Going clipless

James Hodson said:

If I may add a number 3:

3. Unclip one foot well before you arrive at a junction - well before you think you need to.

As an alternative to #3, consider the purchase of:

o a tricycle, or o a bicycle low enough that a hand may be used to steady oneself while at a
standstill

Dave "Monkey Boy" Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
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Colin Blackburn said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

If I may add a number 3:

3. Unclip one foot well before you arrive at a junction - well before you think you need to.

Yes, this one has stood me in good stead, ie I've not fallen off at a junction yet....

Bet you do today now you've said that.

Just make sure you have an appreciative audience when you pick your spot ;-)

John B

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Colin Blackburn said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

If I may add a number 3:

3. Unclip one foot well before you arrive at a junction - well before you think you need to.

Yes, this one has stood me in good stead, ie I've not fallen off at a junction yet....

Bet you do today now you've said that.

Just make sure you have an appreciative audience when you pick your spot ;-)

Brommie today, platform pedals, that's not to say I can't fall off with style.

Colin

wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX must be edykated coz she writed:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

3. Unclip one foot well before you arrive at a junction - well before you think you need to.

For me - the above is *vital*!

Cheers, helen s

~~~~~~~~~~
This is sent from a redundant email Mail sent to it is dumped My correct one can be gleaned from
h$**$*$el$**e$n$**$d$**$o$*$t**$$s$**$im$mo$ns*@a$**o$l.c$$*o$*m*$ by getting rid of the
overdependence on money and fame
~~~~~~~~~~

Of course you will be riding side saddle so you don't get your petticoat dirty?

Ian

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

3. Unclip one foot well before you arrive at a junction - well before you think you need to.

I don't generally feel the need to unclip in advance of stopping any more, but it's bloody useful to
at least do that when the surface is dodgy. I once came to a skidding halt on an oil patch. Front
wheel started going sideways while feet were still firmly clipped in to my PP396 pedals. I did
manage to unclip just in time but that heart-stopping stomach-churning sensation first was
horrible!!!

~PB

tony R said:

I'll be needing help soon too. After reading endless posts here in praise of clipless pedals I
decided to give them a go. A set of Time ATACs and a new pair of shoes arrived today. Never mind
getting out of them, I can hardly get in the things. Mind you, they're still in my lounge. Maybe
I'll be able to get outside in the next day or two and things'll become clearer.

They are very much more difficult to clip together when you're just holding them - connect the
pedals to a bike and the shoes to your feet and it gets much easier! Then, soon after you've made
the connection once, your feet learn where to put themselves and it hapens automatically.

regards, Ian SMith
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Ian said:

Look, basically what happens is you think you are totally with it, then one day approaching a
junction you are distracted by some fine booty, you pull up trying to look cool and fall over
still clipped in looking like a total spaz, she laughs her [censored] off and you slope off looking
sheepish.

Didn't happen to me, but that's basically spot on what happened to a friend. Except it was a girl
he'd already had his eye on, waiting at a zebra crossing with two mates. He approaches fast, pulls a
loooong skid (he was young - long skids were considered to look cool) to the line, where he falls
over and flops about like a landed fish at their feet.

I think he didn't even try and approach her ever again.

regards, Ian SMith
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"Ian Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 22:51:45 +0100, tony R <[email hidden]> wrote:

....... Never mind getting out of them, I can hardly

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

get in the things. Mind you, they're still in my lounge........

They are very much more difficult to clip together when you're just holding them - connect the
pedals to a bike and the shoes to your feet and it gets much easier! Then, soon after you've made
the connection once, your feet learn where to put themselves and it hapens automatically.

regards, Ian SMith
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|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

Thanks Ian, I hope it does. I rather sadly have to admit that the pedals were on the bike, the shoes
were on my feet and all six of us were wobbling across about fifteen foot of lounge. A sorry sight
I'm sure. tony R.

tony R said:

"Ian Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 22:51:45 +0100, tony R <[email hidden]> wrote:

....... Never mind getting out of them, I can hardly

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

get in the things. Mind you, they're still in my lounge........

They are very much more difficult to clip together when you're just holding them - connect the
pedals to a bike and the shoes to your feet and it gets much easier! Then, soon after you've
made the connection once, your feet learn where to put themselves and it hapens automatically.

Thanks Ian, I hope it does. I rather sadly have to admit that the pedals were on the bike, the
shoes were on my feet and all six of us were wobbling across about fifteen foot of lounge. A
sorry sight I'm sure.

Ah. I'd try it with just one person on the bike at first. Once you've got that cracked, you can work
on getting the rest of the troupe on board.

More seriously - I wouldn't worry yet, give it a bit of time and I think it will get much easier.
Before long, you'll (almost certainly) be one of the never 'now I'm never going back' brigade.

regards, Ian SMith
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"tony R" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Ian Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 22:51:45 +0100, tony R <[email hidden]> wrote:

....... Never mind getting out of them, I can hardly

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

get in the things. Mind you, they're still in my lounge........

They are very much more difficult to clip together when you're just holding them - connect the
pedals to a bike and the shoes to your feet and it gets much easier! Then, soon after you've
made the connection once, your feet learn where to put themselves and it hapens automatically.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

Thanks Ian, I hope it does. I rather sadly have to admit that the pedals were on the bike, the
shoes were on my feet and all six of us were

wobbling

Quoted message said:

across about fifteen foot of lounge. A sorry sight I'm sure. tony R.

In my experience they work more easily when a bit worn, I think the accompanying pamphlet suggests
clipping and unclipping while stationary a dozen or so times before you go out on the road. Oh and
by the way you have got them on your shoes the right way round havn't you? - 2 settings one 13
degrees to unclip one 17 if my memory serves me right !

HTH Julia

Tim Dunne said:

Any tips? The guys in LBS warned me to try them on soft ground first, but they don't seem to have
been that difficult - am I missing something?

Another tip is to NEVER clip into a SPD pedal backwards. Now this might not be the sort of thing one
is prone to do, but there *are* some flash gits out there who like to impress by sitting on the
handlebars and riding facing backwards.

One such person we shall call "Jamie", because that is his name. Jamie demonstrated this skill in
the car park of a pub somewhere near Guildford, but when the time came to disengage, turn around and
ride off into the sunset, he was discomfited to learn that SPDs do not release if one is foolish
enough to clip in widdershins. Much poking with a screwdriver finally freed him from his bondage
and, much chastened, he resolved to never do something that daft again.

A Several of months later, he forgot.

The others present, once they had stopped laughing, left the unfortunate Jamie leaning against a
wall, fruitlessly trying to remove his shoes, while they went back inside for another pint.

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
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"the Baker-Bealls" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"tony R" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Ian Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 22:51:45 +0100, tony R <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

....... Never mind getting out of them, I can hardly

Quoted message said:

> get in the things. Mind you, they're still in my lounge........

In my experience they work more easily when a bit worn, I think the accompanying pamphlet suggests
clipping and unclipping while stationary a dozen or so times before you go out on the road. Oh and
by the way you

have

Quoted message said:

got them on your shoes the right way round havn't you? - 2 settings one 13 degrees to unclip one
17 if my memory serves me right !

HTH Julia

Hello Julia, I'm sure they'll be fine when I can finally get out on the road with them. I was just
so pleased when they arrived I had to try them out despite the conditions being so unsuitable. And
then, of course, I had to post the news that I was soon to leave the ranks of the toe-clipped.

tony R.

Dave Larrington said:

Tim Dunne said:

Any tips? The guys in LBS warned me to try them on soft ground first, but they don't seem to have
been that difficult - am I missing something?

Another tip is to NEVER clip into a SPD pedal backwards. Now this might not be the sort of thing
one is prone to do, but there *are* some flash gits out there who like to impress by sitting on
the handlebars and riding facing backwards.

So you haven't been following the recent thread in r.b.t? You have to do this so that your legs
develop equally. Its a serious design flaw to only have the chain on one side of the bicycle - this
causes your right leg to get much stronger than the left unless you do your return trips sitting on
the handlebars. :-)

Tim.

--
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Dave Larrington said:

Tim Dunne said:

Any tips? The guys in LBS warned me to try them on soft ground first, but they don't seem to
have been that difficult - am I missing something?

Another tip is to NEVER clip into a SPD pedal backwards.

Another benefit of ATAC over SPD, then.

regards, Ian SMith
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Dave Kahn said:

James Hodson said:

If I may add a number 3:

3. Unclip one foot well before you arrive at a junction - well before you think you need to.

And then lean the other way. :-)

Hi Dave

No one likes a Smart Ass ;-/

I fell over just the twice in my SPD training days. The first time was outside a Sainsbury's
supermarket and the other time was outside a Somerfield shop. Fortunately, the first time, I slumped
into a set of supermarket trolleys. Sadly, on the second occurence, I fell "the other way" and went
"splat" onto the tarmac.

Pesonally, I believe that supermarkets are to blame - or maybe it's the letter "S" that is guilty.
Had I leant the other way on the first fall, as you suggest, I'd have no doubt been squashed beneath
a pantechnicon.

These days, I'm able to click myself out without thinking.

James

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the Baker-Bealls said:

In my experience they work more easily when a bit worn ...

I trust, tB-Bs, that you're in no way suggesting that Helen is a bit worn. :-)

James

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Dave Larrington said:

One such person we shall call "Jamie", because that is his name. Jamie demonstrated this skill in
the car park of a pub somewhere near Guildford, but when the time came to disengage, turn around
and ride off into the sunset, he was discomfited to learn that SPDs do not release if one is
foolish enough to clip in widdershins. Much poking with a screwdriver finally freed him from his
bondage and, much chastened, he resolved to never do something that daft again.

Dave

As one who was once also called Jamie, and who also has lived near Guidlford, I trust you're not
referring to me. (OK, I know your not.) I, in my semi-youth, have done far, far worse in that town
than unsuccessfully de-Spudding. Embarrassment is so ... erm ... embarrassing.

Thank goodness most of my Guildford history had most probably been forgotten.

James

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James Hodson said:

Pete Biggs said:

Tim Dunne said:

Any tips? The guys in LBS warned me to try them on soft ground first, but they don't seem to have
been that difficult - am I missing something?

1. Don't get complacent about unclipping until you've done a few more rides - takes a certain
while to rewire the brain. Until then, you might fail to "twist" if you have to stop
quickly/unexpectedly if not careful.

2. It's worth experimenting with cleat position to get the best comfort on long rides.

Pete,

If I may add a number 3:

3. Unclip one foot well before you arrive at a junction - well before you think you need to.

3a. Especially when turning up to day one of your jury service, which involves stopping at the
traffic lights in lane four of about nine going around Marble Arch. You get some funny looks
when the blood starts running out over your shoes in court!

--
Jim Price

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Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Aye!.

James Hodson said:

As one who was once also called Jamie, and who also has lived near Guidlford, I trust you're not
referring to me. (OK, I know your not.) I, in my semi-youth, have done far, far worse in that town
than unsuccessfully de-Spudding. Embarrassment is so ... erm ... embarrassing.

The Jamie in question was from London, used to go mountain biking in the area and had (and most
likely still has) a surname beginning with "T". So probably not you...

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Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
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Dave Larrington said:

James Hodson said:

As one who was once also called Jamie, and who also has lived near Guidlford, I trust you're not
referring to me. (OK, I know your not.) I, in my semi-youth, have done far, far worse in that
town than unsuccessfully de-Spudding. Embarrassment is so ... erm ... embarrassing.

The Jamie in question was from London, used to go mountain biking in the area and had (and most
likely still has) a surname beginning with "T". So probably not you...

Hi Dave

OK. I forgive you on two counts :-)

James

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