is there supposed to be a difference
Triangle Kebab
Posts: 85
on the recommendation of a friend, i have now got some clipless pedals and shoes, speedplay light action and shimano ro77 shoes. I have been out on a few rides since fitting them, and cant see any difference between them and normal pedals, i'm not going any faster and pedaling doesn't seem any different, to me it just seems like a pain in the arse that has cost me about £150. There seems to be alot of posts on here about how great clipless pedals are, and how you wont ever want to ride with normal pedals again. Am i missing the point or doing something wrong??
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Dunno about your specific pedals and shoes - but I converted to SPD's last Christmas ... confirmed skeptic - but now I found I can pedal around the circle more easily - still have to concentrate and it's easy to slip back to the push down only technique ....
Didn't cost £150 either!
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Its a massive difference - I much prefer clipless pedals to plain ones. No messing round getting the foot in the right position - locking into the pedal is great.
Maybe its not for everyone - but I've not yet met anyone who preferred plain pedals to clipless.0 -
Maybe i am doing something wrong then, as i really cant tell any difference between this speedplay and shoe set up, and the cheap plastic pedals that came fitted to the bike.0
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i guess there must be because everyones doing it ... unless we are all lemmings.
i got mine about 6 months ago and was a long painful learning curve. wouldnt go back now as so much more eficient0 -
make sure you "scrape" you foot on the bottom stroke and move your knee to the handlebar on the up stroke - don't know about this lifting the pedal up with force though - for me it seems like more effort than return.0
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think i might try a pair of normal spd's on my mtb and see how i get on with them, if i find that there is a notable difference i will look at adding some to my road bike. At the moment tho i honestly can't feel any difference/benefit to using clipless pedals, i was expecting to use them for the first time and go "wow!!" how did i ever get by without them. After my first ride using them i just turned to my friend and said "these feel no different to trainers" he found it odd that i couldn't tell any difference aswell.0
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I was wondering this as well, I've recently bought spd-sl shoes and pedals. Do you have to conciously pedal differently? (as in, put force on the up stroke?)0
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No, you don't.0
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i think the biggest difference i have found is when i climb i then really focus on pulling my foot up and not just the down stroke, given so much more power.enigma esprit
cannondale caad8 tiagra 20120 -
Triangle Kebab wrote:on the recommendation of a friend, i have now got some clipless pedals and shoes, speedplay light action and shimano ro77 shoes. I have been out on a few rides since fitting them, and cant see any difference between them and normal pedals, i'm not going any faster and pedaling doesn't seem any different, to me it just seems like a pain in the ars* that has cost me about £150. There seems to be alot of posts on here about how great clipless pedals are, and how you wont ever want to ride with normal pedals again. Am i missing the point or doing something wrong??
are you sure your shoes arent too tight?'dont forget lads, one evertonian is worth twenty kopites'0 -
Mikey23 wrote:... unless we are all lemmings.
..well this is an internet forum
MiniRob wrote:I was wondering this as well, I've recently bought spd-sl shoes and pedals. Do you have to conciously pedal differently? (as in, put force on the up stroke?)
As you are attached to the pedal, you can apply force throughout the pedal 'cycle' - up, down forward back. There are some stats which I forget as to how little % of power pros actually deliver through the down stroke - and hence how much through the up/forward/back part, but I guess its a learned technique. I wouldn't go back to flats (or toe clips which I had before).0 -
ianbar wrote:i think the biggest difference i have found is when i climb i then really focus on pulling my foot up and not just the down stroke, given so much more power.
Exactly what I was going to say you can get up hills much quicker pulling up on the peddles on the back stroke and your speed will go up try it!
I found I started going much quicker generating more power when I started clipping in on my MTB years ago before I started road biking.0 -
Go for a long ride and you will definitely notice a difference !Specialized FSR XC Comp
Scott Speedster S550 -
You won't notice an immediate improvement because you will still be pedalling in the same way. Give them a couple of months and you'll find your pedalling technique changes. I didn't really find it noticeable at first, but then going for a ride on flat pedals a few months later just felt odd. As others have mentioned, being able to pull on the upstroke when climbing is the biggest benefit (for me).0
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Apart from anything else, foot retention stops the foot slipping around on the platform. If you have to constantly reposition your foot throughout the stroke, you are pedalling differently than if your foot is secure. It's also not safe to be spinning at high speeds on plain platforms.
But being able to 'pull' as well as 'push' is beneficial. Whether that's toe clips with tightened double leather straps and cycling shoes with old-style cleats, or clipless (there isn't much practical difference), you will notice the difference; particular once you are cycling at higher speeds or climbing big hills.0 -
ianbar wrote:i think the biggest difference i have found is when i climb i then really focus on pulling my foot up and not just the down stroke, given so much more power.
This0 -
Huge difference in power transfer, stability, confidence etc.
If you're just going for flat, low intensity, sub 20 mile rides then you're not going to notice a difference..
but if you're putting out more power you'll appreciate the extra stability and power transfer.0
