My clipless experience!

What a weekend! 

I have been working out on a trainer all winter. Been going out on my old hybrid bikes a few times in the past weeks, until the road conditions are better (holes patched, heavy rain washes the salt and pebbles, etc). Some have been repaired, rain cleaned the roads some. So we took our carbon bikes out Saturday for the 1st time. Of course I go with my clipped feet. Yeah! Results: 3 falls!

1st fall: my fault. I’m waiting for hubby in the driveway. I have left foot clipped in ready to start! I am confident, and know I can nail this. Afterall, I practiced clip/unclipped a thousand times while training on trainer since January. My ipod is on (on the bar) but not loud enough (and I’m not talking blasting – just a little background stimulation). So I try to push the side button one notch. But the button is “glued” to my polar reader. So I bend on my left a little to the left to see more clearly. My right foot lifts, slips, my bike shifts to the left…I’m clipped on the left and I can’t unclip on time so BANG…on the ground. Great! Lesson learned: when you are stopped: both feet on the ground. Hihi My bike is unharmed….I feel burning on left knee. Oh well… learning curb what! But still waiting for hubby to get out so I look at my legger and I see blood through it. Oups… I lift it and knee is badly scraped and now bruising start. Go inside, apply plasters and out we go. I ride a good 15km with my mind buzzing: unclip, unclip, do not forget unclip…. It goes well. I do remember that the cleats are super slippery on the ground. Like ice. So be careful!

Hubby is proud (although scares as he knows I’m the worst goofer in town…if something is to happen, it will be to me). I do very well, although I am a nervous wreck. We have soooo many stops, lights, etc. Worst ride I could have chosen, but I learn. That’s great.

2nd fall: We’re about 4-5km from home. We need to cross a road to get to the bike path leading home. So I go across the wood bridge, downhill. All is good, unclip, break, life is grand! I flag to traffic to go and they insist I go. I’m not ready. haha. I can wait. Hubby is already across the street. So I want to clip my left foot but I have issues with the clip/unclip. I’ve had issues all winter but I thought it was me. Hubby even checked it while on our ride to give the maximum looseness and it was. So we would have to take it back to the LBS as it is not normal. Right foot is perfect. The left one feels way too scratchy. Anyway, what would happen next: because of the struggle to clip the left foot, the right one slips…again and I fall again. This time I bang hard on gravel. I got up very upset, hurt (bruising again!) worried my clothes would be ripped (and they’re new or just about and ones I really love), my bike would be scratched all over. I look. All is fine. So I get up, cross the street…on foot! I go across, hubby check my bike and the fork is misaligned, etc. I’m getting upset about those clips. Well the left one. Anyway, he fixes the fork, look at me and bike and all is good. I go.

3rd and last fall: I clip back both feet (left one still hard and now I’m losing the little of what patience I have left – and I am generally very patient for most things –but hate issues like those – so big words are starting to come out!). Hubby repeats that we’ll take the Look back to the shop and they’ll check them out. He is sure something is not normal for the left one as I do the right thing. And I’m fine with the right foot. I’m starting to lose my confidence also. I mean, I worked out all winter. I am doing well and PAF. I’m hurt, my bike will be damaged. Well I start cycling. 3 turns of the wheels and the bike instantly stops with a very weird sound. Of course both feet I clipped and I have no time to react. What do you think happened????? Of couse! I fell solidly on the ground, on my right side again. That was it!!!! The end of those lifespan clips. Haha

Now I am injured (shoulder, right palm, thumb – luckily I had gel gloves on and clothes to prevent dirt to get on the scrapes, etc). My bike fork again took the shock (hubby fixed it again), my right brake handle is scratched (and was new), my pink tape is damaged, ripped. But that can be changed. My clothes: all fine. I don’t understand. No tear, nor fabric damage.

But my 2 knees (the whole knees even going to legs) are scraped, bruised badly, I have my left butt with 1/8 of it bruised in 2 areas, my right leg has the teeth of the chain ring plus the chain engraved in there, in 2 large areas. Going into PT tonight (she is going to check my warriors wounds hihi) while planning my next month training sessions (she’s PT/Kin).

There is no way on earth I’m giving it a 2nd try. Not worth it for me. I don’t speed enough so platform pedals it will be from now on. On trainers I will have clips but not on the road. I’m to insecure and now it is worst. I am not going to wait for something worst to happen. I do understand that clips are better to improve your cycling (on the roads anyway) and that you don’t risk a slip of the pedal. But no use convincing me. I’ve had enough scares for one outing. Haha Although a pain, a bike or clothes can be changed. But my body, I have only one and at over 50, it is harder to heal and I don’t want to risk anything more than needed.

The next day I still went for 23km ride and yesterday we did a 34km ride on platforms (very basic one that came with bike) and I did good. No issues with hills or overpasses.

So I will be looking to buy the best platform for road bike, and NO! No dual pedals. Haha

But I am very proud of all the hard work and training plan my trainer did for me. My speed on the road is very good, even when facing stronger winds for 10km in a row. I’ve been barely out of breath on a huge hill. Last Fall I would have stopped mid-hill and walk. This time, I kept a cadence over 80rpm and zipped all the way up….on platform!!! Yeah.

So this is it for my clipless pedal experience. Not one I will ever forget. And I was happy to have platform the next day as we went cycling and a kid on skateboard threw himself right into us and I was able to slam the break and get off my bike in a flash. Had been on clipless I would have fell I am sure. It is just not for me. My nerves are too raw for that type of riding.

Even experienced clipless riders fall sometimes! I started riding with mine last year and now feel confident in them. However, a few weeks ago on a group ride, two of us had just gotten to the top of a steep climb. I slowed to a stop, had one foot out and fell over in the other direction! I think putting the work into the clipless pedals is worth it in the long run, but I guess it also depends on what kind of riding you want to do. Good luck with whatever you decide! :)

I had a similar experience with clipless pedals the first time I tried them (think I fell like 6 times). I did eventually get the hang of them (after a few months of not worrying about it and just riding platforms), but it's definitely not something you should feel that you "have" to do.

Enjoy your bike!

I fell 20 times the FIRST time I attempted to go clipless. 20 times in 3 days, and one of those falls garnered me a light concussion because I hit my head (yes, I had a helmet on - and got a new helmet out of it).

To make a long story short, I waited 6 months and tried it again, but THIS time it was a non-event. For me the initial problem was that I hadn't ridden long enough to get all of the starting/stopping/etc into my muscle memory and clipping in just added a level of complexity that I wasn't yet ready for. I LOVED my BMX pedals though, and never regretting riding good platform pedals. I tried to ride a gazillion miles on those things, I think my goal that first year was to ride 10k miles. It looked like it :)

You don't HAVE to go clipless, that is entirely up to you - and nothing said that you can't try again at some other time. The type of pedal matters, I hated the SPD pedals, but love my Speedplay Froggies :)

Yes, type of pedals is a good point! I have Look Keo 2 Max and they're very easy to get in and out of compared to others I've tried.

Man, that's rough!

I fell A LOT the first time I rode in clips and I was petrified. I showed horses for years and years but nothing compared to that feeling of helplessness on the new bike with new pedals. I had platforms on one side, so I rode in basketball shoes for about 20 miles that day, forcing myself to suck it up and deal and get pretty comfortable on the BIKE before I decided to throw clips in. The kid at the bike shop never mentioned THAT portion of the equation. I clipped in quite a bit in a LOW -risk situation (church parking lot that was flat) after that and felt far more confident. I then went out on very quiet streets around 7 PM or so to try them out. It was all LOW pressure. Since then, I've rarely fallen.

I don't even think about it anymore and can stay upright. That said, my BF refuses to use them and I don't think it matters to him. I definitely feel less fatigued with clips and my feet feel better (I have PF) but you have to feel comfortable.

Yikes! Sorry to hear you had such a bad ride. Like others have already said, you don't have to use clipless if you don't want to right now (or ever). Do whatever works for you and your riding style, and makes you want to ride. I've never used them either, partly because I don't want to be worried about tipping over at stoplights or not being able to get my feet off the pedals quickly enough in an emergency but probably even more because I just dislike the idea of having to wear special shoes (that often aren't good to walk in once off the bike). That said, having your feet come off the pedals when you don't want them to isn't great either. I've heard good things about the MKS Lambda flat pedals and just ordered a pair to put on the Surly once it gets here. Maybe you could look into something like those...I can post more info once I've used them for a bit. They're supposed to have good grip and also have a larger platform for your foot, which sounds particularly good to me b/c I generally wear thin/flexible-soled shoes.

You must always feel safe. Falling isn't going to get easier later in life.

I've cycling last 23 yrs. We don't have a car. I've never gone clipless. I have toeclips.

My partner has done several cross country solo rides and all over the place...hasn't gone clipless and never will. We're talking about someone who logs in 7,000 km.annually.....

If it works for you, great. If it doesn't, nothing lost. You still love cycling. The latter point is key....if you want to do it for life.

Ouch, that sounds like a harsh experience, helene! Like everyone has said, you don't have to go clipless at all. But I will say that once I got used to it I loved it and there was no going back. I unclip completely without thinking now, it's just a part of the same movement as putting my foot down.

I taught myself by riding on a long, safe road where I wouldn't have to stop, and clipping and unclipping a million times along that road. Then I rode on my regular commute, unclipping both feet way before I even started to brake for a stop. I only had one or two falls, that came from having to suddenly stop, and (classic) falling over the wrong way. Yeah, feels dumb :-)

If it makes you feel any better there's a running joke in our club that everyone must fall 3 times in clips, so you're all done :-). I've had mine for over a year and have fallen twice. I'm waiting for number 3.

There's no reason you have to go clipless, but for me I can't imagine ever going back now that I'm used to it. It makes a huge difference being able to both pull up and push down when my legs get tired. Good luck, the most important thing is that you enjoy the ride!

Thank you. I spent most evening yesterday looking on the web for roadbike platforms to order. It is sooooo hard to get something you'll think is right as so many options (on flat ones) and not one seems better than the other ones. It is such a personal choice. I really wanted something that grips well, but not sure those with spikes are that great (if you happen to have a slip as far as scratching of a leg - I swear! I've been burnt in 3 falls at once with leg injuries. hahaha). Reviews are mixed and I'm getting more confused. Until then, I'll keep what I have (very basic), try to think not to go too fast to avoid foot slipping. I have SPD shoes (hard sole) for the platform. So it does not grip as much on the pedal. I have to be careful. Maybe will try finding narrow shoes (so it does not touch the crank or back part of bike when I pedal) that are "normal" or just a tad softer sole so I can feel the pedal. I don't know.

My clipless are Look Keo and my shoes are Louis Garneau SP100. Love those very much. BUT on the trainer. hihi Maybe if the "defect" of the left one did not make me fall (at some point it would probably be another for a fall), I would not be writing all of this. But for the time-being, I have to take care of my multiple injuries, and gain back the confidence of just riding. It also scared the crap out of me because the bike is expensive and new of last June. hihi

Anyway, I will be looking for good platform pedals and move on with riding. I did enjoy my rides very much the next 2 days. So not all is lost. Just the clipless. hahaha

It is a personal choice! I use MKS touring pedals with strapless toe clips on my commuter. Works great even if I want to do some hills on the way to work and no problems getting my foot off the pedal.

That tells you something, then. It's personal preference like you said.

I rode a LOT on platforms before going to the clipless and I think it made a huge difference in my fatigue and pain level since I have very bad feet but, otherwise, I haven't noticed huge "gains" anywhere else. If I was really not seeing anything positive and risking a fall, I would simply choose to not have the clipless. Riding is no fun scared.

Yeah, those falls can be embarassing and painful. After the initial falls (one in plain view of one my middle school students!), I was fine until last summer. We stopped to look at a rattlesnake, then had to ride up a steep hill. I didn't get in the right gear and realized near the crest that I wasn't going to make it. I just fell over because I couldn't unclip. Fortunately, there was just dirt and bushes on the side of the road- no cactus!

Embarassing? Nah Not to me. It's more upsetting as I have practiced all winter, I don't want to ruin my bike (heard too many stories on a bad fall can crack a frame without you seeing it, blablabla). And the risk of injuries. Anyway, it's done and we move on right! :)

I went to my PT/Kine tonight for my next month training program.

When she saw me in 3/4 leggings, she thought I had a big tatoo on my back right leg. I told her: heuh-heuh...this is the fall I was telling you about. She was "freaking" out when she saw all my bruises, cuts. She checked my right shoulder. I don't really feel pain anymore, but when I push those heavy commercial doors for instance. And it is just a bit forward. So she did some things and now I have to do PT twice a day and make sure I pay attention during the day to the positioning. As for the palm/thumb, there is something but nothing broken. A good bruise for sure and may be something like fiber stretch or whatever she said. Can't recall exact term. But I do have a thumb stretch to do twice a day and ice it 3 times. No cycling for 2 days and when I go back I have to put a towel or something wrapped around the bar where the palm and thumb will grab. Until I feel normal again.

She said not to worry about clipless either. If one day I want to try again, just do it. If not, you may lose speed or fight harder on hills but that's fine. I'm not training for the Olympics nor a Tour de France! So just keep riding, and do what pleases you.

This week I'll be working smoothly, next week is a type of boot camp as in 3 Saturdays I have the 90km challenge. At least the week before the 90 km I will do almost nothing for gym (compared to the past 5 months hihi) Never cycled that far before and last year at this time I had no road bike, and was in PT to heal knee injuries. So I've come a long way baby!

Nursing my bruises now and kicking some butts in just over 3 weeks. Yeah!

Sounds like you've made the right choice for you at this time - and you will kick butt in 3 weeks :)

To be perfectly honest, I saw NO speed difference with/without clipping in. Then again, I am slow on the bike anyway due to my riding position.

Helene2013

My first two falls with clipless pedals were almost identical to your situations, except on the second one I also fractured my elbow. I won't wear clipless now. If you look at my posts you can see that I can do enough damage with platform pedals.

I do wear some really nice biking shoes without the clips. They make a big different from my tennis shoes or regular shoes.

As for speed, I am a slow. I average between 10-12 mph if I am lucky. I finally decided going faster wasn't that important to me. I am riding a lot more miles than people who sit home on their couch! I can't ride in a lot of groups because of my speed, but I did find friends to go riding with. Last year I rode out to my Dad's grave -- about 42 miles. I didn't go all that fast but I got there and back. Dad would love that I biked out to see his grave. He wouldn't have cared how fast I got there.

Even being as slow as I am I rode in the MS150 after I had been biking about a year. I rode the entire route without using a sag wagon. I was the last of our team in, but I wasn't not even close to being the participant in. Most of my team wears clipless and tell me all the time that I could go faster and be more efficient if I wore clipless. My question is, "How fast can I ride if I am all bruised up and/or have broken bones"?

So enjoy riding. Clipless is not for everyone; nor is a riding at a million mph.

Sorry Kajero about your experience, which is worst than mine. At least I only have bruises, bad ones, but still, no broken anything. My thumb/palm is still very sore today, but was ok yesterday. Guess I stretched it during the night. Still fragile. Shoulder seems to be good. Crossing fingers.

I could be fast, but I feel I can't control my bike so I slow down. I prefer safety to "cowboy". hihi Anywhere, I get where I need to go. What's the rush!

My husband is going to the bike shop today to have his spare back wheel checked (it goes for the trainer) and he brought the clips to them. Will see what they say about it.

Last night I bought a pair of spinning shoes http://www.artscyclery.com/Giro_Wome...age-GIWWS.html (not at this place but they are the same). They are very comfy and grip to the new flat pedals I bought. At same time I got toe clips similar to those https://www.google.com/search?q=toe+...86773582894248

I did an hour training on my trainer (still raining and cold here for the season) and I could have a cadence of 120rpm and nothing slipped. I had enough "torque" to push when I needed speed, etc. So far very happy. And ah!! The shoes match my bike (pink and white - some black). hihi Talk about coincidence. They had no colour but that one for the shoes. And at $115 it is affordable. I will be using my clipless in the winter on the trainer.

Hubby mentioned my clipless falls to our dealer and he looked at the pedal and it was fine. He wanted to see the shoe (for the cleat) and he did not have it. He's sure it is something with the cleats. Anyhow, I went back to store today to get an aeroful triathlon bag and he freaked out when he saw my bruises. And it was only the back leg he saw. hihi I told him not to worry as I would not put clipless on the road again. I'm not THAT suicidal. hihi

I tried the Gu Vanilla gel. I hated it. Only took 2 small "squirts" and it was getting to me. I tried a big bite of the peanut butter bar and same. It was like chewing cardboard but at least it was not super sweet. It was ok for that. So I will stick to "real" food. It's only a 4h ride (90km). If I eat well for breakfast, and have fruits, nuts, gatorade or electrolyte tablet in juice water (same flavor) I could be fine. It's not as if I was riding 12 hours at 40km/h. I'll adjust on the road.

But I am happy with the shoes and toe clips. At least this is working well. The sole of shoes and the grip of the new pedals are a good combo.

I gave a friend a lesson in riding clipless this week, and she says she's getting the hang of it quite nicely after an initial tumble (into a nice, soft mudbank) when she was already standing still. She says she noticed the extra power, which surprised me. We rode along the trail, and I stopped every couple of hundred yards so she could have an unclip lesson.

My message:

BUFLU

Brake
Unclip one foot
Put that foot on the ground
Lean in the direction of the foot that's on the ground
Unclip the second foot.

But hey, if toe clips are working for you, Helene, that's just fine too.

I've been riding for just over two years now, and it was only after riding for 500+ miles using clipless pedals that I finally felt confident that I could clip in and out of them if I had to make a sudden stop. Part of the reason is experience and the other is my SPD pedals are worn enough that it's easier to clip in and out of them. Like everyone else I fell at least 4-5 times and bloodied and bruised my knees, elbows, ankles, and legs a few times learning how to use the clipless pedals. I actually thought about swapping them out for platform pedals, but we live in Seattle, and it's just so much easier climbing hills when you're clipped in.

These are the tips I wish someone had given me when I was first learning how to use them:

It's easier to clip out when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke, but it's much easier to lean and step your foot down on the ground when your foot is at the top of the pedal stroke. That means 50-100 feet (or more) before you need to stop, clip your foot out when it's at the bottom of the pedal stroke, then rotate your pedals until your foot is at the top of the pedal stroke (unclipped), so when you stop and lean slightly towards the foot you're stepping down on, you can step down on that foot.

When you start moving again, it's easier to get going when one foot is clipped in, which is why I usually keep my right foot clipped it. It's easiest to get going when the foot that's clipped is at the top of the pedal stroke, so you can press down on that foot to start moving while you're trying to get the other foot clipped in. That means when you're stopped and your unclipped foot is on the ground, backpedal your clipped foot until it's at the top of the pedal stroke. When you're ready to start moving again, lean forward and press on the clipped foot to get going, then you can get your other foot clipped in while you're already moving.

Once you get more confident, you can decrease the distance between when you clip out and when you actually have to stop. Even now I'm more comfortable clipping in and out just my left shoe, and I only ever clip out my right shoe if I have to stop suddenly and I'm leaning right.

Just some ideas.

Something interesting (to me.) I am right handed and right footed so I was taught to clip out with my left foot first, so my "power" foot would be clipped in for take off. I kept falling trying to do it that way. So I switched to unclipping with my right first and haven't had any problems since then. Trying to unclip with my left first just felt unnatural to me. I could do it now if I had to, but I'd have to make a serious conscious effort at it.

Helene, I like these toe clips the best: https://www.google.com/search?q=toe+...54355028428557 They tend to be wider and more shallow.

Some of the other styles are bit more complicated to disengage.

No, I haven't gotten around the clipless. I'm not going to feel a lesser cyclist because of it. How can I feel that way, when I've been cycling well over for past 2 decades? Besides, I'm the type of cyclist that gets off the bike and walks around a lot to do my errands, etc. And I only want to carry 1 pair of shoes (flip flops), when I bike tour. So I walk around a lot in my shoes, off bike. I do tend to prefer a narrow style mountain bike shoe with a tiny amount of sole flex.

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Originally Posted by thekarens

Something interesting (to me.) I am right handed and right footed so I was taught to clip out with my left foot first, so my "power" foot would be clipped in for take off. I kept falling trying to do it that way. So I switched to unclipping with my right first and haven't had any problems since then. Trying to unclip with my left first just felt unnatural to me. I could do it now if I had to, but I'd have to make a serious conscious effort at it.

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This was me as well, never COULD get the left-foot-clip/unclip first thing figured out...

I realize this post is late to the thread, but I have been gone awhile...

I tried to go clipless way back when, and had my fair share of falls as well. As a matter of fact, 6yrs later I still have a big hematoma on my thigh that I guess will never go away..... Maybe one day I will try again, but for now am staying with platforms.

Glad to hear you did not break any bones. 😊

I don't think I'll go back to clipless. I did my "extreme condition" ride last Saturday with my plaform/toe clip and even if it was pouring rain, slippery, etc, my spin was very good. But to be honest, yes my right foot slipped once out of it while I was going fast but under the circumstances I think it went very very well.

I'd doubt riding under such weather condition again. At least voluntarily. I'm not that bike crazy yet! Once in a lifetime is enough. hihi

So for me it works really well and I'll keep at it. No regrets!

PS. I still have the marks (2 different ones - short and long) of chain left into my calf skin from fall this past Easter. I'd doubt it will ever go away. So I am definitively tatooed...for free. :)

Well Helene, look at it this way.... Guys dig chicks with scars �� AND tats

I started riding clipless a couple of months ago and now that the initial period of getting used to it has passed, I love it. I have some knee issues so I decided I'd get the Crankbrothers Eggbeaters due to the float and I think it was a good choice for me.

It was rough at the beginning, my first mountain descent was pure horror, especially since it was a combination of a brand new trail (to me) and my first time on the trails riding clipless. But I survived both and it kept getting easier. I hit the same trails the other day and the difference was immense. I felt confident and I rode right through most of the parts that I had walked the first time. Now that I was more confident about being able to clip out if needed, I could actually appreciate my feet staying planted when going through rock gardens instead of having mini panic attacks. It took me three months (and just as important - multiple cleat adjustments to find what suited me best!) to get comfortable riding clipless. But it's worth keeping at it in my opinion :)

I've never fallen in clipless pedals, but I've given up on them for general purpose riding. I used SPDs for more than 10 years, riding through downtown, getting in and out more than a dozen times in each commute, and STILL found them hard to get into. I have found Look pedals easier to get into, but they are more of a road bike on the highway thing - I don't want to ride downtown in them.
My previous commuter bike came with pin platform pedals and I've been sold on them ever since. Partly because they're great in traffic, but mainly because I don't have to have very special shoes to ride them - anything with a soft enough sole for the little pins to dig into is fine. Now I've got these on my touring bike and Looks on the road bike. Perhaps the grip with pin platforms isn't as good as with clipless, but it's good enough.
Speaking of clipless, does anyone remember Aerolites? I must have been among the very few to buy them, back in the 80s, and to my surprise they're still made. I'm selling mine on eBay right now and discovered this when I went searching to see if replacement cleats were still available. I can still remember my right foot sliding off sideways in a track race and not being able to do a thing about it. :)

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Originally Posted by nuliajuk

My previous commuter bike came with pin platform pedals and I've been sold on them ever since. Partly because they're great in traffic, but mainly because I don't have to have very special shoes to ride them - anything with a soft enough sole for the little pins to dig into is fine. Now I've got these on my touring bike and Looks on the road bike. Perhaps the grip with pin platforms isn't as good as with clipless, but it's good enough.

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Thanks for the info about pin platform pedals, but I wonder do they feel much different from regular platforms? I am vertically challenged and do not do well with clipless - truthfully I do horrible but I have only tried Shimano SPD's so maybe I need to try something like Crankbrothers Mallet? I'm thinking maybe the wider platform and better float would make me feel more stable.... I am a road biker BTW....

Oh... The reason why I don't want to stick with regular platforms is that my feet sometimes come off the pedal and because obviously, of the improved power transfer....

I appreciate any insight and advise..... Thanks in advance

The flatpedals I have are great for this, like I mentioned before somewhere on page 1. Not too much of pins to scrape your legs if you miss/slip when getting off but enough to keep the grip you need. Combined to the toe clips and the shoes I chose because the sole is perfect for flat pedals instead of a feel like football shoes!

I rode in lots and lots of rain for 60kms and only once did my right foot slipped off the pedal. Not bad considering the extreme weather conditions we were in. I do not regret one minute and have no intention to go back to clipless. Maybe if I was doing a road only ride (which would be like the Natchez Parkway in Nashville - where everything is 100% perfect for road and you know you don't really have stops like bike paths or even rural areas).

In all honesty, I do though noticed it is harder to get the power transfer going up hills but nothing that would make me change my mind for now. Scars are still on that leg of mine reminding me every day of the 3 falls and lucky not to have injured myself more than I did, or scrap the carbon bike. :p