Power Grips -vs- Toe Clips (pedal stroke skipping)

I am having problems with my pedal stroke - one leg skips quite strongly when I pick up the cadence. Now, as a beginner, this means that I am going from SLOW to NOT so slow ;)

When my pedal starts "skipping" it feels like it is free-wheeling for at least half of the pedal stroke, and then there is a "catch" as it kicks in again - I hope that is clear

There seems to be three things that could be causing this:

• Leg length (actual or functional)
• One leg significantly stronger than the other
• Use of platform pedals without clips or cleats (I clip in during spinning class)

While I do have a little strength difference between the two legs, my trainer has been hitting the bilateral strength difference in my lower body heavily over the past two months - I don't think the difference is significant any longer. Time will tell if number 1 or 2 is a part of this - and I have a fitting scheduled at my LBS in mid-January.

Someone on this forum suggested in another thread that it is very possibly due to the use of platform pedals without clips or cleats - my body is already accustomed to pulling/pushing through the full stroke and of course one can't do that with just platform pedals. I will talk with my trainer/spinning instructor about this to see what he thinks. Saturday I DID notice the smallest amount of "skipping" on one pedal of the spinning bike...

If the latter should turn out to be the case, I am considering my options. I really do not think that I should be clipping in this early in the learning process. Once I am a little more comfortable with starting/stopping at different speeds, and can signal properly/comfortably, then I will probably make the plunge - but I have to get there.

The problem is that the "skipping" is pronounced enough that my momentum is affected by this - and Saturday it affected both pedals - not just one. I do NOT like the floppy toe clips that came with my bike, and the actual toe cage is so small that I can't figure out how useful it could be anyway.

I've been looking on the internet for other options and found this:

http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/

Would this be a viable alternative to the toe clips until I am comfortable enough to start working with clipless pedals? Of course the underlying cause of my pedal-stroke problem still has to be solved - so I won't be making any purchases right away. I LIKE the idea of clipping in, but I just don't think that it is time for that yet and it may not be until late Spring.

I love my power grips. Totally functional, and I can adjust them to boots in the worst weather. Easy in and out, they're the best.

I think it is kind of a myth that clipless should not be for beginners....

In reality toe clips can be more difficult to use than a pair of double sided clipless pedals that are set fairly loose. For one you always have to flip the pedal over to get your foot in. Most newbies must look at the pedal while attempting this and when you are not looking forward you run the risk of crashing into something (like another rider.... someone doing just this had drifted to the wrong side of a trail around a corner and ended up hitting me head on....) As someone who is accustomed to clipping in from the spin bike, getting in really should not pose a problem for you.

Now then, getting out. If you have decent set of pedals and adjust them properly the act of pulling your foot out should not be physically difficult. Can you forget to, could you panic.... yeah sure, but then again you can forget about being in toe clips or power grips too. Again - you've already used clipless pedals, so the action of unclipping is not foreign to you.

If you do fall..... clipless pedals are made to release. They are like ski bindings. Toe clips, power straps etc don't have this feature.

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Originally Posted by Eden

I think it is kind of a myth that clipless should not be for beginners....

In reality toe clips can be more difficult to use than a pair of double sided clipless pedals that are set fairly loose. . .

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I am with Eden on this.

Clipless pedals are really easy to use. I was scared of them at first (for no reason) but MUCH more scared of toe clips and the like. Clipping in an clipping out will become second nature very fast, and I don't see why you should learn how to ride with one set of pedals and then have to re-learn with clipless!

Love my PowerGrip straps, been using them for years. Never have had a problem getting my feet out quickly.

Um- this 'skipping' thing on your bike pedaling....have you had your cranks checked to make sure they are not loosening up. I had that once and turns out my crank was slowly working itself loose. Could be dangerous, be sure it's checked.

I agree with Lisa ons the cranks. Get it checked. Also, while I think Power Grips would be perfect for you in this situation, it might not hurt to try clipless now. I went from being a new rider to clipping in fairly quickly. However, I was not just learning how to ride.

Ditto everyone else. I agree that while powergrips might be a good solution for you, you don't have to rule out clipless just due to your newness. When I bought my first road bike (first bike since I was a kid), I immediately started with clipless. No platforms for me! I have fallen once in the past 5 years and that was a standing still, slow-motion topple on an incline...that probably would have happend clipped in or not! ;)

That said, I do have a brand new pair of powergrips that I bought and never used....so if you decide you do want to go that route, let me know and I can send them to you, if you'd like.

Could it be that you're spinning in too low of a gear? When I'm going really slow (like riding with my kids) I feel this sometimes unless I shift to a slightly harder gear. I find it's easier to go slow pedaling at a slower cadence than to try to spin fast while going slow... there's little/no resistance during parts of the stroke at super low speeds and it's kind of unnerving.

I hadn't been on a bike in quite a while before I bought mine in May of this year.. and I had clipless pedals by September and wished I had gotten them much sooner. I have yet to fall, but I don't expect that I won't eventually - I think falls can happen, clipped in or not. Since you already know how to clip in and out I wouldn't be afraid to see if that helps you on your bike :)

I want to thank everyone for their helpful comments! I will discuss this with my trainer and see if we can figure out what is going on here - it seems like it could be several things. It doesn't look like the weather is going to be good for riding for awhile, so when I have my fitting session on the 16th, I will make sure he checks the crank.

I think you're not riding in the appropriate gear, or the chain is getting stuck. Check everything, not just the cranks.

Karen

My trainer thinks that I was probably spinning too fast for the gear - and I do admit that the whole shifting thing is a mystery to me - though I do understand how to do it. I just don't know what gear to be in when. This is the first time that the chain has fallen, and it was right after I attempted to shift. Practice makes perfect :)

I do understand what combination of gears to avoid - but it will take practice to learn what gears to use when... This may be at least a part of the problem, or not, time will tell. Thanks again for all of the comments and advice, it is appreciated!

Catrin,

What really helped me with gearing was having a cadence meter. Currently, I have a target cadence when riding of 85rpm. I've noticed when riding if I get into my sorta auto-pilot pedaling mode, I can tell when to shift based on my cadence. When it starts to drop, I need an easier gear, as it goes up I need a harder gear.

I think once you start riding for longer periods, you'll start to discover a feel to both the gearing and your pedal stroke (I'm still struggling with efficient pedal strokes, based on feedback from the trainer in my cycling class).

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

That said, I do have a brand new pair of powergrips that I bought and never used....so if you decide you do want to go that route, let me know and I can send them to you, if you'd like.

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Thanks for the offer - I think that I am just going to go clipless instead - I've become quite accustomed to them in spinning class, so after thinking about this some more I think I want to stick with it. What I think I will do is to keep practicing as I have been, with the platform pedals, until things warm up and I can start practicing more frequently - then I will get the pedals.

I am pouting over all of the slick stuff on the road - I don't want to wait for spring! Hopefully there will be a few warm periods between now and then :D

I'm sorry you missed the oddly warm spot of weather we had.:D I know what you mean on the gears, though. I don't have a cadence meter, I just have what feels right, and if it starts "skipping" at the top of a stroke, then I just click my little lever and everything's good again. I did a lot of that on my ride today.

I sort of want to print this thread out and show it to my BF. He's convinced I should put the toe cages back on, because that's the way he did it, and clearly that's the only way to do it.:rolleyes: I'm going to the LBS before I leave (ie, tomorrow or on the 2nd) and asking about clipless. Then I just need to save up a bit of cash...

I don't ride clips or straps currently. I ride in the city. My feet touch down at stop lights too often, clipping in and out that often would irk the hell outta me. I ride with Chrome shoes. They might be trendy, but they are stiff soled and grippy, with a small reflective stripe on the heel. They fit my needs perfectly. They took their time engineering a comfortable cycling shoe that can function as a regular shoe. I've mentioned these a couple of times, but it's because I like em' gals. Just givin' options.

It is pretty cool to see the types of women we have cycling. Commuting, Racing (incl. Cyclocross), Excercising, Touring - the amazon spirit is alive and well.

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Originally Posted by moderncyclista

I don't ride clips or straps currently. I ride in the city. My feet touch down at stop lights too often, clipping in and out that often would irk the hell outta me. I ride with Chrome shoes. They might be trendy, but they are stiff soled and grippy, with a small reflective stripe on the heel. They fit my needs perfectly. They took their time engineering a comfortable cycling shoe that can function as a regular shoe. I've mentioned these a couple of times, but it's because I like em' gals. Just givin' options.

It is pretty cool to see the types of women we have cycling. Commuting, Racing (incl. Cyclocross), Excercising, Touring - the amazon spirit is alive and well.

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Huh, for the near future, at least, I might have to look into a pair of those or something like it. My feet HURT after yesterday's ride.

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Originally Posted by Owlie

Huh, for the near future, at least, I might have to look into a pair of those or something like it. My feet HURT after yesterday's ride.

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Another option is to go ahead and get a pair of cycling shoes and ride in those until you can get the clipless pedals. I went ahead and purchased the shoes a few months ago for spinning class and there is nothing to prevent you from using them on platform pedals. I need to start doing this myself since my body is getting the whole idea of not falling over on my new steed :)

There do seem to be good multiple options for cycling shoes.

I use half toe clips. I could get out of them really easily from the first time I tried them. No straps and shorter than cages. It's not a problem at stop lights. It took a few weeks to learn to get into the second side easily, but you can even ride with it upside down on the second foot while crossing an intersection at start up and put your foot in when you are in a safer spot. I do get some upstroke pulling with the toe clips. It's probably more with clipless, but I just don't want the falling down during learning curve to happen as I had an ACL repair (knee ligament) a few years ago, and that put me out of commission for a long time.

I use this with a pair of Adidas athletic shoes that close with velcro. I would not recommend using a shoe with laces as they can come undone and get stuck somewhere that they should not. Also, the shoe should not be as bulky as running shoes or Keens.