Mountain Bikes · Public discussion

Clipless: the first 24

Cc · 2004-07-03T01:00:35+00:00

So, awash with the praise of clipless pedals, I got on the wagon. Threw down for a set of eggbeaters, which should be here next week, and some shoes yesterday. After n years of riding platforms on BMX and mountain bikes (where n is a large number), however, I just couldn't wait to see what all the fuss was about. So, looking forward to better spinning, as well as avoiding the weekly meetings of my shins and my pedals, I threw on an old pair of SPDs I had laying around (they came with another bike), and decided to start tooling around last nite. I of course experienced the helpless feeling as I tipped over (multiple times), with nothing to do about it. Truly unique. I haven't had that "I'm going to eat [censored] in a moment, please stand by" feeling in a while. Reminiscent of speed wobbles when hauling ass on a skateboard, or realize that you're not going to make a tranny. Anyway, so the grass didn't really do me much harm, and I managed to get the cleats in adjustment. Rode to work today, and some 20-odd miles to run an errand and back, with an extended detour to some flat trails out by the Bay: http://www.stanford.edu/~ccreese/images/miscpost/sl_park- 1.JPG http://www.stanford.edu/~ccreese/images/miscpost/s- l_park2.JPG It was a good chance to get a feeling for clipping in/out, but it sure was a painful experience. I suppose that n is just too large a number, or my "fly now, dab later" style just makes staying in the pedals difficult, but I certainly spread around whatever damage I was doing to my shins before. I guess it probably wasn't a great idea to ride over mixed gravel/hardpan doing wheelies with my new pedals . . . should have learned my lesson doing the same thing last nite. I managed to fall over the back, onto my hip and leg. My shin already had a gorgeous scab on it: http://www.stanford.edu/~ccreese/images/miscpost/nice_legs.- JPG I'd show you the part where a rock tore through shorts, boxers, and left ass cheek, but i suppose this is mixed company . An additional disrespect to my leg was the fact that when riding through close brush, I was unable to lift my leg, as I could with platforms. I therefore felt quite exquisitely any foliage that happened to be close enough. Anyway, so many incidents and much pain later, I'm finally getting the hang of it. I don't know how long until I'll be able to dab smoothly, but hopefully it'll work out. I will say that the power gained by being locked in is great. I feel like I can strengthen a whole extra set of muscles . . not to mention feeling at least 1.5 times faster when I stand up and mash by pushing/pulling. That is a clear advantage. The control while airborne is also fantastic; it's nice to be one with your ride. Maybe if the hip bruises well, i.e. turns cool colors, I'll throw up a pic. . . cc

Started by Cc · 3 July 2004 · Last activity 7 July 2004 · 9 posts · 759 views

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Original section: Mountain Bikes
Published: 3 July 2004
Last activity: 7 July 2004
Original author: Cc
Posts: 9
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 759
Views / 30 days: 0
Topics: Pedal choice

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Original post
Cc
Archived post

3 July 2004, 01:00 UTC #1

So, awash with the praise of clipless pedals, I got on the
wagon. Threw down for a set of eggbeaters, which should be
here next week, and some shoes yesterday. After n years of
riding platforms on BMX and mountain bikes (where n is a
large number), however, I just couldn't wait to see what all
the fuss was about. So, looking forward to better spinning,
as well as avoiding the weekly meetings of my shins and my
pedals, I threw on an old pair of SPDs I had laying around
(they came with another bike), and decided to start tooling
around last nite.
I of course experienced the helpless feeling as I tipped
over (multiple times), with nothing to do about it. Truly
unique. I haven't had that "I'm going to eat [censored] in a
moment, please stand by" feeling in a while. Reminiscent of
speed wobbles when hauling ass on a skateboard, or realize
that you're not going to make a tranny. Anyway, so the grass
didn't really do me much harm, and I managed to get the
cleats in adjustment.
Rode to work today, and some 20-odd miles to run an errand
and back, with an extended detour to some flat trails out
by the Bay:
stanford.edusl park
1.JPG stanford.edus
l_park2.JPG
It was a good chance to get a feeling for clipping in/out,
but it sure was a painful experience. I suppose that n is
just too large a number, or my "fly now, dab later" style
just makes staying in the pedals difficult, but I certainly
spread around whatever damage I was doing to my shins
before. I guess it probably wasn't a great idea to ride over
mixed gravel/hardpan doing wheelies with my new pedals . . .
should have learned my lesson doing the same thing last
nite. I managed to fall over the back, onto my hip and leg.
My shin already had a gorgeous scab on it:
stanford.edunice legs.
JPG
I'd show you the part where a rock tore through shorts,
boxers, and left ass cheek, but i suppose this is mixed
company . An additional disrespect to my leg was the fact
that when riding through close brush, I was unable to lift
my leg, as I could with platforms. I therefore felt quite
exquisitely any foliage that happened to be close enough.
Anyway, so many incidents and much pain later, I'm finally
getting the hang of it. I don't know how long until I'll be
able to dab smoothly, but hopefully it'll work out.
I will say that the power gained by being locked in is
great. I feel like I can strengthen a whole extra set of
muscles . . not to mention feeling at least 1.5 times faster
when I stand up and mash by pushing/pulling. That is a clear
advantage. The control while airborne is also fantastic;
it's nice to be one with your ride.
Maybe if the hip bruises well, i.e. turns cool colors, I'll
throw up a pic.
. .
cc

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S O R N I
Archived post

3 July 2004, 01:15 UTC #2

cc said:
realize that you're not going to make a tranny.
Family newsgroup, buddy.
Bill "standards" S.

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Zeeexsixare
Archived post

3 July 2004, 01:45 UTC #3

Quoted message said:
I will say that the power gained by being locked in is
great. I feel like I can strengthen a whole extra set of
muscles . . not to mention feeling at least 1.5 times
faster when I stand up and mash by pushing/pulling. That
is a clear advantage. The control while airborne is also
fantastic; it's nice to be one with your ride.
Yes.
You'll be back on platforms in no time 😉
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

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Ashley
Archived post

3 July 2004, 09:00 UTC #4

"cc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
So, awash with the praise of clipless pedals, I got on the
wagon. Threw

down
Quoted message said:
for a set of eggbeaters, which should be here next week,
and some shoes yesterday. After n years of riding
platforms on BMX and mountain bikes (where n is a large
number), however, I just couldn't wait to see what all the
fuss was about. So, looking forward to better spinning, as
well as avoiding the weekly meetings of my shins and my
pedals, I threw on an old pair of SPDs I had laying around
(they came with another bike), and

decided
Quoted message said:
to start tooling around last nite.
I of course experienced the helpless feeling as I tipped
over (multiple times), with nothing to do about it. Truly
unique. I haven't had that "I'm going to eat [censored] in a
moment, please stand by" feeling in a while. Reminiscent
of speed wobbles when hauling ass on a skateboard, or
realize that you're not going to make a tranny. Anyway, so
the grass didn't really do me much harm, and I managed to
get the cleats in adjustment.
Rode to work today, and some 20-odd miles to run an errand
and back, with

an
Quoted message said:
extended detour to some flat trails out by the Bay:
stanford.edusl park1
.JPG stanford.edusl
park2.JPG
It was a good chance to get a feeling for clipping in/out,
but it sure was

a
Quoted message said:
painful experience. I suppose that n is just too large a
number, or my

"fly
Quoted message said:
now, dab later" style just makes staying in the pedals
difficult, but I certainly spread around whatever damage
I was doing to my shins before. I guess it probably
wasn't a great idea to ride over mixed gravel/hardpan
doing wheelies with my new pedals . . . should have
learned my lesson

doing
Quoted message said:
the same thing last nite. I managed to fall over the
back, onto my hip and leg. My shin already had a gorgeous
scab on it:
stanford.edunice
legs.JPG
I'd show you the part where a rock tore through shorts,
boxers, and left

ass
Quoted message said:
cheek, but i suppose this is mixed company . An additional
disrespect to

my
Quoted message said:
leg was the fact that when riding through close brush, I
was unable to

lift
Quoted message said:
my leg, as I could with platforms. I therefore felt quite
exquisitely any foliage that happened to be close enough.
Anyway, so many incidents and

much
Quoted message said:
pain later, I'm finally getting the hang of it. I don't
know how long

until
Quoted message said:
I'll be able to dab smoothly, but hopefully it'll
work out.
I will say that the power gained by being locked in is
great. I feel like

I
Quoted message said:
can strengthen a whole extra set of muscles . . not to
mention feeling at least 1.5 times faster when I stand up
and mash by pushing/pulling. That

is
Quoted message said:
a clear advantage. The control while airborne is also
fantastic; it's nice to be one with your ride.
Maybe if the hip bruises well, i.e. turns cool colors,
I'll throw up a

pic.
Quoted message said:
. .
cc

After riding clipped in for years, as soon as I get on a
bike with platforms, I feel as equally unsafe as you
probably do clipped in. I can't go at any speed downhill as
my feet and legs are allover the place. The thought of being
able to protect my shins though would sway it for
me......ouch!
One thing I have found with egg beaters over spd's is the
ability to have a dab. Never managed it with spd's, and
I'm still getting used to egg beaters. Things can only
get better.
Good luck
gravelr......Ash

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Jamie Trailblaz
Archived post

3 July 2004, 13:15 UTC #5

Good luck and remember that eggbeaters have 2 setting 1 with
a lot of float and 1 with almost no float .Try that way
first .My buddies have eggbeater and the more float the more
you have to turn your foot to get out harder to dab that
way. Me I like a little more platform on the pedal body so I
use Ritchy pedals the v3 pros .They work for me ??
PS Great pic of the bay!

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John Morgan
Archived post

3 July 2004, 16:30 UTC #6

Jamie TrailBlazer At Large said:
Good luck and remember that eggbeaters have 2 setting 1
with a lot of float and 1 with almost no float .Try that
way first .My buddies have eggbeater and the more float
the more you have to turn your foot to get out harder to
dab that way. Me I like a little more platform on the
pedal body so I use Ritchy pedals the v3 pros .They work
for me ??
PS Great pic of the bay!
Nah, the float is the same either way you set up the cleats,
but you CAN choose the release angle: either 15 or 20
degrees. Most people start with the 15 degree setting, and I
would recommend that if you're new to clipless because the
Shimanos you've been practicing with only have around 10
degree release angle.
members.cox.netCliplessFAQ.txt
John M

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Cc
Archived post

3 July 2004, 22:30 UTC #7

"Ashley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:

"cc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
<snip>
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:

After riding clipped in for years, as soon as I get on a
bike with platforms, I feel as equally unsafe as you
probably do clipped in. I

can't
Quoted message said:
go at any speed downhill as my feet and legs are allover
the place. The thought of being able to protect my shins
though would sway it for
me......ouch!
Yes, I can imagine that. I'm worried that I'll get to
a place where platforms feel unstable, but clipless
feel stifling.
Yeah, it's not so pleasant gouging the shins. Ironically,
the shin injury in the picture was caused by a freak
softball accident. Well, not really freak. I slid into a
base in shorts, and didn't commit enough to land on my ass,
as I should have . .
Quoted message said:
One thing I have found with egg beaters over spd's is the
ability to have

a
Quoted message said:
dab. Never managed it with spd's, and I'm still getting
used to egg beaters. Things can only get better.
I'm hoping so. Thanks.
Colin
P.S. I'm doing a time-lapse "bruisography." If it turns
out well, I may post. The wonders of digital
photography. . .

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Chuck
Archived post

7 July 2004, 01:15 UTC #8

I just picked up the eggbeaters and sette's combo from
pricepoint and really love the new feeling of clips. I do
alot of single track flatland riding so once I clip in, I
wont be out probably till I am finished with my ride, but
its easier to unclip then clip at first. I had the hardest
time figuring out where the cleat was on the bottom of my
shoe without falling over while coasting. Now that I figured
it out, I love em. Seems like alot more energy and alot less
worrying about keeping my feet on pedals. I would be
skeptical about using them on anything technical. Think I
would bang the legs up some then.
Good luck with your new purchase. Chuck Mc.
cc said:
So, awash with the praise of clipless pedals, I got on the
wagon. Threw down for a set of eggbeaters, which should be
here next week, and some shoes yesterday. After n years of
riding platforms on BMX and mountain bikes (where n is a
large number), however, I just couldn't wait to see what
all the fuss was about. So, looking forward to better
spinning, as well as avoiding the weekly meetings of my
shins and my pedals, I threw on an old pair of SPDs I had
laying around (they came with another bike), and decided
to start tooling around last nite.
I of course experienced the helpless feeling as I tipped
over (multiple times), with nothing to do about it. Truly
unique. I haven't had that "I'm going to eat [censored] in a
moment, please stand by" feeling in a while. Reminiscent
of speed wobbles when hauling ass on a skateboard, or
realize that you're not going to make a tranny. Anyway, so
the grass didn't really do me much harm, and I managed to
get the cleats in adjustment.
Rode to work today, and some 20-odd miles to run an errand
and back, with an extended detour to some flat trails out
by the Bay:
stanford.edusl park1
.JPG stanford.edusl
park2.JPG
It was a good chance to get a feeling for clipping in/out,
but it sure was a painful experience. I suppose that n is
just too large a number, or my "fly now, dab later" style
just makes staying in the pedals difficult, but I
certainly spread around whatever damage I was doing to my
shins before. I guess it probably wasn't a great idea to
ride over mixed gravel/hardpan doing wheelies with my new
pedals . . . should have learned my lesson doing the same
thing last nite. I managed to fall over the back, onto my
hip and leg. My shin already had a gorgeous scab on it:
stanford.edunice
legs.JPG
I'd show you the part where a rock tore through shorts,
boxers, and left ass cheek, but i suppose this is mixed
company . An additional disrespect to my leg was the fact
that when riding through close brush, I was unable to lift
my leg, as I could with platforms. I therefore felt quite
exquisitely any foliage that happened to be close enough.
Anyway, so many incidents and much pain later, I'm finally
getting the hang of it. I don't know how long until I'll
be able to dab smoothly, but hopefully it'll work out.
I will say that the power gained by being locked in is
great. I feel like I can strengthen a whole extra set of
muscles . . not to mention feeling at least 1.5 times
faster when I stand up and mash by pushing/pulling. That
is a clear advantage. The control while airborne is also
fantastic; it's nice to be one with your ride.
Maybe if the hip bruises well, i.e. turns cool colors,
I'll throw up a pic.
. .
cc

Report
Cc
Archived post

7 July 2004, 05:15 UTC #9

"chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
<snip>
Yeah, technical stuff has been a bit sketchy. I approach
things i have no problem clearing with an apprehension about
dabbing that kills my confidence. I'm sure I'll get over
that. It has also been a pain finding the cleat, as you
mentioned.
Today I got stopped dead by a low branch, tried to dab by
unclipping my right, then promptly fell over to the left
into a large pine tree, which inflicted fresh damage to the
previously posted wound:
stanford.eduleg
revamp.jpg
Good stuff. It's funny . .. I take long rides on the way to
an appointment I have every week on either Tuesday or
Thursday and show up with fresh damage more often than not.
They must think me strange 😉
cc

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