First Club Ride & Going Clipless
RiderUk
Posts: 71
After about 6 months or so since I took up road cycling,I thought it was time to join a club.
Over the weekend I participated in my first club ride and absolutely loved it.
Really good to meet up with local cyclist and to be part of a group. Plenty of tips and extremely motivational.
I found that my cruising speed was well above what I am use to as compared to when riding solo and for a much longer duration.
Despite flagging a bit for the last five miles I completed the course and was well pleased.
Returned home exhausted and ache big time at the moment, looking forward to the next club ride.
Also this week I have moved to clipless pedals just a couple of days before my club ride, so I was tad concerned as to how the transition to was going to be. Have watched a couple of videos and decided to test clip in and out as suggested whilst leaning up against a wall and took time to study exactly what happens.
Cycling round the garden did help, but the real test would be on the road.
I planned to be early for the club ride and decided to cycle down a side road just to fine tune the process of clipping in or out about a mile away from the start of the ride. Well the inevitable did happen, I did a tight turn and for reasons unknown (Presumably forgot I was clipped in) ended up in a heap on the floor.
I got up pretty quick, dusted myself down and looked around in a self-conscious manner feeling highly embarrassed. I laughed it off, putting it down to sheer lack of experience.
During the ride we encountered a number of junctions that may have required the need to come to a complete stop, learning from other riders in front of me I noticed that riders were starting to move their foot in readiness to unclip just in case.
So anyone thinking of joining a cycle club and/or going clipless I can thoroughly recommend it.
Over the weekend I participated in my first club ride and absolutely loved it.
Really good to meet up with local cyclist and to be part of a group. Plenty of tips and extremely motivational.
I found that my cruising speed was well above what I am use to as compared to when riding solo and for a much longer duration.
Despite flagging a bit for the last five miles I completed the course and was well pleased.
Returned home exhausted and ache big time at the moment, looking forward to the next club ride.
Also this week I have moved to clipless pedals just a couple of days before my club ride, so I was tad concerned as to how the transition to was going to be. Have watched a couple of videos and decided to test clip in and out as suggested whilst leaning up against a wall and took time to study exactly what happens.
Cycling round the garden did help, but the real test would be on the road.
I planned to be early for the club ride and decided to cycle down a side road just to fine tune the process of clipping in or out about a mile away from the start of the ride. Well the inevitable did happen, I did a tight turn and for reasons unknown (Presumably forgot I was clipped in) ended up in a heap on the floor.
I got up pretty quick, dusted myself down and looked around in a self-conscious manner feeling highly embarrassed. I laughed it off, putting it down to sheer lack of experience.
During the ride we encountered a number of junctions that may have required the need to come to a complete stop, learning from other riders in front of me I noticed that riders were starting to move their foot in readiness to unclip just in case.
So anyone thinking of joining a cycle club and/or going clipless I can thoroughly recommend it.
0
Comments
-
Well done on your first club outing.
Clipped in does take practice,i myself have only just started using them these last two weeks.Yesterday i was out on a club ride when a team mate showed me a local landmark watering hole,it was behind me so i turned my head and forgot about the trees in front of me.Too late,i just didnt have time to unclip and wallop,i hit the ground.
We all laughed,though i was a bit embarrassed.So don't worry,everyone has done it i`m sure.Cannondale CAAD 8 105
Rockrider 8.10 -
Yep, virtually everyone who makes the switch to clipless pedals will fall off because of them at some point, it's like a rite of passage
I can remember at least 2 or 3 occasions in the first couple of months of using them when I just stopped without remembering to unclip and had time to think "Oh crap" as I toppled over. Anticipating having to stop is a good thing to do, but over time unclipping will become something you barely even have to think about and you'll be able to do it very quickly if you need to stop unexpectedly. 0 -
adr82 wrote:I can remember at least 2 or 3 occasions in the first couple of months of using them when I just stopped without remembering to unclip and had time to think "Oh crap" as I toppled over. .
It is like the whole world has gone in slow motion.Funny looking back isnt it but not at the time.Cannondale CAAD 8 105
Rockrider 8.10 -
Well done mate.. Clipless makes a huge difference and i just feel so much more connected since i used them.. like others it took me a while but well worth it... even now i have a few moments every now and then when i just about manage to get myself out, but thats normally when a car driver does something stupid0
-
Haha I remember first ride clipless-practiced loads before I went out, as I pulled up to the first junction I got my right foot unclipped ready to put down in good time but for some reason tried to put the other foot down. I did a funny little bunny hop as I battled to free the other foot but no luck, down I went, confusing the hell out of a passing car! Red faced and lesson learnt-we've all done it!"It never gets easier, you just go faster"0
-
It is funny looking back,i love reading the stories.Hahahaha
It is a right of passage i feel.Cannondale CAAD 8 105
Rockrider 8.10
