My first clipless experience
alexul
Posts: 69
Hello all,
Recently I had my first experiences with clipless pedals. Although in the past 2 years I've been riding regularly doing a couple of thousands km per year I had a fear of having my feet locked with the bike. With the new road bike I said I should conquer my fears so I bought some beginner pedals Shimano one side platform one side clip, shoes and cleats SPD types. First time I went to a fitter to put them for me. I rode for a few minutes there then another 20 minutes around the block seemed ok. On the first real ride, although short, 40 minutes, by the end of it I had a bad pain in my left calf and it lasted for almost an entire week. I started reading about this problem and it looked related to the forward position of the cleats. It was recommended to move them back to ease the pressure on the calves. Moved them about 1 cm back, second short ride, 30 minutes no more pain. Yesterday a 60 minutes ride with several climbs.
Ok, I didn't expect to fly with the cleats but everybody talked about how much they will help and reduce the fatigue. Well, when I arrived at home my feet felt like jelly. I couldn't believe how tired I was after a ride which is like a routine, I do it at least once a week. And I mean my whole leg, starting from the soles, ankles, calves, thighs. Even after 12 hours, although I don't have any pain, my legs feel like trashed. During the ride, I didn't feel anything painful, just strange to pedal, as if I was just starting to learn to ride and was all tensed up.
All my life I didn't pay attention to the posion of the foot on the pedal and I realised I was having the spindle close to the arch of the foot almost midway between toes and heel. So locking the feet on a much different position, during the ride they were trying to break free and reposition themselves. I was wondering if someone has experienced the same thing when switching to clipless after using platforms all their life. And whether I should fiddle even more with cleat position. Or wait in the hope my muscles will get used to the new pedaling technique, 90 minutes of riding may not be enough to overcome 20 years of riding flats.
Interestingly, although on the first hill, 15 minutes into the ride, I had to use a larger cog than usual, at the end of the ride, after 45 minutes, on a 10km stretch of flat I established a new PB by 10 seconds(according to strava). Previous record was done last year by the end of the season at the peak of my fitness level. And now I didn't even try to break any record not to mention my fitness.
One funny thing, I fell with the bike in the living room. I was trying the new position of the cleats while holding against the wall. And I was checking one foot at a time until I forgot which one is clipped in. I tried to get off on the left side when I noticed the floor is getting closer and closer. Damn, my foot is still on the pedal. Luckily I have a wooden floor.
Recently I had my first experiences with clipless pedals. Although in the past 2 years I've been riding regularly doing a couple of thousands km per year I had a fear of having my feet locked with the bike. With the new road bike I said I should conquer my fears so I bought some beginner pedals Shimano one side platform one side clip, shoes and cleats SPD types. First time I went to a fitter to put them for me. I rode for a few minutes there then another 20 minutes around the block seemed ok. On the first real ride, although short, 40 minutes, by the end of it I had a bad pain in my left calf and it lasted for almost an entire week. I started reading about this problem and it looked related to the forward position of the cleats. It was recommended to move them back to ease the pressure on the calves. Moved them about 1 cm back, second short ride, 30 minutes no more pain. Yesterday a 60 minutes ride with several climbs.
Ok, I didn't expect to fly with the cleats but everybody talked about how much they will help and reduce the fatigue. Well, when I arrived at home my feet felt like jelly. I couldn't believe how tired I was after a ride which is like a routine, I do it at least once a week. And I mean my whole leg, starting from the soles, ankles, calves, thighs. Even after 12 hours, although I don't have any pain, my legs feel like trashed. During the ride, I didn't feel anything painful, just strange to pedal, as if I was just starting to learn to ride and was all tensed up.
All my life I didn't pay attention to the posion of the foot on the pedal and I realised I was having the spindle close to the arch of the foot almost midway between toes and heel. So locking the feet on a much different position, during the ride they were trying to break free and reposition themselves. I was wondering if someone has experienced the same thing when switching to clipless after using platforms all their life. And whether I should fiddle even more with cleat position. Or wait in the hope my muscles will get used to the new pedaling technique, 90 minutes of riding may not be enough to overcome 20 years of riding flats.
Interestingly, although on the first hill, 15 minutes into the ride, I had to use a larger cog than usual, at the end of the ride, after 45 minutes, on a 10km stretch of flat I established a new PB by 10 seconds(according to strava). Previous record was done last year by the end of the season at the peak of my fitness level. And now I didn't even try to break any record not to mention my fitness.
One funny thing, I fell with the bike in the living room. I was trying the new position of the cleats while holding against the wall. And I was checking one foot at a time until I forgot which one is clipped in. I tried to get off on the left side when I noticed the floor is getting closer and closer. Damn, my foot is still on the pedal. Luckily I have a wooden floor.
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Comments
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Makes sense that you're going to be using your muscles entirely differently if your feet are in different positions.0
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Looking to put some shimano A530s on my bike this afternoon. My first trial of SPDs with a get out of trouble option of flats the other side. Had SPD copatible shoes for some time (ALDI £10 ones). If I don't like them I will cope with the flat side for a while then try to sort out my old Shimano toeclip pedals from my ancient road bike. Still going strong and if I can replace the clip part will do me well if clipless doesn't
How did you find the dismount at the beginning? I guess you had it set up fairly loosely so you can get out easily at first before tightening it up (or whatever you can do).0 -
Yes, the tension is quite low. The fitter set it as low as possible to clip in and out easy. Actually I didn't have much problems getting out. Like I said, I feel my legs very differently than before so I can't forget they are clipped in. I clip out long before I need to stop. But sometimes it takes a lot to clip in. Usually one foot goes well and with the other I keep moving it on the pedal until it clicks. I guess it's just muscle memory. Funny thing about muscle memory, by the end of the ride when I entered the city I started riding on flats because of traffic and stop signs, well my feet now wanted to go to the new position.0
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I first heard of muscle memory from my ju jitsu instructor. Made sense after that how we had so much repetitions when learning new grading techniques. The more repetitions the more you managed to incorporate them into sparring sessions. You took the decision making out of it almost and took the throw, kick, punch or lock into instinct. Made you better at self defence and fighting if that was your inclination.0
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I use double-sided MTB SPDs on my road bikes and always keep my left foot clipped-in for the whole ride, as I always unclip my right foot before stopping - saves thinking about which foot to unclip. I still unclip well before junctions, and with these type of pedals and MTB type shoes it is easy to cycle with just one foot clipped in until I am through the lights or roundabout and I feel it safe to clip back in, just case I need to quickly put my foot down. At these times my right foot is just a bit further forward on the pedal, without slipping off like it would with road shoes. With double-sided SPDs it is easy to clip back in without looking down or trying to flick the pedal to the clip-in side.alexul wrote:Yes, the tension is quite low. The fitter set it as low as possible to clip in and out easy. Actually I didn't have much problems getting out. Like I said, I feel my legs very differently than before so I can't forget they are clipped in. I clip out long before I need to stop. But sometimes it takes a lot to clip in. Usually one foot goes well and with the other I keep moving it on the pedal until it clicks. I guess it's just muscle memory. Funny thing about muscle memory, by the end of the ride when I entered the city I started riding on flats because of traffic and stop signs, well my feet now wanted to go to the new position.0 -
That is close to what I am doing now. I also defined my right leg as to be the first touching ground. Today I came close to a fall in a roundabout. The driver signaled the intention to quit the roundabout as I was about to enter, then he changed his mind and I had to do a complete stop. I quickly unclipped the right leg and leaned to the right. However I was already in the "get ready to stop" mindset. I can see that in an emergency situation when you are focused on to save your life, unclipping is the last thing you want to think about it, unless it has already become a reflex and you no longer think about it.
I may also upgrade to dual sided pedals. Like you said, now I'm looking down when I have to clip in, it's a little bit dangerous though
Today I have also done the longest ride clipped, 2 hours. I changed the left cleat position because I noticed the leg was a little bit further to the outside when clipped than when on flat. So after 2 hours of intense riding with hills and headwinds I feel quite well. I am not as tired as I was the first time.0 -
So you're getting used to them....0
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I would look at the left/right movement of the cleat as well.
I have mine as wide a gap as possible between both feet and this stopped a tweek in the knee joint.0
