getting used to cleated pedals

gotamintvtr

i have got my 1st road bike not had chance to get ou on it as the weather is terrible but wonderd how people first get used to using clip in's? i have some on my bike and the shoes but read a few posts that have now worried me into not using them.

i dont ealy want to fall off and snap my bike in half.

so just wondering if theres a way to get used to them before i go out or anything?

was thinking about using a trainer to ride on and practise?

thanks

careful

I wouldnt bother with a trainer. If your pedals (eg Shimano) have cleat tension adjustment, slacken this right back. Then practice clipping in and out whilst leaning against a wall or similar. Once you are confident enough for a ride, practice clipping in and out and clip out before any junction or other obstructions such as traffic stopping ahead. Thinking ahead is the key at first. Clipping out will soon become second nature - hopefully!

thunderousass

Whatever you do, try them out somewhere discreet as the first time I went out with them, it was on MTB and I pulled up at a cross roads and was just about to cross over when a car came along, instead of clipping out right away I tried to do the old balancing act without moving forward, til the car had passed.
Needless to say I fell over like a sack of sh*t, making a right racket with the bike still attached to me whilst I'm laying on the ground. The pain was bad enough, but the embarasment was worse, I happen to have done it in a nice quite country village but in front of a small pension crowd standing out side the local post office.
I didn't half injure myself, knee and elbow and left a nice red patch on the pavement. I've been over the handle bars, high sided, low sided, hit trees everything and one of the most painful was this comming a cropper as I couldn't be bothered to get out my clip ins.
I s'pose you didn't really want to hear this.
I would try it out on turbo trainer, or even loosen them off a little til you're used to them. Either way, make sure you're happy getting out of them before heading out in this weather, they'll still be ice around when the snow goes.
One more thing, I found that I became lazy clipping out, as to start of with, it was a struggle getting back in to them. Don't fall in to this trap, anticipate when you need to get out. Soon you'll be clipping in and out like blinking your eyelids, without thinking about it.
Good luck my friend

No2

The bad news is sooner or later you will have a 'clipless moment' ie you will forget to clip out and collapse in a pile, bike attached. Embrace the moment, get over it and move on - ultimately it will make you a stronger person . Just pray it is not anywhere too embarassing.

For me it was on our village high street, young lady tending her front lawn (the type you mow not the...well you know what I mean). She held her breath for as long as she could before running into her house and exploding in laughter which I could clearly hear - character building. Had a couple more near misses but managed to get my foot down in time. In practical terms:

Make sure the cleats are tight on your shoes and check them before each ride
Loosen the tension on the pedal
Practice clipping in and out as you ride along
Read the road ahead and think BRAKE/UNCLIP

Finally, beware as you start off. Make sure you have enough momentum to get both feet back in.

Bobbinogs

Yepp, been there, done that (ouch!). I practised for ages but then got caught out on the 2nd proper run at the front of about 20 cars and had to suffer the ignominy of them all passing me whilst stuck on the road with the bike. To be honest, it was my pride that hurt the most although it did also make me chucklewhen I got back upright. Haven't done it since but out tomorrow so there's always another chance...

Echo the good advice from No2 (!). When in doubt (at junctions, etc.) unclip. The incovenience is nothing compared to the confidence (and practice) you gain. Also, the thinking ahead bit is really important. This probably makes you a better cyclist anyway.

Not sure of the logic but it is probably a good thing to always unclip on the right if you are just going to do the one (safer to fall left, methinks?).

Finally, I can't see a bike snapping on a simple topple sideways. Although happy to be corrected by anyone unfortunate? err, happy is probably not the right word but you know what I mean folks!!

If it helps convince you, I was also very very nervous about using SPDs and always figured the risks outweighed the benefits. How wrong I was...bring on the hills!

mkirby

I never had any problems with cleats. I didnt even know they existed until just after i got my 1st road bike.

My dad made me mount up by the bin and practice clipping in and out. There nothing to be scared of. I've been using them for 2 years and i still miss the clip in after pulling out. With a bit of practice you can learn to peddle without being clipped in. That should get you to a safe point where you can look at your foot to make sure its going in.

Check how tight the fastening on the peddle is. I found i couldn't unclip if it was too slack. Other than that just get on and practice in your street. Half the time you wont unclip on the whole ride.

gbs

mkirby wrote:

I've been using them for 2 years and i still miss the clip in after pulling out. With a bit of practice you can learn to peddle without being clipped in. That should get you to a safe point where you can look at your foot to make sure its going in.

Absolutely right, except that it is not necessary to look; one can feel/hear. I would go even further and say that having started off don't even try to clip in until you have gained speed - say 10/15 kph; more likely than not it will happen in one or two revolutions anyway.

PS be bold. I started with a road bike and cleats just over a yr ago then aged 66; only two falls - once on a hill running out of gears and once in traffic. Low speed falls do not seem to hurt much. :oops:

smeev

i just used the top clips that came with my bike & then brought some about a month ago.
I set mine up quite lose, so for easy cliping in & out. Its all about confidence, true i will probably fall off at stage, but that is going to happen. Have adjusted them tighter now as i get nore confident.

Just go for it. im sure you will be fine.

CiB

+1 on the 'just get on with it'. It's not rocket science, the clips are designed to allow you to unclip with ease, and every cyclist who's had them for more than a week manages without any problem. Unless you imagine that your brain is wired differently and you alone out of all the cyclists who use them won't be able to cope, you'll manage fine. I did. Everyone I know did - we just took to them with ease, without fiddling about with the settings, or riding one-legged, or keeping below 4mph and unclipping 200 yards short of a junction.

Instead of building it up into some kind of big insurmountable problem, forget it. And you don't have to fall off at least once. All it takes is a few practices leaning against a wall, your car, a lamp post, and you know how to do it.

Rich Hcp

You'll be fine.

I practised against a wall and then up and down our (quiet) road, clipping in and out.

I'm lucky (in this way) that my left leg and ankle are not strong enough to hold me up and push off and so I only put one leg down, so I only ever clip out of the right pedal. (Except when dismounting, of course)

You may find it easier at first top just do it from one side, with a choice of one, you can't get it wrong!

Its all about anticipation, if you know there's a junction coming, clip out. If the traffic is slow, clip out.

I've had one clipless moment in 3 years, so I'm due one :shock:

Anticipate and be confident. No worries :P

phillarrow

Falling off in cleats is all part of the initiation. I turned to cleats about two years ago and have had five 'offs'.
First one was at the top of a really steep hill which is still pointing up as it comes to a junction. Arriving at the junction with enough speed to unclip and then stopping before going into the road is an art form - I tried it on my first time out...and failed!
Second one was on my mountain bike while towing my son on a gravel track - that one didn't go down well with Mrs A!
The others have all come after getting used to it and becoming complacent and/or while learning to track stand.
Most embarrassingly of all though was on this year's Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool bike ride when I arrived at a quiet junction not expecting any traffic and of course a car came just as I came to the junction. I tried to stop and unclip instantly, took the wrong foot out, leant the wrong way and came down like a sack of spuds...just as one of my pupils came up behind me with his parents! Funny how a complete loss of dignity masks the pain of a fall!
Importantly though they all tend to come at very low speeds i.e. stopped and involve no real damage apart from to your pride which, contrary to rumours, doesn't come before a fall!

teagar

gbs wrote:

I would go even further and say that having started off don't even try to clip in until you have gained speed - say 10/15 kph; more likely than not it will happen in one or two revolutions anyway.

That's not always an option, especially when some courteous car has made you stop half way up a 20% incline....

The more you cycle with them, the more natural the clip in motion becomes.

bobtbuilder

As others have said, learn to anticipate when you might need to unclip. E.g. pedestrian traffic lights with loads of people waiting to cross might be about to go red. Don’t unclip at this point but be ready to unclip.

Don’t tailgate cars too closely at junctions as they might stop suddenly (this caused one of my two “clipless moments”),

mask of sanity

Don't believe people when they say you WILL have a few clipless incidents. I've been clipless since July and I've never had one. The few times I've come close I've found I've panicked enough to end up pulling the shoe out of the clips anyway. As people have said. you've just got to try and anticipate when you'll need to unclip. After a few weeks it will become second nature and you'll be able to do it very quickly when you need to!

It's the biggest improvement you can make to your cycling (IMO) so definitely give it a try! Good luck!

wiffachip

if you're talking about SPD's, then SH56 cleats are MUCH easier to get on with/out of than SH51's

10 quid on ebay

much more receptive to a blind panic yank

Anonymous

Give up, sell your bike and buy some chips.

shmo

ChrisInBicester wrote:

And you don't have to fall off at least once.

Wait, is this correct? You mean I could have avoided going down like a sack of spuds at a pedestrian crossing and looking like an idiot? Not to mention taking all the skin off my leg.

Now I feel really stupid!

CiB

Shmo wrote:

ChrisInBicester wrote:

And you don't have to fall off at least once.

Wait, is this correct? You mean I could have avoided going down like a sack of spuds at a pedestrian crossing and looking like an idiot? Not to mention taking all the skin off my leg.

Now I feel really stupid!

Yep - that's correct. You must be a bit stupid*

Seriously this sort of question comes up from time to time and the view is always 'oh you'll fall off three times before you get the hang of it', as if it's set in stone that clips are so hard to use that no-one just no-one can master them. They're not - a bit of practice, a bit of common sense, and maybe a bit of luck too who knows?, but you don't have to fall off, or even expect to fall off.

*Joshing, really.

mask of sanity

wiffachip wrote:

if you're talking about SPD's, then SH56 cleats are MUCH easier to get on with/out of than SH51's

10 quid on ebay

much more receptive to a blind panic yank

Was that related to my comment? If so, then I was using Look Keo, so it's still possible even with them. Also it's worth noting that if you've bonked or have very cold feet it can be more difficult to unclip so it's worth giving yourself extra time!

wiffachip

mask of sanity wrote:

wiffachip wrote:

if you're talking about SPD's, then SH56 cleats are MUCH easier to get on with/out of than SH51's

10 quid on ebay

much more receptive to a blind panic yank

Was that related to my comment? If so, then I was using Look Keo, so it's still possible even with them. Also it's worth noting that if you've bonked or have very cold feet it can be more difficult to unclip so it's worth giving yourself extra time!

no, merely some advice to the op, sorry for the confusion

just pointing out that there are things that you can do to help yourself, tension being the obvious one, but also the type of cleat will make a big difference

gotamintvtr

i have look keo peddles i have adjusted them to the loosest setting for now. and tried a few of the ideas above. thanks everyone for the advice

gbs

teagar wrote:

gbs wrote:

I would go even further and say that having started off don't even try to clip in until you have gained speed - say 10/15 kph; more likely than not it will happen in one or two revolutions anyway.

That's not always an option, especially when some courteous car has made you stop half way up a 20% incline....

Are you serious? You can start on a 20% slope! I have never tried having assumed it would be impossible.

kingrollo

I just went out on a local road - and practised clicking in and out for about 30 minutes each night until I was confident. Thinking ahead is the key.

teagar

gbs wrote:

teagar wrote:

gbs wrote:

I would go even further and say that having started off don't even try to clip in until you have gained speed - say 10/15 kph; more likely than not it will happen in one or two revolutions anyway.

That's not always an option, especially when some courteous car has made you stop half way up a 20% incline....

Are you serious? You can start on a 20% slope! I have never tried having assumed it would be impossible.

Can do it with a little help....

Synapse2010

Practising against a wall is a good idea, also turning down the tension on the pedals will help. The best advice I would give has been said already anticapate when you have to stop and unclip early. Having said that I fell off on my first outing with clipless pedals!

Headhuunter

I've been using clipless pedals since I was in my mid teens in the mid/late 80s and not had many problems. In that time I've only had a couple of clipless moments, usually caused by something completely unanticipated happening like a ped suddenly wandering through traffic or something.

I recently had my 1st ever semi major accident and am having physio. The physio asked me if I had been in clipless pedals and said that they are actually safer in accidents than toeclips. She said that if you tighten the strap on a set of toeclip pedals your feet are less likely to break free causing ankle and foot damage in the event of an impact, because your ankles get twisted about whilst attached to the bike. Clipless pedals on the other hand, tend to release your feet more easily. Certainly I don't remember my feet coming detached from the pedals in my accident, but they must have done and I had no damage to feet or ankles.

oldwelshman

Headhuunter wrote:

I've been using clipless pedals since I was in my mid teens in the mid/late 80s and not had many problems. In that time I've only had a couple of clipless moments, usually caused by something completely unanticipated happening like a ped suddenly wandering through traffic or something.

I recently had my 1st ever semi major accident and am having physio. The physio asked me if I had been in clipless pedals and said that they are actually safer in accidents than toeclips. She said that if you tighten the strap on a set of toeclip pedals your feet are less likely to break free causing ankle and foot damage in the event of an impact, because your ankles get twisted about whilst attached to the bike. Clipless pedals on the other hand, tend to release your feet more easily. Certainly I don't remember my feet coming detached from the pedals in my accident, but they must have done and I had no damage to feet or ankles.

Personally I do not agree with the physio.
I used toe clips years ago and never had an issue.
I have now used keo for last few years. In one race where I was pulled off my feet did not unclip at all.
In addition to that with clips you have to rotate the foot to unclip which if you have had knee cartlidge problems you would probably know thats the worst thing to do.
I use them but have to be careful unclipping due to knee issues but have never fallen off due to not being able to unclip, yet !!
Maybe the next invention will be electronically operated retractable pedals where on the press of the button the clips retract out of the cleats
Maybe I should patent the idea.

roger_merriman

gbs wrote:

teagar wrote:

gbs wrote:

I would go even further and say that having started off don't even try to clip in until you have gained speed - say 10/15 kph; more likely than not it will happen in one or two revolutions anyway.

That's not always an option, especially when some courteous car has made you stop half way up a 20% incline....

Are you serious? You can start on a 20% slope! I have never tried having assumed it would be impossible.

assuming you can clip in confidently shouldn't be a problem.

I use SPD's and wound fairly lightly, as long as I can turn the cranks i can clip in, which on a road bike is up to 30% though not for terribly long as you'd expect MTB with lower gearing is better.

gbs

roger merriman wrote:

I use SPD's and wound fairly lightly, as long as I can turn the cranks i can clip in, which on a road bike is up to 30% though not for terribly long as you'd expect MTB with lower gearing is better.

Well, I am much emboldended; as I said in a previous post I assumed anything beyond 15% would be a struggle. I will try it on Broomfield Hill in RP - when the traffic is limited. Thanks for the tip/encouragement.

carl_p

oldwelshman wrote:

Personally I do not agree with the physio.
I used toe clips years ago and never had an issue.
I have now used keo for last few years. In one race where I was pulled off my feet did not unclip at all.
In addition to that with clips you have to rotate the foot to unclip which if you have had knee cartlidge problems you would probably know thats the worst thing to do.
I use them but have to be careful unclipping due to knee issues but have never fallen off due to not being able to unclip, yet !!
Maybe the next invention will be electronically operated retractable pedals where on the press of the button the clips retract out of the cleats
Maybe I should patent the idea.

A couple of good points there. In my view keeping a low tension not only helps with unclipping but also places less stress on the knee and ankle. One can only imagine the amount of damage that can be done over many years of unnatural rotational movement.

With the vast majority of bike manufacturers now supplying bikes without pedals they seem to have washed their hands on future research and development leaving it to the (much smaller) pedal manufacturers. The general cycling public don't seem to be very well informed on what is actually a very serious health and safety aspect to the sport. Using the excuse "cyclists like to choose their own pedals" is a bit of a pass the buck cop out in my view.