beginners pedal question

JimSW19

Does anyone have any advice for a road bike novice who's coming to terms with the dynamics of having their pedals attached to their feet? Setting off and stopping in traffic is my biggest worry, do most people find it easier to unclip their shoes and pop the cleats back in as the set off? or try and balance at a stand still or grab onto a rail? I've only fallen over once so far, but I'm prepared for that to happen every now and again in the name of fun. Don't wish to ride my luck too often :oops:

otherwise loving the road bike experience

Thanks in advance

pdstsp

Personally I unclip as I'm approaching a red light or junction and then coast in , ready to clip back in if the lights change. Grabbing a rail does work but I had the unfortunate expereice of doing this, forgetting I was clipped in and then falling off when the lights changed and I tried to move my foot up to clip it in, having forgotten it already was. This was at a very busy junction near my local tesco and there were several thousand laughing people watching me. :oops:

johnnyc71

I do the same - anticipate stopping and have your foot unclipped, resting on the pedal. Always a good idea to practice unclipping with either foot - will come in handy in emergency situations. You could also set the release mechanism to it's easiest setting - will be easier to unclip.

PhilofCas

definitely unclip and rest your foot on the floor when stopped, don't "try and balance at a stand still or grab onto a rail? ", grabbing for a rail somehow reminds me of Dell boy falling through the bar hatch when he went to lean on it.

I practised on our estate until i was confident of the procedure of stopping and starting, for a beginner unclip in advance (as pdstsp says) and coast to a standstill with your foot resting on the pedal in such a position that it can't clip in by mistake. When you set off, don't instantly try and clip in, do a good push off and a good pedal stroke with the foot that's clipped in, try and clip in whilst you've got the momentum, but if you find you're struggling and slowing losing speed sufficient to upset your balance, keeping pedalling with the one clipped in foot to retain forward motion and hence balance.

Hope that helps.

Shadowduck

Once I got the hang of clipless pedals, I ride the same way I did on flats putting my foot down in the same places. Most of the time I forget about clipping in and out, it just becomes so automatic; if I rode on flats now I'd probably still go through the clip - unclip motion!

La cucaracha

PhilofCas wrote:

grabbing for a rail somehow reminds me of Dell boy falling through the bar hatch when he went to lean on it.

One of my friends had quite a similar experience - he leant on a wall so he didn't have to unclip, but the wall wasn't as sturdy as it appeared and collapsed.

You'll be surprised how quickly you get the hang of clipping/unclipping especially if you can relax about it - the only times I had any difficulty when I was learning were when I got myself into a panic about it so until you're confident you're best avoiding busy junctions (esp uphill) because they can be a bit stressful and intimidating at first.

geoff_ss

Just don't make the mistake of leaving your shoe plate loose 'until I know where they need to be set'. Fortunately I was leaning against the bench in my workshop when I did that. The only way to release my foot was to take the shoe off

I always unclip when approaching a stop. It's always my left foot; I can't cope with putting my right foot down. Don't know why - perhaps I should practise.

Geoff

azzerb

I was a bit wobbly to start off with, but always better at unclipping than clipping. I used to try and lean on things if i had the opportunity, but taken the approach of just unclipping now.

JimSW19

Cheers guys. Sounds like the best thing for me to do is to put some practice in, and probably keep my pedal's bindings as loose as possible for the time being.

Thanks for all the advice

johnnyc71

Oh yes - forgot to add - if you do fall - remember to get up with a smile .

For the record - I have had 3 clipless moments - one into a bunch of nettles on a canal path - and yes I did smile / grimace!

ARob

not much to add to the very good advice so far. just to say it becomes second nature more quickly than you'd think. unclip on approch to stop, leave one foot cliped and reclip when starting again.

suggest you DON'T go for a setting thats especially easy to unclip from to start with thinking that this is safer. go for a middle setting. an east setting may well come uncliped when you out some pweer through it going up a hill for example. in which case it can be quite dangerous as your foot slips wildely off and if you are standing at the time watch out for the cross bar!

if it helps i saw the expert from a club pause for us mortals at the top of a climb recently to wait , only to fall slowly to the left and look like a total newbie becaue he forgot to unlcip. how we laughed!

orv

Shadowduck wrote:

Once I got the hang of clipless pedals, I ride the same way I did on flats putting my foot down in the same places. Most of the time I forget about clipping in and out, it just becomes so automatic; if I rode on flats now I'd probably still go through the clip - unclip motion!

yup same here. Don't feel/notice any difference when I clip and unclip now. I use SPD's since I commute and clip, unclip often and have to walk every now and then. I also use the same on my road bike as my commuter to reduce any confusion..
if anything I find it really weird and awkward when I ride one of my bikes that still has normal pedals.

Russell Smith

Currently on my 4th Weekend of Clipless Pedals, the best I can give is stick withem , and oh you will come off, generalyy as per the other replies, I tend to slow down when approaching Traffic Light/Junction and un clip, if at the lights I tend to rest my unclipped (LEFT) foor on the kerb, kick off and clip in again.
yes I have wondered whether it is worth the bother, stick with it.

Russ

Rich Hcp

Good advice above.

I started on the loosest setting and have tightened them up a bit.

I have one sided road pedals and in heavy stop, start traffic flip the pedal over to stop accidental clipping. he reason for my first and only (so far) clipless moment.

Apart from that it becomes nateral and you 'twist out' even on pedals that are not clipless!

one giant mooch

I'm currently using mountain bike SPDs at the moment on my road bike which are double-sided and using my mountain bike shoes (warmer and more practical than my road shoes). Unlike most road shoes these have grip at the front which helps grab the pedal to either spin it over to clip in or if you can't clip in straight away makes it possible to ride on the pedal until you can clip in.
It does become second nature very quickly, you begin to locate the pedal and shoe without really thinking about it. As said above just try and relax and it'll become second nature.

magicroundabout

Yeah, practice practice. It becomes second nature. If you're a good cyclist you should have good anticipation skills anyway - you will recognise when you're needing to stop and unclipping becomes part of your look, change-down, brake routine before stopping.

Because I'm right footed I always "lead off" with my right foot, so my right foot remains on the pedal. It will help to work out which foot you lead off with and program your brain to unclip the other foot first - that's the side your body will naturally lean to when you stop!

I went clipless last summer and didn't fall off until just the other day - got my wheel stuck in some rutted concrete paving slabs. D'oh!

MR