Help learning to use clip-in shoes

Twist your heel to the outside. Away from the frame. Practice it in your abode with out moving. If
you clip in and out 10 times before you ride you should not have any problem.

You might want to loosen your pedals to the max or almost. There should be a a place for an allen
wrench on the front of each pedal (both sides if double entry) to allow you to adjust pedal tension.
Probably best if you turned it to "minus" until you get used to twisting to get unclipped.

The pedals are worth it, you just have to ingrain that you don't slide your foot "off the back"
any longer.

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

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of the
old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals,
and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That was fine.
Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my
driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but
didn't see anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

Practice in the grass. Clip in and try to keep your balance. As you fall to one side, unclip and
keep yourself from falling. If you fall, at least you fall in the grass. Keep at it. After a while,
you develop muscle memory, and clipping out becomes second nature.

Another good thing to practice in the grass: hopping to keep the bike upright. It's useful
sometimes at stoplights, and in case there's a wreck in front of you when the sprinters drive for
the finish line.

Good luck.

Michael

"Bartow W. Riggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Twist your heel to the outside. Away from the frame. Practice it in your abode with out moving. If
you clip in and out 10 times before you ride

you

Quoted message said:

should not have any problem.

You might want to loosen your pedals to the max or almost. There should

be

Quoted message said:

a a place for an allen wrench on the front of each pedal (both sides if double entry) to allow you
to adjust pedal tension. Probably best if you turned it to "minus" until you get used to twisting
to get unclipped.

The pedals are worth it, you just have to ingrain that you don't slide

your

Quoted message said:

foot "off the back" any longer.

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

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of
the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD
pedals, and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That
was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without
getting out of my driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but
didn't see anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Zelda) said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of the
old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals,
and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That was fine.
Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my
driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but
didn't see anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

The trick is to not look down when clicking in. Mixing up "feel" info with visual info just clashes.
And not seeing where one is going can cause a little panicky flusteration.

Also, once the first foot is engaged, try clicking into the free pedal (without looking down) when
the engaged pedal is at the 9 o'clock position. In other words, with the cranks parallel to the
ground, and the attached foot able to apply power. That way, if you miss on the first attempt, you
can still one-legged pedal around back to the 9 o'clock position and try again.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of the
old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals,
and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That was fine.
Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my
driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my helmet).

First off, I don't like introducing people to clipless pedals on a trainer... it's so far removed
from the real world, that the lessons learned about getting into and out of them simply aren't all
that relevant. Best way I've found (and helped several people with today at the shop)-

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as low as
possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to get back in if removed!

#2: Stand over the bike, without sitting on the saddle (stand over the top
tube). Engage one of the brakes (so the bike doesn't move around), rotate the pedal you want to get
into so it's at about a 7 o'clock position, and, feeling for the front of the cleat engage with the
pedal, push *forward* until you hear it snap into place. Disengage by twisting your ankle outward.
Repeat several times until this feels relatively natural.

#2b: Try the same things with the other pedal, getting used to what it
takes to get into and out of it. More than anything, you're getting familiar with the location of
the cleat on the bottom of the shoe.

#3: Now it's time to practice while riding. Get one shoe into the pedal
and start off. Don't try getting the other one in too soon! Get up a little bit of speed so you're
stable... it's no big deal pedaling along for a bit with one foot not engaged. Once you're up to
speed, try getting the other foot into the pedal when it's at that same 7 o'clock position as
before. Don't let it frustrate you if engagement is difficult! Take your time, maybe stop and
practice getting that particular foot in while stopped.

#4: Remember you MUST unclip one of your feet well before you come to a
stop. If you're still clipped in, and you have no forward momentum, you're going down. As mentioned
previously, it's not difficult pedaling while unclipped for a bit, so plan ahead of time. No
last-second stuff and you'll likely avoid falling.

I suspect the clue to your problems was that you couldn't even get out of your driveway without
falling. You're trying to do too much too fast. Take things one step at a time and I'll bet it
will be easy!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

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

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of the
old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals,
and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That was fine.
Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my
driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but
didn't see anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

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

Quoted message said:

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions?

cut............

It won't add anything to the good advice already given but:
fastload.netindex.htmlOpen ↗ "Falling not Fainting" near the bottom of this page
may encourage you by showing your not alone. I perservered and now ride with clipless all the time
without problems peter

I started using SPD pedals (Shimano M-515) recently and for me the key is to concentrate on keeping
the bike moving. You can ride without clipping in, but you can't clip both feet in without having
the bike underway or you will fall. Also, I have the right clips as loose as possible, just one or
two clicks from the end of the screw stroke, to make it easy to release the foot I always put down.
I haven't had an accidental release yet. After a while, you will get used to sliding your foot
forward to clip and twisting sideways to release, but meantime concentrate on keeping the wheels
turning. If you start to feel wobbly, just pedal and forget about clipping until you have enough
momentum to coast and work on clipping in. Try it in an open area like an empty parking lot or
running track so you can go without a lot of steering. Don't start out going uphill, stick to flats
until you get some confidence.

BTW: you did not say what model your pedals are. In general you're better off starting with pedals
that clip on more than one side.

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

Quoted message said:

#3: Now it's time to practice while riding. Get one shoe into the pedal
and start off. Don't try getting the other one in too soon! Get up a little bit of speed so you're
stable... it's no big deal pedaling along

for

Quoted message said:

a bit with one foot not engaged. Once you're up to speed, try getting the other foot into the
pedal when it's at that same 7 o'clock position as before. Don't let it frustrate you if
engagement is difficult! Take your time, maybe stop and practice getting that particular foot
in while

stopped.

Yes, it's possible to ride carefully without being clipped in at all. Get going, then clip. Don't
stand before you're clipped.

Quoted message said:

#4: Remember you MUST unclip one of your feet well before you come to a
stop. If you're still clipped in, and you have no forward momentum,

you're

Quoted message said:

going down. As mentioned previously, it's not difficult pedaling while unclipped for a bit, so
plan ahead of time. No last-second stuff and

you'll

Quoted message said:

likely avoid falling.

We can't always plan on the mistakes of others and SPDs are reluctant to let go unless you're at the
bottom of the stroke - 5 to 7 o'clock position. So get used to rotating backward fast to get the
foot down and twisting the ankle to release.

But if they gave you the beginner cleats you should also be able to get out by yanking backward hard
in a panic just before you fall.

If the bolts holding the SPD cleats to the shoe come loose it can be very problematic to get out so
you may want to check them for tightness with the allen key every once in a while.

When you do fall while stopped, see yourself rolling. put your knee out a bit to start the roll,
crouch down closer to the bike and you roll right over to the other side without being hurt. Um,
keep your fingers away from the sides or ends of the bars where they can get whacked.

Doug

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

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of the
old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals,
and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That was fine.
Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my
driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but
didn't see anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

Hey, nothing on Sheldon's pages!!!!!!! Is this a first????????? Hugh

Zelda said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of the
old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals,
and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That was fine.
Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my
driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my helmet).

Your post caught my eye I because I just installed SPDs on my wife's bike last week. So far, she has
only ridden them on the trainer, but we may get out on the road today.

Were your falls caused by difficulty clipping in? or out? Since you were still on your driveway, it
sounds like you weren't yet clipped in.

A couple of suggestions:

-Set the release tension low.

-Have the bike in a low enough gear that you can accelerate quickly.

-Clip in one foot, move that foot to the 12 O'Clock position, push down on the pedal, and get the
bike moving fast enough be stable. (If necessary, use the other foot [unclipped] as well for a turn
or two until the bike is moving fast enough.)

-Learn to clip in the second foot without weaving or taking your eyes off the road. (practice on a
trainer or a quiet street)

-Once clipped in, be prepared to unclip as you approach intersections, traffic lights, etc. Unclip
one foot *before* you come to a stop. This will become second nature. You might want to shift down a
gear or two as you slow for a stop to make starting up again easier.

-Don't pull up when trying to unclip. Twist your foot outward and slightly downward.

-Check the tightness of the cleat bolts after the first couple of rides. If they loosen, you won't
be able to unclip.

-Consider switching to dual release cleats; these will allow you to unclip easier.

It's really not as hard as it sounds. As with learning to ride a bike, practice makes perfect.

Good luck, Art Harris

Do you have some knee pads and heavy gloves you can wear while getting the hang of clipping in/out?

As others have suggested and you've probably thought, stand with the bike and clip one foot in and
out ten times before your next attempt actually riding. This "immediacy" might help your foot
"remember" the motion.

I'm a (not particularly strong) woman who bloodied both knees once or twice before I got it (over a
decade ago, coming out of the driveway, too). Now of course I love my clip-in pedals and think they
improve my efficiency.

Good luck.

"Zelda" <[email hidden]> wrote snip

Quoted message said:

Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my
driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but
didn't see anything specifically about this.

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

Quoted message said:

Zelda said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of
the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD
pedals, and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That
was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without
getting out of my driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Your post caught my eye I because I just installed SPDs on my wife's bike last week. So far, she
has only ridden them on the trainer, but we may get out on the road today.

Were your falls caused by difficulty clipping in? or out? Since you were still on your driveway,
it sounds like you weren't yet clipped in.

A couple of suggestions:

-Set the release tension low.

-Have the bike in a low enough gear that you can accelerate quickly.

-Clip in one foot, move that foot to the 12 O'Clock position, push down on the pedal, and get the
bike moving fast enough be stable. (If necessary,

use

Quoted message said:

the other foot [unclipped] as well for a turn or two until the bike is moving fast enough.)

-Learn to clip in the second foot without weaving or taking your eyes off the road. (practice on a
trainer or a quiet street)

-Once clipped in, be prepared to unclip as you approach intersections, traffic lights, etc. Unclip
one foot *before* you come to a stop. This

will

Quoted message said:

become second nature. You might want to shift down a gear or two as you

slow

Quoted message said:

for a stop to make starting up again easier.

-Don't pull up when trying to unclip. Twist your foot outward and slightly downward.

-Check the tightness of the cleat bolts after the first couple of rides.

If

Quoted message said:

they loosen, you won't be able to unclip.

-Consider switching to dual release cleats; these will allow you to unclip easier.

It's really not as hard as it sounds. As with learning to ride a bike, practice makes perfect.

Good luck, Art Harris

Great advice. Summarizes several posters who made good suggestions.

I might add:

Develop a "preferred" side to lean to and unclick when coming to a stop. Mine happens to be my left
side. Obviously, you need to unclick to the side you lean to!

At start up, if you have read my posts before, I sometimes have trouble engaging by finding the
upright side of the pedal. You can still pedal softly with the unclicked side til you find the
correct side.

If on a soft incline or in too low a gear at startup, you may find yourself not having enough speed
at the startup to keep balance while engaging. After the first push with the engaged pedal, spin
backwards with that foot and push again. Do as often as needed (should be seconds) until your speed
is such that you can click in the other pedal while maintaining balance.

Kerry

I learned on two sided pedals. SPD and flat so that I could alternate when frustrated or least
get underway.

Also I used a few tadpole trikes to learn on so that I was completely stable and motionless when I
was clipping in and out. No need to constantly clip in and out.

Once I was well-practised in this manner- clipping in and out became second nature on any pedals.

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of
the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD
pedals, and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That
was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without
getting out of my driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

First off, I don't like introducing people to clipless pedals on a trainer... it's so far removed
from the real world, that the lessons

learned

Quoted message said:

about getting into and out of them simply aren't all that relevant.

I have to disagree with this. Trainers are an excellent way to introduce a complete novice to the
system. They can be coached and watched. Are you suggesting that one can learn something better with
added distractions or complexities?

Best

Quoted message said:

way I've found (and helped several people with today at the shop)-

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as low

as

Quoted message said:

possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to

get

Quoted message said:

back in if removed!

#2: Stand over the bike, without sitting on the saddle (stand over the

top

Quoted message said:

tube). Engage one of the brakes (so the bike doesn't move around), rotate the pedal you want to
get into so it's at about a 7 o'clock position, and, feeling for the front of the cleat engage
with the pedal, push *forward* until you hear it snap into place. Disengage by twisting your ankle
outward. Repeat several times until this feels relatively natural.

#2b: Try the same things with the other pedal, getting used to what it
takes to get into and out of it. More than anything, you're getting familiar with the location of
the cleat on the bottom of the shoe.

#3: Now it's time to practice while riding. Get one shoe into the pedal
and start off. Don't try getting the other one in too soon! Get up a little bit of speed so you're
stable... it's no big deal pedaling along

for

Quoted message said:

a bit with one foot not engaged. Once you're up to speed, try getting the other foot into the
pedal when it's at that same 7 o'clock position as before. Don't let it frustrate you if
engagement is difficult! Take your time, maybe stop and practice getting that particular foot
in while

stopped.

Quoted message said:

Yup. Practice is KEY. I also endorse the idea of not looking, but going by feel and sound. It's also
a tough concept for alot of people to use a soft touch with their feet approaching the pedals. Most
are pretty heavy-footed, with little finesse.

Quoted message said:

#4: Remember you MUST unclip one of your feet well before you come to a
stop. If you're still clipped in, and you have no forward momentum,

you're

Quoted message said:

going down. As mentioned previously, it's not difficult pedaling while unclipped for a bit, so
plan ahead of time. No last-second stuff and

you'll

Quoted message said:

likely avoid falling.

I suspect the clue to your problems was that you couldn't even get out of your driveway without
falling. You're trying to do too much too fast.

Take

Quoted message said:

things one step at a time and I'll bet it will be easy!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

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

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of
the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD
pedals, and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out. That
was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without
getting out of my driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but
didn't see anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

Robin Hubert

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as low

as

Quoted message said:

possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to

get

Quoted message said:

back in if removed!

Mike, is there a way to know when your at the lower limit of tension? Those red tension indicators
don't seem very precise. When setting up my wife's M505 pedals, I went to full tension, and then
backed off about four complete turns. I want to get minimum tension without having the screws pop
out. As a Look pedal user, this is all new to me.

Art Harris

"Kerry Nikolaisen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Zelda said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of
the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD
pedals, and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out.
That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without
getting out of my driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing
my helmet).

Your post caught my eye I because I just installed SPDs on my wife's

bike

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

last week. So far, she has only ridden them on the trainer, but we may

get

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out on the road today.

Were your falls caused by difficulty clipping in? or out? Since you were still on your driveway,
it sounds like you weren't yet clipped in.

A couple of suggestions:

-Set the release tension low.

-Have the bike in a low enough gear that you can accelerate quickly.

-Clip in one foot, move that foot to the 12 O'Clock position, push down

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the pedal, and get the bike moving fast enough be stable. (If necessary,

use

Quoted message said:

the other foot [unclipped] as well for a turn or two until the bike is moving fast enough.)

-Learn to clip in the second foot without weaving or taking your eyes

off

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the road. (practice on a trainer or a quiet street)

-Once clipped in, be prepared to unclip as you approach intersections, traffic lights, etc.
Unclip one foot *before* you come to a stop. This

will

Quoted message said:

become second nature. You might want to shift down a gear or two as you

slow

Quoted message said:

for a stop to make starting up again easier.

-Don't pull up when trying to unclip. Twist your foot outward and

slightly

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

downward.

-Check the tightness of the cleat bolts after the first couple of rides.

If

Quoted message said:

they loosen, you won't be able to unclip.

-Consider switching to dual release cleats; these will allow you to

unclip

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

easier.

It's really not as hard as it sounds. As with learning to ride a bike, practice makes perfect.

Good luck, Art Harris

Great advice. Summarizes several posters who made good suggestions.

I might add:

Develop a "preferred" side to lean to and unclick when coming to a stop. Mine happens to be my
left side. Obviously, you need to unclick to the

side

Quoted message said:

you lean to!

I think this is bad advice because a bicycle rider needs to be equally adept at putting either foot
down at any time. This will handicap the rider and actually cause falls.

Quoted message said:

At start up, if you have read my posts before, I sometimes have trouble engaging by finding the
upright side of the pedal. You can still pedal softly with the unclicked side til you find the
correct side.

If on a soft incline or in too low a gear at startup, you may find

yourself

Quoted message said:

not having enough speed at the startup to keep balance while engaging. After the first push with
the engaged pedal, spin backwards with that foot and push again. Do as often as needed (should be
seconds) until your

speed

Quoted message said:

is such that you can click in the other pedal while maintaining balance.

Kerry

Robin Hubert

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

Quoted message said:

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are

set as low

Quoted message said:

as

Quoted message said:

possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're

impossible to

Quoted message said:

get

Quoted message said:

back in if removed!

Mike, is there a way to know when your at the lower limit of

tension? Those

Quoted message said:

red tension indicators don't seem very precise. When setting up my

wife's

Quoted message said:

M505 pedals, I went to full tension, and then backed off about four

complete

Quoted message said:

turns. I want to get minimum tension without having the screws pop

out. As a

Quoted message said:

Look pedal user, this is all new to me.

Art Harris

On the M515s the screws have some kind of ratchet washer that clicks as you adjust the screw. When
it stops clicking you are too far out and need to screw it in until it starts clicking again.

Robin Hubert <[email hidden]> wrote:
: I think this is bad advice because a bicycle rider needs to be equally adept at putting either
: foot down at any time. This will handicap the rider and actually cause falls.

i don't know that you have a choice. most people will develop a preference whether they want one or
not. in my case it's my left -- i clip out of my left so much more often (stop lights, etc) that i
wear out 2 or more cleats on the left per right.

unclipping on the left has other advantages: cuts down on tattoos.
--
david reuteler [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

First off, I don't like introducing people to clipless pedals on a trainer... it's so far
removed from the real world, that the lessons

learned

Quoted message said:

about getting into and out of them simply aren't all that relevant.

I have to disagree with this. Trainers are an excellent way to introduce

a

Quoted message said:

complete novice to the system. They can be coached and watched. Are you suggesting that one can
learn something better with added distractions or complexities?

Yep, we'll disagree! Trainers are such an unrealistic environment that I just don't find them all
that useful. The first time they (many, not all) try to get into and out of the pedals off the
trainer can be very, very scary. But if you have them try it the way I described it (perhaps
holding onto a fence or something else to steady themselves if needed), it goes a lot easier than
you'd think.

Regarding "complete novices", do keep in mind that's mostly what I deal with, every single day. Part
of my job. "Complete novices" are simply not given the credit due, and when you give them the idea
that it's a scary thing and they've got to first try it out on a trainer, you reinforce the idea
that it's going to be difficult and... things have a way of living up to expectations.

Distractions? Not sure what you mean. I'm not talking about having somebody practice first getting
into and out of the cleats on a "live" road. A parking lot, school playground, that sort of thing
works very well.

One point I didn't make was that it's very important to try and manually engage the cleat into the
pedal system (with the shoe off the foot), just to make sure there's nothing to prevent easy
engagement and release. Sometimes the sole of the shoe can be too tall, so it prevents the cleat
from reaching down far enough to engage.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

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

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

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I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of
the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD
pedals, and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out.
That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without
getting out of my driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing
my helmet).

First off, I don't like introducing people to clipless pedals on a trainer... it's so far
removed from the real world, that the lessons

learned

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about getting into and out of them simply aren't all that relevant.

I have to disagree with this. Trainers are an excellent way to introduce

a

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complete novice to the system. They can be coached and watched. Are you suggesting that one can
learn something better with added distractions or complexities?

Best

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way I've found (and helped several people with today at the shop)-

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as

low

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as

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possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to

get

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back in if removed!

#2: Stand over the bike, without sitting on the saddle (stand over the

top

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tube). Engage one of the brakes (so the bike doesn't move around),

rotate

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the pedal you want to get into so it's at about a 7 o'clock position,

and,

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feeling for the front of the cleat engage with the pedal, push *forward* until you hear it snap
into place. Disengage by twisting your ankle outward. Repeat several times until this feels
relatively natural.

#2b: Try the same things with the other pedal, getting used to what it
takes to get into and out of it. More than anything, you're getting familiar with the location
of the cleat on the bottom of the shoe.

#3: Now it's time to practice while riding. Get one shoe into the

pedal

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and start off. Don't try getting the other one in too soon! Get up a little bit of speed so
you're stable... it's no big deal pedaling along

for

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a bit with one foot not engaged. Once you're up to speed, try getting

the

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other foot into the pedal when it's at that same 7 o'clock position as before. Don't let it
frustrate you if engagement is difficult! Take

your

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time, maybe stop and practice getting that particular foot in while

stopped.

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Yup. Practice is KEY. I also endorse the idea of not looking, but going

by

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feel and sound. It's also a tough concept for alot of people to use a

soft

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touch with their feet approaching the pedals. Most are pretty

heavy-footed,

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with little finesse.

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#4: Remember you MUST unclip one of your feet well before you come to a
stop. If you're still clipped in, and you have no forward momentum,

you're

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going down. As mentioned previously, it's not difficult pedaling while unclipped for a bit, so
plan ahead of time. No last-second stuff and

you'll

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likely avoid falling.

I suspect the clue to your problems was that you couldn't even get out

of

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your driveway without falling. You're trying to do too much too fast.

Take

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things one step at a time and I'll bet it will be easy!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

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

Quoted message said:

I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was finally ready to get rid of
the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD
pedals, and they put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and out.
That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my bike. I fell twice, hard, without
getting out of my driveway. The second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing
my helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this learning curve without
breaking any bones? Any web pages with good instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages,
but didn't see anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

Robin Hubert

Art: Is your pedal really a 505 or 515? I deal mostly with 515s and
520s... a 505 is probably similar Before you lose the adjustment screw (before it comes out
entirely), you get to a point where it's no longer affecting spring tension, and there's no
longer any resistance to turning. If I want a pedal as loose as possible, I find that spot
(where it loses all tension) and then tighten up one turn. That should keep it from rattling
out, while at the same time giving minimal tension.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

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

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Mike Jacoubowsky said:

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as

low

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as

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possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to

get

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back in if removed!

Mike, is there a way to know when your at the lower limit of tension?

Those

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red tension indicators don't seem very precise. When setting up my wife's M505 pedals, I went to
full tension, and then backed off about four

complete

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turns. I want to get minimum tension without having the screws pop out. As

a

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Look pedal user, this is all new to me.

Art Harris