clipless??

Last year I bought a road bike and soon after had a crash which put it out of commission. Due to being in a small town with only one LBS which didn't work on my brand of bike and money issues I couldn't get it fixed until now(in the shop as I type). But, in November started spinning. I stared out with just tennis shoes but soon broke down and got some shoes and noticed immediately how they improved my technique etc.etc. I did not use clipless pedals the few times I rode my road bike(used the staps pedals) but after spinning I see the advantages of clipless. Here is the thing, the thought of being attached to my bike scares me to death!!!! Any advice as to how I can practice so that I can get over this fear?

TAKE IT SLOW!!!

I haven't fallen over yet *knock on wood* but what I do-

*practice clipping in/out/in/out/in/out until you can do so fairly reliably (i.e. w/o looking) and get a decent feel for the action. You can do this on a trainer, or... the hard way, with your seat lowered, leaning against a wall w/ your shoulder for balance, clipping in/out on the wall side. The latter is sorta dangerous, but if you don't have a trainer, it's my best suggestion. :rolleyes:

Then take it outside to a nice, open place w/ long straightaways and generous bike lanes.
Clip in and out continuously as you ride. Get used to the feel. Also get used to the feeling of unclipping and pedaling for a little bit, just as you slow and stop, without being clipped in.

*Unclip long before you have to. Delay leads to a time crunch which can lead to a panic which can lead to overcorrecting and tipping over.

*Unclip with both feet just in case you tip your weight one way or the other when stopping. Not everyone does this... maybe I'm just 'special'... :rolleyes:

*At first, clip back in once you've gotten good momentum. As you get more experienced, you may want to clip the foot that's still on a pedal at a stop, or leave it clipped in, and just park it with one foot. Do what feels right to you.

Above all, be careful and patient with yourself. Everyone has their own learning curve.
Hope this helps :)
There are other threads on this topic- just go to the 'search' and search for 'clipless' :)

A friend of mine recommends picking the foot that you stop on (i.e. usually put down one foot or the other at lights) and putting the clipless pedal (which you clip into, I assume you know the confusing semantics) on the other pedal only for a few weeks. Get used to clipping in/out on the one leg before adding the second.
Also, go to a big parking lot and ride around in circles doing practice quick stop scenarios.
I love clipless pedals, now that I'm used to them.
I also really like my eggbeaters over my old SPDs, they are easier to get in and out of, IMHO.

Boy, did I need this thread!!! Great suggestions, ladies! I just put the clipless pedals on my bike last night and played around with it in a spare bedroom much like Kitsune06 described and eventually I fell over and gave myself some nasty bruises on my knees. It is a bit scary having my feet locked to the bike. You are truly one with the bike. I am undeterred however. I may have to don some kneepads temporarily though. :D

I went clipless last year and LOVE it. But I can relate. When I took my bike in to have them put on I was terrified and had nightmares that I would hate riding and not go anymore (didn't occur to me I could just put my old pedals back on) :rolleyes:

I went on my trainer to practice then I hauled my bike to the park and as they said just went round and round and round clipping in and clipping out.
The next day I did a 48 mile ride :P

One thing that helped me; was on my long "real" ride the guys I was riding w/ would remind me to clip out as we approached different things.

A riding partner just went clipless and I do this w/ her too now (ex we were riding across a narrower bridge in the park and some little kids were coming towards us. I reminded her to clip one foot out and pedal w/ the other in case the kids did something unexpected and we had to stop quickly.)

EVERYONE I have seen fall has done so at 1mph or less. It is more of a "tommy tip over" than any semblance of a crash. Now I figure, if I am going to crash big time, it would happen whether I am clipped in or not. In fact I had more falls BEFORE I was clipped in then I have had since being clipped in. Go figure

Good luck and go for it - you will love them :D

I've only been clipless a couple of weeks and I've tipped over a few times now :(

But, that being said, I think tipping over a time or two is actually a good thing. I am much LESS afraid of being clipped in now that I've fallen over. I think the anticipation of your first fall turns out to be worse than the actual fall. And for some strange reason, I'm kind of proud of my bruised up legs!

I had a near crash before I went clipless because my feet flew off the pedals. I can't believe I was able to regain my balance. That would've been a bad crash because I was going pretty fast. But being clipped in makes me feel more confident in my bike's handling. And I can feel a real difference in my pedal stroke too.

I've read this in several posts from lots of different people, but I'm going to say it again: If I can do it, ANYONE can! :)

p.s. I just can't say enough about my Crankbrothers Quattros. I would give them a big thumbs-up for great clipless pedals to learn on. Because of the way the cleats are recessed on the sole of your shoe, you can pedal very easily even if you're not clipped in. I'm finding this very helpful in potentially scary situations where I do not feel comfortable clipped in with both feet. I'm still training my left foot to clip in more easily, but other than that, I just love 'em!

I recently got a pair of Forte Campus pedals, clipless on one side, platform on the other. They are so easy to release. Love 'em

Very first time I went for a ride with my new pedals, everything went great. Got home, drove up the driveway, stopped, forgeting that I was clipped in, CRASH... on my side and with a BIG bruise on my right hip. I laugh at it now, but one thing that helps is I went back to my LBS and asked them to loosen the tension so I could get out of them easily. Made a HUGE difference. I just give a quick push and my shoes unclip easily. Now, I make sure I unclip long before I have to stop. Just practice, you'll get the hang of it..

I second the recommendation to loosen the tension and to unclip before you actually have to stop. My first ride with my Keo's was a little scary because I hadn't backed the tension off enough and had a heck of a time getting unclipped. Can you say panic? I only unclip with one foot--always my left-- however, when I stop.

Notwithstanding that scare, I promise you that with some practice, using the pedals will become second nature to you. I had a proud moment last week that speaks to just that. I was on a group recovery ride when a wasp/bee/hornet flew into my helmet and stung me. Realizing what was happening, I calmly pulled aside from the group, stopped and remembered to unclip as usual before ripping the helmet off my head and freeing whatever horrible little creature was stinging me.

Once you get used to them, you'll wonder why anyone rides without them. They are so helpful in getting a smooth pedal stroke and in climbing. One other thing that I found really helpful. After I bought my bike, I took it to a professional fitter to dial in my fit. Cleat posititioning was included in the price. It was well worth the money.....

another thing for those of you who are just starting. remember you don't HAVE to clip in.
That little piece of information gave me enough confidence to actually try it.

Now it's been about 2 months clipless for me. I only have fallen once (welll, since the first 5 minutes) and that was on a steep hill and i threw myself bike and all on a grassy curb (NO PAIN AT ALL!)

What i have noticed is that I don't look at my feet anymore, so that's safer.
I am still concerned about getting my feet out in time, but so far so good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zencentury

I recently got a pair of Forte Campus pedals, clipless on one side, platform on the other. They are so easy to release. Love 'em

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I bought a pair of those as well as the Crank Brothers Candy C to see which I like better. I'm glad to hear they are so easy to release. I haven't yet tried them out but we shall see.

Thank you all for the great suggestions. I should have my bike next week and am looking forward to getting out there and trying out ya'lls suggestions. Will let ya'll know how it goes. One of my favorite quotes is "If you keep doing what you are doing then you will keep getting what you getting" So, time to change what I am doing even if it is scary!!

One more suggestion that helps me (I got it from this board!) is to turn the wheel the opposite direction of your unclipping foot - this will make the bike lean toward that foot. So I always unclip my right, and turn the wheel a bit to the left as I stop.

Knock on wood, I have not fallen yet (give it time, I'm new and I know it will happen), but the closest I have come was when I did not turn the wheel, and the bike started to lean to the left and of course that foot was still clipped in! Thankfully, because my tension is set so low, I was able to yank my foot out in time!

Trish

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trayc

Last year I bought a road bike and soon after had a crash which put it out of commission. Due to being in a small town with only one LBS which didn't work on my brand of bike and money issues I couldn't get it fixed until now(in the shop as I type). But, in November started spinning. I stared out with just tennis shoes but soon broke down and got some shoes and noticed immediately how they improved my technique etc.etc. I did not use clipless pedals the few times I rode my road bike(used the staps pedals) but after spinning I see the advantages of clipless. Here is the thing, the thought of being attached to my bike scares me to death!!!! Any advice as to how I can practice so that I can get over this fear?

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what's so bad about falling? :eek:

:p

what's so bad about falling? It HURTS! and when you get to be in your 50's
falling takes on a different meaning. It can break bones if you have osteopenia,
which a lot of us have.
And if your head hits the pavement, you need a new helmet!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by equus123

what's so bad about falling? :eek:

:p

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And even if you aren't injured from a fall, your bike might be. The paint job on my seat stay has a nice long "scar" from my one and only fall.

My handlebars are all bent up from my falls, but strangely enough, I actually like them better bent inwards! At first it was just the left side, but then I tipped over to the right and that one got bent too. Then bend angles don't match though, so it looks ridiculous. Once I'm done with this tipping over stage, I will get them fixed.

I've found a new appreciation for my rather well padded hips and butt...they are great cushions when you tip over. And my calves look kinda cool all decorated up with assorted bruises. I'm sure I would be feeling differently about tipping over had I really hurt myself.

I just got back from a ride...dropped my chain twice and was able to get unclipped both times. Also got chased by a dog for the first time and unclipped one foot so I could kick at him if necessary. Clipping in was also easier today. Practice makes perfect, right?

Off the subject a little, but I now carry a pair of latex gloves in my seat bag so that when I drop my chain and have to put it back on, I don't get grease all over my hands. I haven't figured out how to pedal it back on yet, so I just grab it and pull it back onto the chain ring. The rubber gloves work great!

I practiced in a church parking lot until I was comfortable with the clipless variety of pedal.

Also, I bought the Speedplay X/2 pedal, which is very easy to click in and out of.

The clipping in thing used to freak me out, too. Still does a little. But I was lucky that I got to practice on the back of a tandem. I clipped in at the beginning of a ride and didn't clip out unless I was getting off the bike. My husband unclips when we stop at signals, etc. He always takes the right one out and the bike leans to the right while I stay snuggly clipped in.

For a long time I would clip in both feet before we even started the ride. But lately, we clip in the right foot together as we get started. It's easier for him.

I'm awaiting my new Cannondale single to come in, which I'll be clipping into and out of ALL BY MYSELF!!! I've ridden my husband's single around the neighborhood a few times, practicing clipping in and out. I almost feel like a pro! I'm so excited! :D