Thinking of ditching Clipless Pedals

Soni

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

It all makes sense, sps-sl's can be slippery and i bashed my shins a few times, mtb pedals are much easier but they don't feel as secure and the small platform on my m520's can be a little un-comfortable on longer rides. Once you are clipped in do you notice the benefitsof your current system?

If you haven't been going out how can you expect to get used to them?

Hi Stefano, i'm glad i'm not the only one who finds them slippery, seems silly making the bottom of shoes out of a material which would be so impractical against a metal pedal......

Also, was reading up about MTB pedals, and they mentioned about the small platform of the pedal being uncomfortable on longer rides, also 'apparently' more power can be generated by the larger pedal base of the Rodie pedals which is beneficial on higher gears....

alfablue

The smaller cleat and pedal body of mtb pedals is not an issue with suitably stiff mtb shoes, of which there are many to choose from. Many have carbon soles just like road shoes, though with the addition of rubber tread blocks. Best of both worlds!

Soni

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

Once you are clipped in do you notice the benefitsof your current system?

To be honest i didn't notice ANY improvement over the pedal clips i had been using for 3 months.....

Also, i had to increase the height of the saddle to compensate for the cleats on the bottom of the shoes, as the top of my leg (not the knee) was starting to ache early on during the ride as it would if the saddle was too low.

However, by increasing the saddle height it feels even more unsafe!

alfablue

Hi Soni

Very very few people will argue against there being improvements with riding using clipless pedals (there are some who will - not many though). Whether these are mtb style, single sided, double-sided, road pedals etc, will offer a slightly different experience, however, all should offer performance and comfort improvements.

My personal preference is double-sided mtb pedals (hate fishing about for the right side of the pedal, though I did start on single sided ones), with suitably stiff mtb shoes. It really is all second nature now, took a few weeks to get to that stage, but not long.

As for your saddle height, you would only have needed about 5mm difference (assuming the saddle wasn't too low to start with), are you really saying this 5mm makes you feel more unsafe? I think you need to relax a bit and try and enjoy the cycling without thinking of the terrors!

However, if you are not comfortable with the whole clipless thing, for whatever reason, well go ahead and ditch them. There are plenty of happy cyclists who have ridden all their lives without using them. I would contend, however, that pedals with clips and straps are more dangerous than clipless, so just go back to flat, unstrapped pedals if it is all too daunting.

Soni

John.T wrote:

What type of pedals are you using. We may be able to give some pointers if we knew.

Hi John,

I'm using Shimano R540 Pedals, and Shimano R075 Shoes......

Soni

ChrisInBicester wrote:

When you set off from the lights, remember that you can easily ride one-legged for a little way to build up the speed and get out of the immediate way, then you can worry about slipping the free foot back in to the clip. It really is a matter of practice though and worth sticking with. At lights, is it feasible to lean against a sign, or even a handy truck or car (be discrete...!) with both feet still clipped in, until you get the hang of it? As for walking, road shoes with cleats are a nightmare to walk in anyway, even just to the garage to get the bike out. If you intend to walk anywhere then try the other sort. Lidl had some in the other week which were gong for a tenner and I bought some, but they're a neither-here-nor-there shoe, not much cop for riding and not v comfortable for walking either. Really though, it's about practice and confidence. Go out on some quieter roads and ride along, clipping and unclipping as you go. It'll soon become second nature.

I've used a safety rail/barrier at a set of lights before but never somebodies truck!

Soni

softlad wrote:

Soni - stop being such a poof...

Stick with it and it will become second nature. Buy some MTB pedals if you prefer, but either way, you are going to have to learn to get in and out of them efficiently.

If you work on the adage that "if every other f*ker can do it, then why can't I..?" - it will become much easier....

Hi Softlad

Yeah i might give it another shot tonight around 10ish, by that time it will be dark, hopefully the roads will be a little quieter, and best of all no ice around tonight!

It will be the first time i've been out since the beginning of January, i seem to have built up some OCD against going out on it at the moment, hopefully i can overcome it this evening and get back on that bike as the expression goes....

Soni

N4PALM wrote:

I use M520 pedals with M076 shoes. Mountain bike gear but that means nothing. Its my only bike and sometimes I go to sainsburys or down the cash machine on it and walk around plus I live in a flat and need to walk up and down stairs.

Theres zero shame in wearing mtb shoes on a road bike. There are many mtb shoes such as these M076 and SIDI shoes that look just like road shoes anyway but for a bit more grip on the soles.

I'm planning on getting A520 pedals at some point. And maybe if I get a fancy carbon bike in the future thats never going to go shopping with me I'll buy road shoes/pedals. Til then MTB shoes are my best choice, probably your best choice and for a lot of people they simply are the best choice no matter what the eliteist staff at their LBS says.

Hi mate, as i said in my first post, all the guys in the club i started at before Christmas recommended i go with teh MTB pedals/shoes, none of them wore the Rodie shoes.......

Soni

ris wrote:

i started clipless with spd's and got on with them fine after only a couple of rides, but it took me a little while to get used to spd-sl's and suffered a lot with skidding off the pedal with the carbon sole.

after a while though it all starts to make sense and i generally clip in without having to look down (just to check the pedal is right way up), although once in a while i get the odd miss. it's still not quite as quick as using spd's, but i don't mind about that.

one thing i have struggled with in usig spd-sl's is clipping in while going uphill, i find it rarely happens easily and sometimes i have to walk a short way to find a more level spot to get started. doesn't help that my work is at the bottom of a short but mildly steep rise.

just persevere with it, you'll get the hang of it soon enough. i find the security of the spd-sl binding is well worth it.

Hi Ris, this is exactly what i'm experiencing, and the Carbon bit at the bottom of the shoe, yes this is what it is, i didn't realise it was Carbon.....really slippery looking plastic!

What do you mean about Security of the SPD-SL design?

Soni

alfablue wrote:

Hi Soni

Very very few people will argue against there being improvements with riding using clipless pedals (there are some who will - not many though). Whether these are mtb style, single sided, double-sided, road pedals etc, will offer a slightly different experience, however, all should offer performance and comfort improvements.

My personal preference is double-sided mtb pedals (hate fishing about for the right side of the pedal, though I did start on single sided ones), with suitably stiff mtb shoes. It really is all second nature now, took a few weeks to get to that stage, but not long.

As for your saddle height, you would only have needed about 5mm difference (assuming the saddle wasn't too low to start with), are you really saying this 5mm makes you feel more unsafe? I think you need to relax a bit and try and enjoy the cycling without thinking of the terrors!

However, if you are not comfortable with the whole clipless thing, for whatever reason, well go ahead and ditch them. There are plenty of happy cyclists who have ridden all their lives without using them. I would contend, however, that pedals with clips and straps are more dangerous than clipless, so just go back to flat, unstrapped pedals if it is all too daunting.

Hi AlfaBlue, hope your keeping well mate,

I might give it another shot tonight, when its dark and quieter on the roads, if i can't get used to them then i might go back to the pedals and straps. Did you say these are more dangerous?

When i was using them before, i had them really loose, so that i could slip my foot out whenever needed, but so my foot didn't slip off the pedal when climbing and out of the saddle.

Thats the thing i miss, for example when a van was approaching in January and i had to keep my feet clipped in, whereas with the flat pedals with straps, i could slip my foot out just in case i had to put one foot down and stop, and could slip it in ever so easy afterwards. However, with the clipless its as though i'm risking it evertime by having to keep my feet clipped in........and then an immediate rush to get them out if i need to stop quickly if the van was to get too close....

keef66

I've got a proper road bike for the first time since I was a teenager. In those days I had toeclips and leather straps. Now I'm the wrong side of 50 and I have double sided spd's and some touring shoes. Tension is wound down to the minimum which makes clipping in and out a doddle; when I get back home I can wait till the front wheel hits the garage wall before unclipping, it's that easy. On the other hand, I've never become unclipped accidentally while pedalling, and I can't say whether or not they'd release if I crash, and I hope it stays that way.

kingrollo

I feel your pain , I really do - I agonised for years about clipless. what helped me was I brought some wellgo pedals flat on one side - spd on the other - this means you get the benefits of being clipped in - but can ride flats - at road junctions, traffic lights, roundabouts - then click in as the road becomes less complex.

If I were you I would get some cheap MTB shoes - mine were £8 from Aldi ! - and some wellgo pedals (£20) - I am sure with this combo you will build your confidence and be fine.

alfablue

Hi Soni, yes well thanks, looking forward to a glorious spring and summer of riding 8)

I said straps are worse, at least in my experience, because if you have them tight enough to work well then it is much harder to extract yourself (really need to reach down to loosen strap), and also because I used to fumble a lot as they require flipping when you set off. The fumbling often induced wobbles or failed acceleration in traffic.

I think you should have gone with double sided mtb pedals to start with because they are easier to get in and out of, then when you had mastered them and gained confidence, you could graduate to road pedals.

10 years ago I remember I was sworn to never using clipless "it's just mad to ride joined to your pedals" etc. But my conversion has been total!

I would concur with Kingrollo (apart form I reckon double sided are better - you can still pedal fine even if not clipped in). If you got some cheap mtb shoes and some M520 pedals (around £17 online) you would get a reasonable amount back if you wanted to sell them on.

Keep the faith Good luck!

John.T

R540s are fine. I use them on my track bike. The secret of clipping in is not to wait until the pedal is at the bottom. As it passes over top centre bring your foot forward to hook the front of the cleat in to the front of the pedal then press down. This way you have no loss of momentum. If you should miss it (and you will at times) do not try to pedal on the back of the pedal.
For beginers I would always recomend standard SPD and MTB shoes. It makes it much easier to go to SPD-SL or Look later. I do feel a bit more secure with SLs but I did get my only RR win on double sided MTB pedals.

cheehee

C'mon man they ain't that bad..........ask yourself 'what would Sly do?'

Practice on a quiet road, just ride along and clip in, clip out, clip in, clip out whilst going along.

When approaching a junction etc. Unclip well before you get to the junction.

I have SPD's on my road bike, they came on my MTB. I tried them off road and didn't like 'em, but on the road they are great.

Stick with them. You'll be reet

Cheehee

alfablue

One tip that helped me, always unclip on the left and lean to the left. This will usually have you leaning away from the traffic. Also, stops the confusion of unclipping one side and leaning the other way. Do some self-talk "unclip left, lean left" until it is second nature.

The right foot always remains clipped in and at the top of the pedal stroke ready for pushing off.

eh

Clips and straps used properly with cleated shoes are way worse than modern clipless setups. You can't even get out of clips and straps without putting your hand down to the pedal to loosen the strap.

Sounds to me like the OP just isn't confident on the bike, and needs to do a lot more riding to become confident regardless of pedal choice.

The secret of clipping in is not to wait until the pedal is at the bottom.

Agreed, do it at the 2-3 o'clock position (looking from right hand side on), thats where the most power is going though the pedal stroke.

Tino4444

Hi,

I have had clipless pedials and shoes for about 2 months now and within the first week I fall off 3 times!!

The first time I forgot I was attached, went to put my foot down and landed on my side, bike still attached to my shoes, outside my house which is located in a cul-de-sac...Not embarrasing much!!

The scond time I was weaving my way through traffic and went for a gap between a car and the footpath. At the last second I realised that I was not going to make it and needed to stop....my foot was still attached and so down I went again....The woman in the car behind was falling about laughing!! Again Awesome!!

And the last time I fell off was at traffic lights on a hill. I was setting off when the lights turned green and could not get my sodding foot clipped back in, wobbled and fell sideways onto the footpath!!

You kind of get used to the pain after a while!!

However, I have now learned a few important lessons about the way to use the clipless pedals which I could have only learned through experience. It did not put me off cycling and you should not let your experiences put you off either. The difference in perfomance is worth a few minor trips and falls!!

Tino.

markos1963

I can sympathise with you Soni, it is a bit unnerving when you have had an 'off' to put your trust back in to a system you're not yet used to.

I had a crash on the ice in December, I came down very heavily but luckily because I was using SPD's my feet were out of the pedals before I had even hit the deck. Now when I was a teenager(a long long time ago) I used clips and straps and like others have said we used to tighten them up to be of any use, but I got side swiped by another biker and came off, I went down in much the same way as recently but the result was very different, I couldn't get my feet out and the bike tried to cartwheel. My achillies tendons were severly ruptured and I was out of action for several months and to be honest I gave up on cycling for the next 25 years.


I would suggest that you get some riding in and use whatever system appeals to you most. In the winter I use SPD's and in the summer I use SPD-SL's. I find both systems have their merits so I would say keep what you have and buy some budget SPD's and MTB shoes.

You seem very concerned about your image, I wouldn't worry about that, to most people we look daft whether we're wearing Assos or Aldi, let alone waddling about on clipless pedals.

Feltup

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

ChrisInBicester wrote:

At lights, is it feasible to lean against a sign, or even a handy truck or car (be discrete...!)

Do people actually do this :shock:
Don't you get shouted at?
Personally i wouldn't recommend using some random persons vehicle as a balancing aid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X975EVV3Egg Be careful of the car lean!

John.T

Soni. Going back to your original post you said the club recommended SPD and MTB shoes. These guys are users not sellers so perhaps you should have gone with that. In your situation I would look at getting these and using them until you feel confident later in the year then go back to the SLs. If you have only one bike I would swap back before winter really sets in. If you have 2 then no problem

Soni

eh wrote:

Sounds to me like the OP just isn't confident on the bike, and needs to do a lot more riding to become confident regardless of pedal choice.

Don't think thats the problem, its definetely the pedals, I must have clocked up at least 300+ miles in about 3 months....

softlad

Soni wrote:

Don't think thats the problem, its definetely the pedals, I must have clocked up at least 300+ miles in about 3 months....

300 miles in three months is only about 25 miles per week - not really enough to become familiar with anything....

redddraggon

300miles is only about a couple of weeks worth of riding, should have got used to the pedals by now....but at a rate 25miles/week you'd probably become "unaccustomed" between rides....

synchronicity

I don't have time to read pages 2 and 3, but I recommend the following in this order:

1) Get a set Speedplay light action pedals or else the X5 model. They are the only truly double sided road pedal. I've been using mine for about 10 years now and even had to get them special ordered back then (this was in Clarance St. cyclery, the 'best' bike shop in Australia). They'll boost your confidence enormously.

2) If you insist on woosing out, and absolutely must have the ability to walk around, my next recommendation is to get a set of budget Time ATAC / Alium pedals. They sh¡t all over SPD pedals in every respect, even this base model. They clip in easier with generally a more positive & nicer retention sound, don't rust, are well made and look better too. But from what you have said, if you have to bail out of a bike ride and walk 2km, I'd still rather use speedplay road pedals & then catch a taxi or something home...

3) Only if 1 and 2 don't work, get a set of powergrips which are the next best thing.

Soni

alfablue wrote:

One tip that helped me, always unclip on the left and lean to the left. This will usually have you leaning away from the traffic. Also, stops the confusion of unclipping one side and leaning the other way. Do some self-talk "unclip left, lean left" until it is second nature.

The right foot always remains clipped in and at the top of the pedal stroke ready for pushing off.

Cheers AlfaBlue, i'll give that a try, i've been doing it the other way around for some strange reason, releasing the right foot......

I can understand your logic with regard to power on the start off and most importantly safety!

Soni

markos1963 wrote:

I can sympathise with you Soni, it is a bit unnerving when you have had an 'off' to put your trust back in to a system you're not yet used to.

I had a crash on the ice in December, I came down very heavily but luckily because I was using SPD's my feet were out of the pedals before I had even hit the deck. Now when I was a teenager(a long long time ago) I used clips and straps and like others have said we used to tighten them up to be of any use, but I got side swiped by another biker and came off, I went down in much the same way as recently but the result was very different, I couldn't get my feet out and the bike tried to cartwheel. My achillies tendons were severly ruptured and I was out of action for several months and to be honest I gave up on cycling for the next 25 years.


I would suggest that you get some riding in and use whatever system appeals to you most. In the winter I use SPD's and in the summer I use SPD-SL's. I find both systems have their merits so I would say keep what you have and buy some budget SPD's and MTB shoes.

You seem very concerned about your image, I wouldn't worry about that, to most people we look daft whether we're wearing Assos or Aldi, let alone waddling about on clipless pedals.

Hi Markos, sounds like a bad and painful injury, and the thought of 25 years lost in cycling/your much loved hobby....

I've been thinking this evening about going out, but i've decided to buy a cheap pair of normal flat pedals, as i threw the others away (stupidly) when i put my new pedals on, and i'll try the flat pedals and trainers again for a few rides just to get back into the swing of things again.

At least i know i'll feel a little more comfortable to get back on the bike with normal pedals and trainers, and then once i get back into riding i can try the clipless again.

Soni

softlad wrote:

Soni wrote:

Don't think thats the problem, its definetely the pedals, I must have clocked up at least 300+ miles in about 3 months....

300 miles in three months is only about 25 miles per week - not really enough to become familiar with anything....

OK bit of an underestimate, i was at work earlier when i typed that so was rushing.

I did about 3 clubrides of between 50-60 miles, and was doing 10 mile rides every morning for around 3 months, so calculating that up is a lot more than the 300 i guessed earlier on......

P.S. this forum is running really slowly, i'm trying to post and reply but its taking forever for the forum to load.....

Soni

softlad wrote:

Soni wrote:

Don't think thats the problem, its definetely the pedals, I must have clocked up at least 300+ miles in about 3 months....

300 miles in three months is only about 25 miles per week - not really enough to become familiar with anything....

OK bit of an underestimate, i was at work earlier when i typed that so was rushing.

I did about 3 clubrides of between 50-60 miles, and was doing 10 mile rides every morning for around 3 months, so calculating that up is a lot more than the 300 i guessed earlier on......

P.S. this forum is running really slowly, i'm trying to post and reply but its taking forever for the forum to load.....

ziggy.mcd

Please forgive me if this has already been writen but if you choose to go down the MTB SPD route you can use the silver multi release cleats. These release easier than the standard cleats and allow you to build confidence whilst still giving you most of the advantages of being clipless. The disadvantage is that they can release inadvertantly if you pull up on the pedals ubruptly or hard, but this depends on your riding style. When you have got used to them you can switch to the standard cleats. This is the route I took. I ride flat bar and road bikes with MTB SPD's as I need to be able to walk as well. Best of luck with what ever you choose.