First ride in cleats

clelanj

Hi all - did my first ride in cleats today and loved it. Up until now I had been using foot straps which are rather awkward and cumbersome to use.

I was rather nervous about buying SPD's but having tried them out the other night on the turbo really didn't see what all the fuss was about. Went out today - never struggled to get in or out of them and felt a whole lot better using them.

I recommend them to all new cyclists once you have got used to your new bike ie basic balancing and road techniques.

Went for the Shimano M520 pedals £25 and the Specialized BG Tahoe shoes £58

Wacky Racer

I think that most people get on with them okay, but they can take a bit of getting used to, especially those who commute and have lots of stop/starts. You need to take care when you are tired too, as for some reason the brain doesn't tell you to unclip until you are already falling. Hill starts can be tricky, if you fail to clip in first time you can come a cropper. I doubt there are many who have never fallen, I certainly have.

Plus sides are considerable though.

simon_masterson

Clips and straps are no more cumbersome or awkward to use than clipless and both are great ways to attach your feet to the pedals; both are very easy once you get used to them, and clipless systems vary in ease of engagement and release. Reaching down and tightening or loosening your straps is also good for your balance and confidence early on...

But much as I'm glad that you've taken to them, I would just warn you not to be too complacent as there is a good chance that you will at some point forget you're clipped in and fall over ignominiously; this happens to everyone at some point.

ar24

I've got SPDs recently and love them. As much as I'm wary that I will eventually forget I'm clipped in, I can ride so much easier and actually feel safer on the bike when in motion.

The only thing I need to get used to is clipping myself in when start again, I'm still not totally confident in quickly putting in the clip. I guess time will help!

declan1

Simon Masterson wrote:

Clips and straps are no more cumbersome or awkward to use than clipless and both are great ways to attach your feet to the pedals; both are very easy once you get used to them, and clipless systems vary in ease of engagement and release. Reaching down and tightening or loosening your straps is also good for your balance and confidence early on...

But much as I'm glad that you've taken to them, I would just warn you not to be too complacent as there is a good chance that you will at some point forget you're clipped in and fall over ignominiously; this happens to everyone at some point.

Not to sound rude or anything, but I completely disagree with your statement. I have fallen over a good few times using toe-clips. They take ages to get your foot into, you can't get much power into the pedal, and you're pretty much guaranteed to fall over every time you stop as your foot gets stuck.

Clipless pedals are considerably better. Just step into the pedal to clip in, and twist your foot to clip out. Simple. No fiddling about with straps or anything...

ar24

declan1 wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Clips and straps are no more cumbersome or awkward to use than clipless and both are great ways to attach your feet to the pedals; both are very easy once you get used to them, and clipless systems vary in ease of engagement and release. Reaching down and tightening or loosening your straps is also good for your balance and confidence early on...

But much as I'm glad that you've taken to them, I would just warn you not to be too complacent as there is a good chance that you will at some point forget you're clipped in and fall over ignominiously; this happens to everyone at some point.

Not to sound rude or anything, but I completely disagree with your statement. I have fallen over a good few times using toe-clips. They take ages to get your foot into, you can't get much power into the pedal, and you're pretty much guaranteed to fall over every time you stop as your foot gets stuck.

Clipless pedals are considerably better. Just step into the pedal to clip in, and twist your foot to clip out. Simple. No fiddling about with straps or anything...

I have to agree with you however each to their own!

chrisaonabike

Wacky Racer wrote:

You need to take care when you are tired too, as for some reason the brain doesn't tell you to unclip until you are already falling.

+1

As a beginner with clipless, if I remember to clip out as I come to a stop, all good.

If somehow I'm already falling, I revert to type and just pull. Currently I have the clips quite loose, so it works, but it's a panicky moment. Hopefully I'll be able to reprogramme before I actually fall over.

prando

OK, I'm a 62 year old road biker for nearly a couple of years. SPDs tried and, despite undoubted improved performance, following a couple of falls, sold them ( and Shimano shoes ) on eBay. Now use metal pedals and 1/2 toe clips. Fantastic.

If you (IMO) cycle on single carriage lanes wherein maybe meet up with the odd vehicle which demands YOU do an emergency stop...don't do cleats.

I've learnt my lesson.

Churchill123

Went out today myself for my first time using my spd-sl.. rode around up and down a quiet street to get used to clipping and unclipping.. seemed to get on OKish but i did come across some glass in the road so wanted to come to a stop before riding over it, so braked and in auto pilot mode i went to put my feet down and then when too late realised that my feet were clipped in still :S

Did the customary hands down which has sprained my wrist and bruised my knee and cut it open abit.. once clipped in felt fine and stable, defo could see the benefits of using them, just coming to stops, when at junctions will take me time to get used to and to get confident! My issue is i live in a city centre and so their is lots of stop start at junctions and traffic lights.. I like to think that in time it will become second nature and be fine!

simon_masterson

I'll break this down...

declan1 wrote:

They take ages to get your foot into

That's just inexperience. I've done thousands of miles on my Christophe clips and leather Chossy straps. Being able to flip the pedal over and get your foot in, and tightening and loosening your straps, takes practice but it soon becomes second nature.

declan1 wrote:

you can't get much power into the pedal

Yes, this plagued Eddy Merckx constantly; it really held him back... How did you determine that, exactly? I've averaged around the 25mph mark and I wasn't even wearing cycling shoes; I cannot imagine that I would be massively faster with clipless pedals.

declan1 wrote:

, and you're pretty much guaranteed to fall over every time you stop as your foot gets stuck.

Not the case at all. You must choose your cycling shoes very poorly if that's your experience! That hasn't happened to me once, even when riding in heavy traffic with tightened straps. If you have the right clips and straps and the right shoes you should be fine.

declan1 wrote:

Clipless pedals are considerably better. Just step into the pedal to clip in, and twist your foot to clip out. Simple. No fiddling about with straps or anything...

It's a technical advancement; of course it is. There are many benefits to clipless pedals and I don't need to list them here; why else would anyone else use them? The fact remains however that for beginners they are a great starting point as there is no twisting required; you just pull your foot out - which is what you are likely to do when panicking - and for other riders they are a simple, effective system.

declan1

Simon Masterson wrote:

I'll break this down...

declan1 wrote:

They take ages to get your foot into

That's just inexperience. I've done thousands of miles on my Christophe clips and leather Chossy straps. Being able to flip the pedal over and get your foot in, and tightening and loosening your straps, takes practice but it soon becomes second nature.

declan1 wrote:

you can't get much power into the pedal

Yes, this plagued Eddy Merckx constantly; it really held him back... How did you determine that, exactly? I've averaged around the 25mph mark and I wasn't even wearing cycling shoes; I cannot imagine that I would be massively faster with clipless pedals.

declan1 wrote:

, and you're pretty much guaranteed to fall over every time you stop as your foot gets stuck.

Not the case at all. You must choose your cycling shoes very poorly if that's your experience! That hasn't happened to me once, even when riding in heavy traffic with tightened straps. If you have the right clips and straps and the right shoes you should be fine.

declan1 wrote:

Clipless pedals are considerably better. Just step into the pedal to clip in, and twist your foot to clip out. Simple. No fiddling about with straps or anything...

It's a technical advancement; of course it is. There are many benefits to clipless pedals and I don't need to list them here; why else would anyone else use them? The fact remains however that for beginners they are a great starting point as there is no twisting required; you just pull your foot out - which is what you are likely to do when panicking - and for other riders they are a simple, effective system.

Maybe with experience you can get your foot into toe-clips fairly quickly. However, clipless pedals are much quicker/easier. Just stand up and tada! You're clipped in.

Pulling your foot backwards is just the same as twisting it outwards - it requires thinking. You don't naturally put your foot backwards when you're about to topple over do you?

If you set clipless pedals to their weakest setting, just moving your foot in any direction with a considerable amount of force (for example, when panicking and about to topple) will release your foot from the pedal.

Toe-clips are old, as are downtube shifters and 18mm tires. Technology advances, and it gets better. I think you're stuck in the past. I'm not saying toe-clips or downtube shifters are bad, I'm just saying new technology is usually better.

Also, clipless pedals can be a good 50g lighter than toe-clips

simon_masterson

declan1 wrote:

Maybe with experience you can get your foot into toe-clips fairly quickly. However, clipless pedals are much quicker/easier. Just stand up and tada! You're clipped in.

This is basically true, but dependent on which system you use; based on testimonials I've read some are distinctly easier than others to engage and disengage, and that doesn't surprise me; I daresay that the manufacturers don't consider the needs of commuters in busy traffic when they design their top-spec racing pedals!

declan1 wrote:

Pulling your foot backwards is just the same as twisting it outwards - it requires thinking. You don't naturally put your foot backwards when you're about to topple over do you?

That's just it; I think that's the most likely reaction (having never had any particular scares with mine). If you shove your foot into something and then think you're going to fall over, what are you most likely to do? You're going to try to pull your foot out again.

declan1 wrote:

Toe-clips are old, as are downtube shifters and 18mm tires. Technology advances, and it gets better. I think you're stuck in the past. I'm not saying toe-clips or downtube shifters are bad, I'm just saying new technology is usually better.

'Better' is obviously subjective (consider that downtube shifters are much more reliable and require much less maintenance than STI shifters or indeed any indexing system), but if the tool does the job, why does it matter? I actually have a pair of SPD pedals that I've been meaning to put on my main bike, but I have no issue with downtube shifting. It's second nature to me, and no worse than reaching down for my water bottle...

declan1 wrote:

Also, clipless pedals can be a good 50g lighter than toe-clips

Carbon fibre clipless pedals are a bit lighter than metal, but some professionals apparently prefer metal because they flex less.

declan1

Simon Masterson wrote:

declan1 wrote:

Maybe with experience you can get your foot into toe-clips fairly quickly. However, clipless pedals are much quicker/easier. Just stand up and tada! You're clipped in.

This is basically true, but dependent on which system you use; based on testimonials I've read some are distinctly easier than others to engage and disengage, and that doesn't surprise me; I daresay that the manufacturers don't consider the needs of commuters in busy traffic when they design their top-spec racing pedals!

declan1 wrote:

Pulling your foot backwards is just the same as twisting it outwards - it requires thinking. You don't naturally put your foot backwards when you're about to topple over do you?

That's just it; I think that's the most likely reaction (having never had any particular scares with mine). If you shove your foot into something and then think you're going to fall over, what are you most likely to do? You're going to try to pull your foot out again.

declan1 wrote:

Toe-clips are old, as are downtube shifters and 18mm tires. Technology advances, and it gets better. I think you're stuck in the past. I'm not saying toe-clips or downtube shifters are bad, I'm just saying new technology is usually better.

'Better' is obviously subjective (consider that downtube shifters are much more reliable and require much less maintenance than STI shifters or indeed any indexing system), but if the tool does the job, why does it matter? I actually have a pair of SPD pedals that I've been meaning to put on my main bike, but I have no issue with downtube shifting. It's second nature to me, and no worse than reaching down for my water bottle...

declan1 wrote:

Also, clipless pedals can be a good 50g lighter than toe-clips

Carbon fibre clipless pedals are a bit lighter than metal, but some professionals apparently prefer metal because they flex less.

I heard the Missile prefers alloy pedals as they're stiffer than the carbon equivalents.

I had a 'moment' once with a friend's bike. It's a compact frame, and whilst trying to turn around on a country lane, my foot came into contact with the front wheel and I stopped dead. My natural reaction was to pull my foot away from the pedal. I just pulled it sideways (not twisting) to put it on the ground, and luckily it came free from the SPD pedal and I saved myself

Also, manufacturers don't design high-end racing pedals for commuters - they design them for racers...

simon_masterson

declan1 wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

declan1 wrote:

Maybe with experience you can get your foot into toe-clips fairly quickly. However, clipless pedals are much quicker/easier. Just stand up and tada! You're clipped in.

This is basically true, but dependent on which system you use; based on testimonials I've read some are distinctly easier than others to engage and disengage, and that doesn't surprise me; I daresay that the manufacturers don't consider the needs of commuters in busy traffic when they design their top-spec racing pedals!

declan1 wrote:

Pulling your foot backwards is just the same as twisting it outwards - it requires thinking. You don't naturally put your foot backwards when you're about to topple over do you?

That's just it; I think that's the most likely reaction (having never had any particular scares with mine). If you shove your foot into something and then think you're going to fall over, what are you most likely to do? You're going to try to pull your foot out again.

declan1 wrote:

Toe-clips are old, as are downtube shifters and 18mm tires. Technology advances, and it gets better. I think you're stuck in the past. I'm not saying toe-clips or downtube shifters are bad, I'm just saying new technology is usually better.

'Better' is obviously subjective (consider that downtube shifters are much more reliable and require much less maintenance than STI shifters or indeed any indexing system), but if the tool does the job, why does it matter? I actually have a pair of SPD pedals that I've been meaning to put on my main bike, but I have no issue with downtube shifting. It's second nature to me, and no worse than reaching down for my water bottle...

declan1 wrote:

Also, clipless pedals can be a good 50g lighter than toe-clips

Carbon fibre clipless pedals are a bit lighter than metal, but some professionals apparently prefer metal because they flex less.

I heard the Missile prefers alloy pedals as they're stiffer than the carbon equivalents.

I had a 'moment' once with a friend's bike. It's a compact frame, and whilst trying to turn around on a country lane, my foot came into contact with the front wheel and I stopped dead. My natural reaction was to pull my foot away from the pedal. I just pulled it sideways (not twisting) to put it on the ground, and luckily it came free from the SPD pedal and I saved myself

Also, manufacturers don't design high-end racing pedals for commuters - they design them for racers...

Then you're a freak.

But yes, Cavendish is whom I was thinking of, but I daresay there must be others.

kingofthetailwind

Had my first ride on SPDs today, and my first on a road bike. No problems getting out, some getting in. Wondered if I should get used to the bike first before putting the SPDs on but think I'll persevere. I can definitely foresee a few sideways falls when I start getting complacent.

CiB

What a pointless argument. Clipless & toe straps both work; clipless works better. It fixes the foot to the pedal, instead of trapping it in a cage that still has lots of flex from the inherent design of the clip over the foot and the leather strap that's never quite tight enough when you want it to be, and is too restrictive when it is tight enough. Clipless removes the need to be tightly bound to the pedal in such a way that a quick out isn't feasible.

Here's my take. The first bike I had with toe clips would have been around 1976, and over the years there were plenty of improvements, newer & better bikes & upgrades that all had these rat-traps as standard. In about 2001 my new new bike had clipless. Being fixed to the pedal wasn't an issue - 25 years or so of it makes it second nature. The clipless system though was such an improvement that rat traps suddenly seemed like a quaint bit of victoriana, and the ease of clipping in & out and the lack of any need to tighten them up every so often or when planning an attack made clipless a clear winner.

Bottom line though is that if you're used to traps, transferring to clipless is easy. If you aren't, there's very little benefit in choosing straps & cages over the much simpler more efficient & more effective clipless option.

MrSweary

All arguments aside I had my first commute in cleats today and it was great. I tested them out over the weekend and I have to say I found them very easy to get in and out of but I'm going to be cycling in heavy traffic so I know I'm going to have to stay concentrated (you have to anyway). Hopefully unclipping will become second nature after not too long but I know I'm likely to come a-cropper sooner or later - any tips for falling?!

Anyway, the extra feeling of solidity on the bike and the ability to put down power is great. No more slipping about on flats in the wet!

MrSweary

Aaaand what a surprise. After my above post had my first clipless moment this morning. Luckily it was very benign so no injury at all and much more importantly there was no one around to see!

In fact it shouldn't have happened at all as I was unclipped on the left and just over balanced to the right. And down I went....

ed_j

MrSweary wrote:

Aaaand what a surprise. After my above post had my first clipless moment this morning. Luckily it was very benign so no injury at all and much more importantly there was no one around to see!

In fact it shouldn't have happened at all as I was unclipped on the left and just over balanced to the right. And down I went....

My exact same experience first time out with clipless...

peat

MrSweary wrote:

any tips for falling?!

Funny you should say that, but.....

On my first clipless ride, i fell. I don't know why, but i instinctively anchored on, turned into the direction i was falling and got down onto the down-tube. It was a very light fall and didnt get a single bruise. (The bike did though).

I guess that turning the bars moves the pivot point up to the front axle, allowing you to get closer to the centre of rotation, thus the speed you hit the ground at is negligible.

Trev The Rev

Having used clipless pedals for 15 years, last year I went back to traditional pedals with clips & straps. This year I removed the clips & straps. No change in performance.

Headhuunter

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

Wacky Racer wrote:

You need to take care when you are tired too, as for some reason the brain doesn't tell you to unclip until you are already falling.

+1

As a beginner with clipless, if I remember to clip out as I come to a stop, all good.

If somehow I'm already falling, I revert to type and just pull. Currently I have the clips quite loose, so it works, but it's a panicky moment. Hopefully I'll be able to reprogramme before I actually fall over.

I find the opposite nowadays, even if I'm wearing ordinary shoes on a bike I can't help but twist my foot before taking it off the pedal...

MrSweary

Peat wrote:

MrSweary wrote:

any tips for falling?!

Funny you should say that, but.....

On my first clipless ride, i fell. I don't know why, but i instinctively anchored on, turned into the direction i was falling and got down onto the down-tube. It was a very light fall and didnt get a single bruise. (The bike did though).

I guess that turning the bars moves the pivot point up to the front axle, allowing you to get closer to the centre of rotation, thus the speed you hit the ground at is negligible.

Well as you see I spoke too soon and have now had first hand experience. I went over pretty slowly and I think I leant into it and sort of rolled onto my thigh, then hip, shoulder etc. The bike seems un-scratched which is good as it is only 4 days old!