Well THAT didn't go well (clipless pedals)

Oy.

We won't talk about the number of scrapes, scratches, and various other abrasions and sore muscles I now have.

I went back to spin for the first time since getting my bike last Friday, and I forgot how comfortable my spd shoes were. So I thought I was ready to tackle the clipless pedals.

Not.

(And where did I get that crazy idea that comfortable = ready for clipless anyway???)

The tension on the pedals is adjusted to the loosest point possible (SPD pedals). I am obviously just not ready. I need to get to the point where I'm hopping out of the saddle on stops appropriately, and leaning as I need to after that. I was hopping out of the saddle okay (not great, but okay), but I wasn't leaning away from the clipped in side too well. I'd forget about the clipped in side and go tumbling.

Now I just have to figure out how to switch out the pedals, with the appropriate tension (there was a recommended torque for the spd pedals).

That, and go back and smack the guy at the LBS (not the one who put the pedals on) who said that most people wondered what all the worry was for wrt clipless pedals.

No reason for this post other than to vent. Perhaps I'll be in a better mood in the morning.

Sorry. At least you have yours on your bike. I have mine in a box and I even have the cutest pair of shoes. I chickened out with the torn tendon at my 5th metatarsel. I'll never get out of the clips and I have psyched myself out.

Alternatively clip BOTH feet out before stopping. Put feet down. Reclip one foot before restarting. Then you can get used to clipping and unclipping. Then start only unclipping one foot after you have got the hang of things.

I made the mistake of trying to clip in before my muscle memory had really incorporated starting/stopping/etc. I failed the first time I tried which was about 2.5 months after starting riding. I tried again after 10 months of riding and I've not looked back. IMO it is vital that your muscle memory be comfortable with riding before adding clipless pedals on top of it.

Oh boy...i really didnt need to stumble across this thread. Im so nervous to try my new spd clipless shoes/pedals. Haha. Im nervous about spills from forgetting to clip out and spills at intersections from not being able to clip in when that light turns green!I got the shimano a530 which has 1 wide flat side in case i cant clip in quickly but hearing others' experiences....i dont know. Anyone have any inspiring success stories? :p

Yes, I had no falls. Although this was a long time ago, I rode around for 3 weeks, with just one foot clipped in, practicing, until I felt silly and my second foot just clipped in, because it felt dumb not to.
I can't imagine unclipping both feet first. As Catrin said, get your muscle memory for stopping, getting off the saddle down.

I am not sure if my story is inspiring or not- but I switched to clipless successfully at age 50 after only getting into mountain biking for a year. (So I have been using them for a year, riding about two years now....) I practiced on a grass field a few times and now I love clipless- would never switch back. I put spds on my road bike too. Good Luck and think positive (:

To me, even after riding clipless for over 2,000 miles I think I would probably crash if I tried to unclip with both feet to stop, can't imagine how that would work.

Think positive, and practice. For me practicing on grass didn't help because there was increased resistance from the grass with those skinnier tires and I felt more unstable on the uneven ground. I went to my favorite park with an isolated back road that looped and has no traffic outside of cyclists sprinting/etc. Sure, I crashed a lot during the 3 days of my failed first experiment...but 8 months later when I tried it again (after my muscle memory was quite comfortable with riding) the move was anticlimactic. I've only fallen twice in the over 2k miles since then - and one of those two falls was when I had a "Hey Vern, Watch THIS" moment" :)

So take your time, there is no law that says you have to start clipping in "x" period of time after starting to ride. Heck, there isn't anything that says that you EVER have to start clipping in. Some say that "to be a cyclist you must clip in" (I know a few who say this), but that is just silliness. There are people who ride a gazillion miles without attaching themselves to their bike. I only do it because my knee doesn't like it if I do not. I've had 75 mile road rides without clipping in. I do not clip in on the mountain bike.

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Originally Posted by luvmyguys

I need to get to the point where I'm hopping out of the saddle on stops appropriately, and leaning as I need to after that.

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There's your issue. Lean first, put your foot down second.

Really you'll find that leaning and putting your leg out are all one smooth movement, but if you want to break it down to learn it piece by piece, it's (1) unclip ONE side, (2) turn your handlebars slightly AWAY from the side you're unclipped, to induce your bike to lean toward that side, then (3) extend your leg and come out of the saddle to put your foot down.

NEVER unclip both sides until the bike is FULLY stopped at a safe place for you to dismount. If both sides are unclipped you have very little control over the bike's lean or propulsion. It's a good way to get into trouble.

I'm glad you're only bumped and scraped. Most people do go through that. There are people who get it right away, but most people tip over a couple of times while they're learning the motion of unclipping. I went through it twice, actually, when I first went clipless, and then again when I returned to riding after a 12-year hiatus.

It'll come. Hope you feel better soon.

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Originally Posted by J9L

Oh boy...i really didnt need to stumble across this thread. Im so nervous to try my new spd clipless shoes/pedals. Haha. Im nervous about spills from forgetting to clip out and spills at intersections from not being able to clip in when that light turns green!I got the shimano a530 which has 1 wide flat side in case i cant clip in quickly but hearing others' experiences....i dont know. Anyone have any inspiring success stories? :p

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Well, you're ahead of where I was. My gut instinct told me to get the A530's, but I let the guy in the LBS talk me into another pedal, which admittedly will be good for long rides, as it has a shoe to pedal contact closer to that of a road pedal. Just the mental knowledge of knowing "Hey, I can go back, or transition more slowly, at any time" will probably help you relax. Which could very well make you more successful.

I, however, am an inherent clutz, and I obviously forgot that when I started trying it out. You'll probably be fine. I usually hear stories of falling once or twice, not the frequency that happened to me yesterday. I had about as many time where I was able to stay upright - and semi-gracefully, at that - but I don't think a 50% success rate is good for me or the pretty new bike.

I'm there with you. I have spd pedals on my 'comfort bike' and I pretty much had it down. I broke my leg in June, and now I'm just getting back into riding. the spd pedals aren't bad on that bike, but I have a lovely new road bike I'd love to ride with one-sided road pedals. I'm finding that I have more trouble clipping in than clipping out (and I'm scared to fall on the not-quite-completely-healed left leg so I find myself clipping out of both because I'm afraid I'll lean the wrong way so I know I'm likely developing bad habits). So far I've not fallen, but it just still feels uncomfortable. Luckily, even if I'm not clipped in there is enough pedal to make me go (and for some reason I can clip in no problem with my bad leg, the other just takes a lot of effort and this is the one I'm leaning on anyway so I better figure it out), and I'm getting it down with practice and hopefully I'll be more confident soon. I'm sure with both of us, its just a matter of practicing and developing muscle memory.

whoa! being sufficiently timid to wait 3 years to try, i went for a test ride and crashed almost immediately. SO I paid a professional to give me a lesson. this is what she did.
she took me on a very manicured grass field. she told me to ride WITHOUT clipping in. after a while she allowed me to clip in JUST ONE FOOT. clip in clip out. I did that constantly. THen we practiced the correct sequences for stopping. THen we tried the other foot. then all together.

take it slow.
good luck. I never fell because of pedals again.

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Originally Posted by luvmyguys

Well, you're ahead of where I was. My gut instinct told me to get the A530's, but I let the guy in the LBS talk me into another pedal, which admittedly will be good for long rides, as it has a shoe to pedal contact closer to that of a road pedal. Just the mental knowledge of knowing "Hey, I can go back, or transition more slowly, at any time" will probably help you relax. Which could very well make you more successful.

I, however, am an inherent clutz, and I obviously forgot that when I started trying it out. You'll probably be fine. I usually hear stories of falling once or twice, not the frequency that happened to me yesterday. I had about as many time where I was able to stay upright - and semi-gracefully, at that - but I don't think a 50% success rate is good for me or the pretty new bike.

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I'm clumsy too. I definitely am NOT going clipless on my mountain bike because there are too many sudden unexpected trail changes while mountain biking.

As for my road bike, I fell about 20 times. Yes, my poor bike was scratched from day 1. Luckily, I have hard bones.

I wanted to learn unclipping right foot first because it's safer to fall away from traffic. Unfortunately, I found out that I strongly fall left.

Figure out which side you tend to fall towards and pick that foot to unclip first and only for now. You can wear sneakers on both feet and practice "unclipping". Once you start building up muscle memory, wear one biking shoe on the side that you unclip out first and wear a sneaker on the other foot (the foot that you prefer to unclip second) until you are comfortable.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle
2010 Santa Cruz Juliana with R kit and Crampon pedals
2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle (sold)

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Originally Posted by luvmyguys

Well, you're ahead of where I was. My gut instinct told me to get the A530's, but I let the guy in the LBS talk me into another pedal, which admittedly will be good for long rides, as it has a shoe to pedal contact closer to that of a road pedal. Just the mental knowledge of knowing "Hey, I can go back, or transition more slowly, at any time" will probably help you relax. Which could very well make you more successful.

I, however, am an inherent clutz, and I obviously forgot that when I started trying it out. You'll probably be fine. I usually hear stories of falling once or twice, not the frequency that happened to me yesterday. I had about as many time where I was able to stay upright - and semi-gracefully, at that - but I don't think a 50% success rate is good for me or the pretty new bike.

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U r prob right. Its comforting to know i have a flat side and luckily my lbs knows how i am so they didnt steer me otherwise. I practiced on the trainer at the shop. I will go out around a parking lot on saturday and see how it goes. Maybe u can switch ur pedals to the a530's. Goodluck. I hear u on not wanting to ruin the new bike. Im in the same situation and also dont want to ruin myself haha. Thx to the other posters for the advice and encouragement!

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Originally Posted by J9L

U r prob right. Its comforting to know i have a flat side and luckily my lbs knows how i am so they didnt steer me otherwise. I practiced on the trainer at the shop. I will go out around a parking lot on saturday and see how it goes. Maybe u can switch ur pedals to the a530's. Goodluck. I hear u on not wanting to ruin the new bike. Im in the same situation and also dont want to ruin myself haha. Thx to the other posters for the advice and encouragement!

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Ordered 'em last night on Amazon (and they went up $10 in price from the time I ordered them last night to this morning!). I'll keep the A600's for when I'm really good at the clipless and need the extra pedal width.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by TigerMom

I'm clumsy too. I definitely am NOT going clipless on my mountain bike because there are too many sudden unexpected trail changes while mountain biking.

As for my road bike, I fell about 20 times. Yes, my poor bike was scratched from day 1. Luckily, I have hard bones.

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While I'd never wish falls on anyone, I feel better knowing that I'm not the only clumsy one out there.

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Originally Posted by TigerMom

I wanted to learn unclipping right foot first because it's safer to fall away from traffic. Unfortunately, I found out that I strongly fall left.

Figure out which side you tend to fall towards and pick that foot to unclip first and only for now. You can wear sneakers on both feet and practice "unclipping". Once you start building up muscle memory, wear one biking shoe on the side that you unclip out first and wear a sneaker on the other foot (the foot that you prefer to unclip second) until you are comfortable.

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That's pretty much what happened to me. Unclip right, fall left.

I'm putting the A530's on the bike when they come in. That way I can take all of the advice here (and on past threads!), but at my speed, and I can still ride like I want in the meantime. I was bummed yesterday because I thought the enjoyment of riding would be delayed until I could figure out the clipless. Don't want that!

Thanks for the encouragement!

Sorry for your bad experience...

I spent a long time on my hybrid with platform pedals, but when I thought about moving to a road bike, I began practicing the motion of clipping/unclipping on the hybrid. Everytime I stopped, I would put my left pedal down to 6 o'clock, and imitated the unclipping motion iwth my right foot up at 12 oclock. WHen i was ready to start again, I would be sure to flip my left pedal up to 12oclock and practice pushing down on that pedal to start, and then moving my right foot on the pedal. (I unclip my right foot, so this may be reversed if you want to use your left to unclip.) While riding iwth platforms, I was inconsistent with which foot i used to start, and stop, etc. Practicing the motion just got me used to having to think about it a bit, and also the muscle memory.

I also paid a lot of attention to what other riders were doing while on group rides. It helped me learn that I wouldn't have to clip in until I got through busy intersections, etc...

When I got my road bike, I didn't put the clipless on right away. I got used to the bike first. THen, i added the pedals and went down to the paved greenway and clipped in, rode about half a mile, picked an arbitrary point to stop at and unclipped. Over. And over. And over :-) It was a stress free way to learn.

As others have said, don't feel any pressure to use them. Riding should be fun :) Good luck!

I don't know if you would consider this a success story but I got used to my SPD's faster than I thought. I had 2 falls, one in public and one in private. The public one was because I stopped in the middle of climbing a hill to rest (stupid move!) and when I mounted the bike to try to finish the hill, I clipped in, found it was too hard to get going, forgot I was clipped in, tried to put my foot down and promptly fell. Since then, I've been pretty fortunate but then again, I haven't had any surprise stops. For the most part, I've been able to anticipate when I need to stop and I unclip one foot right before I glide to a stop. It also helps that the M530'ch are double sided pedals with a small platform, make it easier. The small platform means that if I'm riding through crowded areas, where I need to make sudden stop, I don't clip in. I clip in once I'm in the clear. Don't be discouraged, you'll get the hang of it.

so needed to see this! I have had a few tumbles with my SPDLs . My boyfriend tells me it will only happen the first million tries or so. It's getting better. I am still not sure I am doing it "right" but it is working for me.

L

Elphaba (love that name! from Wicked?) your boyfriend is wrong. It only happens about half a million times.

Seriously, the good thing is that when you fall, you aren't moving fast. Don't put your hand out, just fall on the fleshy part of your shoulder. Been there, done that. In fact, just recently during a bike ride through Vermont on a hybrid with platform pedals. Looking at the beautiful scenery and rode off into a ditch. Fell over like the old man on the tricycle in Laugh In. Good news - nobody except DH saw it.

I've been clipless for about 20 years and cannot fathom going back. During my Vermont ride, my quads were burning from the constant pushing on the pedals without pulling back. I also felt like I had less control because when you're clipped in, you can always get forward motion by turning one leg. Forward motion is good for not falling over. :D

Practice. It will soon become second nature. I ride with a lady who unclips way before she needs to. She's ultra paranoid about falling over. If you do unclip early, make sure that if you rest your foot on your pedal, your heel is on the clip. Otherwise, you may unintentionally clip yourself back in.

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

Elphaba (love that name! from Wicked?) your boyfriend is wrong. It only happens about half a million times.

Seriously, the good thing is that when you fall, you aren't moving fast. Don't put your hand out, just fall on the fleshy part of your shoulder. Been there, done that. In fact, just recently during a bike ride through Vermont on a hybrid with platform pedals. Looking at the beautiful scenery and rode off into a ditch. Fell over like the old man on the tricycle in Laugh In. Good news - nobody except DH saw it.

I've been clipless for about 20 years and cannot fathom going back. During my Vermont ride, my quads were burning from the constant pushing on the pedals without pulling back. I also felt like I had less control because when you're clipped in, you can always get forward motion by turning one leg. Forward motion is good for not falling over. :D

Practice. It will soon become second nature. I ride with a lady who unclips way before she needs to. She's ultra paranoid about falling over. If you do unclip early, make sure that if you rest your foot on your pedal, your heel is on the clip. Otherwise, you may unintentionally clip yourself back in.

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Excellent advice!

[QUOTE=Dogmama;658788]Elphaba (love that name! from Wicked?) your boyfriend is wrong. It only happens about half a million times.

Yes, from Wicked. She was so misunderstood, wasn't she? Actually, I took "Dotty" (My Avail Inspire) out to the Jax Baldwin trail this weekend and when I quoted my BF to a couple of other women unloading their bikes while I was trying to nonchalantly practice with the clips, they corrected him by saying "2 million"

The audience was too big, so I got the bike going "my way" and being too paranoid to stop and start, I went a straight 25 miles.

Spent some time with them earlier this week, and like I said, I have it figured out in a way that works for me and did pretty good until I took a tumble trying to deal with the keypad to our complex's security gate.

That's about 20 going on how many million?

L

Well the shoes and pedals are going back to the shop or on craigslist...fell twice just getting started... cant clip out when about to fall....too scary to b on busy NJ roads like that....plus i scratched my brand new bike....and im not happy about that. Sry guys...im giving up!

don't be sorry!!!!!! biking is supposed to be fun, stress release from life!!! there are to many "have to"s in all other parts of life- if you like clipped- super- if not- awesome...a friend of mine that trains triathletes often buys funny bike bells for folks who get too serious (::)

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Originally Posted by tealtreak

don't be sorry!!!!!! biking is supposed to be fun, stress release from life!!! there are to many "have to"s in all other parts of life- if you like clipped- super- if not- awesome...a friend of mine that trains triathletes often buys funny bike bells for folks who get too serious (::)

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I know a guy who does sprints in a velodrome & he has a bike bell on his practice bike.

+1 about biking being fun. If you're afraid to ride - that sucks. Be comfortable, have fun, smile a lot. But don't get bugs in your teeth.

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Originally Posted by J9L

Well the shoes and pedals are going back to the shop or on craigslist...fell twice just getting started... cant clip out when about to fall....too scary to b on busy NJ roads like that....plus i scratched my brand new bike....and im not happy about that. Sry guys...im giving up!

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You have the A530's, right? Have you just ridden the platform side without worrying about clipping in?

Mine came in this morning and I put them on the bike myself (Yay pedal wrench and hex bits!). I went out this afternoon, and just rode to try to get Tuesday's disaster out of my system. I had fun. :D

I can see where I'll want to get used to clipless, but I'll take my time. I had fun riding today.

My bike got a little scratched too. The name got solidified, though - she's definitely a Susie, after my mom, who also would have gotten scratched up trying those things out as well. The only place that got scratched, though, was a cap on the end of the handlebar that's probably going to be replaced by a mirror anyway.

In any event, I'm with you and the others - riding should be fun. So we make it fun, and if that means not riding clipless, then so be it.

@ tealtrek, dogmama, luvmyguys: U guys r awesome! U really said what i needed to hear so thank u very much :). It wasn't fun and I know its not something ill get used to soon. They show wear n tear so im hoping i can at least get a store credit at the shop. I tried the platform side of the a530's but having to constantly flip the pedal is annoying at intersections.:rolleyes:

I will never be in clip less. You most likely will never see see me in clips. There is scientific evidence that using them adds nothing to your peddle power. I love being able to move my foot around to relive pressure.

Please do not give up. I agree with the suggestion of riding with one foot clipped in and one out, swap them around, then clip in both on a slight downhill or flat sections. Lastly clip in when going uphill. I rode with toe lips for almost 6 months and after 2 weeks in cleats - I have just completed my first solo 100km ride. I can ride faster and more efficiently - no going back now!

Wow! I just read through this thread and now I understand why I hear so many people concerned about switching to clipless. I've been clipless on my road bikes for years, but I changed to clipless pedals after several years with clips and straps. Clipless is easy compared to wiggling my foot out of straps. I have to admit, though, that I started off with "strapless toeclips".

Do keep trying! It's so much more efficient. Now if only I could get confident enough to ride a mountain bike clipped in!

Jacquie

After reading this (and watching youtube clips - seriously not recommended, just don't), I was almost crying in trepidation before my first ride. I have joint problems and a bad hip so had put off getting them until after my first fall (25mph, got some lovely chainring scars). Eventually I succumbed and bought Motodivas with SPDs.

At home, I got my turbo out and sat on it in front of the telly, clipping in and....hang on, I can't get my feet out!

Lots of mental and physical anguish later, I discover I haven't tighted the cleats enough, so they moved and made unclipping near-impossible. I'm so glad this didn't happen on a ride. Once I got them right, it was much easier.

A month or so later, I've had a couple of tumbles but nothing major. I still unclip both at most junctions and I'm getting better at restarting. What helps as I can feel the 'tug' of the shoe so I rarely forget it.

OP - why are you hopping out of the saddle and leaning? Not sure what you mean.

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Originally Posted by dottigirl

OP - why are you hopping out of the saddle and leaning? Not sure what you mean.

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Her proper saddle height likely means that she can't reach the ground while seated on the saddle. This means that when she stops, she needs to both unclip and get out of the saddle. She might even need to lean the bike slightly so that she can straddle the top tube while standing on the ground - or while standing with one foot on the ground and the other foot clipped in.

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Originally Posted by dottigirl

OP - why are you hopping out of the saddle and leaning? Not sure what you mean.

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Originally Posted by laura*

Her proper saddle height likely means that she can't reach the ground while seated on the saddle. This means that when she stops, she needs to both unclip and get out of the saddle. She might even need to lean the bike slightly so that she can straddle the top tube while standing on the ground - or while standing with one foot on the ground and the other foot clipped in.

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Pretty close to that, yes. My proper saddle height has my toes barely hitting the ground. I can straddle the top tube with no issue. Honestly, though, I'm noticing that when I'm riding without clipping in, I tend to stay in the saddle and my left foot is the first one to come off the pedal, and I lean slightly left. My right foot comes off relatively quickly, and I usually end up balancing on both toes for a second (this was where I was having trouble with clipless). I then get my right foot ready to push off and stay on the left until I can go (like at a light).

The advice that I had seen on previous threads here, as well as what the guy at the LBS told me, was that one tends to fall less if you come out of the saddle as you stop, simply because for most people, your feet hit the ground more securely than if your tush is still in the saddle. Since I tend to stay in the saddle when not clipped in, I do find that I'm countering with the other side fairly quickly. Most people keep one foot clipped in, so obviously, you want to lean to the unclipped foot, because if you lean the other way, you'll be kissing pavement (as I found out numerous times two weeks ago).

I'm trying to get a better picture of what I'm doing naturally, and then I'll see what new habits I'll need to develop. Like I said, I can take it at my own pace with the A530's on the bike.

Thanks.

Hmmm, I must do that but I don't notice it. My bike is a 48cm Dolce, so pretty small anyway. If possible, I try to rest one foot on the kerb when I stop at lights, which means I don't need to shift from the saddle. I've never really thought about getting off the seat before stopping, I'll have to try it to see if I feel more or less secure.

An update, since one of my 2013 goals is to tackle the pedals . . .

I didn't go far, I didn't go fast, but I also didn't kiss pavement once! Don't know if I'm ready to use them on a group ride just yet, but definite progress has been made! I got over the mental block of clipless pedal = attack on my person, which was probably the biggest hurdle.

Happy New Year!

after spending some time getting used to my new road bike (which had the 530's on) i put the cleats on... not pretty. i could not reliably unclip. so put on the multi release cleats and that made a world of difference. i was resistant to the idea of riding clipless but was told that if your feet slip off your pedals when going at speed your feet can end up somewhere that can result in a serious fall... getting out of the saddle and extending the unclipped foot helps. if i can do it, anyone can.