# SPD-SL pedals - Can't clip in? Could it be the shoes?



## stillconcept.com (Jul 14, 2012)

I ordered the wife Shimano 105 pedals for her LG FUTURA XR SHOES, it's the same pedals I've been using for over a year. After the pedals where installed she struggled clipping in, extremely difficult to get the shoe/clip to actually engage. I thought it was her so I tried her bike, her pedals with my shoes... no problem, clips in easy. So I tried wearing her shoes and clipping in thinking she's the amateur and I couldn't clip in either on her bike... she also can't clip in on my bike with her shoes/clips.

So... I ordered a new pair of clips, installed a fresh set and the same problem ... could it be her shoes causing this? They are compatible according to Louie Garneau.

Do the pedals have any other adjustments I'm missing, the tension is currently set at minimum. Please help!


----------



## LC (Jan 28, 2004)

Only thing I can think of is that the curve of the shoe bottom is off which is deforming the cleat.


----------



## nolight (Oct 12, 2012)

I can't see how it can be the shoes. The cleat is the lock to the pedal's key, the shoe doesn't even come into play unless it is the position of the cleat on the shoe.


----------



## VKW (Jul 26, 2009)

How about a picture of the cleat+shoe and it overlaid on the pedal. Maybe the rear bolts are too long for the shoe and preventing the cleat from seating all the way.


----------



## bdaghisallo1 (Sep 25, 2007)

LC said:


> Only thing I can think of is that the curve of the shoe bottom is off which is deforming the cleat.


Bingo! This has to be it.


----------



## mikerp (Jul 24, 2011)

LC said:


> Only thing I can think of is that the curve of the shoe bottom is off which is deforming the cleat.


Second.
To test it - back off the front screw from the cleat and check if a gap opens between the shoe and the cleat, if so you will need a shim.


----------



## kidd546 (Nov 3, 2007)

Yes I have had to add washers to the front of a shoe to get the cleat to click into the pedal.


----------



## stillconcept.com (Jul 14, 2012)

mikerp said:


> Second.
> To test it - back off the front screw from the cleat and check if a gap opens between the shoe and the cleat, if so you will need a shim.


Ill test that tonight and report back... Would a standard washer between it work?


----------



## kidd546 (Nov 3, 2007)

That is what I used and it worked fine.


----------



## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Another possibility (admittedly rare) is that the small raised walking aid on the tip of the sole comes too far back into the direction of the cleat and interferes with the engagement of the cleat's front lip. Not sure what you meant by "difficulty to...actually engage," so I assumed "difficulty to hook the front of the cleat into the pedal." If the difficulty is getting the spring-loaded part of the pedal to snap into the cleat, ignore this post.


----------



## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

My wife had this exact problem, and it was caused by the soles on her Sidi Zephyr's being too curved and pulling the cleat out of shape so it would not engage, as has been suggested. I tried to shim them with washers and it wasn't satisfactory--shimming under the front of the cleat caused problems getting the hook into the pedal and no amount of shimming made me confident that it would engage properly and be durable. 

I wound up buying her a new pair of Shimano shoes and selling off the Zephyrs on ebay to someone with a different cleat system. Problem solved.


----------



## stillconcept.com (Jul 14, 2012)

wim said:


> Another possibility (admittedly rare) is that the small raised walking aid on the tip of the sole comes too far back into the direction of the cleat and interferes with the engagement of the cleat's front lip. Not sure what you meant by "difficulty to...actually engage," so I assumed "difficulty to hook the front of the cleat into the pedal." If the difficulty is getting the spring-loaded part of the pedal to snap into the cleat, ignore this post.


The spring won't engage regardless of the force I put down even with my own foot. 

More and more it sounds like to curvature of the shoes, ill confirm tonight. Maybe I can seat them differently and that will help.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Yeah, washers will work. As you back out the screws one at a time, look carefully at how the cleat is flexed by the curvature of the shoe sole. You might need to stack more than one washer, and you might have to put them under one or both of the rear corners, instead of or in addition to the front. The goal is to have the cleat securely attached but not bent too much from its natural shape.


----------



## Rburr (Feb 25, 2011)

Try engaging the cleats when they are not attached to the shoe. This might help confirm or eliminate some of the possibilities.


----------



## stillconcept.com (Jul 14, 2012)

I tinkered with it a bit tonight and success, problem found. I loosened the front bolt and it did lift ever so slightly. I left it loose and I could engage the cleat into the pedal by hand, nice and crisp sound as it engaged. When I tighten the front bolt the problem returns.

I made some headway with one shoe by reseating the cleat but am having trouble with the other. Trying to avoid using a shim. I'm certain that tiny shim will solve the problem.

Thanks guys for the awesome responses and help!


----------



## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

stillconcept.com said:


> Trying to avoid using a shim.


Nothing wrong with shims. With one pedal system, "base plates" and various other spacing devices are a way of life. You don't need a hard metal washer. An appropriately thick piece of plastic or a folded piece of sandpaper will do the trick


----------



## phylchua (Jul 19, 2013)

May I know how a washer look like? where can I buy one? I have the same problem, can't clip till I loosen the 2 rear screws.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

phylchua said:


> May I know how a washer look like? where can I buy one? I have the same problem, can't clip till I loosen the 2 rear screws.


They look like this.
View attachment 284444

They come in many sizes. They can be bought cheaply at any hardware store.


----------



## bikeman68 (Feb 10, 2009)

*wifes shoes dont fit spdL pedals right*



stillconcept.com said:


> I ordered the wife Shimano 105 pedals for her LG FUTURA XR SHOES, it's the same pedals I've been using for over a year. After the pedals where installed she struggled clipping in, extremely difficult to get the shoe/clip to actually engage. I thought it was her so I tried her bike, her pedals with my shoes... no problem, clips in easy. So I tried wearing her shoes and clipping in thinking she's the amateur and I couldn't clip in either on her bike... she also can't clip in on my bike with her shoes/clips.
> 
> So... I ordered a new pair of clips, installed a fresh set and the same problem ... could it be her shoes causing this? They are compatible according to Louie Garneau.
> 
> Do the pedals have any other adjustments I'm missing, the tension is currently set at minimum. Please help!


 To this poster and anybody else asking wth is wrong with this picture, its because when you have smaller road shoes like a 36,37 38 you will get a tighter sole radius that curves any road cleat more sharply, and the SpdL pedals are designed for a hallmark road bike shoe size of 42-43 and of the exact shimano sole specs so there is no room for error with the gap betw the pedal platform and the binding clip height. In this case you can maybe get by with loosening the front cleat bolt to see how much the "point" of the cleat pulls away and fill in that gap with a plastic shim, maybe a 1mm reflector shim or any material thats solid and allows newly shaped cleat to clip in, and float smoothly with no binding or "sticktion" . If cleat pops in and feels sloppy with cleat rocking then you need to reduce the shim thickness .


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

bikeman68 said:


> To this poster and anybody else asking wth is wrong with this picture, its because when you have smaller road shoes like a 36,37 38 you will get a tighter sole radius that curves any road cleat more sharply, and the SpdL pedals are designed for a hallmark road bike shoe size of 42-43 and of the exact shimano sole specs so there is no room for error with the gap betw the pedal platform and the binding clip height. In this case you can maybe get by with loosening the front cleat bolt to see how much the "point" of the cleat pulls away and fill in that gap with a plastic shim, maybe a 1mm reflector shim or any material thats solid and allows newly shaped cleat to clip in, and float smoothly with no binding or "sticktion" . If cleat pops in and feels sloppy with cleat rocking then you need to reduce the shim thickness .


Given that the last post was over a year ago, and you basically said the same thing that more than one other person did...why bother?


----------



## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

7/19/2013 was over a year ago? Time flies.


----------



## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

At the risk of keeping the old thread alive (and not so old anyway), in other forums, I've seen some fairly common comments that small men and especially women have problems with SPD-SL pedals. It's been hypothesized that it's the person's weight/strength (the springs are just too strong for some riders).

Now I see that it might not have anything to do with body/weight/strength at all, but rather, _size_ and specifically shoe size. This makes sense, and it sounds like a washer (aka shim) will help or resolve the problem?


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Rburr said:


> Try engaging the cleats when they are not attached to the shoe. This might help confirm or eliminate some of the possibilities.


I know I'm responding to a year-old post from an infrequent participant, but in case someone reads this thread dredge and is tempted to try this, be aware that it would be very difficult to clip this sort of cleat into a pedal without it being attached to a shoe, and if you could manage that it would be damn near impossible to unclip it without the leverage provided by the shoe. It's pretty hard to do even holding the shoe in you hand, rather than wearing it.

don't try this


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

looigi said:


> 7/19/2013 was over a year ago? Time flies.


The post he quoted was from Feb of '13...good enough for you?


----------



## bikeman68 (Feb 10, 2009)

*spdL tech trouble w/small shoes*



cxwrench said:


> Given that the last post was over a year ago, and you basically said the same thing that more than one other person did...why bother?


 I only intended to help, and this issue will be ongoing like many tech issues, so the mature thing for YOU to have done was not bother making a post over complaining on how I left something redundant when i really might have helped somebody with my version of small rd shoe fixes.GROW UP


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

bikeman68 said:


> I only intended to help, and this issue will be ongoing like many tech issues, so the mature thing for YOU to have done was not bother making a post over complaining on how I left something redundant when i really might have helped somebody with my version of small rd shoe fixes.GROW UP


I'm definitely a jerk, most likely an *ssh*le, and generally a PITA on a regular basis. But I'm definitely not immature.


----------

