Going back to unclipped (cages) from clips

Hi everyone thanks again for all the great feedback.

An update:

I got my old mountain bike serviced this weekend. It has cages. I hadn't ridden it in ages because it needed a tuneup/new tubes.

I took it out tonight. I paid attention to my dismount. Oddly enough - I only dismount naturally on the right side anyway. I thought I was "forcing" myself to do the right side because it felt odd but no, that's the side I favor. This is, again, the cages not clipless tonight.

Dismounting on the left side felt very ungainly although I wonder now if it's because of 6-8 rides with the clipless/dismounting on the right only. Probably not because I rode that thing for years before, I can't believe I'd unlearn something in a handful of rides.

What is different is how I am approaching the stop though. I have my left foot down, right foot up.... I am coasting with the left foot down... then in one smooth motion the right foot moves forward a little, comes out, and then down. This is opposite of what I do now which is the right foot has to be down for me to unclip.

Interesting...

I rode with SPDs on my road bike for 1 season and decided to go back to platforms. Maybe frogs would have been better for me, or some other system, but it was SPDs I tried and they didn't work for me so I decided I wanted to ride free.

For me, clipless is really dangerous. I had one fall that was extremly painful, leaving me with a humongous bruise on my hip and limping for days. Plus I just do not like the idea of being attached to the bike if something were to happen.

I prefer riding free because I want to be able to move my feet around. I want to select my shoes on a whim. I can wear running shoes to ride to the track for a run... or my sandles to ride to the pool for a swim.

When I switched back to platforms, my speed & calorie burn didn't change, so I figure it wasn't worth the risk anyway.

On my commuter bike, I've got toe clips with no straps. I've never done clipless - one more thing to forget... the cost...
Another option would be to get on a trainer and practice the getting on and off routine 'til it becomes motor memory.
On my go-faster bike I've got clips and straps adn they work fine for me.
If you go back to cages, you can always change your mind.

Clipless, IMHO, is completely not worth it on a commute/errand bike or if you ride in urban areas. There's not enough open road to get the benefits of clipless, but you get all the hassles of having to clip in and out, and you have to do it more often. Plus the shoe thing. I use SPDs, so I can walk around just fine, but it would necessitate bringing a second pair of shoes.

I'd put clipless on a fun-only road bike in a heartbeat, but probably just BMX pedals on an errand bike. I should add, though, that I went straight from platforms to clipless. The movement necessary to get out of cages is not exactly intuitive for me, and would probably have been more dangerous.

I agree there's no real need for clipless for most commuter/errand bikes (though there are some folks with long enough commutes to be an exception!). I chose to be clipless on both my road and commuter bike just because I want clipping out to be pure reflex. I don't want my brain to have to jump through the "which bike am I on?" hoop before reacting in a tight spot. Others may have more nimble minds. :D Plus having gotten comfortable with clipless, I do prefer them to platforms now even on short trips. But preferring and needing are two different things, and no one needs to feel like they have to use clipless.

I use platforms with half toe clips (no strap). They are easy to get into and feel like there is nothing obstructing getting out. I have never fallen because I could not get out, so I don't have any anxiety. I also tore my ACL skiing some years ago, and don't want to risk re-injury.

First, I used plain athletic shoes, but people in the club kept telling me about how much more power you have with a stiff sole. So, I bought a pair of cycling shoes at a PI outlet store and use them with the half toe clips, but no cleat. It is also easier to walk in them. The mountain bike soles are a little too thick to fit well in the half toe clips. Anyway, that worked even better then the athletic shoes. So, that's my recommendation.

I use platforms with these mini-toe clips by zefal:

http://www.zefal.com/zefal/produit.php?key=45

They cost around 8 dollars.

I have never fallen with these, and I can wear my regular shoes.

Ciao

It's a personal preference. If you don't feel safe, don't wear them. I, however, would not feel safe with cages. And it's also dangerous to others when someone that has clips is riding them and keeps clipping out way too early in a panic. They slow the group down behind them and things can get sketchy.

On my road/racing bike I have SpeedPlay Light Action that I wear with carbon sole SIDI shoes. Do they make me faster? Well, I used to have SPD pedals and mtn bike shoes and I can say that they are more efficient. I go faster with less energy loss and foot fatigue with a pedal/shoe designed for racing.

I just put Speedplay Drilliums (SUPER BIG platforms with spikes!) on my Bike Friday. I use this bike for tooling around town and running errands. The wide platform doesn't lose as much energy and my feet don't hurt as much. I can wear any shoe type and be ok.

I do have Light Actions for that bike too. And for longer rides I prefer them. Do I feel safer in them? I do yes. But I like to be able to react quickly to something - bunny hopping clipped in is easier for me - and I just don't have to work as hard in clips. My pedal stroke is more efficient because I can pull up as well as push down.

I developed this preference as my ability and confidence grew. So do what you like and what you feel safe in. You can always change later.

Denise

Very much a personal choice. We each have to find our comfort zone. My first serous road bike back around '79 (a Raleigh) came with Campy Victory pedals with toe clips and leather straps. Hated them but slogged through learning how to flip the pedals over and get my feet in, tighten straps, loosen straps, pull out foot... UUUGGGGHHHH.

When I heard there were pedals that held your foot without cages in the 80s it was like a GOD-RAY had shined down from the heavens and struck my head! No more cages... So I bought the original LOOK pedals. That started me on the road to finding the best clipless pedals for me and when I found Speedplay in the late 90s I had found them. Still ride with X-1s. I can't imagine ever wanting the hell of cages again ever, straps or no.

When I bought my first MTB in '96 I put the first SPD XTR pedals on them and rode clipless from the first ride.

My utter hatred of cages, flipping the pedals over and those straps forced me to make clipless work at all costs. Yes I fell over, and yes I dusted myself off and kept going. Now it's second nature. I even use CB Candys on my commuter-it's a non issue to clip out and in at every light and stop.

So everyone has to find their comfortable spot- clips, rattrap pedals, SPDs, whaever. There are trade-offs with all. It's not about image, looking dorky or whatever if clipless is not for you, it's about being confident, comfortable and safe on the bike.

Just an update:

It was toodamnhot to ride outside last weekend so I spent some time at the gym. Not "enough" but better than doing nothing.

Yesterday I did a spinning class and yoga. I'm definitely adding the yoga to my weekly rotation!

Anyway:

I took my bike in y'day to get the speedplays off and the cages back on. As mentioned, I DO NOT tighten the straps. I also bought new shoes. Specialized Tahoe. I could actually WALK in these things if I wanted to, wow.

This morning I rode 30 miles with them. So glad I took the clipless off. Much more comfortable/the anxiety is gone.

I should mention I do get some benefit from the cage. I didn't realize this before, but I'm not merely mashing the pedals. A few times I took off with the cages down (to get going before flipping them) and I felt like my feet were going to come off the pedal. I'm definitely using the upper part of the cage to help me lift and not just mash.

Did you get a pedal wrench?

Seriously, buy a pedal wrench with a long handle. Then you can change pedals at your whim. It's quite easy to do!

Every woman should have her own pedal wrench and know how to use it.

Hi Skywalkerbeth. I've been reading this thread hoping you would update. My first and only cycling shoes were bought a few months ago and they're the Tahoes in grey/crimson and I Love them. I wear them even when I'm not riding.
So what color did you get? I concur with Knotted to get a pedal wrench (long handled). I bought one along with some Phil Wood grease and changed my own pedals! It's a simple task, however it made me feel "accomplished". Have fun with your new shoes & pedals.

Honestly, I am happy to hear that I was not the only one that is a bit leery about clipless pedals. I am using Shimano 105's right now and they are working pretty well. I think I want to loosen the release a bit because mine are cranked down pretty tight. I don't think I need them that tight right now.

I have taken my first fall. It was a stupid coming to a stop, take out one foot and try to put the other foot down fall. Bruised hip and elbow abrasion. The bruise is gone and the abrasion is just a scar now, but the mental scar is still a bit raw. My fall was a newbie fall in the first five minutes of clips. I haven't done it again, but I anticipate that I will forget at some point.

Right now (and I don't care how new I sound at this), my husband and I yell out "clips" when we are making a stop. Most of the time we have remembered, but I see the day when you finally feel comfortable and you need a lesson in humility.

I think the clipless do help me with my riding on the many hills we have around our house. They still make me nervous. Does that every go away?

I came across this article, 'The Shoes Ruse', some weeks back: http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse I thought I'd share it. See what you think. I haven't decided what to make of it. I understand that the Rivendell Bicycle Works is quite well known in the States but may be wrong.

Personally, I like my clipless pedals and feel that they make a difference. I live on a longish, biggish hill and bike through London traffic every weekday. It's obvious that we should all do what we're comfortable with and be as safe as possible. I'd ditch them in a heartbeat if I wasn't completely happy.

That's the article that got me thinking about switching to platforms. It made total sense to me. Like tzvia said in her post, it's all about what you're comfortable with and what works for you.