Tonight is the night - my first ride home with clipless pedals



L

Lee

Guest
I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on the
shoes - tonight will be the first test.

Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my feet but
apart from that im looking forward to trying them.

Do they really make a big difference?

Lee
 
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 15:48:12 +0100, Lee <[email protected]> wrote:

> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on the
> shoes - tonight will be the first test.
>
> Any tips?


Just one: remember you have them! Especially when you get to the end of
your journey.

> Do they really make a big difference?


Yes.
 
Lee wrote:

> Any tips?


You'll be paranoid about unclipping anyway, so I probably don't need to
say this, but plan unclipping well in advance. If you're coming to a
junction, assume you will have to stop and come out well in advance.
It's no trouble riding along unclipped with the cleat resting on the
retention mech IME.
And don't worry about getting in: if it's not happening just ride on and
try again when you've enough momentum not to worry about falling over.
Standing on the pedals helps get them in if they're in basically the
right place.

> Do they really make a big difference?


Around town, a bit, but on any sort of longish trip, /huge/.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Lee wrote:
> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on the
> shoes - tonight will be the first test.


You won't regret it

> Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my feet but
> apart from that im looking forward to trying them.


As you approach every junction - say to yourself "Unclip, Unclip, Unclip..."

> Do they really make a big difference?


More than you would ever imagine. Have fun!

--
Chris
 
"Succorso" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lee wrote:
> > I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on

the
> > shoes - tonight will be the first test.

>
> You won't regret it
>
> > Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my feet

but
> > apart from that im looking forward to trying them.

>
> As you approach every junction - say to yourself "Unclip, Unclip,

Unclip..."
>
> > Do they really make a big difference?

>
> More than you would ever imagine. Have fun!
>
> --
> Chris


Wow such positive responses - cant wait to try them now - my journey is 8
miles so should be a good test!
 
Lee wrote:
> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on
> the shoes - tonight will be the first test.


Unclipping will soon become an automatic reflex but you have to "manually"
remember each time to begin with. Stick a note on the bars saying
"TWIST"! Forget and you'll go down -- probably gently though, so don't
worry.

Start off with low tension (should be a little allen bolt somewhere).

Try repositioning the cleats if feet feel uncomfortable, but give them a
good chance first.

~PB
 
Lee wrote:
> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on the
> shoes - tonight will be the first test.


Good luck.

> Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my feet but
> apart from that im looking forward to trying them.


Try practising clipping and unclipping a few times before setting off,
and remember to unclip well before you have to stop, eg at traffic
lights, junctions (remember that you can continue to pedal full
revolutions with the other still-clipped foot).

When stopping, unclip one foot and to avoid falling over turn the
handlebars in the opposite direction, eg if you unclip your left foot,
turn the bars to the right.

> Do they really make a big difference?


I've had mine for several months now and I'm Never Going Back.

d.
 
in message <[email protected]>, Lee
('[email protected]') wrote:

> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on
> the shoes - tonight will be the first test.
>
> Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my
> feet but apart from that im looking forward to trying them.


Make sure your cleats are very firmly bolted to your shoes. If the
cleats are loose you won't be able to unclip.

Unclip early when you can see you're going to have to stop.

Be sure to lean the bike to the side of the foot you've unclipped!

> Do they really make a big difference?


Yes.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
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> Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my feet but
> apart from that im looking forward to trying them.


Don't try them for the first time in traffic - you will fall.


I'm still getting used to mine, only last week I was lying flat across
the road with my feet still clipped in !

--
Andrew Whaley, author of :-

Trailgauge - Shareware 3D GPS Mapping Software
Free Download from http://www.trailgauge.com
 
Peter Clinch [email protected] opined the following...
> > Do they really make a big difference?

>
> Around town, a bit, but on any sort of longish trip, /huge/.


This depends on your riding style. Short hops around town for me involve
flat-out sprints between lights and the ability to pull up on the pedal
during the initial acceleration is fantastic.

I also find them good for going up hills.

Jon
 
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 15:48:12 +0100, "Lee" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Any tips?


When you unclip early, and ride the last few yards with one foot
'unclipped', beware that it will clip back in just when you least want
it to.
--

Cheers,

Al
 
"Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on the
> shoes - tonight will be the first test.


After years of cycling with toeclips I recently went the clipless
route on my hybrid. Following a couple of graceful slow-motion
pratfalls at t-junctions I felt I needed a kind of mantra to remind me
to unclip. It worked well, but I've just discovered I've been doing
it out loud. I don't know what the local people have made of the old
guy on the shiny bike coming up to junctions muttering "SPD, SPD,
SPD..."

Enjoy the difference anyway.

BG
 
Lee wrote:

> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on the
> shoes - tonight will be the first test.
>
> Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my feet but
> apart from that im looking forward to trying them.
>
> Do they really make a big difference?
>
> Lee
>
>

Oh yes - wait till you hit the first steep hill and find out you can
pull as well as push.

Personally I have SPDs wound up to maximum tension because I rely on
being able to pull hard without coming unclipped. They've still never
failed to let go in a crash. If it wasn't for the small platform and
large sole-to-axle distance, SPDs would be perfect for everything. As
it is, my Time pedals are preferable for TTs and fast road riding.
 
in message <[email protected]>, Al C-F
('[email protected]') wrote:

> On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 15:48:12 +0100, "Lee" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Any tips?

>
> When you unclip early, and ride the last few yards with one foot
> 'unclipped', beware that it will clip back in just when you least want
> it to.


But equally be aware that it is possible (and indeed easy) to pedal with
just one foot on the pedals and the other trailing down ready to
balance on.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
 
Lee wrote:

> I fitted my new clipless pedals this morning and sorted the cleats on the
> shoes - tonight will be the first test.
>
> Any tips? Ill have to get used to the ankle movement to unclick my feet but
> apart from that im looking forward to trying them.
>
> Do they really make a big difference?


Clipless pedals make a bicycle a toy for leisure purposes
rather than a device for transporting people. :)
 
Eiron wrote:

> Clipless pedals make a bicycle a toy for leisure purposes
> rather than a device for transporting people. :)


I use a bike with clipless pedals every day to transport me to work, shops,
swimming pool, pub, etc.
 
Eiron [email protected] opined the following...
> Clipless pedals make a bicycle a toy for leisure purposes
> rather than a device for transporting people. :)


Are you serious?

Clipless pedals turn a viable form of personal transport into a vastly
more efficient form of personal transport. Since everyone that I know in
the local area who rides a bike uses SPDs, it's even possible for me to
swap bikes temporarily with no little or no hassle (I have a friend who
has his normal unclip side set to a lower tension... I usually unclip
from the other side to him!).

Jon
 
On 24/8/04 10:46 pm, in article [email protected],
"Simonb" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Eiron wrote:
>
>> Clipless pedals make a bicycle a toy for leisure purposes
>> rather than a device for transporting people. :)

>
> I use a bike with clipless pedals every day to transport me to work, shops,
> swimming pool, pub, etc.


So am I. But it has mixed pedals (flat/spd) so I can use it wearing whatever
shoes I want.
Bit tricky in the koflachs though..

...d
 
Eiron wrote:

> Clipless pedals make a bicycle a toy for leisure purposes
> rather than a device for transporting people. :)


Bollocks (tm). My freight bike has clipless on because it makes it
substantially easier to ride up hills with heavy loads. See
http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/pictures.htm#eight for a
picture which illustrates just how wrong you are.

And in any case, you can get single sided SPuDs with a plain platform on
the reverse so you can use them in any shoes, or Time do a double sided
in an oversize platform so you get either with both sides of the pedal.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/