clipless for scaredy cats?

[ReneeLynne]

Hi Ladies!!

I bought a new (my first!) road bike 6 mos. ago. When I took it out for a first ride, I was so excited by the speed compared to my old hybrid that I got a bit overzealous and crashed big time!!! Lots of betadine and several x-rays later, I am back on the bike regularly and going strong, having completed my first metric century last Saturday. I was so frieked out by the big crash that it took me a while to get to this point, but I am now ready to explore the SCARY clipless option...I recognize that it will make my ride better.

I want to balance safety and speed, erring on the side of safety when in doubt. My LBS suggested I try mountain bike clipless pedals because they're easier to get out of in contrast with road bikes. Is this true? Is that advisable for performance? Are there any brands/models you ladies recommend?

thanks for helping me get over this fear!!! I know many of you have successfuly overcome it yourselves

Renee

[roguedog]

Hey,

I too am looking and started a thread similar to this. In my research I found this link which was pretty helpful:

http://www.bicyclesouth.com/clipless.htm

[mimitabby]

I was all ready to get "frogs" for my pedals(mountain bike clipless, right?)
. right now I have power straps which are just straps. I was testing my bike at the LBS and the guy said that he could see i was having trouble getting my right foot into the straps.

he said because i didn't have enough flexibility toeing in my right foot the frogs
would not work for me and he thinks i should try the SPD's because less flexibility is needed.

so this winter, on my bike in the basement on the wind trainer, I might try SPD's. I don't want any broken bones, I am in my 50's and not as flexible as I was, so i am not in a big rush to lock my feet into my bike.

[Duck on Wheels]

I went clipless last winter. SPD, reversible pedals (platform on one side, clipless on the other). That's actually a bit of a nuisance, since you sometimes have to kick the pedal around to the right side before clipping in, but since I sometimes ride to and from the woods in hiking boots it had to be that way. First day with cleats in my shoes, I went to spin class and practiced clipping in and out. Then toodled a slow ride around town, clipping in and out at every opportunity. It soon became automatic. I don't think I'd been riding clipless more than a couple of weeks when I unclipped in a split second when my chain fell off the back cogs, or when I dodged a lunging labrador retriever. I have yet to crash (touch wood), probably because I assiduously follow my sister Trek420's advice: "when in doubt, clip out". I also followed her advice by setting the clip springs as loose as possible -- just tight enough to give a click when clipping in and to hold when pedalling, but so loose that even a slight jerk of the foot clicks the shoe free. That's really all there is to it. The other day I had to ride my old bike with platform pedals and discovered that now THAT feels unsafe. When I try spinning in a low gear to get up a hill, my shoes slip off the pedals .

My 2c: Go ahead and give em a try . Maybe a bike shop will let you borrow some shoes and try clipping in and out on a trainer. I bet you'll find you like it, one system or another. And once you're used to it, you'll never look back.

[roshelleuop]

Renee,

Don't be afraid. To give you some light at the end of the tunnel, I was also scared of going clipless (like everyone is). But I bit the bullet, put them on my bike and took some spins around the park (on grass). Sure I fell a couple of times while getting used to them, but it was on grass and it didn't hurt! Just take it slow and the first couple times you ride have someone come with you to remind you to clip out! I think it took me a good 3 weeks before it became a habit where I didn't even have to think about it.

Now that I have fully transitioned to cilpless, I can honestly say that I'd BE A SCAREDY CAT TO GO BACK. You couldn't pay me to go back to regular pedals or cages or straps or any other pedal. Clipless may be scary at first, but after you use them for awhile they not only improve your performance, i believe they are alot safer.

Sorry, I use road cycle clipless pedals on both my road bike and cycle cross, so I can't help with the differences between them and the road. But I will say that you can adjust your clips to as tight and to as loose as you want to make it easier to clip out. On my road bike, I keep them as loose as they can go just about so i can easily clip out. On my cycle-cross I keep them pretty loose, but a little tighter because of the terrain. They are still both really easy to clip out.

Roshelle from Milwaukee
http://wisconsinbetties.blogspot.com/

[midgetcycler]

I bought Shimano SPD-M505 mountain bike pedals and mountain bike shoes at the suggestion of my father. He didn't mention being any easier to get in and out of them as a reason, though. He just said it would be a good idea to get the mountain shoes because they actually have some tread on the bottoms, whereas road bike shoes are smooth. As I am not necessarily interested in speed (road bike shoes are smooth so they have less wind resistance/drag), I agreed. I didn't want to be one of those at the Stop N Go busting their butt on that hard tile floor!

[mimitabby]

I agree with Midget
everyone in my house rides road bikes but wears MTB shoes.

[Melstar]

From what i've read around and about, everyone is saying that an "initiation" fall is unavoidable... URGH... but i wanna get me some clipless!.. but the fall... clipless!! the falll... the fall the fall fall fall....NOO000oooo....

[Xrayted]

My biking buddy has been after me to switch over since I got the bike. She rattled off generalities about more speed, more power, yada-yada-yada... but nothing concrete. I asked her about any advice she could give for when (not if) I fall. She looked me up and down and simply said I should try to fall to my left. Um... oh-kay. Why??! (I guessed it was so I didn't mess up my crank, chain...) Nope. She said she figures I'm already so scarred up on that side that no one would notice the new ones. "Built in camouflage" as she puts it.

Hmmm. Uh, yeah. Thanks. **Note to self: Go check out what the ladies on TE have to say... (I actually love friends who are so brutally honest. I just wish they were more intelligent on the subjects of which they speak. )

Hey,

I too am looking and started a thread similar to this. In my research I found this link which was pretty helpful:

http://www.bicyclesouth.com/clipless.htm

Thanks, Roguedog! The article was very helpful. After reading many of the posts here on TE, I've now decided to go clipless too. I chose the Shimano 540 SPD pedal. I wanted to use a MTB shoe because I like to occasionally stop for a look-see when riding. From a past ankle injury, I just don't have the muscle control for the slippery bottoms of a road shoe. Also, it is extremely painful (and physically impossible) for me to walk "toe-up".

I've got the shoes, SIDI Dominators. Now, I'm just waiting patiently for my Nashbar box to arrive with my new pedals. Oh, I just love getting packages in the mail. Wheeeeeee!! Can't wait to go falldown and get it over with.

[Trekhawk]

Hi Ladies!!

I want to balance safety and speed, erring on the side of safety when in doubt. My LBS suggested I try mountain bike clipless pedals because they're easier to get out of in contrast with road bikes. Is this true? Is that advisable for performance? Are there any brands/models you ladies recommend?

thanks for helping me get over this fear!!! I know many of you have successfuly overcome it yourselves

Renee

I love road shoes. I have road shoes for my road bike and mountain shoes for my moutain bike. My pedals for both are made by Crank Brothers and both are just as easy to clip in and out of. For mountain biking I have egg beaters and for road I have Quattros basically an egg beater with a nice size platform around it.

Once you have gone clipless you wont look back.

Happy pedal/shoe hunting.

[SouthernBelle]

I've been clipless less than a month. I fell twice on pavement the first day. I'm 51 but I still didn't break. I'm riding the spds that came with my bike. The only issue I might have with MTB shoes is that they usually recess the clip. So if you are like me and have a hard time finding the sweet spot sometimes, that may make it harder. But I'm still very glad I did it.

[rivergrl]

I was scared as well but I already had a cycleops trainer so I put the bike on that for at least a week 1/2 and practiced getting in and out of the clips. It made a world of difference for me. My first ride off the trainer I did great until I came to a stop the first time and I went straight down. So far I've been riding and I've not had another fall. The key for me is to be aware and even a bit afraid while riding any bike. If I'm aware of the fact that I'm attached to the bike then I think about how I need to start slowing down to stop ahead so I clipout early. If I'm a little afraid then I'm aware that people may not stop when I'm crossing the riding trail. I always slow down and try to watch the driver to see that they see me, sometimes even if they do they KEEP on driving which always baffles me.

I'm always aware I may have to stop at any second and I'm always a little afraid of what other people will do around me. I never assume they see me but It makes me stay aware that I need to put my feet in the position I need them in in order for me to get out safely and quickly.

I've learned I clip in the same way and I get out the same way. I put my feet in a certain position when I'm getting ready to stop. The big thing is to be aware of other people.

[CyclChyk]

Midgetcycler - EXACTLY the same thing that happened to me when I first went clipless! (I use SPD reversible on my road bike)

Melstar - be brave. I wear my bruises and scabby knees with pride!!! The pain lasts for a minute but the elation and joy I feel when I ride far outweighs any bloodshed I may leave in my wake. Being clipless only makes it that much better! (ok I may have exaggerated the bloodshed but the multiple bruises really are kinda hard to explain at work............

[spokewench]

Re: the guy who was full of crap cause he couldnt unclip when he fell over because he was on his side - you were right he was full of crap!

Let me tell you a silly little story about a silly little girl (Me) who years ago went off to ride a mountain bike race (Sea Otter Classic) in California. This silly little girl was not having a very good day and had faced her worst fear in the first bit of the race when she slipped off an off camber trail and went slip sliding down the side of an embankment. Well, that little slip never hurt her and she was so relieved and off she went again to finish the race. As she was rolling along in the bottom of a meadow, she went around a blind corner and what did she see right ahead of her, but a big puddle of water! Well, the silly little girl had already faced her worst fears of falling down the side of the embankment so she decided in her wisest of moments to just GO RIGHT THRU THE MIDDLE OF THE MUD PUDDLE! Well, much to her surprise, the Silly little girl's front bike tire went down in a hole and over the girl went laying right in the middle of the puddle with her one foot stuck in the pedal (cause there was mud packed in her cleats) and she was up to her armpits in watery mud! As you would imagine the Silly Little Girl looked even sillier when a couple of bike racers came around that corner and from out of the muck she sheepishly told them that the middle of the puddle was not really the best line!

Anyway, to the point of the story, even with all that mud stuck in her cleats, lying on her side in the middle of a huge puddle of muck, the Silly Little Girl WAS ABLE to get out of her pedals and pedal away with head hung low!

Spokewench

[CyclChyk]

ok Silly little girl - when you had your head down cuz of that stupid lil mud puddle you should have held your head up and shouted at the top of your lungs cuz you BEAT THAT FRICKIN' EMBANKMENT! And that stupid mud puddle may leave you bruised and dirty and kicking yourself in the arse for getting suckered by it, but it can't take away what you accomplished on the embankment.

Silly little girl - you go wit' your bad self!!!!