clipless pedals?

[sookiesue]

I am relatively new to road cycling, and have a two-day, 150 mile charity ride coming up in mid-September. I got a new bike about 3 weeks ago, and now am trying to decide if I should try out clipless pedals at this point or just stick with my flat pedals and gym sneakers and focus more on the training rather than adapting to something new. My husband insists that clipless pedals make a huge difference in preserving your energy because you can use more muscle groups, but the bike salesman (who does a lot of touring riding) told me he went back to regular pedals so he didn't have to deal with lots of different shoes and didn't find it to be a problem.

I just joined this forum and am very appreciative of all the questions and answers I have been reading!

[tangentgirl]

If your ride is in September, you have some time to get used to clipless pedals. They do make a huge difference, since you can power your bike both pushing and pulling.

They are relatively easy to install and remove, so you could always get a set, ride for a week or two, and if you feel like you are not going to be able to adjust in time for your ride, have them removed. You could also get a pedal wrench and remove them yourself - no bike shop trip required.

Good luck!

[westtexas]

I love being clipless. I'm not sure what the LBS guy meant about dealing with lots of different shoes - I've got one pair of shoes I always use with my bike, and you can walk around in them if you have to. I think the benefits of clipless are great and I'll never go back :)

[Owlie]

How do you feel about switching to clipless pedals? Were you riding before you got this new bike? Yes, they do allow you to use your hamstrings as well as your quads and can be really helpful on hills, but I wouldn't say it's the huge difference your husband says it is, or that you'd notice the benefits if you don't have a mileage base to begin with.

If you just got into riding, I would say that you should continue to build up your base and get comfortable with the bike and riding on roads and everything before you add clipless pedals into the mix. If you want a little more grip on the pedals, you can try toe cages or BMX pedals, which have little pins that grab the soles of your shoes.

Edit: I should say that I do ride with clipless pedals (Shimano SPDs) and love them, and I can walk around in the shoes. It did, however, take me nearly a year to make the leap.

[indysteel]

I don't know that there's any one right answer to this. I know plenty of people who waited to try clipless until they were more experienced on their bikes. I know people who don't use clipless at all. And then there are those, like me, who started using them right away. I like using them, personally, and didn't find them that hard to learn how to use. I use Look Keos by the way.

Give it a shot. The worst that happens is that you take them off and try them some other time.

[goldfinch]

I compromised because I do not feel ready for clipless. I got Power Grips. They are very easy to use.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41iB3F4ekNL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[Nick]

I recently started with clipless (Crank Candy 3s) and they did take some getting used to. If you plan to get them for a mid-September ride, I would recommend getting them ASAP and riding with them as much as you possibly can before the long ride. For me, it's not the clipless pedaling that takes some getting used to -- that part is easy (and does seem more efficient). It's the clipping in and out. Personally, I would want to be comfortable with sudden starts and stops -- & handling unexpected jostling if I were planning a group ride.

[Jen12]

I just switched to clipless and I don't think they're all that. I haven't been on any super long rides, so I can't speak from personal experience as to feeling like they're more efficient. If anything, I feel more limited on them because you have to maintain a specific position.

[indysteel]

I just switched to clipless and I don't think they're all that. I haven't been on any super long rides, so I can't speak from personal experience as to feeling like they're more efficient. If anything, I feel more limited on them because you have to maintain a specific position.

To me, that's sort of the point. With a smooth pedal stroke, you don't want your foot moving around a lot. That's not to say that they're everybody, but I like them for sure. I haven't moved over to clipless yet on my mountain bike, and I find it rather distracting to have my feet all over the place. Of course, I don't quite feel ready for clipless from a skill standpoint, but not having fixed feet just feels weird to me after years of riding clipless on my road bike.

[ZenBiker]

I'm another one who was leery at first, worried about being able to clip out when I needed to. It did take me a while to get past that, but now I wouldn't ride without them. It just doesn't feel comfortable to have my feet "loose". For one thing, I tend to fly off a flat pedal because I'm expecting to stay attached through the top of the stroke. Can be quite unnerving when I want to get off to a quick start at an intersection. Anyway, because it may take a while for you to adjust (or just to decide if you do/don't like them) I might wait til after the Sept ride. Or, as some have suggested, be willing to take the pedals off if you aren't comfortable with them. You certainly don't have to use them, for this ride or ever for that matter. But you might love them!

By the way, I use Candies. I know they're not real road bike pedals but they're simple and consistent to use, and give me just enough platform to pedal on if I don't get clipped in right away at an intersection or just want one foot out for a bit in certain situations.

[Sky King]

Not that you need another opinion here :) but I ride the Shimano A530 (http://store.biketouringnews.com/products/Shimano-A530-Clipless-SPD%7B47%7DPlatform-Road-Pedal.html) - clipless on one side, platform on the other. I can clip in or not clip in, wear any shoe I feel like. Love, Love them. I also ride in a mountain bike shoe as opposed to a road shoe - the cleat is set deeper into the shoe so I have no problem walking. I noticed on our Iron Man triple brew pub tour that the ferries have signs posted with no cleated shoes on deck and I didn't have to worry as my cleats don't scratch a floor.

[Eden]

I also ride in a mountain bike shoe as opposed to a road shoe - the cleat is set deeper into the shoe so I have no problem walking. I noticed on our Iron Man triple brew pub tour that the ferries have signs posted with no cleated shoes on deck and I didn't have to worry as my cleats don't scratch a floor.

Technically they (the WA State ferries) want you to take off even your recessed cleat shoes (and it's not just cyclists, no soccer cleats/other sports either) because even recessed cleats can and do scratch floors. I wouldn't allow you to walk around on my wood or tile floors with them....

[Sky King]

Eden, thanks for the info. Now I feel bad about walking on the ferry as just because I know my cleat doesn't hit the floor doesn't mean I could have been setting a bad example. I too have a wooden floor and walk on it with my shoes, my metal cleat doesn't hit the floor. Next trip I will change out my shoes as I strap my merrill sandals on my rear rack so super easy to grab.

[sookiesue]

Thank you all for the input. I appreciate hearing about pros and cons, as well as types of pedals that work for different peoples' needs. I think I'll get some clipless pedals to try out on shorter/recovery rides but not feel too worried about adjusting to them or using them for my 150-mile event.
As Jen and Indysteel discussed, it seems to me that clipless pedals force you, for better or worse, to stay in one position. I tend to move my feet around on the pedal a lot to rest different muscles and to alleviate lower back pain and saddle discomfort. Any other thoughts/experiences about knee/back/saddle comfort related to the fixed location of a clipless pedal?
Thanks so much!

[indysteel]

I would argue that there are more effective ways of dealing with saddle, knee and back discomfort than moving your feet around on your pedals. But then again, I'm not sure any of the fit issues I've had on my bikes would have been alleviated by moving my feet around more. Even if you don't go with clipless pedals, there are benefits to wearing a stiff-soled shoe.

Admittedly, you need to know how to set the cleats up correctly in the first place. Some people swear by float to address knees issues; some people insist that float hurts their knees. If you do go with a no-float cleat (like an SPD), then you really have to get it set up correctly or it will likely give you knee problems.

Have you talked to a fitter about your bike fit in general and/or clipless shoes?

[Caddy]

^I second that. Back and saddle discomfort usually are not caused by pedals, although it's possible if your seat is in the wrong position to begin with. The most common complaint I hear is knee pain, but most people get clipless with high degrees of float and it seems to fix the issue.

Clipless was very awkward to get used to at first, but it took me about one short ride to get the hang of it.

[Rebecca19804]

I second a lot of what's been said here already.

I went through last winter planning to go clipless with my Surly Cross Check in the spring but then had some fit issues to sort out, for one reason or another, put off the whole clipless thing for a while. Then the day that all the various components got swapped out on my bike and it *fit* properly... oh boy, what a difference in that first ride! Suddenly my bike felt like an extension of myself and it just made sense to go clipless to complete that circle. Most natural thing in the world. Yes, I had the famous "clipless moment" on my third day using them. But now I don't want to cycle without them. The slight inconvenience of carrying a pair of shoes to change into at the end of even very short rides is totally worth it, in exchange for the feeling of efficiency and connectedness with my bike that clipless pedals & shoes give me.

I use Speedplay Frogs. They have adjustable float and aren't spring-tensioned. I find I can move my feet around a bit while I ride, even just as a kind of playing around (fidgeting?) with being firmly clipped in or not. On the whole, though, I do "stay put" for longer periods, which according to my physio and my fitter is what I need if I'm to improve and maintain stability through my knees and pelvis.

I'm not 100% convinced about the whole "more power" argument but I do like how being clipped in lets me change which muscle groups I use, which does mean less fatigue... and, yes, probably also scratches that little "fidget itch" that I sometimes get on long rides. :)

[RubyTuesday]

Ok. I am going to ask the question being I am a newbie and you can't hold it against me yet. What is "float"?

I took my first 33 mile ride and found that my legs were tired, by upper back/neck and shoulders were pretty sore and had to stop from time to time to let my lower back relax and stop hurting. Stopping actually did help. I have had my stem raised ( I am older 57 and very flexible, palms on the floor flexible), but I still end up with back pain at the end of a ride. It is my back that stops me from going longer distances, not my legs.

Suggestions?

I am using clipless pedals and after my first fall, I have to say that I do like them. I bought the book "Every Woman's Guide to Cycling" by Selene Yeager. I am reading it and trying to implement her suggestions on proper riding skills. She talks extensively about clipless pedals. If you haven't read the book, I would highly suggest it. She says that if you plan on riding more than ten miles, then you might want to invest and learn how to ride clipless. Great book!

[indysteel]

Float is how much lateral movement you can make with your foot while clipped in without actually clipping out. It's measures in "degrees." As a practical matter, it allows your knee a bit of wiggle room in how it tracks. For some people, this float helps with knee pain. For others, it makes knee pain worse. With no-float pedals, it's very important to get them set up correctly. Of course, I'd argue that it's also important to get pedals with float set up correctly, too, but they arguably offer a wider margin for error.

[indysteel]

As for our back pain issues, Ruby, it might be that your hamstrings are getting tight, either for lack of conditioning and/or because your bike fit is off. Tight hamstrings are notorious for causing low back pain on the bike. Next time you're out riding and your back starts hurting, stop and gently stretch your hamstrings fora a few minutes. If that helps at all, make a point of stretching your hamstrings both on and off the bike.

If strething helps but overall you're still getting tight hamstrings, you might consider tweaking your bike set up, but at that point, I'd recommend seeing a fitter.

[RubyTuesday]

Thank you, indysteel. I get it now. I will stick with my pretty tight pedals for now and experiment later. My knees are the least of my problems right now.

[jessmarimba]

I just wanted to chime in, as far as hamstring stretches. It's really, really easy to cheat most hamstring stretches and use your back instead. If you can lie down and stretch your leg up, you can't cheat with your back so easily.

Also wanted to mention that just because you are flexible doesn't mean that your back is necessarily strong everywhere that it needs to be to support you on the bike. There is one muscle group that I have trouble focusing on because of the fusion in my upper back - and that is where I will be aching after a long ride. The more varied your core strengthening exercises, the better!

[indysteel]

I just wanted to chime in, as far as hamstring stretches. It's really, really easy to cheat most hamstring stretches and use your back instead. If you can lie down and stretch your leg up, you can't cheat with your back so easily.

Also wanted to mention that just because you are flexible doesn't mean that your back is necessarily strong everywhere that it needs to be to support you on the bike. There is one muscle group that I have trouble focusing on because of the fusion in my upper back - and that is where I will be aching after a long ride. The more varied your core strengthening exercises, the better!

Good point. When I'm at home, my favorite stretch is to do just what you suggested. Use a yoga strap, belt or whatever and place it around your foot to get a bit more leverage. Pull your toes toward you as much as you can to stretch the calf, too.

[Caddy]

For upper back pain, I know that when I rode a bike with too long of a top tube, I stretched out further than I should have to so I experienced annoying shoulder and upper back pain about 30 minutes into each ride.

Are you riding with your hands on the top of the handlebars or in the drop position?

[Flyneagle]

I have been reading this forum for a few months now and finally registry to start posting. I am very new to cycling..I bought my first bike in June a 2012 specialized Dolce. I been average right at 20 miles a ride twice a week and short 8 mile rides in between. My question is the right sides of my feet go very numb and I wanted to know if switching to clipless pedals and shoes will help with this....any suggestions would be great! I have learned so much from all the postings.... :)

[Flyneagle]

Hi there! I was had a fitting....and everything feels really good...just when I get about 5 miles in the outer edge of my feet along with the last two toes go numb...it's a little wierd but I can't put my finger on it...I am going to go to the LBS tomorrow and see what they say....I am planning on doing the MS ride next month and so I been considering starting in on new pedals and shoes before the ride and hoping it will help :o

[jusdooit]

Flyneagle.......if you don't go clipless at least get a very stiff sole shoe. It is possible your foot is being allowed to flex in a way that is cutting off circulation to parts that are going numb. Maybe MTB shoes just without the pedals.
And welcome to TE!

[sookiesue]

I love this forum. I asked a question and got so many great suggestions. Thanks so much! I did get a new saddle and used it for the first time on a 65 mile ride - yeah, probably not the best idea - but it turned out to be great! Much of the saddle-area aches were alleviated. I also tried out Hoo Ha Ride Glide and that was a great addition as well. Highly recommend that stuff. A professional fitting is probably a good idea and could help with my low back issues, although they are something I have been dealing with for years and I am actually amazed at how little my back has been troubling me with all the riding I've been doing. Getting back to the clipless pedals, I appreciate all the recommendations and look forward to monkeying around with them more after I get through this event! And I'm going to get the book RubyTuesday mentioned. I love that there's something out there written especially for women. Thank you all again for all the great responses.

[smittykitty]

Isn't this forum the Best? You can learn Everything you every need to know about biking, plus how to choose a Realtor and what breakfast foods to take take on an airplane! Really what does the rest of the world do for info?:confused:

[sookiesue]

I got Speedplay frogs and I love them! So easy to clip in and out, and very comfortable with a lot of float AKA wiggle room for me! People told me things had gotten better, but I had no idea just how much better pedals have gotten since the 1990 Look pedals I used 3 times before chucking the whole thing.

[Caddy]

I'm still using 1991 Look pedals :P Honestly prefer the 0 float and clip-in is very easy.