the tip of the saddle if my foot slides off. After a few awkward stops, I started leaving one foot clipped in to avoid the problem, but I don't like doing that because if I lose balance and get my weight to the other side, I know what happens, crash. 

Am I missing something obvious here, doing something incorrectly?


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## mykell9999 (Aug 17, 2004)

yes you have to leave 1 foot clipped in. as for tipping over because your weight is not on the correct side, it's just something you get used to after a few rides.


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## Sully00 (Dec 29, 2012)

I have never really thought about it much but this is the way I do it (I think). If I am coming to a stop I will lean on my hoods and put the foot that I will leave in at the bottom of the pedal stroke. While my other shoe is near the top of the stroke (the side where I will eventually place my first foot on the ground) I will unclip as I slowly coast. Now I can lower that foot closer to the ground and scoot off the front of the saddle and hover with all my weight on the one pedal. This lowers my center of gravity to make it easier to place my free foot down as way I stop. I wouldn't recommend staying in the saddle while trying to "tip" the right way in order to stop.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Thanks guys, sounds like I am doing it correctly keeping one foot in. I'll get used to it I'm sure.


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## Cyclin Dan (Sep 24, 2011)

Srode said:


> Thanks guys, sounds like I am doing it correctly keeping one foot in. I'll get used to it I'm sure.


Yeah, I never unclip both feet. Just my left foot. Once I stop, I move my right foot from 6:00 to about 1:30. Then when I'm ready to go I can just stand up and start rolling.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Cut your front wheel to the side of the clipped-in foot. It's counter-intuitive, but it works.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

mpre53 said:


> Cut your front wheel to the side of the clipped-in foot. It's counter-intuitive, but it works.


Thanks, so turn right if my left is unclipped and the bike will fall to the left - correct? Good tip!


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## .je (Aug 25, 2012)

After a few falls you'll internalize this process and automatically do it. If you think... you'll lean to compensate... and fall the way opposite to the way you were worried about.

I've also learned to have more realistic expectations for upclipping and just unclip even 40 or 50 feet early. I don't want to find out my ankle is too fatigued and moves too slow!

Also... the cleats wear from new fairly quickly and become much easier to get out...


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## imschur (Jan 19, 2013)

Im new to road bikes after decades of mountain biking. The switch to SPD-L took a few weeks to get used to. I will throw out a story as a warning. One morning I was dressed and ready to go. I needed to go out on the deck for something first. I opened the door stepped on the damp wood of the deck and went flying down the stairs and off the deck. Those freaking cleats are ice skates on wet wood. Never saw it coming.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Sully00 said:


> I have never really thought about it much but this is the way I do it (I think). If I am coming to a stop I will lean on my hoods and put the foot that I will leave in at the bottom of the pedal stroke. *While my other shoe is near the top of the stroke (the side where I will eventually place my first foot on the ground) I will unclip as I slowly coast.* Now I can lower that foot closer to the ground and scoot off the front of the saddle and hover with all my weight on the one pedal. This lowers my center of gravity to make it easier to place my free foot down as way I stop. I wouldn't recommend staying in the saddle while trying to "tip" the right way in order to stop.


it's much easier to unclip at the bottom of the pedal stroke, pedal 1/2 revolution so the other pedal is down, then stop. you don't have to twist your knee as much at the bottom of the stroke as you do at the top.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

cxwrench said:


> it's much easier to unclip at the bottom of the pedal stroke, pedal 1/2 revolution so the other pedal is down, then stop. you don't have to twist your knee as much at the bottom of the stroke as you do at the top.


That's a good point, much easier! 



.je said:


> I've also learned to have more realistic expectations for upclipping and just unclip even 40 or 50 feet early. I don't want to find out my ankle is too fatigued and moves too slow!
> 
> Also... the cleats wear from new fairly quickly and become much easier to get out...


Yep, I always unclipped early from my SPD/Mountain bike shoes on this bike so that's natural already and I was hoping they would wear in a little bit - they are a tad stiff even with the lightest setting on the pedals. 







imschur said:


> Im new to road bikes after decades of mountain biking. The switch to SPD-L took a few weeks to get used to. I will throw out a story as a warning. One morning I was dressed and ready to go. I needed to go out on the deck for something first. I opened the door stepped on the damp wood of the deck and went flying down the stairs and off the deck. Those freaking cleats are ice skates on wet wood. Never saw it coming.


thanks for that tip, they look like they would be slick now that I think about it - I'm sure I would have been on my butt with these sooner or later if you hadn't brought that up.


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## DownByFive (Feb 2, 2012)

imschur said:


> Im new to road bikes after decades of mountain biking. The switch to SPD-L took a few weeks to get used to. I will throw out a story as a warning. One morning I was dressed and ready to go. I needed to go out on the deck for something first. I opened the door stepped on the damp wood of the deck and went flying down the stairs and off the deck. Those freaking cleats are ice skates on wet wood. Never saw it coming.


Answer: CleatSkins.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

cxwrench said:


> it's much easier to unclip at the bottom of the pedal stroke, pedal 1/2 revolution so the other pedal is down, then stop. you don't have to twist your knee as much at the bottom of the stroke as you do at the top.


Might be just out of habit, but I unclip at the 12 position. When stopping, I unclip the left first, place that foot down, then unclip right. The right I do unclip at 6.

Re: twisting the knee, I don't see how the pedal position changes the physics of unclipping. I tried it both ways and saw/ felt no difference in knee motion.

EDIT: I think keeping the clipped in (right) foot 'down' gives me a better sense of balance as I'm coasting to a stop, unclipping left/ leaning left.


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## frr792 (Mar 5, 2013)

imschur said:


> Those freaking cleats are ice skates on wet wood. Never saw it coming.


Good to know. Will learn from your pain. Thanks for the heads up.


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## Sixjours (Feb 24, 2012)

I never used anything else but SPD SL's, very simple really, unclip one foot only, brake, aim your front wheel right if left foot is unclipped and voila, its all. bike will lean over , no way you can fall to the cliped foot side.


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

I always unclip at the 12 o'clock position, and only just before I need to put the foot down ... or a little bit earlier and my other foot will still be clipped in at the 6 o'clock position and my weight is already on that foot and I am already off my saddle ...

Practice and practice and you will be fine ... just need to mentally tell yourself which foot you want to put down.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n said:


> I always unclip at the 12 o'clock position, and only just before I need to put the foot down ... or a little bit earlier and my other foot will still be clipped in at the 6 o'clock position and my weight is already on that foot and I am already off my saddle ...
> 
> Practice and practice and you will be fine ... just need to mentally tell yourself which foot you want to put down.


And you need to practice coasting while off the saddle while standing on one pedal, with the other leg dangling. That sounds intimidating to some people, but it's not really hard at all, and it's really useful in low-speed maneuvering when you're not sure when and where you'll have to stop.

Unclipping when coming to a stop on a fixed-gear is a slightly different matter. When you've mastered that, stopping on a bike that coasts seems absurdly simple.


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## vmps (Feb 15, 2013)

PJ352 said:


> Might be just out of habit, but I unclip at the 12 position. When stopping, I unclip the left first, place that foot down, then unclip right. The right I do unclip at 6.
> 
> Re: twisting the knee, I don't see how the pedal position changes the physics of unclipping. I tried it both ways and saw/ felt no difference in knee motion.
> 
> EDIT: I think keeping the clipped in (right) foot 'down' gives me a better sense of balance as I'm coasting to a stop, unclipping left/ leaning left.


The knee twists less when the unclipped foot is at 6 because the whole leg (from the hip) is twisting rather than just the lower leg, and the knee experiences much less torsion. If your knees are fine it doesn't matter. If you have bad knees, you'll definitely notice the difference.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

vmps said:


> The knee twists less when the unclipped foot is at 6 because the whole leg (from the hip) is twisting rather than just the lower leg, and the knee experiences much less torsion. If your knees are fine it doesn't matter. If you have bad knees, you'll definitely notice the difference.


Sounds good 'on paper', but I tried it again both ways just as a double check and saw/ felt no difference, and that was unclipping at 12 with my 'bad' knee (not really bad, just an old cycling related injury). 

Like most things, experiment and do what feels right. There's no 'rule' or right or wrong here.


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## vmps (Feb 15, 2013)

PJ352 said:


> Sounds good 'on paper', but I tried it again both ways just as a double check and saw/ felt no difference, and that was unclipping at 12 with my 'bad' knee (not really bad, just an old cycling related injury).
> 
> Like most things, experiment and do what feels right. There's no 'rule' or right or wrong here.


I don't recall anyone saying there was a rule. After a couple of hours of riding that involves relatively frequent unclipping, I can tell the difference. If you can't, great for you. I assure you that the pain in my knee isn't on paper.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

vmps said:


> *I don't recall anyone saying there was a rule.* After a couple of hours of riding that involves relatively frequent unclipping, I can tell the difference. If you can't, great for you. I assure you that the pain in my knee isn't on paper.


I don't recall saying anyone did.

Our experiences differ, so as I said, like most things, experiment and do what feels right.


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## chudson0616 (Mar 8, 2013)

From what I have experienced with SPD pedals, when coming to a stop I put my right foot at the 12 oclock position and unclip only that one and leave my left foot at 6 oclock position and push off with it when im ready to go again. That may differ for you as you may be predominately a lefty.


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## rbelleza (Sep 8, 2012)

I'm a right dominant guy but for some reason I prefer to unclip my left foot, probably because I feel more confident coasting with my right on the pedal. When I do unclip, I tend to point my left foot toe down and then snap to the outside...it seems to make it easier to get out (something to try). I also tend to unclip at 12 as well, but 6 works too.


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## jacksdad (Aug 7, 2012)

Sixjours said:


> I never used anything else but SPD SL's, very simple really, unclip one foot only, brake, aim your front wheel right if left foot is unclipped and voila, its all. bike will lean over , no way you can fall to the cliped foot side.


this is how i do it.

on two wheeled contraptions you turn left to lean and go right.


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