Complete beginner and clipless pedals

GIH said:

So, should I stick with the platform pedals until I can use them well, should I just switch to clipless pedals right away, or should I do something different (maybe get toe straps)? I guess this might be the wrong forum, but if you can give any advice it would be very helpful to me.

You just learned to ride a bike 1 week ago? Welcome to cycling. 🙂

For most beginners, I think going straight to clipless wouldn't be an issue, however most beginners probably have 10+ years bike riding experience from their childhood. Are you still shaky with balancing at low speeds, getting started from a stop, riding over uneven surfaces, etc.? If so, then I'd probably wait until you develop that level of comfort before tying your feet to the pedals. Obviously, the trick to clipless pedals is when you need to get your feet out quickly under unexpected circumstances. Having the confidence to negotiate obstacles without dismounting, and even stop the bike still for a second before falling over can make a big difference.

What kind of bike are you on, and where do you ride (ie, streets, bike paths, trails)?

Thanks for the quick response!

My balance at low speeds is poor. I rarely fall, but I have trouble riding in a straight line when I'm going slowly. I also have trouble getting started, I usually succeed about 50% percent of the time. I ride a cheap hybrid, its a Northstar. The one thing I would change about it is that it shifts poorly, but that could just be me.

I ride at a veloway in Austin, which is a paved bicycle path. I also ride at an abandoned airport, which is a flat 1 mile loop. I don't ride on the street right now so I don't have cars to contend with.

It sounds like I should stick with the platforms. I got the idea to start biking because I found myself riding a stationary bike at the gym all the time. I decided to by a Kurt Kinetic trainer so I can workout anytime. Should I use the platforms on that too, or should I try the clipless pedals?

Anyways, thanks for the advice.

GIH said:

I rarely fall

I HAD ridden a bike for many years as a child until i got my first car and then there was a period of about 8 years where i didn't touch a bike.

My first step was to try the "toe straps" or "toe cages" that you can get mounted to a traditional platform. I was living in Anchorage AK for the summer and it was my only means of transportation.

Let me tell you, I fell.. A LOT. My friends used to make fun of me because from time to time when we came to a stoplight, i just couldn't get my balance on the correct side of the bike (meaning the side that I pulled one of my feet out of the toe strap 😄 ) so as you can imagine, i'm sitting there barely moving, or completely stopped and... there i go, falling completely over with no chance of saving myself. It was quite humorous.

When i bought my first set of clipless pedals (and shoes) I started out by walking my bike to a fence and getting up on the bike while holding the fence, with neither foot clipped in. (You can also do this inside with a door frame)

From that position I tested out trying to get my feet "snapped" into the pedals and then learning the motion that was required to get my foot out of them. I did this for about 10 minutes or so until I felt semi confident.

The next step was to try to clip one foot into the pedals while not moving, (leg already over the bike) and then thrusting to a start. I didn't clip in the other foot but just rested it on the pedal and in a very easy gear just spun around the parking lot. Then when I came to a stop I leaned to the side where my foot was unclipped and put that foot down.

Fortunately I've only fallen over when coming to a stop maybe one or twice with clipless pedals. :p

I'm glad you are cycling!

I should caution you about riding too much or too intensly without cycling shoes. The shank (I think this is what the piece of the shoe that goes the length of the shoe) of a cycling shoe is VERY stiff, in fact you can't perceiveably flex cycling shoes with your hands. Compare this to your average tennis shoe and you will see what I mean. Because the platform of the pedal only contacts a small part of your foot, you may end up straining the arch of your foot if you ride too much or with too much intensity while using tennis shoes.

Good call, I'll look at getting some cycling shoes. I have to get them anywas after all. How long to do cycling shoes usually last? If I buy a pricey pair will they last me more than a year?

GIH said:

... I decided to by a Kurt Kinetic trainer so I can workout anytime. Should I use the platforms on that too, or should I try the clipless pedals?

Take advantage of your trainer -- put your KEO pedals on them & aclimate yourself to engaging/disengaging from the pedals in the friendly-confines of your home on a "bike" that can't fall over!

FWIW. When I first began to use toe clips, I made a point of ALWAYS freeing my right foot first as that is the foot that I would set down upon the curb ("urban" riding). I still try to make a point of freeing my right foot, first, even if I'm on a roadway which doesn't have a curb ... it's just good to get in the habit of leaning in the SAME direction as the free foot!

OF COURSE, those in the UK & Commonwealth, may want to get in the habit of ALWAYS disengaging their left foot, first.

BTW. Disengage your foot from ONE of the pedals ~10 (?) feet before you plan on stopping ...

GIH said:

Good call, I'll look at getting some cycling shoes. I have to get them anywas after all. How long to do cycling shoes usually last? If I buy a pricey pair will they last me more than a year?

I've been using the same pair for about 2.5 years and they weren't top of the line. I haven't replaced anything but the platforms that attach to the pedals.
I will most likely get a new pair in the new couple of months though.

GIH said:

Good call, I'll look at getting some cycling shoes. I have to get them anywas after all. How long to do cycling shoes usually last? If I buy a pricey pair will they last me more than a year?

You don't need to buy a particularly expensive pair ... the medium price shoes (e.g., Shimano -- sub $100US) are pretty much the same as the high-zoot shoes which have carbon fiber soles EXCEPT that the less expensive shoes have "nylon" soles.

Your cycling shoes can last you as long as they continue to fit your feet ... they may look tatty after a while (years of riding) ... and, by then, you'll know if you want the same level of shoe or a more expensive pair.

To state what should be obvious, different brand shoes are made on different LASTS -- Italian shoes (e.g., SIDI) are made on Italian "lasts" ... Shimano are presumably made on Asian "lasts" -- so, some shoes are narrower/wider than others. So, you probably want to try on SEVERAL brands & sizes before selecting a shoe ... and, you probably want to try them on at the end of the day (as with "street" shoes) because the uppers generally will NOT conform to your feet over the course of time the way a pair of kangaroo leather track shoes will AND a tight shoe will make you a very unhappy cyclist ...

alfeng said:

Take advantage of your trainer -- put your KEO pedals on them & aclimate yourself to engaging/disengaging from the pedals in the friendly-confines of your home on a "bike" that can't fall over!

That's good advice for a less than solid cyclist moving to clipless pedals. Another important point is that most clipless pedals offer tension adjustments and pedals are typically set pretty tight in the factory. A newcomer to clipless should start by backing off the tension setting to the minimum which will make the pedals very easy to get into and more importantly, out of. Once you get comfortable with the pedals you can slowly tighten them up but start with them very loose so it takes no effort at all to get in and out.

There are several SPD style pedals that also include a platform. I have pedals like this on my cyclocross bike which is great since you get a dual sided pedal and always have a platform to stomp on even if you miss with the cleat. It's also nice for just jumping on the bike in a pair of street shoes for a trip into town. Some have a platform on one side and a SPD cleat on the other and some have a dual platform/spd on both sides which really makes things easy. Just don't forget to loosen them up when you first buy them.

Good luck,
Dave

Hey guys, thanks for the tips. I think I have a good idea of what I'm doing now.

Make sure your shoes are really comfortable for you, When cycling for long periods, especially when hot, your feet can expand and so any minor pressure point can become quite painful.

Make sure they don't allow your heel to slide up and down the back of the shoe. You should be snug inside the shoe.

Cleat positioning is quite an art and I'd recommend getting an expert to help if you are struggling to get them to feel right. In the meantime, have a look at a couple of posts on the topic here:

cyclingnews.comfitnessOpen ↗

cyclingnews.comfitnessOpen ↗

You can probably search for more similar items on that site.

Cleats can be moved forward/back, side to side and also twisted in one direction. They can also be raised with shims, some that are an even thickness, others that rise one side of cleat more than another.

Most cleats allow some "float", meaning the foot can twist a little while clipped in without disengaging the pedal and most people prefer these - it can provide a little more freedom of lateral movement for leg joints. Others are "fixed" meaning there is very little ability to twist the foot before disengaging the pedal. I personally prefer no float.

This is as well as the ability to dial in the level of release force required by the pedal (typically an adjustment screw/small allen bolt on the pedal).

Cycling shoes are pretty hardy and should last a long time (several years), with crashes normally being what kills them or a decision to keep up with the fashion stakes. Like all shoes, keeping them clean helps to make them last.

Given you have Looks, you will need to keep some spare cleats handy as these will wear out from putting them on the ground when you stop and walking around before/after your ride.

Always replace worn cleats - a badly worn cleat can be quite dangerous as you may find yourself "pulling a foot" from the pedal at a most inopportune time. This can result in quite serious crashes. Cleats come with built in wear markers (usually a hole that appears at one corner of the cleat).

GIH said:

I just learned to ride a bike one week ago. I'm a 23 year old ex-college athlete, and I really miss competitive athletics. I took up cycling because its one of my favourite sports to watch on TV, I like endurance events, and I have a loose left ankle due to a myriad of injuries throughout my life so I'm not sure if I could become a distance runner.

Besides, I really like going fast.

The one thing I don't like about riding a bike is the pedals. I just have normal pedals, and its really hard for me to consistently place my feet on the pedals, and my feet often come off when I shift gears, especially if I'm trying to climb up a hill. So I really want to switch to clipless pedals, in fact I bought a pair of look keo classics, but I haven't tried them out or even bought shoes yet. I've read on this forum that ya'll normally recommend that beginners to racing and training get clipless pedals, but some people suggest that beginners to cycling itself should stick with the platform pedals until they become comfortable.

So, should I stick with the platform pedals until I can use them well, should I just switch to clipless pedals right away, or should I do something different (maybe get toe straps)? I guess this might be the wrong forum, but if you can give any advice it would be very helpful to me.

One tip I would like to offer ( sorry if someone's said this already) is to analyze how you walk ( i.e do your feet point outwards or stay completely straight) and try to adjust your cleats so that your feet are oriented as close as possible to this on the bike.

Another tip, make sure that the pedal spindle is lined up with your phalanges on your foot ( bump on the inside of the foot after the big toe) so that you can have a more direct transfer of power.

Also, set the tension looooowwwwwwww at first so that you can get used to the action of clipping out without to much effort and be sure to learn to clip out before stopping
( i.e don't try to track stand until later) until you master clipping out.