Ok, now remind me why I should go clipless?

[uforgot]

Did only the right one tonight. Propped my bike next to the couch, and practiced. Went outside, the first run was good, turned my bike around and down I went!!! Just didn't get out fast enough and I only have it on one foot! Tell me it will get better... Here's a question also. I find it easier to turn my heel IN instead of out. I've been dancing since I was 8 and my toes naturally turn out. I can't even snow ski because I can't get my toes to turn in like they need to. Anyone else unclip like this or do I need to prop up on the couch again and try to get it going out?

Gee, the fall on top of my yearly physical, if you know what I mean. What a day!

[RoadRaven]

Well... keep on trying, UForgot... try on soft surfaces like grass/lawn... practice is the only way...

You'll find the best way to twist your foot out - I don't do it "text-book" either but it works for me...

Remember when you twist you unclip, turn the wheel away from the foot that will end up on the ground first...

[uforgot]

Thanks for the encouragement! I should have stuck to the grass, but was feeling like I had it...and I DIDN'T! lol I was laying on the road thinking "I can't believe people really do this", and was ready to take the pedals off. (Of course those thoughts came right after "Gee, I hope no one saw me") I'll remember about turning the wheel. That makes sense. Guess I'm just smarting from my first fall from a bike ever, on asphalt no less. I can do this, I can do this...

[Joy]

An indoor trainer helps a lot with the learning the clipless pedals. But they are boring for indoor rides.

[CyclaSutra]

Remind me why I should go clipless?

Because you'll be saving so much energy! By pulling up instead of just pushing down, you'll

• Have a more efficient pedal stroke
• Develop stronger hamstring muscles
• Save your knees. If you go down unexpectedly at a high speed, you won't plant a foot and blow out a knee like I did without clipless...
• Look cooler

AND the main reason people blow out ACL ligaments is that they have a strength imbalance, with stronger quads than hamstrings. The hamstrings "protect" your ACL by opposing the force of your quadriceps. By using clipless pedals and pulling up each stroke, you'll be strengthening important muscles and your legs will be smokin'!

(Says Johanna whose hammies are not yet smokin', but she's working on it):D

[DebW]

I'm another one whose feet naturally turn out. When I used Look pedals years back, I always unclipped by turning my heel in with the pedal at the top. It worked for me, but is probably not recommended. When I switched to Speedplays, I had no choice but to turn my heels out to unclip. I can barely turn far enough to unclip (add my 20 degrees of natural toe-out to the 35 degrees required by the pedal). But I manage and haven't fallen over with them yet. After you do it enough, it becomes automatic. Anticipate your stops and unclip a few seconds early.

[btchance]

Did only the right one tonight. Propped my bike next to the couch, and practiced. Went outside, the first run was good, turned my bike around and down I went!!! Just didn't get out fast enough and I only have it on one foot! Tell me it will get better... Here's a question also. I find it easier to turn my heel IN instead of out. I've been dancing since I was 8 and my toes naturally turn out. I can't even snow ski because I can't get my toes to turn in like they need to. Anyone else unclip like this or do I need to prop up on the couch again and try to get it going out?

Gee, the fall on top of my yearly physical, if you know what I mean. What a day!

Im also a former dancer and have a hard time turning my toes in and heel out. (I have to fight to keep my knees straight ahead when pedaling) I have on occasion clipped out by turning my toes out (only on the trail in desperate situations) but for the rest of the time I do twist my heels outwards like "normal" and haven't had any problems, but my pedals are adjusted so loosely it's very easy to get out of them. Anways, I always think about turning my whole leg in from the hip in a short and sweet movement, which we occasionally did in dance. I don't know if this makes any sense, but I hope it does. Don't give up, once you get the hang of it (says the person who's currently rubbing the sore place on her leg from falling two days ago :rolleyes: ) it is well worth it.

[uforgot]

Well, I got up today ready to start again. I can't believe I climbed back on, (but man am I sore!) and am finally getting the hang of it! There is another issue I'd like to know if anyone else has...I'm very claustrophobic, so its really bothering me being "clipped" in. Will this go away? Is it common? Thanks for letting me ask my crazy questions. I live in the middle of nowhere and have no one else to ask!

[Fuji Girl]

Keep at it! You won't regret it in the end.

What kind of pedals and cleats do you have? I have SPDs and they have different kinds of cleats. The ones that comes with the pedals are SH-51 and are uni-directional release (ie, you HAVE to turn your heel out to release), but I bought SH-56 cleats which are multi-directional (can release by turning your heel in OR out). The SH-56 cleats are gold, not black or silver. You can get them at Performance or online.

[uforgot]

I'm going to look into those. Should take care of the "trapped" issues.

[Quillfred]

Wow CyclaSutra

Thanks for this information. I have longed for info to help preserve my ACLs.

AND the main reason people blow out ACL ligaments is that they have a strength imbalance, with stronger quads than hamstrings. The hamstrings "protect" your ACL by opposing the force of your quadriceps. By using clipless pedals and pulling up each stroke, you'll be strengthening important muscles and your legs will be smokin'!

Uforgot,

Don't despair. I have a silly not-so-distant memory of myself getting stuck in my overly tight SPDs which resulting in a slo-mo spill. The ride resulting in a walk up to my house in socks with the shoe stuck on the cleat. I had installed the cleats (incorrectly) myself.

(Says Johanna whose hammies are not yet smokin', but she's working on it):D[/QUOTE]

[Fuji Girl]

So these are the multi-directional cleats that I was talking about (I have M540 double-sided SPD pedals and use these):

http://bike.shimano.com/catalog/cycle/products/component.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441770795&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302040279&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181419&bmUID=1142712153554

[happy~biker]

I can relate...I am just starting to ride with these clip on pedals too for my first time AND live in the middle of nowhere.

What I was told that really gave me comfort was that if you are going to fall...the cleats will slide out which ever direction you are leaning. However...I'm not positive that works, as I have been VERY careful. I give mine just a little twist and I pop right out of them. I have a harder time getting them on! But...it is getting easier and it definetly makes me pay more attention while I am riding.

Good luck!
:D

[uforgot]

Well, I couldn't stay away from them yesterday. Went downtown, (well, a hooterville kind of downtown where I have to wave at every car or they get mad), so there are no intersection issues, and when I finally relaxed, :cool: I realized that my effort was going into making leg circles, not pushing down. A weird feeling at first, but it makes a difference. I'm thinking that these are a go... can't wait until my students see these little pedals on my bike. (I commute to school) I'm already the weird bike lady around here...:)

[uforgot]

With clipless pedals, you have to push with the balls of your feet, and I felt like I had to put my saddle higher. Is this normal?

[Fuji Girl]

It's normal to have to adjust your saddle a little bit when you first go clipless, but make sure that your feet are as parallel to the ground as possible, and that when your leg is fully extended your knee is just slightly bent. I see a lot of people peddling with their ankles (extending their ankles at the bottom of the stroke) or with their hips (swaying from side to side with each stroke because their seat is too high).

*edited because I forgot to type in vital info*

[uforgot]

fujigirl,

Thanks so much for the tips. Next time I climb on, I'm going to watch my leg action. I didn't know to keep my foot parallel, and I'm probably the only person in a 25 mile radius that doesn't ride a Wal Mart bike, so your input is invaluable to me!

[Fuji Girl]

No problem! If you have any questions at all, ask! That's the only way you'll learn, right? This forum is a great resource; you can ask anything you want without feeling stupid.

A few other tips: turn down the tension on your pedals. There's a little hole on both sides of your pedal, and stick a little hex wrench in there and turn one way or another to increase/decrease the tension. The lower the tension, the easier to unclip. The instructions that came with your pedals should show you how to do this.

Also, when you're approaching a stop sign or something, unclip one shoe first, before you get to the sign. It's a little insurance that you'll have at least one foot free. When you're slowing down and about to stop, turn AWAY just slightly from the unclipped foot. For example, if your right foot is unclipped and ready to be put on the ground, turn the front wheel to the left ever so slightly. That way, you'll lean to the right a little, towards your free foot. Practice this a little on a quiet street. Before I figured this out, it was a crap shoot which side I'd fall on, and it always gave me so much anxiety.

[allabouteva]

Hey uforgot

Yep, I agree with fujigirl re the tension on the pedals. Have the clips on the easiest and loosiest setting. That makes a huge psychological difference in that you'll know it's a lot easier to get out of them. Then when you get better and more confident you can tighten them up, because if the tension is too loose, you might accidently unclip when you're cycling, and that can be a little disconcerting.

But for me, I always lean my bike on the side of my unclipped foot, it's closer to the ground then for the unclipped foot to rest on. (opposite to fujigirl!) But do what works. And I always unclip my left foot, I think it's because in Australia where I live, you drive on the left hand side of the road, and when there's a stop sign or red light, I always like to go right up to the kerb and rest my foot on the little ledge thing that sticks up so that I can keep my bike upright.

And don't worry about falling. EVERYONE does that. It just takes time to adjust, so don't be too hard on yourself. :rolleyes:

[Jen]

It has a hard learning curve. Ouch!!! What I did was loosen the screw that holds the tension on the clip so my shoe came out easier. Good idea but I loosened it too much so now I will have to play with it till I get it right. There is a screw on the side of the pedal that controls the tension.

[liksani]

somewhat off topic, but I managed to fall off my bike not even with clipless pedals but toe clips. :rolleyes: Was standing, had a foot still in toe clip, forgot I had toe clip, and slowly I fell over with everyone watching. It was err... a great experience... :p

[allabouteva]

somewhat off topic, but I managed to fall off my bike not even with clipless pedals but toe clips. :rolleyes: Was standing, had a foot still in toe clip, forgot I had toe clip, and slowly I fell over with everyone watching. It was err... a great experience... :p

Yep! Been there too liksani!!!:o :o

My DH doesn't understand my lack of planning!! I blame it on being a newbie, who didn't really master the art of bicycling when a kid!:p

[MelC]

I'm new to the forum but had to chime in on this thread... I remember the learning curve well. My first (and so far only) tumble due to clipless was also a slo mo - I had just got the pedals (and the bike) and was out for my first long ride. I was slowly navigating around some cow gates on a bridge and failed to remember that there was a steep uphill right after the gates. I didn't have enough momentum to get up the hill and I could feel the bike getting slower and slower and mentally resigning myself to the fact that I was going to go over. Fortunately I mostly hit the grass and suffered little more than a scraped knee and a persistent and annoying chirp on my bike.

The only thing that will make the pedals easier and alleviate that trapped feeling is practice, practice, practice. I solved the issue by sticking SPDs on my commuter too so I had no choice but to use them all the time and since I commute on my bike in an urban environment I did a lot of stopping and starting. At first I unclipped ages before the corner and coasted in but eventually my confidence increased and I now unclip only when necessary.

Just bought my first mountain bike so I expect the learning curve is going to start all over again now :)

Mel

[betagirl]

I definitely agree with what everyone has said. The difference between clips/clipless is huge. You may even notice that you're working different muscles (aka they'll be sore) in the beginning.

I agree with Fujigirl about unclipping as you approach somewhere you're most likely going to have to stop. I unclip and rest my foot on top of the pedal and coast up to stops. That way I don't slow down too much and then have to try to clip out before I tip over. It's getting down the quick stop/clip out that takes a bit of time. You'll get it eventually. It'll become like a reflex for you. Just keep practicing. ;)

[uforgot]

Well, its been several days, and you guys are right. Thanks to Fuji Girl, I checked that my feet were parallel, and adjusted my seat accordingly, and now its not a problem. I had already loosened the tension per the Shimano directions, and now I'm comfortable with them. I'm a clipless convert! :D