Safety guidelines when using MTB clipless pedals on a road bike

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Safety guidelines when using MTB clipless pedals on a road bike



Yesterday, I went for a ride and my legs felt really great (hadn't been cycling for about 2 weeks) so when I was climbing on a hill, I decided to go on a full blown sprint and unfortunately... somehow my leg got released from the pedal and on the push down, my foot hit the ground and that was enough to get myself flying over the bars.



I got used to the regular road bike clipless pedals and that never would've happened with them, what should I do in order to not fly over the bars again on my next sprint?



I use the clipless MTB pedals on my road because the extra I had really helped me with my knee.



Solution:
It's quite apparent that the springs were just too loose.



I can now lift the bike with the shoe on it easily.




2 Answers
2



This answer is for SPD pedals, which are the most common MTB pedals. Other systems do not have multi release cleat, and some don't even have adjustable springs.



First: make sure you do not have multi-release cleats. They are designed to release when pulled up hard enough, and can be distinguished by letter "M" stamped to them. If the cleats are too worn to tell whether they have the marking, it's probably best to replace them anyway.



Second: Adjust the release spring tension so that the pedals are easy to unclip but not any looser. Too loose pedals may release unintentionally.



Third: If these do not help, it's probably time for new pedals.





3. New pedals, the same type, or a different type?
– Swifty
55 mins ago





I'm not aware that any system had systematic problems with unintentional release, so I guess if they're otherwise happy with their old pedals, no reason to change.
– ojs
46 mins ago






I've got my SPDs set very easy to release (not multi release), and they never release accidentally. I mean not once in tens of thousands of km. I climb by sitting down and gearing down, but do pull up on the pedals with a reasonable amount of force.
– Chris H
8 mins ago



I use MTB shoes and pedals (Crank Bros Candy) on the road all the time and have never had a problem.



I don't see why MTB style pedals would resent a greater risk of the cleat coming out of the pedal under high power than a road style pedal would. Mountain riding probably involves more short, high power bursts than road riding does.



I believe road pedals have a wider base and different retention system because there is less need to accommodate frequent clipping in and out, not to support higher pedaling force.



You should examine your pedals and cleats and look for excessive wear and play between the pedal and shoe, or low disengagement effort. A new set of cleats and adjusting the depth of the cleat in the shoe sole will probably help.






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