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

[Catrin]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/

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

[Chicken Little]

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

[Eden]

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

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

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

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

[chicagogal]

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

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

I am with Eden on this.

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

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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

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

[Crankin]

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

[GLC1968]

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

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

[sarahspins]

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

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

[Catrin]

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

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

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