stopping technique

[goddess1222]

hello. i am BRAND NEW to cycling and love it so much. i just bought my first road bike and am learning to use clipless pedals and lock in shoes. i am having a hard time learning how to un-cleat and slow down to stop. i have been practicing moving from pavement onto a grassy surface so i have a safe place to fall. does any one have any hints on how to stop safely and techniques for doing so? i have been practicing my little heart out, and i have only fallen twice. i want to go on the road, but i know i am not ready yet. any advice?

thank you,
goddess1222

[han-grrl]

clipless pedals add amazing power to your pedal stroke. They aren't very fun to learn with though :(

i suggest to my students, practicing with each foot. and keep clipping in and out with one foot on the ground. then switch. i don't know what kind of pedals you have but there should be some kind of adjustment to loosen them so your foot comes out of them easier.

good luck and safe riding

Han

[goddess1222]

thank you for your suggestions. i have "look" brand pedals and they are extremely tight, and a little tough to unclip. i will check to see if they can be adjusted.


thank you, thank you,
goddess1222

[Vicki]

Hi goddess1222,

I'm fairly new to cycling too. I got my road bike in May. I have found my new sport. I started using clipless pedals last month. I love them. What I did to get used to them was pedal up and down my road and constantly clip in clip out until it felt comfortable and seemed second nature. I rode in a road ride a few days later and felt very comfortable with them. I do still tell myself to clip out when I get ready to stop. Don't wait till the last minute to clip out. I like to clip out with my left foot as I am coasting to a stop. I put that foot down then I clip out with my right foot. I have seen some people clip out with both feet as they are coming to a stop. I tried it that way but it didn't feel right for me.

I am not yet brave enough to have clipless pedals on my mt. bike yet. I put my feet down way to much when I'm riding. Someday maybe.

Have you rode in an organized road ride yet?
I am hooked. They are so much fun.

Have fun riding
Vicki

[liner]

Try putting a little White Lightning, a bike lubricant, on your pedals and cleats. This really helped me out. Trust me, it will get easier!

Liner

[ROADBIKEGIANT]

Thanks for this entire thread! I rode 10 extra miles last summer b/c I was afraid to stop and HOPE TO UNCLIP. I would always FALL! Not only did I look for grass, but I would try and pedal through the small, grassy area to search for a higher spot to rest my LEFT clip-less foot. I finally got my own tools, and made the Look tension as loose as possible. My new goal is to learn to unclip and DISMOUNT QUICKLY to the RIGHT, so that I lean away from any traffic. I train on back country roads to avoid traffic, so that I can concentrate on technique. I finally figured out that stopping and then hoping to unclip defies the laws of physics.
Good luck!
QUESTION: would WD40 work like White Lightening?

[han-grrl]

aaah!
don't put WD40 on your bike. it isn't made for your bike. it's messy and it isn't made for your bike. Buy proper chain lube.

[ROADBIKEGIANT]

YIKES!!!!!! i see WD40 all around the bike shops, and i just took matters into my own hands... this is for me >> :mad: << b/c i didn't take time to inquire re: clipless. i have never put it on my chain, but not b/c i knew better...unfortunately, i have used the spray liberally on my clipless, and probably have inadvertently given chain a good soaking....you have stopped a disaster in the making...thank you, han grrl, thank you!

[han-grrl]

if you ar e looking to lube up your pedals a tad...try a little PAM! yep. this little tip was given to me by a retired racer. spray a touch on and wipe off with a rag. I haven't tried it myself but i know a few people that claim it helped with SPD pedals working a little smoother.

[goddess1222]

thanks han grrl, i will keep the pam in mind. i am slowly doing better on the stopping technique. slowly, slowly. i want so badly to get out on the road and ride, but i know i am not ready yet. i guess i will just have to practice having patience also.

goddess1222

[ayermail2]

My LBS had this piece of advice for me when I got SPD pedals: Stay in one spot (i.e. one foot on the ground) and just clip in and out about 20 times, repeat on the other side! It helped me a lot (no, I don't have the GUTS to use on the MTB yet either, but I do like them for road riding!)

Another tip I read in a mountain biking book was regarding stopping: unclip one foot a little early, once that foot is out, turn the front wheel toward that foot when you stop. That way, if you end up stopping before the other foot is out, the bike will naturally want to lean toward the foot that's already out!

Another tip from a really good cycling buddy was (duh!! :o ) unclip before you get to the light!

[missliz]

Two neat secrets from the hot guys who wrench at Adams Bicycle World-

1. WD40 is not a lubricant. It's a solvent. You see it all over bike shops because they need it to break joints that have rusted together because most of the work is done on crappy bikes that aren't maintained properly. WD 40 has no place in a properly maintained bikes life because we all put Park graese or W Lightning on any threads before we put stuff back together, right? :D Seriously, spray some WD40 on a rag and give it twenty minutes- it evaporates. You want it to disapear so you can pile on lube and make it right.
Incidently, don't ever try to use this stuff in a lock of any kind. It'll just seize worse. My ex husband loved to ruin things with WD 40.
2. Goddess, there is nothing wrong with using SPD pedals on your road bike. I bet you have the shoes for spin class, huh? the little snap of the ankle you use to pop the cleat out is the same movement as for Look road, but putting a road shoe with a Look cleat down is like ice skating. Theres little pads on the toe and heel of the shoe to touch down with, but it's a trick and I can't do it well either. Adam laughs at me- he says Looks aren't made for stopping and get over it. Using MT bike shoes will let you put your foot down easier since they're more sneaker like, and separarte the click out - put your foot down in a weird slippery shoe motion into two sections to learn and may be easier to deal with.
You don't learn sports in your head, but in your body. Your leg isn't real bright and needs to learn combinations of movements by rote in little sections. Once it learns, it never forgets though and will react immediatly instead of having to take the huge amount of time to process through the prefrontal cortex. This can save your *** in a bad moment. Am I making sense? This is how gymnists and dancers learn complex movements, a bit at a time. You need the prefrontal cortex for other things in a bad moment anyway, like raising the finger and yelling Dorothy Parkeresque remarks.
Hope this helps.

missliz

Oh, and don't go to Time ATAC spds if you do this, they're the state of the art but have a special trick of their own to learn. And You don't need to douse cleats with lube constantly- just use a more aggressive snap of the foot to make it pop out. After a while you get a little wear on the cleat too, and this helps.

[missliz]

Road Bike Giant brought up an interesting point- Don't stop and then hope to unclip. This is asking to fall, since your foot should be out yards before you stop. Look up the road, you need to be watching at close and far distances at once and know where you're going to stop. My foot is out and off the pedal as I'm scrubbing off speed with the brakes so it's ready to dab when I stop. Even in a maybe situation the foot comes out- slower speed means more reaction and decision making time. Slapping it back into the binding is the easiest part of clipless, so when in doubt pop your foot out. You do this with the brakes in your car all the time without realizing it
A drill you can do toodleing around the neighborhood is to blow both bindings at once, then slap the feet back into the binding WITHOUT LOOKING. Don't stop. just go in and out. The leg learns where the pedal/ binding is at all times really quickly. And yeah, you can alternate one foot at a time or whatever keeps you from getting bored. two or three sessions should do it. The learning curve isn't very steep, it's just that nobody tells women how to learn this stuff. My ex Soviet fencing coach actually came up with this exercise when he saw I was burnt and changing sports for real. He doesn't ride, but he understands how the body learns combinations of movements.
Observe other riders in traffic. You can tell who does it right 'cos it looks easy. You can learn a lot this way.

miss liz

[Dogmama]

If I anticipate stopping, I unclip & let my foot rest on the pedal in case I need to clip back in. BUT - be sure that you don't inadvertently let your foot clip back in because you'll do the Laugh-In-Old-Man-Tricycle stunt. Very hard on the ego!

And Mizz Liz is right - your muscles will learn where the pedal is and how to click in & out automatically. It takes a bit of time, but it will happen without you realizing it. All of a sudden you'll realize that it has become second nature.

Kim

[RoxGirl77]

I can't even think about heading on the road/trail without my clips on! Just ain't right! (but I must admit, learning how to use them... now that was just funny!)
I have been riding for as long as I can remember and trail riding for just 4 years, but man... once you get the technique of clipless pedals, you'll never go back to platforms (or worse yet, traps! eekk!!)

[goddess1222]

roxgirl is right. clipless are fabulous, but really hard to learn.

[missliz]

Na, they're intimidating, not hard. There's a difference.
A lot of people have this deep irrational conviction that their feet are tightly attached and they can't get out of the pedal- this is a head problem. Throw in the set up problems, and the fact that a lot of shop guys will put you on a bad choice of starter pedal 'cause they've forgotten how it was to learn, and yeah, it seems worse than it is.
You should be starting with clips and straps. When you're riding with the strap cranked tight all the time, it's time for clipless. Beginners will start cycling with clipless and wonder why it's so hard and scary- well you have to put the the time in to teach your feet what to do with the beginner equipment first.

missliz.

[goddess1222]

MISS LIZ WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? i miss you a lot. you are right, clipless are intimidating.

but boy am i glad i took the time and the courage to learn.

[missliz]

Where have I been? I've been in a snit, sulking. I fell on my bad knee and tore up a rotater cuff and had nothing nice to say or interesting to contribute, so I just didn't.
I'm better, and cheering up, so I'm feeling a little more bike- interested. I got five omens, so it's time to come back.
1- Irulan emailed me to ask where i'd been. Thank you Irulan, you will never know how much that meant.
2- Met some people who are starting a really serious Mt bk club- IMBA, corporate grants, workdays, scar comparison, everything a good club should have. :D
3- A giant red shouldered hawk swooped across the hood of my Jeep in the middle of the city. That's a really powerful get off your expanding butt into the woods sign.
4- My inbox is suddenly full of alerts from this board.
5- I found out why I keep getting sick and can't train consistently, I'm allergic to the place I live. If you have a cause, I can solve the problem. Sudden Optimism!
All in one week. And I had a dream about a peice of bike gris gris I need to fix.
So, no place interesting.

missliz

[Jacqui C]

Hey guys,

I too like clipless but still get a bit nervous. My husband bought me a set of pedals for Christmas, they have a flat side and a spd side ........... great, I have them on all of my bikes. When in traffic I can ride with one clipped in and one out but without having to worry about slipping or inadvertantly clipping back in. I tried the LOOK system, almost went A over T, infront of my neighbours as well!!!:eek: I use them with mtb type shoes so I don't slide everywhere if I'm off the bike at the shops or stopped for lunch while touring.
Being double sided it also makes them much easier to get used to, you can practice one foot at a time.

Jacqui.

[missliz]

Those are really practical for beginners at clipless, and shops should be putting people on them. It's no fun to ride anxious. Terry sells them. I started on LOOK mt SPDs (yes Virginia they made them) designed for neophytes. You could set the tension super loose so they were super easy to get in and out of, and at the lightest setting they were almost like platforms, just better.
There's a big psychological aspect to clipless, and I still think clips and straps are a good intermediate training tool. They're also good after injury or knee surgury, so knowing how to use them is multi usefull.
My two p.

missliz

How many times have I posted this message now? twenty, thirty times?:D

BMX pedals are really good for trail riding if you get too clipless phobic- I understand they're big for downhill and dual slalom now, and I know the ones on my BMX cruiser are cool, great for urban obstacles on the way to class.

[Grasshopper]

I was terrified to use clipless pedals! Terrified! But the lady that sold me my bike is a serious rider and she convinced me that I would love Speedplay pedals. She says they have the fewest zero mph crashes and are the easiest for new riders to learn. Oh, and they give you abut 30 degrees of rotation with your feet so you can find a natural position to ride in.

Well, I've fallen twice - once the first time I got on the bike, standing in front of my house! And the second time was when I ran over my water bottle (I thought it was hooked in the cage, but it was beside it I guess). Since then I feel pretty comfortable with them. I'm surprised at how quickly I've grown to love them and I highly recommend them!!

[MightyMitre]

Yeh! MissLiz is back!! :D Sorry to hear you've been in a bit of a downer but glad to have you back on board.

This is turning into a week of reunions . A good cycling friend of mine moved to the other end of the country ( literally) in the autumn, as her husband was relocated for his job. But he's been relocated back again so much to my delight I've got my riding buddy back:)

[missliz]

Thank you , MM, it's good to be back! And yeah, Speedplays are great, easy release. They tend to be pricey, though, and a lot of newbie/ intermediate riders tend to balk at big cash outlays for stuff they don't understand. And you don't really understand clipless 'till you ride them.
It may be just dumb random cosmic chaos- some people will slide onto clipless and some have to work at it. And I think pedal choice is a lot of it, but who sells them to you ( picks them out!) and sets them up is the random factor.

missliz

[hibiscus09]

I bought my first cycling shoes today (Specialized) and Look clipless pedals. I've been practicing in my driveway to my backyard. LOL Anyway, I can pop my right shoe out quite easily, so I guess I'll go that route. :) The left one gives me a little more trouble. I'm not very left side coordinated. Anyway, first ride out on the road tomorrow with these things. Cross your fingers. :D

[goddess1222]

i have LOOKS too. you might release the tension on the pedal a little. that may help you get out of the left a little easier.

[hibiscus09]

Thanks, I just did on the left & it helped. I just don't feel real confident with these things. I'd like to do a training ride tonight but I sure don't feel ready to use these things yet. Can you ride on clipless pedals with your tennis shoes?

[Irulan]

one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet, is that some pedal/clip systems need the occasional drop of lube. I find that when I do riding in rain/mud etc, my SPD get seriously seized up, and get "cured" by just a drop of pro lube.

Irulan

[missliz]

I want a picture under my name- how do you do that Irulan? And thanks for writing to me, it did cheer me up 'till the crash part and then I got really upset cause I've left neither blood nor flesh on a trail in soooo long. But I really appreciate it, you have no idea how much.
Then the next day I saw a red shouldered hawk in the middle of the city, so I knew it was time to suck it up.
Lube in the cleats does help- I like a waxy kind like White Lightning, it doesn't gum up with dirt. Those red arc plastic cleats will wear a bit, and that helps with LOOKs. A great drill is to cruise the cul de sac, or whatever quiet street you've got, and just keep cipping in and out, alternating feet. Drop into the rythm (sp?) of it. Also do some where you blow both feet out at once- think of it as the eject button drill. More of a Mt bike thing, but good to know as the hairy moment happens. You can adjust most LOOKs and look type (knockoffs) spring tension, too, so it can be easier.

missliz

[hibiscus09]

I've been practicing this morning & seem to be getting better. I do have a question, though. How do you get out of both at once? Where are your pedals positioned when you do that?

[missliz]

You pop the cleat out by making a sudden hard twisting movement with the foot, right? Just do both at once. Easier than walking and chewing gum:p
I'll bet you still ride old style and are rolling out with the cranks at 12 and 6 o'clock and pulling out the lower foot? Very awkward, works with clips but shaky with cleats. You should be trying Mt technique- cranks at 3 and 9 o'clock, which makes you much more stable, especially when blowing out both feet at once in a bad moment. Look at advanced riders, they use this more than you think. Even on the road you have to ride rough stuff, hop potholes, ect. and the level crank crouch is a good habit to form.
As you get used to putting some muscle into the cleat release, you'll have no problem freeing a foot at any point in the spin- some pedals even release more easily if you click out while the legs are still moving. (ATACs!) The biggest problem I've ever had with new pedals in not putting enough force on the foot as I try to release. Be athletic about it.
Experiment. Have fun.

missliz

[hibiscus09]

Thanks, missliz. I've only been riding 2 months and finally was getting a good level of comfort on my bike in general. LOL Anyway, I am clipping out of the right pedal with the pedal up & the left is easier with it down. I haven't tried doing both at once. Should be interesting. :)

[Irulan]

improtant point... when you click out, that foot is the one you need to put down. :D

Last night, I clicked out on the right side, then promptly tried to put my left foot down. Talk about tipping over...!!! First skinned knee of the season, good for a few laughs at any rate.

Irulan

[hibiscus09]

I think I'm going to get my sweetie to switch them out to the regular pedals again with straps. I'm not humored by this anymore. Too old to be hitting the ground so much. LOL

Seriously, today was better -- I didn't fall, but I was also to scared to do my regular training ride because I didn't want to get anywhere near traffic of any sort. I'm doing the MS150 on September 20 & 21st & I need to be training. I don't have time to learn clipless right now. :D

[MightyMitre]

Interesting tip about clipping both feet out at the same time, MissLiz. I've never tried that but might give it a try for a laugh.

I should also practise unclipping with the other foot first. I always clip the left foot out first - habit I guess, and the fact our pavements our on the left hand side . Trying to do it with the other foot first would feel like trying to fold my arms the other way, but I really should be more ambi (... er... definitly can't spell that :p )
able to use both sides equally well.

By the way, Hibiscus, when I'm approaching traffic lights /coming up to a junction/ know when I'm going to have to stop, I quite often half click one foot out and carry on pedalling gently for a few turns as I approach stopping, so I'm ready to put my foot down and don't have to panic.

[missliz]

Well you should go with what you're comfortable with. There's a lot of fashion pressure to go clipless, but you need to be training. When you're ready, using a trainer to just play with them in the safe padded living room might be good. ;)
You'll know when you're ready for them. Don't let anybody rush you.

missliz

Oh, Irulan- I've done that. Felt really foolish LOL. Hope you weren't on pavement! ouch

[missliz]

Hey,MM, you posted while I was writing. Pulling both feet out is an "Oh Holy S**t" mountain bike trick- jam on the brakes as you blow the pedals and drop the bike from under you, hopefully landing on your feet. Very emergency stop! On LOOK road pedals it would be really tricky to land on those big cleats, but it's good to have that control over your feet. Also, on a MT bike you need to click in and out thoughtlessly as you need to outrigger a leg or do some other operation, and this stuff is good skills on the road too.

missliz

[hibiscus09]

missliz -- that's a good idea. I was going to ask for a trainer for my birthday (September) or Christmas. I could then learn in the comfort of my own home. LOL And not have to land on my hiney.

[adkoch]

Straying a bit.. why is it called clipless, when you are clipped in??? Always wondered about that one...

Angie

[hibiscus09]

"Originally they were called clipless to explain how they were different from the old fashioned "toe-clips". Hence "clipless" meant "not-toe-clips" but something new and different. The name has stayed with us and only recently are people calling them "clip pedals" now that toe clips aren't seen as much."


That's an answer I found on the internet. LOL I wondered the same thing. :)

[RoxGirl77]

Originally posted by hibiscus09
"Originally they were called clipless to explain how they were different from the old fashioned "toe-clips". Hence "clipless" meant "not-toe-clips" but something new and different. The name has stayed with us and only recently are people calling them "clip pedals" now that toe clips aren't seen as much."


That's an answer I found on the internet. LOL I wondered the same thing. :)

Way to reasearch that one... that one always baffled me too. I never knew if I even knew what I was talking about half the time! LOL
Clipless, Cleated, toe clips, what???

[hibiscus09]

LOL, I'm good at research. Now, if I can get my shoes out of those #$@! clips. LOL

[missliz]

God you all are so young!
It's "toe clips and straps", which were the state of the art for racing for years, like a century or so. "Clipless" were introduced by LOOK in 1990. They were based on the idea of ski bindings and revolutionized the sport- they're so much more efficient that speeds went up. There were already super stiff shoes, and a cleat that fit over the pedal spindle and gave better power transfer, but the LOOKs really blew the cycling world away.
Clipless is the pedal, cleated is the shoe. After the cleats have been put on.
And it's still OK to use clips and straps with beartrap pedals and stiff Mt shoes if the clipless make you crazy. I think everybody should learn them, they make clipless easier to transit to. The first really high end bike I bought in 1996 came with clips and straps. They aren't at all obsolete- but shops make more money pushing clipless pedals onto people who may not be ready for them. They're good for injury recovery, you can pull the strap out or set it really loose for rehabing tender bits like knee surgury.
Suspension forks came out in 1990 also- as a safety thing, not for comfort. Good suspension will save you from some ugly experiences. Most people don't realize what a great safety factor it is.

missliz

[hibiscus09]

Not I, not I. LOL I'll be 42 in September. Maybe that's why I don't like falling. :D

[Grasshopper]

Missliz, thanks for the explanation on how and when to pull both out - I was on my way to kill myself in traffic, I'm sure, trying to figure that one out! :p

One word of caution about learning to use the pedals on a trainer!! I learned (what little I know) on one and didn't realize that I was leaning my body sharply to one side when I pulled my feet out....I was doing great, but as soon as I hit the pavement, well, I HIT the pavement!!

[Terry]

Missliz is absolutly right about learning to clip-in a 3 o'clock- 9 o'clock clip in the other foot...and yes, mountain bikers have a lot to loose when fallin on cactus, rocks trees, ect. MT riders learn to "think fast" with the feet/feet don't fail me now. I second practicing clipping out simultaneously with both feet. You really do need the both of them on an emergancy...

Hey, do you all realize we have TWO seperate threads going on this same topic? And if you go back about 6 months, the discussion threads are avaible on this very same subject.

To clip in or not clip in, that is the question,
Tis' nobler to ride clipped and know one's clips than not?

(I know, pathetic attempt and wit...I should go to work, huh...)
Terry

[MightyMitre]

On the toe-clips front, if you look at track racing in the velodrome nearly all riders use cleats to clip in, and then toe-clips and staps on top of those just to make 100% sure they can't pull their feet out accidently.

Have you seen the size of the thighs on some of those guys ( and gals!)? :p

[missliz]

You're right Grasshopper, I wasn't really clear about that- The trainer is good to experiment and get a feel for the whole thing, but once you're outside, you're outside. You can put the beast into a really low gear and take to the lawn, even on a road bike. Much safer to fall on. But really, you should only fall twice or so- If you keep going down something bigger is up and sombody needs to take a look.
One thing I've noticed, both in myself and talking to other women (and observing them) is that there's a tendency to use a gentle movement on the release. And it usually doesn't work. A lot of pedals want a more forceful push, and a trainer could be a good place to learn just what is needed. A little more muscle behind the twist of the ankle will usually do it, but it's hard to gauge it at first. I rode clipless for years, but when I went to ATACs in a last ditch effort to save my knees, I could NOT get out of them- till I just slammed my foot sideways out of the pedal. They just took a really aggressive push.
So maybe some trainer, some lawn? Repeated biffs to the pavement aren't a good thing. I worry one of us will get injured.

missliz

[missliz]

People keep posting while I'm writing!

So MM, you asked for this- Those track guys wren't just big in the leg, they're like seven feet tall at the international level, literally. And totally psycho. Adam has this great story about a freind of his who raced track in the seventies, when American National teams were a joke in cycling. He's at the World Champs, goes out in a heat against this big monster Italian and has nothing to lose, so our boy hauls off and socks him in the face. Apparently this was perfectly acceptable behavior in track. So the Italian reaches over and picks up Captain America by the neck of the jersey and THROWS him into the stands! Bike and all! LOL!
So for the next week our boy has his fondest wish come true- he dominates European sports coverage, just not the way he'd wanted. The film of him being tossed and landing in a crumpled heap was the most played and replayed thing on TV. American cyclings greatest moment of glory 'till the LA games gave us a little legitimacy.
I suspect track has calmed down a bit, and we do better at it, but yeah, those guys are HUGE!

missliz

[MightyMitre]

That's crazy - some of those track riders must have to get themselves worked right up and aggressive, especially for the short sprint races.

On a less aggressive note - I caught a few minutes of the World Track champs last week and was watching the girlies doing short sprints, and in one of the finals there was a real fight for first - very exciting.

At the end of a race the riders often shake hands ect while they're still going round, but these 2 girls not only shook hands, they also gave each other a kiss on the lips, while still spinning round at the end. I just couldn't believe the skill & bike handling these track riders must have - the commentator, a guy who rides the track himself was also impressed and said just how good these riders are.

It was also really cool - before and during the race they're bitter enemies, but once it's all over there's so much respect for each other and comradship :)

[Dogmama]

Originally posted by missliz
but when I went to ATACs in a last ditch effort to save my knees, I could NOT get out of them- till I just slammed my foot sideways out of the pedal. They just took a really aggressive push.
missliz

ATACS? What are those?

[missliz]

ATACs are fancy shmancy mt bike pedals, made by Time and in your choice of carbon fiber, aluminum, or cro- moly. And colors! They have 15 degrees of float, as opposed to the 5 to 7 you get with the average mt bike pedal. Speedplays can release a little too easily for dirt work, and ATAC have the big float some of us like. Really high quality trick pedal, designed to shed mud and take a beating. I like mine, but they are not a beginners pedal.
They can be really tricky to release, the best technique I've found is to snap the foot sideways while still spinning- which is good dirt form anyway.
Time makes awesome road pedals too, and if anybody gets too fed up with LOOK it could be something to check out. The systems are not at all compatible, you'll need adapter plates for non Time road shoes, but some very serious racers use 'em and love 'em. My LBS guys rave about them, though I've never used them or even had a good look at them.
You can also always put mt pedals on the road bike for touring. There's a lot of that done, and you can keep the road shoes if you like the super stiffness. a lot of them are easier to deal with than road pedals.

missliz

[missliz]

I talked to Adam, my wrench/ LBS owner/ coach/ guru, he said not to waste time on TIME road pedals. He's seen a lot of the problems with with women getting out of clipless pedals discussed here, especially LOOK, and guess what it is?
I'm just dying this is so interesting, send fond wishes Adams way girls, he was really concerned that women 2000 miles away are having trouble. The Bicycle Nation is a wondrous thing.
So what happens is that womens feet are shorter, and we don't get the leverage with a short foot as we twist it to pop out that a guy with a bigger longer foot does. I have an 8 1/2 foot, and never had much trouble, but apparently at around size seven or below the ankle is so close to the center of a LOOK cleat that getting enough leverage is a real issue, a genuine mechanical problem. They were designed for giant guy feet and this could explain some of the trouble y'all are having. Loosening the tension can help, but A reccomends Speedplays or Mt bike pedals, the cleats are so much shorter that the whole leverage issue is lessened or negated. You can put Mt cleats on your road shoes. Klein has started speccing some pretty serious race bikes with Mt pedals, so it's really cutting edge fashion ladies :p . And if it's easier to deal with, it's more fun to ride, right?
There's also a Shimano road pedal that's smaller than a LOOK and Adam said some small footed women liked.
Cool, huh?

I also got a very technical education on the design problems of very small bikes for women, Adam is outfitting a lot of very petite tri girls and has seen the whole deal up close a lot lately. My head is spinning from it!

missliz

Adams shop address is at <www.adamsbicycleworld.com>. Tell him thank you if this helps anybody. he'll be SO tickled. This is one of those unusual shops that love women athletes.

[missliz]

Oh, the other tip from Adam- if you're using LOOKs and red ARC cleats w/ lots of float, they can be adjusted to help. If they're placed wrong, even just a scooch, you have to turn your foot to an almost 75 degree angle to pop out, and that's just not doable. The easy test is to push your heel in towards the bike- if you come out easily you need a cleat adjustment. Cheap 'n easy.:D

missliz

[MightyMitre]

OMG - that's a total revelation MissLiz!!

That would totally explain why I found LOOKS a complete nightmare. My feet are pretty small and I just couldn't muster enough strenght to flick me foot out of the cleet - especially after a long ride. Infact, I had to use so much force I was actually worried about injurying my knee!

Many thanks to Adam for explaining this. It just makes you realise that despite all the advances in kit, smaller frame sizes and smaller handle bars , so much of it is still geared towards the male body.:) :)

[hibiscus09]

Thanks missliz -- you'd think the LBS could figure this one out after selling so many clipless systems! The guys that sold me my Looks couldn't stop going on about wonderful Look was (and it may be for the right size person). When I took mine back, one of the older mechanic guys told me not to worry, I wasn't the first person to say they couldn't get them unclipped. I'm only 5'3.5" and wear a 6.5 to 7 shoe.

I just wonder how many smaller women have been deterred from cycling or a clipless system due to falling out of those things -- I'm a little touched in the head so I just kept getting back on :D -- but I'm sure there are plenty who say no way!

Anyway, tell Adam many thanks! :) I'll send him an email.

[mustangshelly]

I am also new to road biking. Got my new Klein bike about 3 weeks ago, complete with those nasty little pedals :p and cleats. I sat in my yard and practiced, practiced, practiced before heading out on the road. Took about 30 minutes of working myself up into clipping in BOTH feet while on the road, but finally did it. Two days later, I jumped on and never looked back. I am still nervous riding in traffic, but thankfully, where I live, I don't have to deal with much traffic if I don't want to. I have Speedplay pedals, which I think are very easy to get in and out of, especially for a newbie.