{"id":44071,"date":"2022-11-21T15:00:51","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T14:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=705199"},"modified":"2022-11-24T10:48:26","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T09:48:26","slug":"shimano-sh51-vs-sh56-cleats-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/shimano-sh51-vs-sh56-cleats-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Shimano SH51 vs SH56 cleats: what\u2019s the difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Paul Norman\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 21 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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If you buy a pair of Shimano clipless pedals, they\u2019ll come packaged with a set of cleats for your shoes.<\/p>\n

For off-road and urban SPD pedals, the cleats are made of metal and attached to the soles of your shoes with two bolts, whereas the road-specific SPD-SL plastic cleats are attached with three bolts (you can read our explainer on SPD vs SPD-SL pedals<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Shimano\u2019s off-road pedals for mountain biking, gravel riding<\/a> and cyclocross<\/a> come with two-bolt cleats designated SM-SH51. However, look at the specs on Shimano\u2019s site and it mentions the SM-SH56 as an optional cleat.<\/p>\n

Shimano also has a range of \u2018Explorer\u2019 pedals, which feature the brand\u2019s \u2018Light Action\u2019 release system. Most of these come packaged with the SM-SH56 cleats, with SM-SH51 cleats as an option.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the difference between Shimano SH-SH56 and SM-SH51 cleats, and why might you choose one over the other? Let us explain.<\/p>\n

What are SH51 and SH56 cleats?<\/h2>\n
\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Shimano\u2019s two-bolt SPD cleats are preferred for mountain biking and urban riding. But why are there two types?<\/span><\/figcaption> Lawrence Crossman-Emms<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

There\u2019s not much difference visually between the SH51 and SH56 cleats.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re both metal with two recessed bolt holes, which, if you\u2019re cycling with cleats<\/a>, attach to the soles of your shoes with the included bolts.<\/p>\n

To fit the cleats<\/a>, you\u2019ll need to make sure your cycling shoes are compatible with the two-bolt SPD cleats preferred for mountain bike shoes<\/a> and urban riding, not the three-bolt cleats used on road cycling shoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an arrow at the front of each cleat to make sure you attach them to your shoes the right way round. They\u2019re interchangeable between left and right shoes.<\/p>\n

The only clue as to which type of cleat you have is the SH51 cleats are black, whereas the SH56 cleats are silver-coloured, plus there\u2019s an M embossed on the rear-facing tab of the SH56.<\/p>\n

You can buy Shimano SPD-compatible cleats from other brands, too. Look\u2019s X-Track cleats offer two equivalent cleat options, designated X-Track, equivalent to SH51 cleats, and X-Track Easy, equivalent to SH56. The type of cleat is stamped on the front of the Look cleats\u2019 undersides.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the difference between SH51 and SH56 cleats?<\/h2>\n
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Shimano\u2019s SH51 cleats are black, whereas the SH56 cleats are silver.<\/span><\/figcaption> Stan Portus \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The difference between SH51 cleats and SH56 cleats is the number of directions in which you can release the cleat from the pedal.<\/p>\n

SH51 cleats have a single direction of release; that\u2019s to say you can only disengage from the pedal by pushing your heel out in a flat plane relative to the pedal, or by pushing it in.<\/p>\n

The SH56 cleats, on the other hand, enable multi-directional release; as well as pushing your heel out or in, you can also roll your shoe on the pedal or pull up to release it.<\/p>\n

The shape of the cleat is subtly different from the SH51 to enable this.<\/p>\n