Thoughts re: clipless after 3 months

I got my shoes and pedals in Feb and then didn't get a whole lot of practice with them for a bit due to health issues and other things, but I'd say I'm finally relatively comfortable with them now. On Monday I discovered what I could do if I absolutely HAD to. We were pulling out of a garage (about 70 of us) and onto the street. I "thought" I had only clipped in on one side. I didn't want to clip in on the right foot until we knew what the traffic was going to do. So, everyone starts to slow down and I've gotten to the point where I'm almost stopped before I unclip. I "think" I'm still unclipped on the right foot so I'm stopped, go to put my right foot down just to discover it's clipped in. The bike starts toppling to the left and I just know I'm going over. By some miracle I manage to get my left foot out and down.

My thoughts on clipless is that over all I really like them. The number one reason is for endurance. I don't find that my speed has significantly increased, but my endurance has since I'm able to use more muscles.

For those of you who want to try, but have been too nervous or those of you new to clipless and are stressed I just want to encourage you to give it a go and to stick with it. You'd be surprised what you can do and what your muscles will remember. I have always had a hard time getting out on the left, which is why I unclip with my right, but when it came to it I managed (at least this time :))

I've been riding clipless for several years and I still have the occassional "failure to unclip" incident in which I topple over like the little old man on the trike on Laugh In. Don't know whether my mind throws itself into a feed back loop and can't decide which side to unclip, or if the foot sometimes sticks in the clip or my subconcious suddenly decides that it is time to attemp a track stand for the first time ever, or whatever. Fortunately my hips are quite padded so it's usually more embarrasement of falling over in front of a bunch of cars or riders and car than resultant injury.

All that notwithstanding, I really believe that the SPDs are responsible for the smoothness and efficiency of my pedal stroke, which translates into more mileage endurance, and strong but not terribly bulky thighs since I am using the muscles in my leg as much to pull up as to push down.

Just saying I love the clips, but I also have double sided pedals which allow me to ride unclipped which is good for crowded group rides, approaching intersections, uncertain road conditions etc.

I should clarify that I don't expect to be as lucky every time as I was Monday, but it did take some of the fear out of me and gave me a bit of confidence. I was all prepared to topple over and was thinking to myself "don't put your hand out to break your fall!" :-)

Oh, and there are many times I'd like to be able to just jump on the bike for a short ride without having to put on the shoes, so I can definitely see the advantage to duel sided pedals.

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Originally Posted by thekarens

Oh, and there are many times I'd like to be able to just jump on the bike for a short ride without having to put on the shoes, so I can definitely see the advantage to duel sided pedals.

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That's where havng a utlilty bike of some sort comes in handy!

I've been lucky in that my clipless topples have been few and far between. Ironically, I didn't fall at all when I first started using them, but I've had a few since then. The last one happened when a piece of wood gut stuck underneath my fender on my touring bike while riding the Katy Trail. That kind of hurt because I fell on crushed limestone with my foot still firmly clipped in.

What kind of pedals are you using, the karens?

I definitely fell when I first got them and I was discouraged for a bit..like a month! :-)

I got the SPD-SLs, so far I'm pretty happy with them. My partner put eggbeaters on her Madone. I'm going to tell her the forum says we need another bike :D

PS......Owie!

"...in which I topple over like the little old man on the trike on Laugh In."

Love the image and that's just how I feel.

I have some variety of the SPD's and I love them. I may have a love-hate relationship with my clips but I wouldn't give them up.

I try to intentionally unclip when I think I'm in a high risk situation--slowed down, no control over the flow of other traffic.

molly: ditto. I ride with double sided pedals so that I can unclip in traffic or ifffy situations and still not worry about the foot slipping.

I've been using my cleats for about a month and love them - especially the noise they make when you clip in and out. I was terrified to try them, but rode around in the shoes first and mentally rehearsed situations when I would need to clip out. Once I had done that for a couple of weeks and not forgotten, then I felt confident enough to use them. One thing: I unclip on my right side but find it impossible to unclip by swinging my heel out - it has to move in, which means at the top of the stroke. I had a hip replacement on that side this time last year so it might be that or maybe a tight iliotibial band? I don't think it's dangerous but can anyone tell me?

Have fallen off clipped in, on a particularly steep climb when I wanted to stop. Thrilled with myself as it felt like a rite of passage - had a soft landing on a grassy verge.

Unless your heel is hitting the bike/wheel/etc I don't see why it would matter.

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Originally Posted by Hatti

I've been using my cleats for about a month and love them - especially the noise they make when you clip in and out. I was terrified to try them, but rode around in the shoes first and mentally rehearsed situations when I would need to clip out. Once I had done that for a couple of weeks and not forgotten, then I felt confident enough to use them. One thing: I unclip on my right side but find it impossible to unclip by swinging my heel out - it has to move in, which means at the top of the stroke. I had a hip replacement on that side this time last year so it might be that or maybe a tight iliotibial band? I don't think it's dangerous but can anyone tell me?

Have fallen off clipped in, on a particularly steep climb when I wanted to stop. Thrilled with myself as it felt like a rite of passage - had a soft landing on a grassy verge.

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I used to clip out inwards, at the top of the stroke, not because of injury but because it was easier and felt more natural. I've been teaching myself to go the other way because I was hitting the tire occasionally and wearing holes through my shoes. But I never hit it hard enough to feel like I could actually be unsafe from the motion -- it was just eating the shoes. Check the inside of that shoe for scuffs or damage, and if there isn't any, I think you're golden.