How The SPD Changed Mountain Biking
Vložit
- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- Join Anna as she visits the Marin Museum of Bicycling in Fairfax - California, the birthplace of mountain biking to bring you the history of the SPD pedal. There have been countless advancements in MTB tech but none that have stood the test of time like the Shimano SPD system. We talk to Joe Breeze about how he and the other founders of mountain biking tested these pedals and how the 'clipless' revolutionised MTB forever.
In association with Shimano: gmbn.tech/shimano
💻 Submit Top Mods, Bike Caves, Rewinds and more to us 👉 upload.gmbn.com/tech
⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️
0:00 - Welcome!
0:46 - The Birthplace For Mountain Biking
2:55 - Shimano’s Involvement In The Early Years Of MTB
6:03 - The First SPD Shoes & Pedals
9:39 - How Much Has Changed Over The Years
Useful Links:
🛍 NEW MTB Bike Maintenance Book 👉 gmbn.eu/MTBMaintenanceBook
Sign-up to our newsletter 👉 gmbn.eu/newsletter
What were the first pedals you bought? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
Watch more on GMBN Tech...
📹 How To Choose The Right Mountain Bike Pedals 👉 • How To Choose The Righ...
📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 gmbn.tech/editorschoice
📹 Watch our weekly show 👉 gmbn.tech/GMBNTechShow
🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
As History Unfolds - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Domentum - Of Water
First Horizon - ELFL
Hot Wheels Rollin_ - Jaw Square
Last Odyssey - ELFL
Moondust Harvest - Of Water
Nothing but Trouble - Elliot Holmes
Presidential - El Flaco Collective
Schizophrenia - OTE
Shallow Company - OTE
Stardriver - ELFL
The Wager - White Bones
Titane - ELFL
Vivaldi_ The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in G Minor, Op. 8 No. 2, RV 315 Summer_ III. Presto - Michelle Ross
Watch Me Disappear - Rockin_ For Decades
#gmbntech #gmbn #mtb #mountainbiking
The Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) is the world’s largest and fastest-growing online mountain bike channel and community - and your destination for the best mountain bike content in the world.
GMBN is dedicated to inspiring and unlocking your riding potential. Our videos cater to fans of every mountain bike discipline: from mile-munching cross-country (XC) riders, through adrenaline-fuelled dirt jumpers, gravity-hungry downhillers or aspiring enduro racers, and beyond.
Every day of every month, our ex-pro presenting team are on hand to entertain and inspire you while also providing a uniquely qualified insight into the world of mountain biking. Every week we deliver original daily videos that include:
Adventurous and entertaining features
Mountain bike skills coaching
Technical advice and guidance
Mechanical know-how to keep you rolling
A place for the riding community with our weekly Dirt Shed Show
Thanks to our sponsors:
Canyon Bikes: gmbn.eu/Canyon
Propain Bikes: gmbn.eu/Propain
Orbea Bikes: gmbn.eu/Orbea
Park Tool: gmbn.eu/ParkTool
Smith Helmets & Eyewear: gmbn.eu/Smith
Crankbrothers Pedals: gmbn.eu/crankbros
Shimano Footwear: gmbn.eu/ShimanoShoes
Ergon: gmbn.eu/ergon
Vittoria Tires: gmbn.eu/Vittoria
Reynolds wheels: gmbn.eu/Reynolds
FSA: gmbn.eu/fsa
Topeak: gmbn.eu/topeak
Garmin: gmbn.eu/Garmin
Peaty's Products: gmbn.eu/Peatys
Worx Power Tools: gmbn.eu/Worx
CamelBak: gmbn.eu/CamelBak
Watch our sister channels:
Global Mountain Bike Network - / gmbn
Electric Mountain Bike Network - / embn
Global Cycling Network - / gcn
GCN Tech - / gcntech
GCN Racing - / gcnracing
Global Triathlon Network - / gtn
GMBN Racing - gmbn.eu/GMBNracing
GCN Italia - / gcnitalia
GCN en Espanol - / gcnenespanol
GCN auf Deutsch - / gcnaufdeutsch
GCN en Francais - / gcnenfrancais
GCN Training - / gcntraining - Sport
What were the first pedals you bought? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
My first income tax refund when I was mountain biking I bought Shimano SPD's and Shimano shoes. After that I bought Performance brand shoes
I started standing all day and my feet got tired so I went back to flats but got shoes with stiff bottoms so my feet would get tired
I had Shimano SPD's in about 1992?
As an avid clipless user the technology is something I almost can't ride without. I even use SPD mountain bike pedals on my road commuter as having to walk in road shoes and cleats are really awkward. I find flats so alien now I don't think I would ever go back.
PD-M737 - together with a 50 tooth front chain ring on my fully rigid dh bike...
Started with the larger of the XT flat pedals with toe clips, but they were heavy. About 1988 moved to a Campagnolo Record pedal with toe clips and custom made half cleats. They were magic but a pain to get out of in a hurry. I bought the 1st gen SPD pedals and shoes as soon as my LBS could get some and have never looked back. Currently on the 1st gen Saint pedal and love them.
I still have a pair of Shimano PD-M747 pedals on my old XC rig. They still work perfectly.
Me too! In fact, I had two pairs, but I recently gave one set to my son. So now I guess they are family heirlooms!
Same here. They have been on every bike I've ridden since I bought them the year they were launched. That includes about 15 years of long daily commutes. Shimano really did get it right from the beginning. Currently on an endlessly upgraded Marin Mount vision Pro from around 1999.
Another excellent production by Anna! Dang, you've got skills!
I clipped in after my first year in toe straps in 1991, and never went back. I do own a set of flats for extreme 'snow boot season' here in VT, but it's a rare thing.
I started back in the day's of rigid frames and it was impossible to keep your feet on the pedals going down anything bumpy. SPD came along and it was a game-changer! It build SO much confidence knowing your feet weren't going to bounce off usually resulting in a bad crash.
Hahaha. Yeah, good point. I hadn’t thought about it like 👍
Hah, I made the same comment! Clipless or toe straps were an absolute must in the early days. It didn't help flat pedals and shoes were also so bad back then too.
5:22 my first pedals in '93.
I grew up on a bike. My childhood was nothing but adventure on bicycles. At that time there were no MTB's. Only BMX was moving to the dirt, so that is what we did. Then the Mountain biking thing blew up! I remember getting my 1st clipless, Stupid name, pedals. I purchased Onza's with elastomers and adapted to them instantly, with the exception of one crazy day. We were at the Spring break party at Bull Frog Martina in Southern Utah. I was trying to pedal a sand section and I just got bogged down. I then tipped over at a complete stand-still. I felt like a Dork but I got up and proceeded to party with 30,000 people for 3 days. Good times! Great show Anna, Love you! - M
Great video. Shame we can't fix the terminology that is especially confusing to newcomers who have no idea what toe-clips were. It makes no sense to 'clip in to clipless pedals'.
Haha yeah I agree! But what do we call them?? 😂
@@AnnaOnTheBikecall them clips. Nobody uses toe clips on MTB anymore. And if they do, they can call them toe clips.
I was confused up to my mid 20's then I learned to accept and let go 😂
@@AnnaOnTheBike boat anchors, fixations, clips, anything but "clipless"
I call them “Clip ins” everyone knows what I mean… let’s start a trend!
I run XTR M9020 "trail" pedal -- that version with a cage platform -- on all my bikes, including road and folding bikes. Glad to know that the platform is actually originated from the need of using normal shoes with these pedals. In real world scenarios this design indeed brings the best of both worlds. It works perfect with normal shoes. I'm always wondering why nobody seems talk about this. In my opinion this works perfect if you ride clipless most of the time but still want the "versatility" -- for example, for other family members, or urban riding. Can't comment on the support side of thing, because I never do freeride or other extreme stuff. But for general riding and road, these are perfect. Glad I used these the right way!
Great video Anna, I grew up with those pedals, first clip pedals where those shinny XTRs, big fan of SPDs until I tried Crank Bros mallets, cheers
I still use my late 90's Shimano SPD pedals. They work like a dream still.
These are kind of stories that GMBN/GCN do best!
Its a trip down memory lane for me, and a history lesson for my kids.
More please! Maybe something on suspension? Wheel size evolution? Or dropper posts -- the biggest MTB safety innovation since the helmet!
Cheers
I'm going to date myself here... I remember when the original Shimano SPDs were released. My first pair of "SPDs" were from Onza, they had elastomers in place of the springs. They were terrible by today's standards, but I loved them. To this day I don't like riding a bike without clipless pedals.
Yes, I know them. Changed "spring tension" by the temperature! Hot Summer - very easy, cold winter - you could not clip in nor out 😂
Still got some of those Onza pedals in my garage!!
Nostalgia overload! Started on cages, moved to Power Grips (if I remember the name!?) then SPDs, needed more float so switched to Time Atac and have ridden them for the last 25 years.
i think my first spd were back in the early 2000s with the downhill M636, i've had m434, i had the first ones that had the mud-shedding hole through them as the 636 and 434 both had the old style with the flat cleat base.
i only fell off once with the 636.
since then i've had M520, M530, m540, i had M780 for a time.
currently the road bike on my smart trainer has M520 on, my gravel bike has M530 trail, and my trail bike has M8020 trail.
i only run SH-51 cleats, these allow me to run the spring tension on the lowest setting without accidental clipouts. SH-56 cleats are death, yes they unclip in multi angle, but that means you need to run more tension for when you don't want to unclip.
oh and i never buy PD-M520 new, they've been around since 2004 unchanged, there's so many of them about used, the bearings often need a tweak, but thats not hard and old one still run smooth with a service.
I had the m737 first because of a sponsor but then when I had to buy them I got 535's 😅
One of the greatest videos of the channel! Thank you.
Aaaw, thanks ☺️
Said know one ever 😂
I'm running a pair of Shimano spd M747's on a 2021 Specialized Diverge. Will use them for RAGBRAI this summer. Great pedals. Had them on a Felt F25 for years.
Was using clipless pedals on my road bike and was experimenting when the 747 hit the market. Never looked back even when I changed to a clipless system. A friend of mine is still using his first 747s.
I had no idea I was “mountain biking” in 1975 when I was riding my 67 Schwinn Stingray on Mt Penn, now hundreds of people ride those trails every day that I loved(and still ride) 50 years later…that being said, I hate clipless pedals.
😂
It's all happy coincidental happenings due to lack of information...
As kids in the late 80's we would ride our 24" BMX bikes down old construction quarry trails. Of course mountain biking had already been well established by this point, but we had no idea what mountain biking was. It wasn't until I moved several years later next to a dedicated mountain bike trail system did I discover the sport. For better or worse, we now live in an era where anyone new to MTBing has already been exposed to it somewhere (internet, TV, etc). The amount of [free] information out there today would have sent 11 year old me into a coma from sensory overload...all we had then was re-reading the same Mountain Bike Action magazine for a whole month until the next issue.
I started using clipless pedals about 4 years ago after talking to my more experienced cousins who have been riding with clipless pedals for years and I have to say I'm a true believer. I use the look keo system on my road bikes, and on my gravel and MTB bikes I have SPDs. I did have to suffer through the clipastrophy a couple times but since then It's been a great ride. I don't have a problem with using flat pedals, but now my preference is for clipless.
Love clipless pedals! My first set were Onza HOs then TIME ATAC then Shimano XTs. I’ve been running XTs for years, they take a beating and keep running.
Great video!
I started using clipless pedals about 8 months ago now. I only ever use flats anymore when I'm jibbing around or practicing the punch or other technical skills.
I bought my first set of SPDs in the early 90s, when the single jaw unit was released, which at the time was called the Deore DX as I recall. I quickly found that cleat alignment was important especially with my knee troubles. However, this did not stop me taking a file to the SPDs and taking off as much excess material as it was possible to do, this was a common hack back then. A while later VP released a cheap SPD clone pedal in the mid 90s and I tried them for my cross/touring bike (that we now call a gravel bike). I promptly crashed on the Magic Roundabout in Swindon and could not release my feet and had to remove my shoes, so they went straight in the bin! However, as soon as Time released their version of an MTB pedal that had more float, I swapped to Time and have not used Shimano since. The Shimano rigid pedal system did not allow enough float for me. My last set of double sided (the first gen was single sided) Time pedals wore out after 20 years of use and I discovered that Time Pedals had been sold to Sram and that replacement parts were no longer available. So I swapped to Crank Bros. I use Egg beaters now and am very happy with them, although they don't have as much float as my Times had.
After about 5-6 years of using quill pedals and cages back in the eighties, I switched over to using SPDs when they first came out. Cannot tell you how many times that SPD pedals literally saved my life while downhilling on my rigid Tom Ritchey race bikes.
Must have been such a game-changer! 😅
Great video. I've been wanting to visit that museum. Still gravel ride a gary fisher 26er from 1998. PD-M540 are on it now. SPD pedals have always been my fave.
Awesome vid Anna! Keep it up! Must have been an experience to be where it all started!
Yes it was! Thanks, Anna :)
That was a great video! I didn't realise what SPD stood for! 😂😂😂😂. Shimano Pedal Dynamic! WoW! I love Shimano stuff, have it on all my bikes! Had SRAM but always gone back to Shimano. It just works. Thanks for the history lesson! 👍
A fascinating insight into the history of SPD's
I now now what SPD stands for.
I have recently purchased a set of Shimano SPD's and a pair of 5 Ten"s to suit.
This will be my first foray into the world of clipless,s , so they'll be plenty of clip-out practice....
My first clip pedals were those Onza HO's. great in the summer, no good in the winter (Canada) then i got a set of PD-M747's. I still ride them today. great video Anna, keep it up.
Thanks for sharing!
Started late 80's with toe clips and straps. Zefal plastic cages with the extra tall toe to have room for boots. Moved to the M747 pedal shortly after it came out. Rode that for quite awhile. Tried Crank Bros Eggbeaters around 2003? and have been on those ever since; road, mt bike, gravel.
SPDs are a marvel- and not only in their MTB application. From bike touring to gravel to everyday commuting, they work brilliantly.
Great video, just to let you know that the Shimano dx platform pedals came in 1/2 inch and 9/16ths. Not just half inch. 9/16ths were for 3 piece cranks which were really popular for younger riders. I went to 1 piece cranks later after destroying the tapers on the early alloy 3 piece cranks. Redline flite cranks were a really popular 3 piece crank and really strong being made from tubular cro-mo steel, also 9/16.
Freedom is priceless, my first "mountain" bikes were actually BMXes and I hate skiing for one good reason. I swear by flat pedals, forever !
Can you imagine if skis didn’t clip in?! 😂
@@AnnaOnTheBike 😂Well, of course and I know how it went every time I crashed, hence I don't want the same disaster to happen on a bike. 😂😂
What about magnetic peddles. I recently got the Hustle Labs REMtech peddles and really like them so far. It's like having a clipless flat. I think more people should really consider this as an option.
Is the force you need to pull your foot off the pedal similar to what's required to unclip from an SPD? Sounds like a great idea
Got a big following on the road as well. The float and they have and walk about shoes are a massive plus.
Love the video, I just don't believe I am still using my old 1990's spd 😊 great pedal ❤
They really stood the test of time, eh!
@@AnnaOnTheBike when are you going to review your Whyte elite 😀 laters ✋️
I've enjoyed it a lot, great timing, great voice, great story... thank you for the content! It is refreshing seeing women in mtb world, I hope it encourages more of them to join it.
Thank you 😊
Best thing i've seen in a long while on this channel.
I just finished a ride on the first generation SPD pedal, not two hours ago. Still work great.
Great info video, as always, actually bought the very first shimano SPDs with their first shoes, put them on my diamond back axis, back in the day, I’ve never looked back. I currently ride with the shimano M8120 trail pedal on my orbea wild e-bike, clipping in and out is 2nd nature now. lol, wouldn’t ride with anything else.
Nice!
A lot of people don't realize you pretty much had to ride with either clipless pedals or toe straps in the early days just to keep your feet on the pedals, as soft soled shoes and sharp pedal pins weren't yet popularized. Bikes still largely lacked suspension and wide tires. With conventional flats you would struggle with keeping feet on your pedals. Clipless pedals were an absolute game changer in making the bike feel like it was connected to you, and believe it or not, they were safer than toe straps.
Got my first pair of spd pedals (pdm737's) and a pair of the basic spd shoes back in 1992 when they became more readily available in the UK. Had to mail order them via MBUK magazine as none of my local bike shops carried them at that time. Been riding spd pedals ever since. 😂
Was more than happy to say goodbye to hillwalking boots and toeclips/straps that used up until spd's came out 😂👌
I had them all. Not many DH riders in the 90's used clipless. I did BMX on flats for a decade but hate them now. In Berkeley we called them Ballooners before MTB came along. Riding the Oakland hills was called Trailing. Berkeley Trailers Union!
Love this video, very refreshing compared to most videos on this channel of lately. Otoh, it always made me wonder why mountainbiking culture isn't much of a hype in Japan despite they have Shimano.
It's always there pretty strong for them! Shimano is of course a cornerstone of that
5:39 yup, we've all been there 😂
Umm, I used bear trap and DX BMX pedals in the 80’s, they had excellent grip. The bear trap pedals when sharpened would wear a pair of vans out in mere weeks. And yes, they would tear your shins up. Still have the scars. I recall and had every pair of pedals you’ve spoken on. I still have and use the DX clipless pedal from the late 90’s to early 2k’s
I can’t ride any bike without being clipped in now. Just don’t feel connected to the bike at all on flat. Can’t put the power down because of the fear of slipping off the pedals. if you know you know.
Time ATAC pedals are on my mtb, my gravel bike, and my fixie. They are very similar to Shimano SPDs, but have enough "float" to be comfortable for my knees. ✌
I grew up with Shimano SPDs and will always have a soft spot for them but moved to the ATAC about 10 years ago. I prefer the higher degree of ‘float’ and better mud shedding.
I'm an old school BMX rider from the days when Revcore and Hutch made bear claw pedals that would send your to the emergency for stitches if you managed to "slip" a pedal. Fast forward to 1990, mountain bike thumbies, the "lame ass biopace debate", and SPD clipless pedals marketeded the best thing since sliced bread. At leasst for those of us old farts that remember crashing with sinched down toeclips. Anyone with a broken collar bone ir wrist surely rememberts being "strapped" in at the moment of imenent impact.
Some will tell you it started in Colorado. Actually they were both happening at the same time. Course fisher out of cal. got the credit.
Good stuff my lady good to see you back keepemcoming
Yes I think there was a group of cyclocross riders taking their bikes to the extreme in England too, but hey, these guys definitely took the sport forward!
Marin County generally gets the credit because they had both organized racing events and started modifying/manufacturing dedicated MTBs... something others cannot claim. Dates for both are also verified. It is just statistical probability other people were coincidentally riding bicycles off-road.
@@AnnaOnTheBike yeah Gary Fisher with Bontrager and he's brought a lot of innovations to the sport. I've been running a set of his rims for about four thousand miles now with flawless performance. And Bon. Tires aren't bad there not the best i used a pair on my street bike... Great job my lady keepemcoming
@@cup_and_cone yeah while that was going on i was bmx'ing it on my square tired Swinn racer before bmx was around, doing jumps and all kinds of crazy stuff..... Lol
No mention of Look in a Shimano -sponsered video!!! 😜
Or Time or those ridiculous Onza pedals, with the rubber bumper release spring! 🤣
I started with Beartraps and straps in "82. Went to SPD (Ritchey's, still have them in the old junk box) and hated them. Tried Speedplay Frogs and rode them for 30 years. Would still be riding them except the pedals are not make any more and the Ebay prices for the cleats is stupid. Am back on SPDs and wishing I had my Frogs.
I will try to get back into the SPD now that I am doing more XC riding/racing, less freeride/trail riding. But in all honesty, I never got on well with the SPD system in the dirt. This is mostly regarding getting clipped back into them in a frantic situation like right after a turn and starting a steep climb/or rocking or tree root section. I ended up using my Shimano XT/SPD's on my road bike, mostly so I do not walk around like a duck on ice. Perhaps I should get the platform/flat pedal style SPD, instead of the traditional model that I currently have, or even try the MagPeds - magnetic pedals?
LOVE spd’s have them on all my bikes tried flats numerous times just don’t like them clipped in all the way for me 🤘🏼
I'm using SPDs on my gravel, and I love them, as long as everything is going up to plan. But I still keep falling into situations that surprise me and I haven't clipped out in advance. For example, I often overestimate my and my bike's capabilities on loose sand, and before I notice, I'm on the ground. So every coin has two sides, I guess.
I tried clipless in the late 90s but never owned them. at 45 I bought my first pair. Did I fall in my living room and scratch my floor? Yes, did I chicken out on my first ride and put my flats back on? Also, yes. It's going to be a black and blue spring😮
You'll get used to it soon!
I've ridden flats, toe straps, Time and Crankbrothers, always end up back on SPD's
Long live the Speedplay Frogs!!! (Simply the best spd of all time... Oh, and I do mean long live, as I have a couple pair that are over 15 years old and still work like new)...
Ran a pair of the original SPDs for 15 years, bearings were still going strong, utterly bomb proof.
I found some NOS M525 SPDs on eBay for £25. I then had to buy a used pair to keep the first pair from being used 😂
Not a bad video but it would have been nicer ti show how look pedals work and how the Shimano SPD is a shrunk version (with steel cleats) that is recessed.
Th DX pedals were genius
If this is all news to you: watch "Klunkerz: a film about mountain bikes". Great history lesson. Can't remember where I watched it, if someone has a link pls share.
In the 1990's I was sure I needed SPDs because older dudes all had them. Then I learned things were harder on flats. I'm in 😂
Can you finally do a comparison between SPD and Crankbrothers eggbeater?
Love clipless but on my mtb just cant get on with them so for me its just on the road bike and back to flats on mtb
I had the first pedals but the cheaper model
I had 2 pairs of the original egg beaters. Definitely not a good shape for all day recreational rides, no platform so your feet started to ache after a while and they were hampered by terrible bearings that only lasted a few weeks in UK weather.
Shimano Pedal Dynamics...
And Ritchey actually made the better pedal in the mid 90's.
I don't like cliples SPD system. Crankbrothers system is slightly better for my taste but look.. Just today I had potential for a disastrous accident - if I was on SPD... I was going downhill, nothing special but two medium drops of of rocks that has some dirt and vegetwtion on it... I missed the perfect line, my fork almost bottomed (170mm) and catapulted me over the hendlebar... If I was clipped in, I wouldn't be able to get my feet of of pedals and I wouldn't be in hospital right now with ar least one broken leg bone and possibly arm, ribs, collar bone..
I do have SPD pedals on my gravel and road bike, but for MTB it just doesn't make any sense... At least where I live - only rocky trails..
Asics is a Japanese company.
I,m old and alot of your info is wrong the red and black pedals are dx not lx and spd shoes and pedals were in australia in 1989 and shimano did not make spd road pedals back then roadies used a look pedal and spd have always unclipped way to easily time were way in front back then and for many years later .
Anyone want to help me CAD develop pedals that can be changed on the trail, clipped to flat and back, no compromise in performance.
Double sided SPDs have existed for decades... Flats one side, SPD the other. There's also flat cages now where you can screw a pair of cleats into and turn one side of a clipless pedal into flats. It's the shoe that would be the issue, not the pedal.
I came to see this because I could not figure out what SPD was then, to be honest, I did not care.
If you're not clipless you're just pushing pedals.
Test show you only push with clipless as well, unless you’re sprinting 🤷♂️
@@wonderwatch2239Been riding with them for 25+ years. I'll let you know if I need help.
@@wonderwatch2239For pedaling efficiency, yes, but tests do not consider the time to correctly align your foot on flats nor does it consider the security of the foot to the pedal on rough terrain.
And still to this day a £25 set of Time pedals out perform SPD in every department
I'll tell you what I'm a fan of. I'm a fan of making sense, and calling these 'clipless' has never made sense. GCN and GMBN continue with this stupidity when major channels like these are in a singular position to get rid of this terminology. Call them clips FFS.
💤💤💤 zero energy in this