Clipless pedals

santahul
santahul Posts: 91
edited January 2017 in Road buying advice
Stupid n00b question here but I'm not having any luck with Google. Are there any clipless pedal types that allow you to just pull straight out of the pedal rather than twisting? I really don't get along with clipless pedals, never been able to get used to them, even after 6 months of riding them on my old bike. However I also have a bad habit of riding with my feet too far forwards which hasn't been too much of a problem until I got my current Genesis Croix de Fer which I use for commuting, toe overlap and all that. I want to keep my feet in place but don't want to be falling off in rush hour London which is a lot of stop-start. I don't really need much in the way of support, just enough to stop my feet moving forwards.

I know the answer I'm probably going to get is "No just keep practising with clipless pedals" but I thought I'd ask. The alternative is to just get some one-sided SPD's and only clip in for the longer stretches but I know I'm still going to end up landing on my face a lot.

Comments

  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    Shimano PD-T400 Click'R pedals with SH56 multi-release cleats should fit the bill. Or those cleats with any Shimano double-sided SPD.
  • 964cup
    964cup Posts: 1,362
    You don't really want to pull straight out, or you risk unintentionally unclipping on big efforts out of the saddle. Which is really dull (I speak from experience, although in my case the cleats weren't supposed to do that, they were just worn). I'm afraid the advice really is to just keep practicing until it's second nature. It won't take that long, and if you're really nervous try borrowing a turbo and practicing with your bike on that.
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    I started on t-400's with sh56's ... you still need a certain amount of twist to release them, but its really very little ... the sort of little ness that at a wobble at the lights or being hit by a big gust of wind can unclip you as your foot twists.

    they are good to begin with BUT you will out grow them and they do have a habbit of unclipping when you sprint or pull really hard as you climb

    expect to upgrade them

    I still run the t-400s on my commuter hybrid, but the other bikes now all have double sided spd M - pedals oh and single sided road spds ..... the sh56's though I still use, much prefer the multi-directional cleats
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    If the only wish is preventing your feet slipping forward , what about flat pedals with half clips?
    Cheap and you will never be stuck in your pedal...
  • hsiaolc
    hsiaolc Posts: 492
    Which system have you been using?

    Anyway I don't think there are any that let you clip out when you pull up. Defeats the whole purpose of clipping in.

    Go with flats if you can't handle any kind of twisting.

    But if you really want to keep going with clipless I suggest Speedplay.
  • santahul
    santahul Posts: 91
    Half clip pedals is a brilliant idea, never thought of that but I think that's the winner.

    I don't understand why people think you'd go flying out of pedals that unclipped by just pulling up. I ride flats right now and I don't go flying out of them.
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 1,001
    SantaHul wrote:
    Half clip pedals is a brilliant idea, never thought of that but I think that's the winner.

    I don't understand why people think you'd go flying out of pedals that unclipped by just pulling up. I ride flats right now and I don't go flying out of them.
    If you are used to clipless pedals you tend to actively lift the foot on the upstroke. If you then ride a bike without being clipped in and you lift the foot on the upstroke as you are used to it comes of the pedal. This is the reason I find it difficult to ride on flat pedals as I am so used to being clipped in.
  • hsiaolc
    hsiaolc Posts: 492
    SantaHul wrote:
    Half clip pedals is a brilliant idea, never thought of that but I think that's the winner.

    I don't understand why people think you'd go flying out of pedals that unclipped by just pulling up. I ride flats right now and I don't go flying out of them.

    Hmm you serious?

    Many upsides to clipping in and one is you can pull on your pedals as you lift so you can get power in an all round pedaling as opposed to wait till you can step down and apply the power.

    Actually it was only this week I was laughing at someone with those toe in system. This one guy took off quickly but keep on looking down to try to get his toe in the system for about 10 meters and I thought to myself that's so dangerous because his head down for that long and not looking ahead. In the city anything can happen.

    Not to mention the toe system looks ugly and unprofessional and amateurish.

    Hey is your riding not ours and your loss just because you don't want to do some twisting?

    I will never trade now riding on the road without my Speedplay. Secure, Powerful, never slip and always dead on with shoe placement and when I out of my saddle I can really pull up and step down to pull way quicker than if I am on flats.
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    The TS is talking about commuting, not racing....
    Examination on the power delivery of pro racers has pointed out that pulling up the pedals plays no significant role in an efficient way of pedaling.
    Pro's can pedal efficient on "Jezus Nikes" if they were forced.....
    So that's why I think that half clips are a good, functional solution for someone who has problems with being clipped in.

    Ps , my opinion on Speedplay "things" is that they are a bad thing in the long history of bad things.
    A solution for non existing problems , not compliant with the KISS principle....
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,002
    Biggest benefits of cleats or clips is positioning foot properly and avoiding slipping off pedals. As noted above, up-pull is negligible (except maybe for trackies out of the start gate).

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