first clipless pedal ride

jrtalon said:

wow big difference being able to pull up on the pedal vs straps. Just went out for a 25min ride with them(as much as the remaining daylight allowed) I was hammering it to 30mph on the flats never could get above 24-25 before that and I think I can go faster I was having trouble pulling up with my left leg not because its weak but I'm just not used to it I suspect I didnt have trouble with the right since I'm a righty. Had no trouble clipping out when coming to a stop. I slipped once launching from a stop sign, scrapped my ankle on the gear....didnt fall though *knock on wood* Sooo next thing to save up for....a trainer since the sun is being lazy and is going to bed earlier and earlier. haha

Hi,

I have use clips all my riding life (as in wearing joggers and your foot slips into the clips, strap over the top)

So you went out and bought new pedals and shoes???

Are they really that much better??

I have been thinking about changing.

Jay

silkwood said:

Hi,

I have use clips all my riding life (as in wearing joggers and your foot slips into the clips, strap over the top)

So you went out and bought new pedals and shoes???

Are they really that much better??

I have been thinking about changing.

Jay

The difference is like running in a pair of thongs (flip flops) compared to running in running shoes.😄

Their lighter, stiffer and held tight to the pedal which means better power transfer from you to you bike.😄 😄

Absolutely. Spent 6 months without them, and just got some clipless shoes/pedals a month ago. Best things since sliced bread. Getting in and out is very easy, too.

k...right now im not using ANY clips of any kind, just a flat pedal and tennis shoes........should i be changing that?

Don't forget to unclip when rolling up to a stop light! A friend of mine did that the first time he used clipless. It certainly was worth a good laugh...he learned quickly after that though. 🙂

zs_21 said:

k...right now im not using ANY clips of any kind, just a flat pedal and tennis shoes........should i be changing that?

This probably won't surprise you but... yes. Using clipless pedals feels a little strange at first because of the different position of your foot on the pedal, but it gets very comfortable and makes your climbing that much more powerful.

Here's a thread I started back in 2004.....
http://cyclingforums.com/t83092.html

There are some hilarious posts attached to it....but once you're used to clipless there's no going back...it feels really wierd to ride a bike without Clipless now...I'm not surprized you noticed a huge difference...
😉

Hey guys.... I am a noobie riding for fitness and was thinking of getting clipless pedals... mind if I ask a couple of questions?

1-- How does clipless work? I have to get special shoes and attach cleats to them right? how do I get the cleats in and out while riding?

2-- Why is it called clipless? I am assuming that clips are the things that come over your feet and these use cleats to attach directly to the pedal....am I right?

thanks for the help.

cycling_jedi said:

Hey guys.... I am a noobie riding for fitness and was thinking of getting clipless pedals... mind if I ask a couple of questions?

1-- How does clipless work? I have to get special shoes and attach cleats to them right? how do I get the cleats in and out while riding?

2-- Why is it called clipless? I am assuming that clips are the things that come over your feet and these use cleats to attach directly to the pedal....am I right?

thanks for the help.

1 Yes, you get special shoes and attach cleats to them. There is a spot on the pedal that will grab on to the cleat locking your foot to the pedal. You twist your foot to release.

2 It's called clipless because there are no clips. You are correct in your assumption.

Bio-mechanically....correctly fitted, proper shoes and pedals are excellent for preventing knee/ankle problems.
With normal clips/joggers
- you are limited in your upwards lifting so your legs only push,
- the legs can flop sideways
- you will experience a lot of knee pain if you tend to get knee pain from running

I did thousands of kilometres with joggers/clips and had lot of knee pain but tolerated it because I knew I was getting fitter and stronger.
My riding mate convinced me to buy proper shoe/pedal combo and on our very next ride, >100 kms, (my first ride with the combo) I was absolutely amazed at the feel, power transfer, unadulterated & undiluted comfort, not to mention absence of any knee pain !!!
Having a rigid sole with power transfer direct to the pedal, is amazing...😎
Joggers+clips are useless because the soles are meant to absorb impact so what happens is, all your lower leg muscles are straining to direct power thru the ball of your foot and it puts terrible strain on the joints.
There are thousands upon thousands of folk using cycling shoes....like the man said, best thing since sliced bread 😄 🙂

I have no problem anymore now getting out my shoes, but I do have quite a lot troubles getting in. The pedals tend to change their position into upward position, the rear part of the pedal seems heavier, hence I often slip my shoes getting into the pedal and I have to look down to lead the pedal into horizontal position. Does this happen to other pedals?

mysrh said:

I have no problem anymore now getting out my shoes, but I do have quite a lot troubles getting in. The pedals tend to change their position into upward position, the rear part of the pedal seems heavier, hence I often slip my shoes getting into the pedal and I have to look down to lead the pedal into horizontal position. Does this happen to other pedals?

Well, what brand of pedal do you have?
I have always used "Look", I find that when taking off, I don't think about position of pedals, just go on instinct and they go straight in...only when I need quick take-off do I begin worrying and then I have trouble. Your legs do hundreds of thousands of revs so your muscles remember exactly where the pedal are (karate kid- wax on, wax off) just go on instinct and relax, it will come naturally....

mysrh said:

I have no problem anymore now getting out my shoes, but I do have quite a lot troubles getting in. The pedals tend to change their position into upward position, the rear part of the pedal seems heavier, hence I often slip my shoes getting into the pedal and I have to look down to lead the pedal into horizontal position. Does this happen to other pedals?

My road pedals have always been look style pedals which hang down at the back. The trick is to bring the foot forward across the top of the pedal with the toe slightly raised the pedal will catch the cleat when this happens just push down and the cleat should lock in. Practice with your first foot to get the feel while not moving. The second foot is easier to do do if the pedal is at its highest point which can be done while holding on to a post or rolling slowly(you can always pedal with 1 foot to keep the speed up if needed) Make sure there's no traffic when you practice this.

One other point when you start use clipless, back the tension right off to make it easier to to get in and out of the pedal. And tighten it up bit by bit as you get use to the system.

My MTB has spd style pedal which are evenly balanced and can be in any position as a result. With these I just stand on the pedal to level it and then engage the cleat. Easy to do but I have been riding with them for 13 years.

Happy trails🙂

DJA said:

My road pedals have always been look style pedals which hang down at the back. The trick is to bring the foot forward across the top of the pedal with the toe slightly raised the pedal will catch the cleat when this happens just push down and the cleat should lock in. Practice with your first foot to get the feel while not moving. The second foot is easier to do do if the pedal is at its highest point which can be done while holding on to a post or rolling slowly(you can always pedal with 1 foot to keep the speed up if needed) Make sure there's no traffic when you practice this.

One other point when you start use clipless, back the tension right off to make it easier to to get in and out of the pedal. And tighten it up bit by bit as you get use to the system.

My MTB has spd style pedal which are evenly balanced and can be in any position as a result. With these I just stand on the pedal to level it and then engage the cleat. Easy to do but I have been riding with them for 13 years.

Happy trails🙂

I just started clipless too. I have the LOok keo's and find that everytime I uncilp it feels like i'm breaking something! haha I hope they soften up a bit 😄 i've ridden my pedals twice and they already look half worn lol Scrapes everywhere! Is this normal?