How to Clip In and Out of Clipless Pedals: A Beginner's Guide

Set the pedals up for learning first

Make release as easy as possible before your first try. Five minutes of setup removes most of the fear.

• Turn the release tension to its lowest setting. Shimano SPD and SPD-SL pedals, and Look Keo Classic pedals, have a small tension screw on each binding. Back it off fully, and count the turns so both pedals match.
• Use the easiest cleat for your system. On SPD, fit silver SM-SH56 multi-release cleats. On Crankbrothers, use the Easy Release cleat (10° release). Speedplay riders can use the gray Easy Tension cleat.
• Make sure the cleats are tight and straight. A loose cleat turns with your shoe and will not release. Our installation guide covers position and bolt torque.

Crankbrothers pedals have no tension screw, so the cleat choice sets how easy release is.

How to clip in

Start from a standstill with one foot already clipped in. You only need to find the second pedal once you are moving.

1. Stand over the bike with both feet down and the brakes on.
2. Rotate the crank so the pedal for your stronger foot sits at about 2 o’clock, forward and up.
3. Place the ball of that foot on the pedal and slide it forward until the cleat’s nose catches the front of the mechanism.
4. Press down through your heel until you feel or hear the click.
5. Release the brakes and push down on that pedal to get moving, then sit on the saddle.
6. Bring the other foot up and clip in on the next stroke. If you miss, pedal a few turns with that foot resting on the pedal and try again once you are rolling steadily.

Try not to look down. Learning to find the pedal by feel is what makes clipping in quick.

Double-sided pedals: SPD, Crankbrothers, Speedplay

Either face of the pedal works, so you simply step down. If the cleat does not catch, lift slightly and press again, sliding the foot forward a little. Crankbrothers Eggbeater and Candy pedals accept the cleat from four sides, which makes them the most forgiving to find.

Single-sided road pedals: SPD-SL, Look Keo

Road pedals hang tail-down, so the front lip faces up and back toward you. Slide the cleat’s nose forward under that lip, then press down with your heel. If the pedal is upside down, tap the back of it with your toe to flip it over. It takes a few rides to make this automatic, so practice stationary first.

How to unclip

1. Twist your heel straight outward, away from the bike, in one smooth, deliberate movement.
2. Keep turning past the float until the cleat releases. You will feel a few degrees of free movement first.
3. Lift the foot clear and put it down.

Twisting inward will not release most cleats and can knock your heel into the crank. Pulling straight up does not work with standard cleats; it only works with SPD multi-release cleats, and even then with a twist.

Single-release vs multi-release SPD cleats

Shimano’s two SPD cleats fit the same pedals and shoes and both have 4° float. The difference is how they let go.

	SM-SH51 (black)	SM-SH56 (silver)
Release	Heel twist outward only	Twist either way, or lift and twist
Best for	Mountain biking, sprinting, riders who pull up hard	Beginners, commuting, touring, spin classes
Trade-off	Harder to get out in a panic	Can release when you yank up hard

Many riders start on SM-SH56 cleats and switch to SM-SH51 later, especially for rough trails. More detail is in our cleats guide.

Other systems

• Crankbrothers: the Standard cleat releases at 15° or 20° depending on which foot you fit it to; the Easy Release cleat releases at 10°.
• Wahoo Speedplay: the cleat releases at the end of the float range you have set, so a wider float means a longer twist.
• SPD-SL and Look Keo: heel twist outward, with tension set on the pedal. Look Keo Blade pedals use a carbon blade spring instead of a screw.

Practice drills

Do these before you ride anywhere you would mind falling.

1. Stationary reps. Put the bike on a trainer, or stand it in a doorway with a hand on the frame. Clip in and out 20 times on each foot.
2. Pedaling reps. On the trainer, pedal for a minute, then unclip with the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. Repeat on both sides.
3. Grass or an empty lot. Ride slowly, unclip one foot, coast, then clip back in without looking. Grass is softer if you tip.
4. Stop-and-start drill. Ride, unclip early, stop, put your foot down, then restart. Do it 10 times, then 10 more leading with the other foot.
5. Quiet-road rehearsal. Choose a loop with a few stop signs and practice spotting each stop early.

Once all five feel routine, you are ready for normal traffic.

Stopping and starting in traffic

The routine that prevents most tip-overs:

• Unclip early, several seconds before you need a foot down. Coasting with one foot out is fine.
• Shift to an easier gear before you stop so the restart is easy.
• Lean slightly toward the unclipped foot as you come to a halt.
• Stay clipped in on the other side, ready to push off.
• Restart with the clipped-in foot at 2 o’clock, then find the second pedal once you are rolling.

Road vs MTB: what changes

The technique is the same, but the situations differ.

	Road pedals (SPD-SL, Keo)	MTB and gravel pedals (SPD, Crankbrothers)
Entry	Single-sided: flip with the toe, hook the front lip	Double- or four-sided: step down
When to unclip early	Before junctions, lights and stop signs	Also before technical sections or steep climbs where you might stall
Walking	Slippery on hard floors; walk carefully	Recessed cleat; walk normally
Common snag	Missing the flip when pulling away at lights	Mud packing the cleat or pedal
Release options	Tension on the pedal	Multi-release SPD cleats or Easy Release Crankbrothers cleats

Off-road, knock mud out of the cleat and pedal with a stick if engagement feels vague. Not sure which system suits you? Compare them in SPD vs SPD-SL vs Look Keo.

Common mistakes

• Pulling up instead of twisting the heel out.
• Forgetting you are clipped in when you stop. This is the classic tip-over.
• Unclipping too late, at walking pace with the bike already leaning.
• Tension too high, or different on each pedal.
• Loose cleat bolts, so the cleat turns with the shoe instead of releasing.
• Stopping in a hard gear, which makes the restart wobbly.
• Riding on worn cleats. They release unpredictably; see when to replace cleats.
• Learning in traffic instead of on a trainer or quiet ground first.

Falling over at a stop

Most new clipless riders tip over at least once, almost always at a standstill when they forget to unclip. It is usually slow and more embarrassing than harmful.

If you feel the bike going, twist the heel out hard; even a late release often saves it. If you are going down, keep your arms bent rather than shooting a straight arm out.

Afterwards, check the bike before riding on:

1. The rear derailleur and its hanger, if you fell on the drive side.
2. Brake levers and handlebar for twisting.
3. The cleat and pedal for damage or a loosened cleat.

Then lower the release tension, practice a few stationary reps, and ride on.

When to raise the tension

Raise the tension only when you unclip by accident, typically when sprinting, climbing out of the saddle or riding rough ground. Turn it up in small steps and keep both pedals equal. If nothing releases unexpectedly, leave it low.

Shopping for a first setup? Our beginner clipless pedals guide lists easy-release options, and hybrid pedals let you ride in normal shoes on the flat side while you learn.