Clip ins

tatman69

Second week on new road bike and went for clip ins today. Had a little practice yesterday and all seemed well. Until today when there was loads of traffic and I cam off at a roundabout! All ok barring a few cuts and bruises and a bruised ego!

Bit shaky after and found myself unclipping about a mile before I needed to! I wanna give them a go .....

Top tips needs please as I can see myself coming off a few times!!

Thanks

bails87

If possible, set the tension nice and loose. Then just practice anticipating where you might need to clip out, and do so on at least one side a little early.

And always lean the right way if you've only unclipped one foot :oops:

biondino

Until they become second nature, unclip some yards before you stop.

nic_77

It's a bit like taking a penalty...

Decide which side you are going to go nice and early, and then stick to it!

dav1

thing to do is think about unclipping and make it the main focus of tour technique training for a while. As above set the tension nice and loose and take routes you are comfortable with for now.

Also don't be turned off by falling, it will happen a couple of times. I hit a curb and went over the bars once when I first started as I was looking at my feet not the road. Also went sideways at some lights and wound up laying in the path once.

Now they are second nature, if fact I feel odd without them both on and off road!

sc999cs

Falling off is something every one does when they first go clipless. Twist out and ride on top of the peddles as you approach your stop. It will become second nature after a while and you'll even wonder how you had problems.

I went to clipless from toe straps which need a pulling motion instead of twisting. I fell at least twice; once in front of about 100 cyclists at a time trial head quarters in Essex and the other time at a set of traffic lights.

wizzlebanger

+1 to unclipping 1 foot a little earlier.

Although for some reason I've decided to unclip my right foot which thinking about it I'm not sure is best. It feels more natural to unclip that foot and I guess if I'm going to topple it's best to topple left than right!

I think there may be subliminal sense in there somewhere.

H'mmm as the wind gets up you need to be careful at low speed.

lucullus

If I claimed never to have had a few pratfalls. I tend to unclip in advance, and if I'm in any doubt about conditions ahead will also unclip at least one shoe.

My other top tip: keep the screws in your shoe nice and tight. You'll never unclip at all if you only have one screw holding the clip in ... (I use SPDs). I had a 2mph comedy fall last week doing that.

Mind you, was pleasantly surprised at the number of motorists who called out to check I was Ok.

tatman69

Thanks for all your tips...lets see how I get on, on the way home.

I am using SPDs as I was told they were easier and I can switch between road and MTB

RufusA

lucullus wrote:

IMy other top tip: keep the screws in your shoe nice and tight. You'll never unclip at all if you only have one screw holding the clip in

+1

Another tip - if unclipping early don't be tempted to rest your foot on the pedal - it has a nasty habit of reclipping in by itself just when you need to put your foot down!

Rufus.

tatman69

Thanks everyone...I took your advice and managed to get home and in again this morning without crashing!!!

I

wizzlebanger

They only bite when you think you have tamed them!

Trying to squeeze through small gaps in stationary traffic seems to be my wobbliest moments. Note to self....don't do it.

Bacteria Man

I'm intrigued byt his SPD business-I can't quite work out if it's worth it, although many people seem to be enthusiastic when comparing them to flats. Am I right in thinking the advantages are:
#you can put power into the upward stroke of the pedal (does this generally mean you can ride bigger gears once you get used to it?)
#they are lighter than flats
I am considering learning to ride fixie with SPDs, but it does seem like the risk of falling off several times is high and probably not a good thing to learn whilst commuting on busy roads in bad weather!

PBo

Bacteria Man wrote:

I'm intrigued byt his SPD business-I can't quite work out if it's worth it, although many people seem to be enthusiastic when comparing them to flats. Am I right in thinking the advantages are:
#you can put power into the upward stroke of the pedal (does this generally mean you can ride bigger gears once you get used to it?)
#they are lighter than flats
I am considering learning to ride fixie with SPDs, but it does seem like the risk of falling off several times is high and probably not a good thing to learn whilst commuting on busy roads in bad weather!

A bit like the whole "commando" debate, the converts never (edit: rarely) look back, and look askance at those who don't.......

I would never go back to flats, it just seems so natural now. I even wear them with my boy in the child seat on the back, because I have evaluated the risk of my foot slipping off a wet pedal whilst honking up one of rainy Sheffields hills with him on the back as a worse outcome than a clipless topple at lights. (The correct shoes on ggod flats would probably reduce this risk too though)

The only times I've had a near clipless moment, I've managed to wrench foot clear in the nick of time, or been close enough to a signpost/lampost (or bus!) to grab hold. When I first converted, I practiced around and around the side streets until I felt confident.

There was a big thread debate about adding power by pulling up. Due to the nature of the "closed system" of bike and rider, it may not add power, but maybe by unweighting the pedal, you at least stop resisting the leg pushing the down stroke....it wasn't an amicable debate and can't remember if a definitive conlcusion came...but it would seem to be a benefit whatever the actual physics are....

In the commuting section I don't recall too many trying SPDs and going back to flats - but over on MTB, there's much more split opinion. But MTB covers so many different styles and obstacles, for some, the idea of being stuck to the bike is too much! Also, those who don't wear SPDs probably invest in good studded pedals and shoes with appropriate soles.

I've never ridden fixed, but I would have thought being stuck to the pedals an advantage???

Headhuunter

Make sure you get used to clips before venturing out, someone bloody well had a clipless moment on top of me this morning at the junction of Tooley St and Tower Bridge Rd. I was waiting patiently at the lights then next thing I knew someone was pulling me to the ground. Some guy on a Trek (I think) had pulled up next to me and not unclipped and had proceeded to fall on top of me. Said he was sorry and that he hadn't been able to get his feet out of the clips. If you're inexperienced, make sure you unclip way before you stop! He took a chunk out of the Ribble's shiny blue paint job with his brake levers or something as he went down.... Grrrr...

bails87

Bacteria Man
Weight isn't a major reason to go to SPDs. You can get flats near enough as light than equivalently priced SPDs. Wellgo MG1s are the obvious example, £35-40 and weigh 375g. Compared to M540s that weigh 355g. Plus you need to factor in the cost of the shoes, so with that money to spend on flats, you could go lighter with Ti axles and the like.

As PBo said, the 'power' thing is a bit of a tricky one to decipher. But I use SPDs on the MTB and prefer them to flats. I'm going to use them on the road bike too.

PBo

bails87 wrote:

Bacteria Man
Weight isn't a major reason to go to SPDs. You can get flats near enough as light than equivalently priced SPDs. Wellgo MG1s are the obvious example, £35-40 and weigh 375g. Compared to M540s that weigh 355g. Plus you need to factor in the cost of the shoes, so with that money to spend on flats, you could go lighter with Ti axles and the like.

As PBo said, the 'power' thing is a bit of a tricky one to decipher. But I use SPDs on the MTB and prefer them to flats. I'm going to use them on the road bike too.

forgot to add.

anecdotally, i knocked 10 minutes off a 50 min commute after conversion.

again, IMHO, I definitely got over the 1 big hill in the way quicker, but also perceive that on longer clear stretches I could accelerate up to cruising speed quicker....

so, to me, it feels like there is something in the power thing....

bails87

PBo wrote:

.

again, IMHO, I definitely got over the 1 big hill in the way quicker, but also perceive that on longer clear stretches I could accelerate up to cruising speed quicker....

so, to me, it feels like there is something in the power thing....

I agree, but try proving it!

biondino

What is there to prove? You can pull up as well as push down so you're using both legs on each stroke rather than just one. I only do it when honking up short sharp hills, really, but it's good to have as an option. It tires you out VERY quickly, though, so I'm sure it's not efficient in that sense.

The biggest benefit of clipping in is knowing with certainty that your feet are in the right place and are not going to move, so you can't slip off, lose traction when laying down power or finding your foot in a sub-optimal position.

Blue Meanie

+1

[quote="The biggest benefit of clipping in is knowing with certainty that your feet are in the right place and are not going to move, so you can't slip off, lose traction when laying down power or finding your foot in a sub-optimal position.[/quote]

And you can tap-dance for loose change!

sc999cs

No more worries about feet slipping off wet pedals when you stand up to put some effort in (which I rarely do). The thought of even slipping off the pedals onto the cross bar makes me shudder.

fatandwheezing

I've still got a mark on my right shin from the last time I commuted without SPDs and had pedal slip, that was nearly a year ago now.

Did a leisurely ride along the canal with my girlfriend a couple of months back, thought SPDs was a bit overkill, so just wore trainers, and it was horrible. Can't really describe why, but it just felt like my feet were constantly moving, and never in the right place.

bails87

biondino wrote:

What is there to prove? .

The increase in power and efficiency from using SPDs. And wether in reality riders do pull up.

I agree, to me, it feels like I can get more power down, great for short steep climbs, and accelerating. There have just been some very, very long and technical debates on the MTB sideabout the efficiency and extra power of SPDs.

It would be like coming on here and saying "what is there to prove about helmets making you safer? It's obvious isn't it".

As I said, I think I can get more power down, and I can consciously pull up on the pedals too for a real burst of (as you said, slightly knackering) extra power. I like SPDs.

snailracer

My usual response when this topic pops up, strapless clips:
My feet never slide off the pedals in the rain, standing up or even when "pogo-sticking" down trails on my MTB. Foolproof release. Ridiculously cheap at £6.