How to unclip?

[Owlie]

I've SPD-SL's, and have never had a problem with them. But, it seems like there was a bad batch of them in circulation last year where people had the problems you describe.

My boss says there were a batch or two of bad 105 pedals that have been running around.

He doesn't like the R540s because it uses the older version of the mechanism (that, and the plastic plate on the pedals that keep needing to be replaced). But he's something of a bike snob.