clipless pedals. i cant decide

Azhar

Hello Hello,

the only thing that is putting me off at the moment with clipless pedals is not being able to secure my foot back on the pedal but mainly its to do with any incline road. say i was to stop at a set of traffic lights and it was up hill i would have trouble getting back on to my clipless pedals cos i have to at least generate some force to go forward with my other foot that is already clipped in.

is it worth having the clipless pedals? would i still be ok if i didnt have clipless pedals and jsut used the normal pedals (with no fastener to go on top) or would my perforamce be really affected if you compare it to having clipless pedals.

rick_chasey

It is more difficult to clip back in when on a steep incline. A mild incline shouldn't be a problem.

It makes a big difference to cycling - beyond getting fitter :P.

IT's not the end of the world, but I know of very few people who move back from clipless to normal - with the exception of unusual knee injuries.

danlikesbikes

Most people have 2 area's of concern. The first yours, clipping back in, comes with time and practice but once you have the hang of it it does become second nature and you won't need to think about it. The second and main one that people tend to fear is remembering how to unclip as the natural reaction is to pull up and then panic sets in as opposed to sideways (depends on which system you go for) but again it comes with time and practice.

There is not right or wrong way about this and some people I know really don't want to ride clipped in but there are lots of plus points. Personally I would never go back as it gives me more power and control through the pedal stroke, the ability to move my weight easily through corners etc

snoopsmydogg

recently went clipless and have had no issues getting in and out as yet. Just make sure the cleats are set up correctly (loads of guides if you have a quick search/google) and if you arent too sure you can usually reduce the pressure of the pedal too. On mine I started off with the screw dialled right out but only took a few rides before they were on their firmest setting.

Really helps with climbs as you can pull up with one foot while pushing down with the other

Cant see why I would go back to flats unless I decided to do some downhill mtb runs

rob21

clipless all day long try these excellent value.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270900876370? ... 1423.l2649

Azhar

Danlikesbikes wrote:

Most people have 2 area's of concern. The first yours, clipping back in, comes with time and practice but once you have the hang of it it does become second nature and you won't need to think about it. The second and main one that people tend to fear is remembering how to unclip as the natural reaction is to pull up and then panic sets in as opposed to sideways (depends on which system you go for) but again it comes with time and practice.

There is not right or wrong way about this and some people I know really don't want to ride clipped in but there are lots of plus points. Personally I would never go back as it gives me more power and control through the pedal stroke, the ability to move my weight easily through corners etc

you've sold it to me. bike is in for a service tomororw to make sure all is good. not used the bike since last year. and getting the clipless pedals put on. find it little daunting about clipping in on an incline but i figured if i cant do it i'll have to wait till i get to the top before i can but i suppose that wont be too bad until i can get my fitness up and get used to the clipless. thanks for everyone else for giving me some advice.

Peddle Up!

Loads of threads on here about clipless and their pros and cons. More pros by a mile in my opinion.

Good luck with your first clipless fall.

ForumNewbie

Azhar wrote:

Danlikesbikes wrote:

Most people have 2 area's of concern. The first yours, clipping back in, comes with time and practice but once you have the hang of it it does become second nature and you won't need to think about it. The second and main one that people tend to fear is remembering how to unclip as the natural reaction is to pull up and then panic sets in as opposed to sideways (depends on which system you go for) but again it comes with time and practice.

There is not right or wrong way about this and some people I know really don't want to ride clipped in but there are lots of plus points. Personally I would never go back as it gives me more power and control through the pedal stroke, the ability to move my weight easily through corners etc

you've sold it to me. bike is in for a service tomororw to make sure all is good. not used the bike since last year. and getting the clipless pedals put on. find it little daunting about clipping in on an incline but i figured if i cant do it i'll have to wait till i get to the top before i can but i suppose that wont be too bad until i can get my fitness up and get used to the clipless. thanks for everyone else for giving me some advice.

It's worth considering double-sided mountain bike style SPD pedals to start. Much easier to clip back in without looking down. With these I don't feel the need to go to full road pedals which are mostly one-sided. Also SPDs are no bother on hills - I quite often ride with one foot unclipped, but still pressing on the pedal with my foot further forward than the cleat, until I'm ready to clip back in.

Calpol

It's worth considering double-sided mountain bike style SPD pedals to start. Much easier to clip back in without looking down. With these I don't feel the need to go to full road pedals which are mostly one-sided. Also SPDs are no bother on hills - I quite often ride with one foot unclipped, but still pressing on the pedal with my foot further forward than the cleat, until I'm ready to clip back in.

This advice is where I started. Even now I have a better road bike I still use SPD pedals. Easy to get in and out of and the hill tip is a good one. My only problem now is finding a reasonably priced lightweight and bling MTB shoe I can use on the road.

cougie

I never had a clipless fall. If you're stopping- unclip. Simples.

Clips and straps are much worse.

kentphil

Clipless pedals are miles better than standard pedals. My advice is to make sure the tension is set right on the pedals and practice clipping in and out loads while stationary at home first.

g00se

I'm using Time ATAC pedals on a road bike (these are Time's MTB pedals - an alternative to Shimano's SPD).

I bought these so I could share shoes with a commuter and walk about a bit - I expect I'll change to a proper road system soon. But anyway, one advantage of these is that the cleat is small and recessed and the pedal platform is wide enough, so that, if you were starting off on an incline and couldn't clip in, you could still pedal like a standard platform pedal enough to get going. I think SPDs are similar, but the Time's seem to have a flatter platform which helps when not clipped.

Pross

If you need to stop on hills try to drop down into a low gear first as that way you can get going a lot easier and even ride one footed for a bit if struggling to get the pedal right.

NITR8s

You will be suprized how easy it is to clip back in, dont worry about one sided road pedals as the bearings in the pedals are set so they dont end up upside down anyway. (Well my Time pedals do that.)

About clipping in, the other week one of my pedals was loose and I didnt want to pedal on it until i tightend it, so was trying to pedal one foot uncliped to nearest tool shop to buy allen key. The problem is I found it near on impossible not to clip in as the foot pushing down on the pedal just naturally clipped into the pedal without even trying.

alpineaddict

Only ever fallen off twice when stopping, luckily the first was into a friend at traffic lights and the second was onto a grass verge in the country I would still go for cleats every time... more power and so much more responsive...

Just on a different note, I think being clipped in makes you read the road better and more aware of obstructions... ride up slowly, unclip but leave your foot on the pedal, in place, until the extreme last sec that you might have to put down... If you don't then you can just clip straight back in without having to find the pedal again...

Alternatively, I find that most folk don't mind a gently hand on their car/van when stopping at lights etc... (and a smile)...

NITR8s

Learn to track stand, never need to unclip again.

Now I am off to get back to falling off my bike, while practicing to track stand.

Kingy911

NITR8s wrote:

Learn to track stand, never need to unclip again.

Now I am off to get back to falling off my bike, while practicing to track stand.

dawebbo

I can't ride without them now... I tried the other day and kept lifting my feet in the air and twisting my ankle to the side whenever I wanted to disengage. As well as feeling generally uneasy about being less connected to the bike.

migrantwing

alpineaddict wrote:

Alternatively, I find that most folk don't mind a gently hand on their car/van when stopping at lights etc... (and a smile)...

Fat chance around here, sadly. You'd get your head punched, or worse. You obviously live in a nicer part of the world than I do