[gero]

Hi,

Just bought my first road bike. Got some Shimano look-style pedals and cleats for my new bike shoes.

I've installed the pedals on the bike and turned the tension screw on the pedals to the loosest possible setting. But I can't seem to click into the pedals no matter what I do. I must be doing something wrong - it LOOKS like I should be able to put the front of the cleat into the front of the pedal and then just press down with my heel - but even with all 175lbs of me bouncing on the pedal I can't get it to click in!

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Bianchiguy]

I use the Shimanos' also. They come set for the least resistance so make sure you didn't actually increase tension.

 

[gero]

I use the Shimanos' also. They come set for the least resistance so make sure you didn't actually increase tension.

They're definitely at the loosest setting. I can get them in using the shoe in my hands and holding the pedal. Is there some sort of technique required other than pressing straight down? I tried riding down the street and had 100% of my weight on the pedal and it went nowhere - just stayed un-clipped.

I actually got one of them clipped in while I was in my living room - but wasn't able to reproduce it on the road.

 

[gero]

It seems like the problem is that I can't get any pressure on my heel to get the spring to open up. This seems obvious because when I press down with my heel the pedal just spins back and I end up not putting any more pressure on the heel than I was with the pedal in the 'flat' or forward position.

 

[Kerry Irons]

Technique

I can get them in using the shoe in my hands and holding the pedal. Is there some sort of technique required other than pressing straight down? I actually got one of them clipped in while I was in my living room - but wasn't able to reproduce it on the road.

You obviously are not getting your foot in there right if you can do it with the shoe in your hands but not by standing on it. My first guess would be that you are not "approaching" the pedal with your shoe pointed down at the toe. You want to engage the front of the cleat with the front of the pedal such that the lip on the cleat is under the lip on the pedal. Once you have done this, THEN you step down on the pedal and it should go right in.

 

[gero]

You obviously are not getting your foot in there right if you can do it with the shoe in your hands but not by standing on it. My first guess would be that you are not "approaching" the pedal with your shoe pointed down at the toe. You want to engage the front of the cleat with the front of the pedal such that the lip on the cleat is under the lip on the pedal. Once you have done this, THEN you step down on the pedal and it should go right in.

The front of the cleat is definitely in the proper position. I even had my gf look underneath to confirm this. If I lean the bike against the wall and put the right foot in the left pedal, I can get it into the proper position and then very easily click it in with my hand. The issue is getting that amount of pressure on the spring without using my hand. It seems almost impossible at this point.

 

[ari]

This seems obvious because when I press down with my heel the pedal just spins back and I end up not putting any more pressure on the heel than I was with the pedal in the 'flat' or forward position.

This may be obvious, but I'll try anyway. You shouldn't actually be pushing down with your *heel*. You should be pushing down on the pedal ... more like with the ball of your foot.

Cheers,
Ari

 

[dom3333]

Please post a picture of your shoes, cleats and pedals.

 

[Powder Hound]

Ensure that your heel is straight in the pedal when clipping in. If it is off 5-10 degrees, then you can stand all day on that thing without connection.

If you can click in with your hand easily, you should have no problem in the saddle. When I am doing any race with a transition area (tri-du), I usually attach my shoes to the pedals. It is noticeably difficult by hand for me.

Perhaps have a friend look at it for you to confirm the problem source

 

[gero]

I've made a little progress - I can now clip in with the right pedal by pointing my right heel in towards the bike and then pressing down while moving my heel out to the side. Doesn't seem to work with the left at all. This diagonal motion seems to work great on one side but not on the other.

 

[dom3333]

Could his cleats be upside down?.

 

[Dave_Stohler]

Could his cleats be upside down?.

I'm betting he using actual Look cleats, which, of course, don't work on Shimano pedals......

 

[gero]

I'm betting he using actual Look cleats, which, of course, don't work on Shimano pedals......

The cleats say 'shimano' on them. Again, clipping in with the right is fine now. The left just won't clip in. It gets 'close', and if I reach down with my hand I can click it in the rest of the way - obviously this doesn't do me any good when I'm actually riding the bike.

 

[captal]

I have look cleats going into wellgo pedals and it's not hard to clip in once you have the front in... very little pressure is necessary.

Something has to be screwy here, perhaps ask at your LBS.

 

[wim]

Re-read ari's post # 7.

You really need to stop thinking about your heel. Pushing down with your heel rotates the pedal backwards, making it impossible for you to exert any real downward force on the pedal spring clip. Try this:

Get the front of the cleat in position. Rotate the pedal into a horizontal position and keep it there - you might have to lean forward a bit over the bars to do that. Now think of the clicking-in motion as raising up on your toes to make yourself taller, then bouncing your weight onto the ball of your foot. This is a lot easier if the crank is at bottom dead center.

The only time to think about moving your heel upward, downward, left or right is when you twist out of the pedal.

 

[gero]

I figured it out! The pedals were set at the loosest setting, which was just WAY too loose. The cleat would only stay in the pedal half the time, and the left one wouldn't grab at all. I tightened them up to about halfway and they actually work properly now.

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone - that was a frustrating one.

d'oh...

 

[captal]

Glad to hear you figured it out! That's sort of a funny problem

 

[Dave_Stohler]

Good luck with your "bear traps" there....

I have look cleats going into wellgo pedals and it's not hard to clip in once you have the front in... very little pressure is necessary.
..................

From my brief but harrowing experiences with Wellgo cheap-sh!t Look-alike pedals, the big problem was getting your !^$#ing foot out of the damn thing without breaking your ankle! Take a look in the reviews-my extremely negative review of these death-traps was only one of many.....

For god's sake, save up a few bucks and get some decent pedals!

 

[captal]

It probably would be smart to pick up some keos now that I have keo cleats... that's $60 wasted at the LBS for the Wellgos though.

How about the Look Keo Classic Road pedal:

$85 at Amazon

 

[wim]

Hmmm.

You're using KEO cleats on Wellgo pedals? Correct me if i'm wrong, but I thought Wellgos take the the Look ARC cleat.

KEO and ARC cleats appear similar, but they're definitely not identical.