Is it time to give up?

emma154

I've only recently started road cycling but it's not been working out for me and I think I'm going to have to give it up which I will find really sad. I've done a lot of indoor cycling in the past so my fitness is quite good but my problem is clipless pedals. I use these in the gym so am used to them at some level and enjoy the feeling while cycling but I know if I continue to use them on the road I will have a serious accident. I've now had a couple of very near misses and feel I have absolutely no control at slow speeds. It's definitely the clipless pedals at fault as it's not the case with flat pedals. I've honestly tried to use them and have read lots but no amount of practising has helped. The experienced folks out there will probably say it's all in my head and there is some truth to that (although watching a car wheel rolling inches from your head is hard to forget). But there is still a skill and I certainly don't have it. I thought I'd just use flats from now on but as far as I can see that's not really an option for road cycling at the level I want to do it. Although I can get flat pedals I can't find shoes that work for riding multiple hours particularly in winter. Does anyone have any suggestions? At the moment I'm thinking my only options are to use the bike permanently on a turbo or sell it. Whatever you do though please don't suggest having another go at clipless! Unless the bike is stationary I'm never going to attach myself to it. Never.

bernithebiker

All depends on the pedal.

For a clipless beginner who's a bit wary, I wouldn't go the Shimano / Look SPDL type route, but rather more MTB stylee; Eggbeaters are good and mine with worn cleats, unclip super easy.

mrfpb

There are stiff soled shoes for riding flat - usally in the "Urban" section of websites sucha s Always Riding:

https://www.alwaysriding.co.uk/for-the- ... shoes.html

Most of the shoes on that page can be used without cleats. (They are mostly mens shoes though, but I suspect women's equivalents will be available elsewhere)

For what it's worth I hate cleats.I spent two years trying to get used to them but gave up in the end. I don't do "serious" road cycling though (however serious is defined) so it is not such a big issue for me.

mrfpb

But don't give up. Cying is great whatever level you do it at.

fat daddy

well sounds like you have already given up

your only option for not using clips is flats/flats with toe straps .... and you have ruled out ever finding a pair of shoes that work for you in the winter so ......

Zwift/turbo in the winter and ride flats outdoors in the summer

Of course if you can find fault with that scenario then you really have given up, so sell up

smoggysteve

Nobody says you have to use them or not. Its personal preference. You will get a better power transfer or be able to sprint faster with clippless but if they errode the rest of the experience of cycling then whats the point? Do what you feel comfortable with. So long as you're out and enjoying riding then the pedals shouldn't matter much.

thumperman

You can get pedals like shimano M324 or similar. You can use the flats/cages while going slow and the clips when your at a speed your confident with. Might be worth a go rather than give up something you obviously enjoy a lot.

daniel_b

fat daddy wrote:

well sounds like you have already given up

your only option for not using clips is flats/flats with toe straps .... and you have ruled out ever finding a pair of shoes that work for you in the winter so ......

Zwift/turbo in the winter and ride flats outdoors in the summer

Of course if you can find fault with that scenario then you really have given up, so sell up

I think FD is on the money there sadly.

I had more than one fall when I started riding clipless including one with a car nearby.

I liken the act of unclipping to that of using the clutch in a car.

You need to get to the point, same as in a car, where if you have an emergency stop where you automatically brake AND hit the clutch to stop it stalling, you automatically brake, lean the bike, and unclip from the pedal.

Having said that, I have a friend who has a prosthetic leg, and he uses flats, and rides 60 off mile rides with no issues.

LukeTC

What type of pedals were you using? My brother had the same issue with SPD SL types (even when we adjusted them so it was seriously easy to clip out) but after swapping him onto SPD pedals with the multi release cleat (SH56) he feels much more comfortable with it and doesn't feel stuck to the bike as before, add that in with the fact that the pedals he bought can be used as flat pedals too and it suits him just fine.

The sad truth is that clipped in or not, if you fall off it's gonna hurt irregardless, being clipped in won't make an ounce of difference to that, but perhaps the feeling of being clipped in makes you anxious in which case you're so on edge you're not enjoying riding at all and if that's the case you'd probably end up riding as fast or faster on flat pedals purely from the confidence it brings.

Realistically think about when you have ridden with clipless, how often have you pulled up on them? If you don't feel like you do it that often just put some flat pedals on, find some stiff soled shoes and enjoy riding again.

cookeeemonster

Use mountain bike spd's. Loads of roadie commuters use them including me and they are so much easier to quickly clip in/out of.

They are double sided which really helps - personally I'd avoid the single sided ones in your position

comsense

Get a pair of the double sided https://goo.gl/MYiafN flat on one side and clipless on other side. Use mtb shoes without cleats at first. No problem. Next step clip in one side at a time.
Then clip both sides in when on open road.
BTW. I'm convinced anyone can go clipless if they do it step by step.
1st indoors stationary. Then a quiet cul-de-sac or carpark . Make certain you ride a pole or low wall or a helpful mate some point where you can lean on should you not manage to unclip. Most people fear clipless at first, some people terrify themselves and just need a bit of help to get over it.

fenix

I've had clipless for 30 years now and never had an incident.

The key to it is to unclip before you need to - so coasting up to junction - unclip the left (if you're from the UK).

What you never do is stop and then unclip.

What is the issue ? Not being able to unclip physically, or not being able to unclip in time ? It sounds to me like its the latter ?

That said - if you really can't get on with clipless - it's really not the end of the world and you can carry on with normal pedals.

I love Time Atacs, but Speedplay are good too. Look are fine for unclipping but just trickier to get back into with being one sided.

First.Aspect

If you don't like clipless, you aren't going to like cages and straps. Cages on their own or with loose straps are pointless.

Why can't you cycle with flats? Surely it would beat spending the whole time in the gym?

In terms of speed and comfort there's not much difference between flats and clipless pedals unless you are out of the saddle climbing or sprinting. The big thing for the rest of the time is to have a stiff-soled shoe to stop your feet getting sore (which they would in trainers).

Aside from flat pedals one option is spd's with a platform, like these https://www.evanscycles.com/shimano-m42 ... GwodZOAB7g

Use with some stiff-ish mtb shoes as flats (just don't install cleats) in traffic and to begin with. You can put cleats on for your spin class. And keep them on if you want to ever try them on the road again.

If you do want to use them on the road, do so at the weekend, somewhere quiet. Or go on a towpath or something. There's just no point in scaring yourself.

fenix

First Aspect wrote:

If you don't like clipless, you aren't going to like cages and straps. Cages on their own or with loose straps are pointless..

I'd not say pointless - the cages with loose straps at least make sure your feet are in the right position - how many people do you see getting this wrong ?

keef66

Any MTB type shoe or even winter boots would be stiff enough / grippy enough for use with flat pedals. Some touring shoes also. I wore my touring shoes with flats when a hire bike turned up without the SPDs I'd asked for; forgot all about it after the first few pedal strokes.

As a youth back in the 70s I rode thousands of miles in my school shoes on flat pedals with toeclips (and my jeans tucked into my socks to protect them from the cotter pins securing the cranks...)

lakesluddite

My partner has been riding for years in flats - she won't even think about trying cleats/clipless, or even straps for that matter. She doesn't get out of the saddle either, but that's to do with practice rather than fear.
Riding with feet attached to the pedals can be an alien concept of you're not used to it, and I bet there are quite a few on here who have had their fair share of 'clipless moments' - I know I have! Usually associated with unanticipated stops, where you can't get the feet out of the pedals quick enough (Timber!).
It's strange, but I recently went out on one of my bikes that I put flat pedals on (in order for my other half to try - she has flat bar as well as flat pedals), and did a 20 odd mile test ride and I hated it, felt completely unstable and abnormal. Every slight shift of the shoes on the pedals had me tensing up.
As others have said, the SPD/MTB style of pedal/cleat, which are double sided might be easier - and not just for beginners, I have been using this method for years, and find the pros outweigh the cons.

Either way, I don't think you should be chucking the towel in because of this issue, it won't make much difference. As you say you've only just taken up road cycling, why not get bike handling confidence with flats first, then perhaps try and progress to clipless in 6 months or so?

simon_masterson

SPD/2 bolt recessed cleat shoes can work quite well with toeclips and straps, and are obviously much stiffer than trainers are. I tried SPDs on the loosest setting once and found that my feet were unclipping with the slightest movement, but if you do panic with clips and straps, pulling your foot out is likely to be the instinctive thing to do, whereas twisting to disengage a cleat may not be.

Honestly though, you are best persevering - others have struggled and mastered this, and so can you.

slowbike

Then dont go clipless ... I'll ride with trainers if I'm pootling about.

the only right way to cycle is to get on the bike and go ... how you do that is open to debate - some people don't even use a saddle.

If you can - try pedals with cages - you don't need to tighten (or even fit) the strap, it'll stop your foot from going forwards over the pedal - something I've done in the distant past - ended up putting my foot through the front wheel and going over the top - ouch!

With flats you don't need specific cycling shoes - they're there to spread the load over a wider area with small pedals underneath - with flats you can use any trainer/shoe - so it's just a case of wearing footwear that will fit in the cage - and if it's during winter, then some waterproof socks may work better than overshoes.

Eitherway, you don't have to give up cycling

haydenm

First Aspect wrote:

If you don't like clipless, you aren't going to like cages and straps. Cages on their own or with loose straps are pointless.

Why can't you cycle with flats? Surely it would beat spending the whole time in the gym?

Agreed, my GF actually finds clipless easier than toe clips and straps when set up properly. You might find loose straps a way to get used to the feeling though

I currently ride my CX/tourer/pub bike with flats because I'm attempting to take it down some harder off road stuff for a laugh, having had a blast on the road with it I'd be fairly confident of being able to do a proper 70km ride with it if needs be. I would go with flats until the summer then see how you feel about trying clipless on some back roads. I know it makes way more difference for road cycling but for enduro or downhill mountain biking (my prefered area) the difference is often overstated

fenix

emma154 wrote:

I thought I'd just use flats from now on but as far as I can see that's not really an option for road cycling at the level I want to do it.

I missed this bit before.

What level are you racing at ? I do duathlons and I've raced stuff with clips and straps as I think it's quicker than changing shoes. It didn't feel like I was losing much time in trainers on the bike.

awavey

the problem is if you are already approaching it as a "never" again situation, rather than how do I overcome this, then yes maybe it is time to give up because youll never break that circle in your own head otherwise if its just a "never" again mindblock

I dont personally think you have to ride clipless to enjoy road cycling, I only switched to clipless a couple of years back and been taking cycling more seriously for more years than I care to remember, I still dont wear clipless on my commute bike, but I do recognise the difference it makes

I just went for dual bolt SPDs as a beginner, Shimano make some reasonable female friendly road shoes for SPDs, the cleat is recessed so they are easier to walk on and they dont look like mountain bike boots, they look like road shoes, added some double sided (spd one side, flat the other) touring pedals, just in case I thought I wasnt going to get on with them, loosened off the mechanism so it was easier to just yank my foot off the pedal (as thats what you tend to do in an emergency when you panic rather than the ankle kick out) and away I went. 2 years later Ive never used the flat pedal sides at all, and might even be considering upgrading to SPD-SL next.

there have been wobbles, close calls, panic situations for sure and I nearly ended up flat on my face when a car wing mirror hooked my handle bars at a roundabout which forced me to lean over to my still clipped in side, but Id have been going over clipless or not in that one, it just looked more comical to observers. but you learn quickly how to negotiate slow moving traffic with them, when you clip in, or when you keep a leg free, and how to approach junctions so the unclipping becomes second nature it becomes something you just do rather than think about having to do.

veronese68

As others have mentioned, what are you using at the moment? If you use mountain bike SPD pedal and multi release cleats you can yank your feet out in almost any direction other than straight up, that could be the way to go. I'd happily send you a pair of old pedals but you'd have to buy cleats, considering you can get pedals with cleats for £20 it's probably not worth it though. Just make sure you get the SH56 multi release cleats.
Failing that get some mountain bike flats with spikes and shoes. I use cheap Wellgo copy pedals on my pub bike and they are remarkably secure.

keef66

I remember coming on here telling everyone I'd been cycling clipless for years without falling off. And of course the very next day I went @rse over tit in a field gateway when the bumpy ground tipped me over on to the clipped in side

At which point the order of priorities is:

Is the bike OK?
Are my clothing / shoes / helmet OK?
Did anyone see me?
Where did the Garmin go?
Is it bleeding much?

awavey

Fenix wrote:

emma154 wrote:

I thought I'd just use flats from now on but as far as I can see that's not really an option for road cycling at the level I want to do it.

I missed this bit before.

What level are you racing at ? I do duathlons and I've raced stuff with clips and straps as I think it's quicker than changing shoes. It didn't feel like I was losing much time in trainers on the bike.

its the flex of the trainers thats the problem, I did a sportive in trainers and could barely walk the next day my feet were so sore from constantly stretching because the sole would naturally bend when I put power into the pedal stroke, so I was using more energy to try to maintain a set speed over a distance. if you are leaping and jumping round a forest trail its probably not that noticeable, but on a road over a longer distance its noticeable. I know I shouldnt compare two bikes on different days etc etc, but I cant get anywhere near times I set using cycling shoes on my road bike, versus trainers on my commuter,.

cooldad

Flats and 5 10s or similar. Mountain bikers manage.

hsiaolc

Its never a time to give up.

To not cycling because you can't clip in is not really a good reason.

If you think cycling in London might cause you your life then by all means please stop and just train indoor.

Do you even like cycling? I think that's the question we didn't ask. If not then please don't carry on. IF you do then clipless or not is not really an issue at all.

I've seen a lady rode on a very fancy ladies bike with her high heels and I though wow thats amazing. And she was very pretty and got a lot of my admiration that she had no cycling specific clothing or gadgets at all.

tangled_metal

The OP hasn't come back. I fear she's lost to cycling. It's a shame if that's the case (or there's some other reason for the post and disappearance).

I've never used clipless. I have touring pedals, flat one side and clipless the other. Bought with a view to try clipless with a £10 pair of Lidl cycling shoes but able to be used flat if i don't like. Never tried the clipless yet.

I've used cage and straps for a decade or two, on and off. I never had any issue with them. You learn once to not tighten them too much and never repeat that mistake. I never fell off but did have to struggle up a 1 in 4 hill wearing overly tightened straps. Killed me but i learnt how to trackstand. Never been able to do it since.

A mate from school (that's how far back to cage and straps, i was still at school) got a new road bike secondhand that had them on. He tightened them up on way downhill into town and hit the first lights with his feet stuck. It was more dangerous for me following as i was rolling on the floor laughing so hard i couldn't breathe. He wasn't hurt but his pride was. As i said before you only do that once.

My only advice is to ride with flats or pedals with cage and loose straps. They position the foot right and you can get some upwards force applied. Not as smooth as clipless but certainly good enough. I've seen a few riders on a TT course near me (on an event) wearing these pedals. Not always old fogies but a few who looked competitive.

I hope the OP comes back and isn't lost!

haydenm

cooldad wrote:

Flats and 5 10s or similar. Mountain bikers manage.

As a slight aside, my new 5.10s are pretty poor quality, they seem to be getting worse and worse. I get a lot of cramp type pain in my feet on long, rough downhills because they flex around the pedal too much which all my old pairs never did. I'm not sure if the pain would translate to road riding in them but it might over hard efforts/climbs. Not sure what the alternatives are

Moonbiker

Although I can get flat pedals I can't find shoes that work for riding multiple hours particularly in winter. Does anyone have any suggestions?

MTFU?

I wear five 10 with flats somtimes. I did the wild wales challenge (100 miles pretty hilly) using then on my old beater of a bike a few yrs back feet are pefectly fine & they never have caused any issues. I like them for praticality, to bike & then hike etc.

Also worn crocs in the summer for some 20 mile rides etc they were fine if abit flexy, didn't make much difference to speed though.

As for pedals I like theese:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mks-ct-lite-commuter-pedals/

Better than the really cheapo plastic flat ones.


Only downside of flats is, less pedal efficiency but thats a petty marginal % imo, & that other cyclists will sneer at you for not being a "proper cyclist".

6wheels

Didn't BR do a comparison between flats and clipless a year or two back? Seem to remember flats did quite well.

First.Aspect

6wheels wrote:

Didn't BR do a comparison between flats and clipless a year or two back? Seem to remember flats did quite well.

That was GCN, and yes, there was no measurable difference.