A bad first day using clipless pedals.

kingrollo

TomBombadil wrote:

Speedplay, Speedplay, Speedplay.

I am amazed always how much effort people have to make to get into clipless pedals. When I first looked into this I researched and researched and then went blindly into using Speedplaay - as nobody else had them this seemed risky, but reading reviews etc they always seemed to be well liked and judged to be good at preventing repetitive stress knee problems.

However - after the first ten minutes it was obvious that they were fecking excellent. They are both sided and cliiping in is really just stepping on. There is absolutely no faff, fiddling or looking or falling off. If you need to get your foot out a slight twist and in emergency it either just pops out or you pull it out. I have never fell as a result of not being able to get my foot out!

On club rides or events I still amazed how people fiddle,faff and put up with one sided pedals - I''ve had to use them on the veoldrome on a rented bike and they are just awful - no comparison.

Speedplay may be a bit pricey, but they are worth it. I use the X series (I have three sets, 2 stainless, 1 titanium) as there is as much rotational float as you wish and so no worries with knee injuries from badly constrained leg movement etc

I am not sure why most people (Judging by bikes on the road) do not use these, but they are fab.

Just looked at Speedplay website (worth a look) and noticed this :

07/24/11
SPEEDPLAY
Speedplay sweeps the Tour de France

1. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team)
2. Andy Schleck (LEOPARD TREK)
3. Fränk Schleck (LEOPARD TREK)

Say's it all (to me!)


Tom

Personal preference I think. A lady at our club had them, hated them, went back to SPD. If they work for you, which they cleary do thats great. But i wouldn't see speedplay as an across the board solution to clipping in / out problems

The-beast

first time was humiliating tried setting of from the brow of a hill on to a road with a bus stop either side full people, by time i clipped in it was to late i came to a standstill and collapsed in to a shameful heap in the middle of the road with everyone laughing- nightmare. but it was mastered ages ago, theres a guy in our group whos regularly rolling around in the bushes having trouble with his cleats, pure comedy especially when everyone going for the camera phones

TomBombadil

Re Kingrollo,

I agree with your sentiment that personal preference is the ultimate parameter. How ever, I would emphasize again that considering how Speedplay are used in the pro peleton it is surprising that they are not seen more often. I would also emphasize that - in my opinion - they really are incredibly easy to get in and out of and really did only take me a single ride to get used to them. I can only speak from experience.

I have never felt 'locked in' and always felt and have always managed to get out in an emergency.

It's a shame that trying usually involves buying and a financial commitment for any pedal type as most would like to experiment first before committing financially. You mentioned your friend not liking them but have you tried them?

In cycling - Tom

g00se

Not a clipless story - but a toe-clip story.

I was borrowing by wife's old beater which had toe-clips (without straps).

I was happily pootling along until I came up behind a stationary bus. I pulled to the outside to see if I could get past, but the road narrowed ahead so I freewheeled to a stop.

Forgot the clips and less than gracefully toppled over.

A quick look around and I picked myself up and pushed the bike over to the pavement - right next to a bus stop. I overhead one old lady say "What happend?". Her hubby replied quietly: "I think he was trying to do a 'wheelie'"?

I'm in my 40s...

greenphotos

Do people not worry about falling at speed or getting injured with these pedals, I'm on the verge of getting some Keos and am now scared!

merak

They were originally designed, amongst other things, to reduce injuries in crashes compared with toe clips and straps by Look, a company that was also into quick release bindings for skis. In the old days, when riders crashed wearing toe clips and straps they would go down with their feet strapped into the pedals and the leverage could cause injuries. Clipless pedals almost always release in a crash. Being clipped in does not., in iteslf, cause crashes or injuries at speed. Get your Keos - once you've got the hang of them you'll never go back.

tx14

greenphotos wrote:

Do people not worry about falling at speed or getting injured with these pedals, I'm on the verge of getting some Keos and am now scared!

just about every fall caused by clipless pedals are as described in the thread, falling from stand still. it might make you look bad, but it won't hurt you.
and as someone pointed out, they are safer than toeclips.

greenphotos

Have been looking at speedplay as well, as my left knee tends to ache after about 40 miles, and apparently they are very forgitving - but what a cost! Crikes, almost fell of me chair when I saw some at £600. £100 feels much nicer, but then again the Look Keo's at £50-£100 look even more budget friendly...

MattC59

Don't worry about it mate, it happens to us all !! Bad luck about the damage to your bike though, but at least it was fixable !

Until you're confident unclipping, make a point of unclipping one side in plenty of time, before you stop. You don't need to take your foot off the pedal, just pop the clip so that you can easily put yout foot down.

It does get easier though, remarkably quickly. I've been riding with clipless pedals since the first XT SPDs came out for MTBs back in about 1992 and now I don't even think about unclipping, it's just second nature. That said, occasionally and usually when I'm stationary, I still manage to over balance and come close to hitting the deck. (Much to the amusement of my mates !!)

johnmiosh

i bought my first clipless pedals twenty years ago after an accident on a diesel spill going round a corner at speed. I slid across to the other side of the road still fastened into my toeclips (with cleated shoes). I suffered a dislocation fracture of my thumb, severe gravel rash and later that day pains in my other knee which I attributed to the bike twisting at my ankle.

Six weeks later, with pins removed from the base of my thumb, I bought a pair of Look deltas and have never had a clipless fall.

I also used to ride fixed gear a lot, but I didn't want to risk a foot shaking loose and left toeclips on for security. One morning, rode to a junction, had to stop, forgot I was on my fixed and did the slow motion sideways thing.

bails1310

Ive been 3 weeks with my first go with new shoes & pedals, all ok..........right up to the point I was coasting on the drive, managed to re-clip without me knowing and ended up going over like a shot cow. - not nice is it!

Guy across the road cleaning his car found it very ammusing.

rodgers73

Just sit on your bike while supporting yourself against something like a wall etc and practice clipping in and out without looking down. It only took me 10 mins or so of that and I was fine after - a couple of falls but that was within the first few weeks only.

g00se

If you're thinking of going spd rather than road clipless, consider Time ATAC/Axium pedals. They're easier to get in and out of (from what I've tried) and they have a decent amount of float.

I got some Axiums for the road bike and half-platform, half-clipless Allroads for the utility bike. The half and halfs are quite good add the weighting of them means they are nearly always in the same position: roll over forward for the clips, flip back for the platforms

g00se

Sorry, Alium, not Axium. Doh.

richardspooner

I've been using them on my road bike for 5+ years and still have the odd moment now. Even now, nothing quite prepares me for replacing a set of worn cleats and the difference it makes trying to clip in after pull away.

Worth the effort, complete loss of dignity and minor injuries though so stick with it.

ForumNewbie

Eventually went clipless earlier this year and now have two bikes with PD M540 double-sided pedals which are great. After reading problems with road bike one-sided pedals I'll defintely stick to 2-sided pedals.

The Speedplay pedals mentioned earlier in this thread sound good, and I will definitely look into them as a possible future purchase.