Clipless pedals trouble

rossbarney2003

I have recently put clipless pedals onto my road bike (Look 1.5) and have been practising using them around my house but I still can't use them. I have the spring tension dial thing set to the lowest and can easily clip in but when it comes to clipping out, my feet just don't want to budge.

Is there anything else on the pedal that I need to adjust to make it easier to clip out?

spasypaddy

what pedals have you got?

Smokin Joe

How are you trying to release your foot? You just need to twist it away from the crank WITHOUT trying to pull your foot up at the same time.

pedylan

You must have the foot movement wrong. Are you trying to pull your foot out? When you clip in it's a firm press downward but when you clip out you mustn't try to do the reverse of this, it doesn't work.

what you should be doing is twisting on the ball of your foot so that your heel is moving outwards away from the crank. Think trying to stub a cigarette out on the pavement (and apologies if you're not old enough to have ever done it

rossbarney2003

Yeh, I have been trying to twist my foot out. Maybe I haven't been twisting hard enough, but I always feel like i'm gonna lose balance when I try to clip out.

I'll go out again later and give it another try and i'll update on how I got on

Monty Dog

Sit on the bike leaning against a wall or fence and practise clipping in and out - see what point on the pedal stroke is the easiest - often the 3 o'clock. Think about twisting your heel out rather than the ball of your foot. It feels unatural at first, but you'll get used to it. Once you're happy when static, find a quiet stretch of road that's slightly downhill and repeat the same drills whilst freewheeling i.e. clipping in and out. Some makes of pedals are a bit more positive than others, but all generally work the same way.

Hugh A

It does take a bit of getting used to, although different pedals do have a different feel to them. I find that some of the Looks are quite stiff to get out of even when on the lower settings, especially when compared to something like an ordinary spd - which becomes easier to remove the foot from right down to slipping out as the tension is wound down. I think that is just the way the Look pedals are meant to be.

rossbarney2003

I think I may have been concentrating on twisting from the ball of my foot so i'll give twisting out from the heel and try and see if it's any easier


Thanx for all your help



I'll update you when I get time to pop out

djmc

Try spraying everything - pedals, cleats with WD40 or other lubricant this will stop friction. If you have a turbotrainer try using that for a while as you can do that and not have to bother about balancing.

rossbarney2003

djmc wrote:

Try spraying everything - pedals, cleats with WD40 or other lubricant this will stop friction. If you have a turbotrainer try using that for a while as you can do that and not have to bother about balancing.

Sadly I don't have a trainer, although I want one now hehe. It would be fun going cycling without even leaving my room especially on the snowy days.

rossbarney2003

I went out tonght for a wee cycle to try my clipless pedals again (and to also test out my new bib tights and jacket since it was a farely cold night) and I concentrated on trying to clip out using my heel more and it worked a dream! I'm so chuffed now, although i'm still kinda rusty and probs won't head out onto the open road just yet. I'm gonna practise a little more doing basic clipping out when stopping etc then try starting off going up a hill since the route I usually cycle is uphill straight away with a set of traffic lights positioned on the hill which always go red

Gussio

rossbarney2003

It might seem counter-intuitive, but you might find that tightening up the pedal a little can make it easier to extract your feet, rather than having the tension slacked off completely. It means that releasing your feet requires a positive motion, but that the cleats exit the pedal very cleanly and sharply. Obviously important not to overdo the tension - not clever having to balance against a wall while unbucking your shoes

rossbarney2003

Well hopefully it won't take long for me to get up to speed on clipping since i'm gagging to get back out onto the open road. Luckily I live on a private road which as no cars on it after 5pm so I will be out practising every night I can

Thanx for everybodys help.

daniel_b

Hi Ross, I will soon be tackling the same issue as yourself - just need to find where I put those pedals!

I was thinking of starting with just one spd pedal, so I can practice clipping in and out, and I will always be able to get a leg down no matter what.

I always tend to put my left leg down anyhow, so was planning to put my rhs spd in, and leave the other for the time being.

Good idea?
Bad idea?

Dan