Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

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Edwards
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by Edwards »

Welcome Arturo.
You do not say whether the SPD cleats were road or MTB. I use MTB only, so can not give any information about road pedals.
The only really bad incident I have had was over 30 years ago. This was using Toe Clips and straps. One wet November night I found a patch of oil on the road, going down a steep hill. The straps were not that tight but my feet did not come of the pedals. I slid a long way and removed a lot of skin from hip to ankle and other places.
I found straps not always that good.
Now I use MTB type SPD pedals and cleats but keep them set at a low tension. I have found on some of them that with wear and lubrication they unclip very easily, so in the even of a fall I would not stay attached.
This is no good if racing but is ideal for traffic and round town.
Keith Edwards
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Arturo
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by Arturo »

Thanks for all the comments.
It took me a week to get back in the saddle, since when I have been riding in clips (when the weather has allowed).
I have always used SPD's with the factory tension straight out of the box, but after experimenting I have been able to back them off one and a half turns (although I haven't tried any serious climbing yet). I bought some multi release clips, and will be comparing their performance in the spring.
And yes, age is a factor: at 55 I don't bounce as well as I used to....
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gaz545
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by gaz545 »

I use Shimano SPD-SL's with max force on the clip.
When i dropped my front wheel on a wet leaf on a metal grating at only 10mph, my feet came flying out. Same when i crashed at 15mph the other week. And the same thing happened when i was hit side on by a car over a year ago whilst i was doing 20mph.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J7YNNpvvYI - see how my feet are out of the pedals nearly straight away.
Koi
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by Koi »

All the comments seem to be mainly about coming off the bike, which is the point of the OP, but what effect do loose SPD settings have on the other 99% of the time, i.e. the bit where we're cycling?
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ersakus
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by ersakus »

I use SPDs. Two falls on black ice and mud in the past years. Both times broken RH wrist! I seem so stretch my arm. No problems anywhere (oh I forgot messed up face!). All well now. Wish you rapid recovery.
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Si
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by Si »

Koi wrote:All the comments seem to be mainly about coming off the bike, which is the point of the OP, but what effect do loose SPD settings have on the other 99% of the time, i.e. the bit where we're cycling?


More than 99.99% of the time I've not had any problem with them while riding - the only time that I do pull a foot is on the Single Speed up a very steep local hill (probably bits of 1/4 or worse). And on this hill, riding it on a multigeared bike with slack SPDs is fine - it's just the extra dog that you have to give it to keep the SS going.
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ersakus
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by ersakus »

Si wrote:
Koi wrote:All the comments seem to be mainly about coming off the bike, which is the point of the OP, but what effect do loose SPD settings have on the other 99% of the time, i.e. the bit where we're cycling?


More than 99.99% of the time I've not had any problem with them while riding - the only time that I do pull a foot is on the Single Speed up a very steep local hill (probably bits of 1/4 or worse). And on this hill, riding it on a multigeared bike with slack SPDs is fine - it's just the extra dog that you have to give it to keep the SS going.

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Edwards
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by Edwards »

I keep the tension low and the only time I have ever had a problem has been trying to chase down cars.
Possibly a good idea my foot did come out and I did not catch them.
Keith Edwards
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Koi wrote:All the comments seem to be mainly about coming off the bike, which is the point of the OP, but what effect do loose SPD settings have on the other 99% of the time, i.e. the bit where we're cycling?


Not alot - I still leave myself with plenty of float, never managed to pull out of them (single release cleats), there is a touch of movement under heavy pedalling, so I guess they're wearing out slightly quicker...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
goatwarden
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by goatwarden »

When I got my first SPDs, I set the clip force to minimum. I have never tightened them and see no reason to. Every subsequent set of pedals I have bought, I have losened them as much as possible and left them like it. I use single release cleats. I have never come out of a pedal when I din't mean to. When I came off and broke my hip in November, I did not consciously unclip, the bike and me parted company very smoothly; I suspect that, had my foot not unclipped itself, my injury might have been compounded significantly - by the bystanders trying to unclip me, if not by the accident itself!
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quiksilver
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by quiksilver »

I had recieved a groin strain injury from unclipping a year or two back on a mini roundabout after a car entered the r/b without seeing me. I was trying to avoid collision, brake, unclip and get a foot down and banged my groin area on the top tube. I always have my SPDs set at the minimum tension and have never had any unexpected unclipping incidents. When riding through slow traffic I always unclip my left foot and rest the arch of my foot on the pedal and keep pedalling like that until free of obstructions. That way I feel safer as I can get a foot down should I need to come to a sudden stop.
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CREPELLO
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by CREPELLO »

I've had issues with SPD's as I explain here....viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20763.
I understand that for us cyclists that have toes that stick outwards, it's beneficial for the knees whilst cycling to correct the orientation of the feet to help the knee move in a more efficient way - in a straighter plane.

Having corrected for this, it does require extra effort to flex the heel to release from the SPD. I've now reduced the retention spring tension.
Gearoidmuar
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by Gearoidmuar »

CREPELLO wrote:I've had issues with SPD's as I explain here....viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20763.
I understand that for us cyclists that have toes that stick outwards, it's beneficial for the knees whilst cycling to correct the orientation of the feet to help the knee move in a more efficient way - in a straighter plane.


Who told you that?? If your toes stick out or in, it's because of your anatomy. Everything is variable in humans. You shouldn't try to correct it. Stephen Gerrard's toes stick out. Should he have this corrected?
You should leave your toes in the normal position they take up.
Arturo
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by Arturo »

Seems to be broad agreement that the way to set up the spd's is with the minimum tension not causing unplanned disengagement.
I am back on the road and climbing again. Experimenting with tension, I have found that the multi release cleats need to be half a turn tighter than the single release for equivalent pull out. The single cleats feel slightly better, with less float when pedalling normally.
gilesjuk
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Re: Injury mechanism crashing with spd's

Post by gilesjuk »

I don't bother with SPDs on the commuting/utility bike mainly because I don't want to have to put special shoes on to just pop to the shops.

I slid over last winter and the bike slid along. Got up and carried on. But when I slid in the wet on my MTB with clipless I twisted my ankle and it was agony.
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