SPD Encouragement needed

I feel somewhat nervous about putting the double-sided pedals on my bike tomorrow (Shimano - platform/SPD reversable). My fitter is installing them and adjusting things properly.

My trainer suggested that I could just wear my shoes with cleats and start out by clipping in for shorter stretches of straight/flat road as I gradually get used to them, then clip out/switch sides for more challenging bits of road for now until I get more confident. Does this sound a reasonable approach?

I have to admit that I am a little afraid of doing this - but it is absolutely related to my many, many falls in late winter the last time I tried this - and I needed a new helmet before it was over :eek:

I really want to figure this out though - and I keep reminding myself that while I am still in my first year, my skills have certainly advanced since late Feb/early March when I tried it last time :D

Basically I need some encouragement. I know me, and the longer I put this off - the greater the chance that I will never try them again. That would be a shame, because on those rare occasions when I didn't fall over last time, I could see the advantage of being attached to the bike!

I do hope that I can bet comfortable enough with them so I can be clipped in for my brevet in October...

It is kind of funny though - I have no problem at all with pointing my bike on very long routes on roads I do not know - and the idea of new pedals make me nervous...

Yes, you *can* do this. Believe me, Catrin, I am not coordinated and have real spatial issues. There of lots of things about cycling that I still am not great at, but I *can* use clipless pedals and it was not the worst thing I've had to learn.
Your trainer has a good strategy. It's essentially what I did. I rode around flat streets with one foot clipped in, once I knew I could get on and off the bike with the pedals. Then I started clipping the second foot in and out for short periods, until I thought, "OK, this is stupid, just keep the second foot in." I think this phase lasted 2-3 weeks after the initial day my son took me out at 6 AM on a Sunday to learn.
The riding on the grass thing didn't do it for me. I crashed every time and was worried about riding my skinny tires on grass.

Hi Catrin,
You go! And you *can* do this, as Crankin said. I don't know if you have a stationary trainer for you bike, but it helped me when the shop put my bike on a trainer and just let me clip in and out a zillion times before I went out on the road.

I have the SPD platform/SPD pedals on my touring bike. One of the issues I have with them, unlike double sided SPDs or my Speedplay Light Action pedals, is that sometimes I have a hard time getting the right side to clip into. It can be a pain to flip the pedal. But I like being able to use regular shoes on occasion and my guess is that it will be helpful for learning. Please check back with how it goes!

Thanks for the encouragement, I need all that I can get :)

I have been clipping in for spinning class since last October - but it just isn't the same on a moving bike - neither the spinning or trainer can fall over :eek:

However, I am much more confident than I was earlier this year, and if I can manage to get through a couple of rides without falling over or injury (got a small concussion last time) then that will go far to ease any anxiety over the change. I KNOW it will be worth it :)

I'm asking because I will be in a similar situation. I tried clipless pedals about 20 years ago and never got past the creepy feeling I had about wanting to get my feet out fast. Half the time I rode with one foot out, which was dumb because it made my other leg work harder. Having not ridden in at least a decade I decided to buy a bike and try again so I know the pedal issue will come up again. Surely these things work better than what I had 20years ago, but I want to try the best/easiest to start with. The SPD that you described sounds good, but are there others I should consider?

I found someone to give me a lesson. It cost $90.00 but it was money well spent. I had already fallen and it hurt BADLY.
What I really had to learn was to unclip before I applied the brake. That's the main part i needed know. After 100 years of riding a bike, I knew I had to apply the brakes first to stop. that's the whole sequence. But now I had to learn a new thing.
So try just clipping in one foot. and for goodness sake, make sure the things are at their loosest set point. worry about tightening them up later (I like them loose!)
When i was first learning this, i clipped and unclipped constantly.
And in an emergency, if you can't just pull free, they're too tight!
i hope this helps. It took me years to get to the point that i was comfortable with my SPD's

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Originally Posted by Catrin

My trainer suggested that I could just wear my shoes with cleats and start out by clipping in for shorter stretches of straight/flat road as I gradually get used to them, then clip out/switch sides for more challenging bits of road for now until I get more confident. Does this sound a reasonable approach?

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What makes the "challenging bits of road" challenging? Why would you anticipate needing to stop and put your foot down on these roads?

Catrin, when I first started with clipless pedals, I used the dual-sided SPDs that you're planning to use, and I did more or less what you have in mind. I sometimes rode clipped in, others times I didn't or with only one foot clipped in. Before I truly got used to using them religiously, however, I bought my road bike and had Look Keos pedals installed immediately. That's when I truly learned to use clipless pedals--primarily because I had no other choice at that point. :rolleyes: From there, I mostly did what Muirenn did. I went to a parking lot and practiced stopping over and over and over again.

In my own personal experience, it's all well and good to ride down a straight road clipped in, but you're likely only going to get proficient at using clipless pedals if you practice coming to a stop with them. The act of unclipping, slowing down, leaning a bit to unclipped side and putting your unclipped foot down has to become largely automatic, And it only becomes automatic by doing it repeatedly. You also have to practice getting moving and clipped in again with them, which can be almost as hard.

The best place to do this, IMO, is on a road/parking lot/route where you're going to have few other distractions. Always unclip with the same foot and otherwise follow the same routine each and every time. In time, it should become automatic.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

What makes the "challenging bits of road" challenging? Why would you anticipate needing to stop and put your foot down on these roads?

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The idea is to ease me into it more than anything. That is what he has in mind more than anything - just practicing on straight roads and gradually spending more time clipped in - I am trying to get past residual anxiety more than anything else.

You can do it. Good advice here.

One more thing: initiate the lean by turning your handlebars very slightly AWAY from the foot you're putting down. (I.e., if you're used to putting your left foot down, turn your handlebars to the RIGHT after you unclip but before you try to put your foot down.) That'll ensure that your bike leans in the direction of the foot that's loose.

Don't try to change the foot you put down first. You're used to that now, so don't give yourself something else to think about that you don't need to. If you're used to putting your left foot down first, unclip left; and vice versa.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Catrin, when I first started with clipless pedals, I used the dual-sided SPDs that you're planning to use, and I did more or less what you have in mind. I sometimes rode clipped in, others times I didn't or with only one foot clipped in. Before I truly got used to using them religiously, however, I bought my road bike and had Look Keos pedals installed immediately. That's when I truly learned to use clipless pedals--primarily because I had no other choice at that point. :rolleyes: From there, I mostly did what Muirenn did. I went to a parking lot and practiced stopping over and over and over again.

In my own personal experience, it's all well and good to ride down a straight road clipped in, but you're likely only going to get proficient at using clipless pedals if you practice coming to a stop with them. The act of unclipping, slowing down, leaning a bit to unclipped side and putting your unclipped foot down has to become largely automatic, And it only becomes automatic by doing it repeatedly. You also have to practice getting moving and clipped in again with them, which can be almost as hard.

The best place to do this, IMO, is on a road/parking lot/route where you're going to have few other distractions. Always unclip with the same foot and otherwise follow the same routine each and every time. In time, it should become automatic.

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As I remember, it wasn't the getting started that was the problem, until I just got plain gun-shy, but stopping (I had regular SPD pedals at that time - still have them waiting in the wings). I get the pedals installed tomorrow, likely won't clip in for my long ride Saturday, but Sunday afternoon am planning to get out and work with them - both stopping and starting.

I have learned since the last time that I just do not like to start, or stop, with my left foot - so I do both with my right. That knowledge should help this time :) When I get more confident then I will have my regular pedals installed... this is the more expensive approach but I think this will help!

Thanks!

Not everybody does the unclip one foot and lean thing. I don't and I am aware of many other cyclists that don't. So Catrin, do what works best for you. Take the advice in this forum and from your trainer, and figure out what works best for you.

I unclip both feet in advance of the anticipated stop. I have two-bolt SPD pedals, so I wear high end mountain bike shoes or cycling sandals, which means I can pedal on the back end of my shoes and not have pedals that flip over. If I don't have to stop after all, I clip both feet back in quickly and off I go. If I want to approach the intersection slowly, I can pedal very slow or teeter, then clip back in as I cross the intersection. Or I can come to a halt, plant both feet on the ground, and there is no falling over at all. I clip my right foot back in while I am waiting to cross the intersection, then off I go when it is feasible. I unclip one foot and lean when it needs to be an emergency stop.

All I am saying is just because cyclists tell you that you have to unclip one foot and lean, it doesn't mean you have to do it that way. Figure out what works for you, and do it that way.

On a road bike with seat height properly adjusted to protect the rider's knees, neither foot will touch the ground unless they lean. It's hesitation or confusion about which side to lean, that leads to people falling over. I've done it recently, and only ever in that situation.

When I say "lean," it's actually part of one fluid movement of slowing down/stopping and unseating myself while I plant my unclipped foot on the ground.

Here's a video from REI that offers a good visual:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcSF-7oJ1Ac

I use multidirectional release cleats. They seem to hold when I need them and just pop out when I don't.

Oakleaf, it isn't about hesitation in unclipping for some people. There are other reasons, usually physical in nature, such as having a lame foot, or having an artificial joint, or having a balance problem in the ears. Other people wear road shoes that are smooth on the bottom, and have a problem with unclipping just the one foot. It is different for everyone, that is why there is not only one way to unclip and stop. There is the recommended method, which is feasible for many cyclists, but not all cyclists. And as we see more aging cyclists on the event rides, with bunions, neuropathy in the feet, and other ailments, we see more unusual ways on how cyclists clip, unclip, start and stop. The results are the same, no matter the method, and that is start, stop and be clipped in while riding. The method of the start and stop doesn't impact the cardio endurance or the speed.

Obviously, and that's why they make recumbents and bikes like the Townie Electra, but none of those things applies to Catrin. She's on a road bike. If she takes both feet off the pedals, then both her feet are dangling in the air until she leans it to one side or the other. I suppose with a step-through frame it would be possible to hop off the saddle with both feet at once, but that would be very jarring to the knees, and certainly not an option for people with any of the physical problems you describe.

I used to dismount by jumping down with both feet at once :rolleyes: The problem with that method is that if there should be something on the ground that you slip on, then you go down with a bike between your legs with little control - I have the scars to prove it :eek:

At this time I can, barely, touch my tip-toes to the ground when I am in the saddle. It isn't low enough to harm my knees, but it is fractionally too low. I think that being attached to the pedal will help me to start properly - I think that I am afraid of my foot slipping off the pedal so I can't start quite right - it is very close - but not quite "right".

I have had major foot surgery on my left foot, though I do not think that has anything to do with why I both mount, and dismount, with my right foot. I think my right ankle might be just a little more flexible than the left, but it doesn't keep me from anything :D

I appreciate all of the encouragement and it is good to read of different approaches. On my long ride Saturday I am going to pretend that I am clipped in and rotate my foot like I am unclipping as part of my stopping routine.

Sunday I am riding with a friend who hasn't ridden in years and had knee surgery last year - we are riding the flat section only of my favorite park - after she leaves I will switch shoes and commence practicing :D

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Obviously, and that's why they make recumbents and bikes like the Townie Electra, but none of those things applies to Catrin. She's on a road bike. If she takes both feet off the pedals, then both her feet are dangling in the air until she leans it to one side or the other. I suppose with a step-through frame it would be possible to hop off the saddle with both feet at once, but that would be very jarring to the knees, and certainly not an option for people with any of the physical problems you describe.

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Huh? I unclip both feet and my feet are not dangling in the air. What an odd comment. I like to come off my saddle for many reasons, none of which have to do with clipping, unclipping, starting, or stopping; it is a preference and it doesn't impede my ability to bike long distances. Or sometimes both feet are unclipped and I lean and put down only one foot. Or sometimes I unclip only one foot and lean that way, staying on the saddle. People can bike however they like. There is no right way and no wrong way. They figure it out for themselves, however it suits them. There might be a preferred methodology for the majority of cyclists, but it doesn't mean someone has to follow that methodology. All I am doing is pointing out to Catrin is that just because people in this forum suggest that she has to unclip one foot and lean that way, it doesn't mean it is the only possibility for her. Another way might work better for her, and smooth her transition into using clipless pedals, and give her the confidence that she won't fall.

Catrin I was absolutely terror stricken when I first tried clipless and I have rather weak ankles and a great tendency towards klutzyness. I rode around in a loop practicing for ages and finally hit the road. Got to a stop sign at top of a hill and totally froze and couldn't clip out. Made it across the road safely and when I explained this all to my daughter she "duh, you could have just turned right". Simple but true - most situations where you have to stop have an option to turn right and keep going! That little thing got my stress level down and I never again had a problem. I still clip out way ahead of time and either use 1 leg to pedal a bit more or just the back of my shoe. Have had 2 fulls - no big deal - scraped knee and a good story to tell! Both due to real stupidity on my part. You can do it - anyone can if I can and you're a way better rider than me. Love my clipless now!

Most I've ridden in one day on platforms: 85 miles
Most I've ridden in one day on clipless: 54 miles.
Number of bikes I have right now with clipless: 0

I took 'em off. They were fun to learn and master, but honestly I didn't find they enhanced my bicycling joy all that much.

Don't stress about it, Catrin. Seriously. You may find that once you learn them, you discard them just like I did. You may find that you love them more than chocolate. It really doesn't matter.

It. Doesn't. Matter.

Ride your bike. If clipless freak you out, don't force yourself. Get a pedal wrench and learn to use it, change back and forth, and do what you want and when you want. They are not required. They are not a badge of courage. They do not mark you in some mystic way.

They are only pedals.

Ride.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

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Ride your bike. If clipless freak you out, don't force yourself. Get a pedal wrench and learn to use it, change back and forth, and do what you want and when you want. They are not required. They are not a badge of courage. They do not mark you in some mystic way.

They are only pedals.

Ride.

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I am certainly riding :D I know they are not required and are not some mystic badge. What I really want to do is to get past this anxiety I have from my previous experience and evaluate them on their own merit. Perhaps, I will love them more than chocolate, or less than soy milk (which I can't stand), but I want that decision to be based on a real evaluation and not some remaining fear from a failed experiment tried much too early in my development as a cyclist.

For me, fear builds when I avoid something - the quickest way to defuse that is simple. Just. Do. It. Indeed, they are only pedals, and trying out the double-sided SPDs is my way of turning them into just that - pedals.

Murieen, I wish that I could dismount on the left side - but my body just refuses to do that - probably because of that foot surgery - it is either a flexibility problem or some unconscious way of protecting that foot & ankle.

Knotted - you have the greatest signature lines - just wanted to say that :)

I had a rather long post, Catrin, but then we posted at the same ridiculous hour of the morning, and I see why you want to try it! Good luck.

Just want to note that I threw out the clipless pedals too. Just like Knotted. I rode them for 3 years, never had a problem with them, I just prefer to not use them and the special shoes they require. I'm having fun with my bike and I can just hop on and ride around town now whenever I want. I can also hop off and run after any amazing little thing I want to photograph.:D

Here's an interesting thread we had. Lots of different opinions. Like always.

I saw your original post in my email box :)

In the end, I will decide when I walk into the door today whether the experiment will come now or later. I do have BMX pedals - and while my feet do stay on the pedals keep my legs torn up where they wallop me. The pedals are now looking pretty bad - so I will walk out with new pedals today - one way or the other.

The nice thing about the Shimano pedals is that I can use either kind of shoe with them - and I LIKE that - especially if the teeth on the platform side are substantial enough to keep my shoe on the pedal. There is a reason why I have put up with having my right calf torn up all summer from the spikes on the BMX pedals - my feet are quite stable on them - which is a great thing!

Let us know how it goes.

What Knott said, and ALSO, it's okay to put your right foot down first.

So do I. I know we're in the minority. Always have, probably always will. Bicis aren't "meant" to be dismounted one side or the other (unlike motos, which do require the right foot on the rear brake, and even after a 12 year hiatus from bicycling in which I rode tens of thousands of moto miles putting the left foot down, I still unclip right).

People say it's normal to put your non-dominant foot down first, but I'm right-handed and right-footed. What I am, though, is left-eyed (cross-dominant people are also in the minority), and I wonder if that's it. Think I'll post a poll....

Did the SPD thing and I've converted to platforms. I climb big hills better on platforms. I can wear virtually any shoe that I want to. I can change the foot position on the platforms and give different muscle groups a rest which is especially nice on a long ride. My knee is a lot happier too. Platforms help you connect with the die hard, competitive, weight weenie, hammerfest cyclists who secretly admire your courage to challenge convention. :) Give the SPDs a chance and if it doesn't work out, you have a myriad of choices for platforms.

I always put the right foot down first too. I'm right handed, but what I like to call, left footed. I do left cartwheels, left splits and left kicks better. As a dance teacher, I find that there are always a couple of girls, even though they are right handed, do these things better on the left too. Opposite the majority. I also wonder if that is the difference, since we have had this discussion before.

I'm left dominant (hand, leg, eye) and I always put my right foot down first. I always manage my water bottle with my right hand.

My dominant side stays in charge of the bike. I like the bike more than the ground or bottle, I guess! :D

I have mixed dominance, which I am sure plays a large part in my messed up perceptual/spatial skills. Right handed for writing, but do a lot of other stuff with my left. Left footed/eyed. Can't even approach my bike on the right side, like if I have to walk it, I can't do it from the right. It just feels wrong. Can only do the water bottle with my left hand, and even that is shaky. When I go down stairs or hike, I use my left foot first, although with running, I switch between both. Thus, I clip/unclip left, although I swear, I started with the right and switched after I read something, which I can't remember. I can unclip right on my mountain bike, which is more for survival, I think!
In the end, it really doesn't matter. Although I pretty much cannot ride without being clipped in. My feet fly off of the pedals and I find it very hard to get started.
I can't imagine unclipping with both feet every time I had to. I am not sure how I would get off the seat and I imagine myself impaling my nether regions on the saddle! The process of unclipping, slowing, and putting my foot down is so automatic and fluid. I really do not feel like I am leaning the bike, although I must be.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Every woman should have her own pedal wrench and her own vibrator, and know how to use them.

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KnottedYet - LOL!!!
This wins the contest as the best TE Forum quote ever.
Now I have to dry up the keyboard, good thing I was drinking plain water instead of the usual coffee... :D
There should be a rule or something - "Don't drink and read the TE forum"...

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

What Knott said, and ALSO, it's okay to put your right foot down first.

So do I. I know we're in the minority. Always have, probably always will. Bicis aren't "meant" to be dismounted one side or the other (unlike motos, which do require the right foot on the rear brake, and even after a 12 year hiatus from bicycling in which I rode tens of thousands of moto miles putting the left foot down, I still unclip right).

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I'm right footed, and even when I ride a moto, I put my right foot down!! I always brake using my hand and my foot brake, but as I actually come to a stop, I'm shifting with the left foot, and I always have put my right foot on the ground. Guess it's just natural to do the same on the bike :)

I now have new SPD double-sided pedals on Mr. Explorer. My fitter took quite some time to adjust the cleats on my shoes and my pedals. It is SO easy to clip in and out that it is amazing! We both think the spring will likely need tightening once I am more accustomed to using them.

The real surprise was what happened on the trainer. My LBS uses a fork-mounted trainer, and while being on any trainer is far from being on the road, the experience with the pedals was outstanding. The fastest I've ever pedaled on my bike when doing intervals as been 19.8. While on the trainer, clipped in, I actually saw my computer break 30mph - and he had me in the hardest gear! I wasn't working all that hard either - though of course part of that was just how much resistance he had the trainer set for.

It was far too windy to go check out the pedals for real tonight, and tomorrow I will not use my cleated shoes for my long ride. Sunday afternoon, however, here I come.

I am kind of excited now :D :cool: :D

Catrin, I am excited for you. When you are out on the roads with no stops for miles, you will perceive the difference and love your new pedals. You will be able to increase your miles more easily.

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Originally Posted by TxDoc

KnottedYet - LOL!!!
This wins the contest as the best TE Forum quote ever.
Now I have to dry up the keyboard, good thing I was drinking plain water instead of the usual coffee... :D
There should be a rule or something - "Don't drink and read the TE forum"...

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Yep! I love Knot's quote!!!! Rules to live by I say:D:D

I unclip so automatic now that I had to think about which foot I unclip with. It's my right but I also unclip with my left if I need to. I practiced unclipping with both feet at the same time until I could do it well in case I have to hop off in a hurry (like when i'm in a bind on a steep climb). It feels weird riding with flat pedals now but I was anxious when I learned to ride clip less too.

Good luck Catrin! Let us know how it goes.

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Originally Posted by Bike Chick

Yep! I love Knot's quote!!!! Rules to live by I say:D:D

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I agree - she has the BEST TE quote :D

I did not try to clip in this morning as I was trying to focus on miles. Tomorrow I am riding a few flat miles with a friend who hasn't been on a bike for a LONG time - after she leaves the park I will change shoes and try it out. My fitter adjusted the pedals/cleats such that on my dominant foot I couldn't even feel the cleat going in the pedal, and the other foot isn't much tighter. This is going to be fun :D

Today was a little strange riding the platform side. Getting the non-starting foot on the correct pedal side was a little strange, and unsettling a couple of times but it got easier. Just not used to having to pay attention which side of the pedal my foot is on. Quite often I found that the platform was on the bottom, which was a surprise.

Am thinking positive thoughts about tomorrow's trial - I am determined to make this work - I could tell a difference yesterday on the trainer so can't see how there won't be a difference on the bike. Time will tell, first step is to learn how to use them without requiring a new helmet or getting new bruises :)