Clipless pedals??

songwriter

What are they? This really is beginner stuff!

I swear I'll answer daft questions myself as soon as I know something.

Shadowduck

Welcome to the forum!

Clipless pedals, curiously, are pedals with clips (the 'clipless' refers to the fact they replaced the older style toe-clips). They attach to cleats in the sole of specially designed shoes and hold your foot firmly onto the pedal - this reduces the chances of you slipping off the pedal (a good thing) and allows you to pedal on the upstroke as well as the downstroke (a wonderful thing, once you get the hang of it).

On the downside, apparently a lot of people fall off a couple of times until they get used to unclipping when they stop - never happened to me I'm glad to say, so it is avoidable!

DavidBelcher

Shadowduck wrote:

Welcome to the forum!

Clipless pedals, curiously, are pedals with clips (the 'clipless' refers to the fact they replaced the older style toe-clips). They attach to cleats in the sole of specially designed shoes and hold your foot firmly onto the pedal - this reduces the chances of you slipping off the pedal (a good thing) and allows you to pedal on the upstroke as well as the downstroke (a wonderful thing, once you get the hang of it).

On the downside, apparently a lot of people fall off a couple of times until they get used to unclipping when they stop - never happened to me I'm glad to say, so it is avoidable!

They're supposed to unclip in the event of a spill, rather than the rider sliding along the deck still attached to their machine (but from personal experience with Time ATACs, this doesn't always happen!) - at least, this was one of the key design objectives of Look's road clipless pedals when first introduced in the mid-80s. Possibly also why the French refer to them, possibly less confusingly, as "automatic" rather than "clipless" pedals.

David

songwriter

Thanks. I'll take em

webbhost

Neil Young?

Quite honestly never heard of you but I aint good with names.

Clipless pedals are good, as long as you take the time to sit back and drill into your head at first "Turn sideways, dont pull up!. I've not fallen off (yet) but I had a few close calls (Including 1 where I had stopped, went to turn around and unintentionally got my foot clipped in.)

just remember for your clipless pedals to work you need the expensive shoes to go with it!

feel

webbhost wrote:

Neil Young?

Quite honestly never heard of you but I aint good with names.

Clipless pedals are good, as long as you take the time to sit back and drill into your head at first "Turn sideways, dont pull up!. I've not fallen off (yet) but I had a few close calls (Including 1 where I had stopped, went to turn around and unintentionally got my foot clipped in.)

!

never heard of Neil Young :shock: you are obviously Too Young
Mind songwriter you could have called yourself "footballer" Neil Young played for Man City in the 60's.
Talking of clipless pedals though, i had my first unintentional clip-in today as i was crossing a dual carriage and needed to stop in the middle, definitely a scary moment :shock:

webbhost

ouch that sounds like a scary moment..

I looked up neil young on wikipedia... yeah im probably to young to know.. 20 here lol.

If "songwriter" really is neil young, what music did you write? I'll take a listen on Itunes

webbhost

By the way Feel, Im leicecstershire Too, Where in leicestershire you from?

feel

webbhost wrote:

ouch that sounds like a scary moment..

I looked up neil young on wikipedia... yeah im probably to young to know.. 20 here lol.

If "songwriter" really is neil young, what music did you write? I'll take a listen on Itunes

Hi Webbhost,
Songwriter is not old enough to be the real "Neil Young" , but take a listen to the album "Harvest" by Neil Young if you get the chance it might even appeal to a youngster like yourself.
BTW I can be found doing 30mph down the hills of North Leicester from walton and Seagrave to Twyford and Tilton (Unfortunately it's usually preceded by a very slow drag up to the top :oops: )

Roger Davies

DavidBelcher wrote:

Shadowduck wrote:

Welcome to the forum!

Clipless pedals, curiously, are pedals with clips (the 'clipless' refers to the fact they replaced the older style toe-clips). They attach to cleats in the sole of specially designed shoes and hold your foot firmly onto the pedal - this reduces the chances of you slipping off the pedal (a good thing) and allows you to pedal on the upstroke as well as the downstroke (a wonderful thing, once you get the hang of it).

On the downside, apparently a lot of people fall off a couple of times until they get used to unclipping when they stop - never happened to me I'm glad to say, so it is avoidable!

They're supposed to unclip in the event of a spill, rather than the rider sliding along the deck still attached to their machine (but from personal experience with Time ATACs, this doesn't always happen!) - at least, this was one of the key design objectives of Look's road clipless pedals when first introduced in the mid-80s. Possibly also why the French refer to them, possibly less confusingly, as "automatic" rather than "clipless" pedals.

David

Frankly I wish I could get used to either. For the life of me I cant cycle with the ball of my foot. I HAVE to use my instep. Not the most efficient and at times dodgy because one's foot can easily slide off and forward which means on a bend it can go between the wheel and frame and over you go. I have tried repeatedly. All I know is using my ball leads to aching ankles and knees and yes I have the right size frame for my height. I've been cycling for forty five years flatfooted!

el_presidente

feel wrote:

webbhost wrote:

ouch that sounds like a scary moment..

I looked up neil young on wikipedia... yeah im probably to young to know.. 20 here lol.

If "songwriter" really is neil young, what music did you write? I'll take a listen on Itunes

Hi Webbhost,
Songwriter is not old enough to be the real "Neil Young" , but take a listen to the album "Harvest" by Neil Young if you get the chance it might even appeal to a youngster like yourself.
BTW I can be found doing 30mph down the hills of North Leicester from walton and Seagrave to Twyford and Tilton (Unfortunately it's usually preceded by a very slow drag up to the top :oops: )

Rust Never Sleeps might be more his bag. One of Nirvana's inspirations allegedly (you do know who Nirvana are don't you?)

webbhost

Yeah I haerd of nirvana lol

BTW I can be found doing 30mph down the hills of North Leicester from walton and Seagrave to Twyford and Tilton (Unfortunately it's usually preceded by a very slow drag up to the top )

Cool, not familiarw ith that area. I am in the coalville area (bike around coalville, market bosworth, twycross etc).

Fastest Speed tracked so far in this area is 38.5 MPH. Fast but not fast enough lol... I need a lighter bike.