Clipless pedals

in message <[email hidden]>, Peter Clinch

(') said:

Richard Belcher said:

The one thing everyone will tell you is to stick with it.
Yes, you will fall over a few times but it's usually when
you stop go to put your foot down then...TIMBER... we've
all been there so don't worry. Practice, practice,
practice...it'll soon be second nature to clip
in/out & you'll wonder how you ever used to get around
without them.

Worth noting is that once you're used to it it's actually
*easier* than getting out of clips and straps, especially
if you've got straps done up tight and have to stop
unexpectedly.

Oh, gosh, yes, *much* easier. Back in the day getting your
foot out was such a bloody hassle that you'd adopt any sort
of strategy to avoid doing it, up to and including track-
standing at traffic lights. Clipless is *far* easier.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke)
jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the
dawn. ;; Jim Morrison

Many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread - a
very interesting discussion!

The consensus seems to be to definitely convert over to
clipless and possibly start off with SPDs and try several
different shoes to find a comfortable one. After getting
used to these I may want to have a closer look at other
types of pedal - Look seem to be highly recommended.

Thanks again, folks - here's hoping I don't suffer too many
bruises on my bum!

Gavin

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

Quoted message said:

helen said:

Just remember to unclip *before* your bike comes to a
halt

Heh. Yes. I've been using SPD-Rs for about a month or so
now and I am well and truly converted to the clipless
cause. Of course, having only tried SPD-Rs I can't say
how good they are compared to other makes/models. But
I'm happy with them. But I certainly like them a lot
more than toeclips and straps, which I have never got on
with at all.

I've only actually fallen off once and that was because I
stopped quite sharply without thinking to unclip first. I
just went over sideways - fortunately landing on the
pavement, and doubly fortunate that there was no-one
around to see it happen. It was more comical than painful.
A bigger problem than falling is getting my feet back in
the pedals when pulling away from junctions or lights, but
I'm gradually getting better with practice.

Apart from that, I can only concur with what others have
said. And no way am I ever going back to platforms!

--

I have recently converted to the clipless cause. Got
myself a set of SPD-SL's and I have to say they are things
of beauty.

I've not fallen once whilst using them and clipping in and
out is a breeze.

...but then what do you expect from a pedal partly designed
by Lance Armstrong?

...also got myself some super fly shoes to go with
them...but then I guess I've always been a bit of a poser 😉

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I don't find walking in Looks a huge problem, and if I
wanted to walk I would have left the bike at home in the
first place.

Unworthy of you. What happened to the champion of mixed mode
transport? What if you want to cycle to your destination and
walk around when you get there without changing your shoes -
eg. the office, the shopping centre, the library?

Quoted message said:

I find Looks more comfortable - less inclined to
hotspots. I also find them easier to clip in than Spuds.
I do use both.

I've not had problems with hotspots although I know some
people do. I use both Spuds and Speedplays and have ridden
with Looks. The Speedplays, and probably the Looks, are
superior to the Spuds for pure road cycling but IMO not
enough so to outweigh the advantage of Spuds for utility
cycling. However, wouldn't it be boring if we all thought
the same? It is, however, tricky for the OP who is looking
to buy his first clipless system as making the wrong choice
would be expensive.

--
Dave...

"Temp3st" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

...but then what do you expect from a pedal partly
designed by Lance Armstrong?

"Partly designed by" as in "Hey Lance, what do you look for
in a pedal system?" and "Please accept this big wodge of
cash and sign here."

Quoted message said:

...also got myself some super fly shoes to go with
them...but then I guess I've always been a bit of a
poser 😉

It must be a blast being able to walk on the ceiling though.

--
Dave...

davek <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've only actually fallen off once and that was because I
stopped quite sharply without thinking to unclip first. I
just went over sideways - fortunately landing on the
pavement, and doubly fortunate that there was no-one
around to see it happen.

This may well be the first recorded instance of falling over
without an audience.

--
Dave...

[email hidden] (Dave Kahn) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

The best falling over story I heard was from Doug at Moore
Bros in Twickenham. When he first went clipless he was
worried about falling so on approaching his first set of
traffic lights, naturally provided with an adequate supply
of spectators, he decided to lean nonchalantly on a
bollard rather than attempt to unclip. Unfortunately the
bollard was not bolted down.

I thought I had the hang of clipless before I used them off-
road, but using them for the first time in the woods, I
bumped into a hidden stump and fell very slowly into a bed
of nettles (face first of course). So, I managed not to
fall off in public but had to explain a nettle-rashed to
everyone I met.

I think I would have preferred the public fall instead.
Still, I'd never go back to platforms.

PhilO

"Dave Kahn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't find walking in Looks a huge problem, and if I
wanted to walk I would have left the bike at home in the
first place.

Quoted message said:

Unworthy of you. What happened to the champion of mixed
mode transport? What if you want to cycle to your
destination and walk around when you get there without
changing your shoes - eg. the office, the shopping centre,
the library?

Most of my riding is from fixed point A, being Home, to
fixed point B, being the Office. I have a pair of shoes in
the Office.

When I ride to the shops I usually wear trainers or Shimano
boots, in either case I take Another Bike which has
Spudforms on it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I find Looks more comfortable - less inclined to
hotspots. I also find them easier to clip in than Spuds.
I do use both.

Quoted message said:

I've not had problems with hotspots although I know some
people do. I use both Spuds and Speedplays and have ridden
with Looks. The Speedplays, and probably the Looks, are
superior to the Spuds for pure road cycling but IMO not
enough so to outweigh the advantage of Spuds for utility
cycling.

Define utility cycling. See above.

I have nothing against Spuds, I actually have my Spud pedals
on the bike at the moment so I can wear my SPD boots when
it's cold (likelihood steadily declining). But Looks are
very good, especially on hills.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Define utility cycling. See above.

Cycling that has a practical purpose other than pure sport,
recreation or exercise. Of course that doesn't include
touring, and touring is also likely to involve a certain
amount of walking.

Quoted message said:

I have nothing against Spuds, I actually have my Spud
pedals on the bike at the moment so I can wear my SPD
boots when it's cold (likelihood steadily declining). But
Looks are very good, especially on hills.

As I said before I think this discussion should be useful to
the OP. We actually seem to have similar opinions of the
merits of each pedal system.

--
Dave...

"Dave Kahn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

As I said before I think this discussion should be useful
to the OP. We actually seem to have similar opinions of
the merits of each pedal system.

--
Dave..

You're right, Dave - as the OP I have found this discussion
very useful and can't wait to get my first clipless pedals!

Thanks again to all who contributed.

Regards,

Gavin

Dave Kahn said:

This may well be the first recorded instance of falling over without an audience.

Yes - and because of that I don't really consider it a proper fall. 🙂

d.

I use SPD's with Sidi shoes on my tourer and fpd's (a cheap
alternative to shimano) duo pedals (spd cleat one side, flat
the other side) with shimano shoes. But i use both shoes on
both bikes.

"David Waters" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I use SPD's with Sidi shoes on my tourer and fpd's (a
cheap alternative to shimano) duo pedals (spd cleat one
side, flat the other side) with shimano shoes. But i use
both shoes on both bikes.

My friend had a pair of those FPDs but found that pedalling
caused the bearing races to tighten on one side. He'd
already fiddled with them so it was too late to take them
back to the LBS.

I don't know if the offer still stands, but SJS were
doing the new mud-shedding version of the PD-M515 (PD-
M520) for a lowly £19.99. I'm currently running a pair
and they seem fine.

Jon

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 23:35:02 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>

wrote in message : said:

Do they effectively shed mud? I've been having some bother
with SPDs jamming up with mud, lately, and would chearfully
shell out for some that didn't.

Mine get bunged up with ice and slush in the wrong
conditions. Eggbeaters are prolly better, I guess.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University