Watch Out-Jennifer Is Clipless!

[Bikingmomof3]

I am back with new clipless pedals and clips on my shoes. Bets on how long it will take before I fall? The pedals are sweet. They a dual clips with an added cage which is removable-I think of it as clipless with training wheels. The pedals are sleek, trim, and very slim. As soon as the temp dips below 100, I will test ride/fall.

[Veronica]

Do you ski?
When I first started with clipless (late 80s) I thought of clipping out as the same motion as getting out of skis. I haven't skied in ages, so maybe it is different now.

V.

[Trekhawk]

Go Jennifer.

[Cassandra_Cain]

Heh....yay Jennifer! You go girl

I remember reading your post about those funky pedals earlier on. I'm sure you'll like these much, MUCH better.

Here's my wager to you:

You won't fall anytime soon, because you'll be vigilant and careful. Then, say 4 months from now, you'll have a little brain hiccup and harmlessly tip over in your living room or at a stop sign. That's what happened to me when I first used clipless pedals years ago :P

[Ninabike]

Congratulations Jennifer!! What Cassandra said. also the following might help:

Think beforehand which foot you naturally put down first when you come to a stop (with me, it's my left). Then remember that your bike will always tip in the direction to which the front wheel is turned. So, unclip foot of choce as you slow; hang that foot down toward the ground; as you stop, turn front wheel slightly toward that side and step on the ground. Your other foot will still be clipped in and ready to go.

Have fun!!
Nina

[Bikingmomof3]

Do you ski?
When I first started with clipless (late 80s) I thought of clipping out as the same motion as getting out of skis. I haven't skied in ages, so maybe it is different now.

V.

Y,
I thought of this same thing late last night/early this morning. I used to downhill ski and race. I was wondering if it was similar to bindings.

Now bindings I can do very, very well.

[Bikingmomof3]

Heh....yay Jennifer! You go girl

I remember reading your post about those funky pedals earlier on. I'm sure you'll like these much, MUCH better.

Here's my wager to you:

You won't fall anytime soon, because you'll be vigilant and careful. Then, say 4 months from now, you'll have a little brain hiccup and harmlessly tip over in your living room or at a stop sign. That's what happened to me when I first used clipless pedals years ago :P

Thank you. I have you down fo 4 months from now...
I am waiting for the huge fireball in the sky to lower in hopes of not melting into my seat. I heard of becoming one with the bike, but with these temps I think that would be an entirely different process.

[Bikingmomof3]

Congratulations Jennifer!! What Cassandra said. also the following might help:

Think beforehand which foot you naturally put down first when you come to a stop (with me, it's my left). Then remember that your bike will always tip in the direction to which the front wheel is turned. So, unclip foot of choce as you slow; hang that foot down toward the ground; as you stop, turn front wheel slightly toward that side and step on the ground. Your other foot will still be clipped in and ready to go.

Have fun!!
Nina

Good tip Nina! Thanks.

[Pascale]

Congrats, I'm looking forward to reports of your progress!!

[Bikingmomof3]

Thanks Pascale.

[Kano]

Never mind the bike tipping, Jennifer!

Get your butt off the seat, plant your unclipped foot firmly on the ground! Don't stay on the seat and try to be tippee toe and hope to stay upright -- safer on the ground! That's my theory, it's worked so far, and I'm sticking to it!

That and think ahead. Someday, perhaps there will be a "no time to think" moment, but hopefully, by then, those pedals will be so automatic....

Skiing -- yes, bindings is a good comparison, though it's easier to see what you're doing clipping into ski bindings....

Karen in Boise, a fellow clipless newbie!

[Bikingmomof3]

Karen,
We are in the midst of a heat wave, so I have been inside clipping and unclipping my shoes into the pedals. It is still such an unnatural feeling to me. I will need a lot more practice before heading out on the road. I am not at all quick about it. I know eventually I will not need to think about where the clip connects, but right now it takes a lot of concentration.

[eclectic]

Just wanted to add my congrats and keep us posted.

I AM sending some cooler air to everyone so you can get out and enjoy.

(I've been thinking though this winter everyone who is in the heat now is going to be saying how great it is and we'll be sitting here with exhorbitant heat bills and -20 temps

[Bikingmomof3]

I look forward to the cool air. It is nasty here.

[Dr. Liz]

Never mind the bike tipping, Jennifer!

Get your butt off the seat, plant your unclipped foot firmly on the ground! Don't stay on the seat and try to be tippee toe and hope to stay upright -- safer on the ground! That's my theory, it's worked so far, and I'm sticking to it!

That and think ahead. Someday, perhaps there will be a "no time to think" moment, but hopefully, by then, those pedals will be so automatic....

Skiing -- yes, bindings is a good comparison, though it's easier to see what you're doing clipping into ski bindings....

Karen in Boise, a fellow clipless newbie!

Ditto! I agree with the above -especially with the don't stay on the seat thing!

I'm new to the whole cycling thing (hi everyone!), and my DH started me off immediately with clipless Shimano SPD pedals*. This was about 2.5 months ago. I had several hard crashes when I started, but that was mostly because a) I'm not the most coordinated person in the world, and b) I tend to panic. I did spend a fair amount of time practicing (and crashing!) in a parking lot before the DH felt I was ready to actually go out on the road. And since then, things have gotten much better.

As for the ski binding analogy, I wouldn't take it too literally: I generally don't want to come out of my ski bindings unless something Very Bad is happening, and it is all happening Very Fast. The clipless pedals, on the other hand, for me, at least, is all about patience. If I calm down, and think about the steps to coming to a stop (extend one leg, clip out of the other pedal, stand up on the extended leg, and put the unclipped foot down), things are good. I've never had the opportunity to think that rationally when coming out of my ski bindings! (Unless I'm going in to the locker room at the end of the day. But that's different! )
Good luck!

And for perspective..., while I have mostly got the clipless pedal thing down I haven't mastered the whole water-bottle-while-riding thing, so I don't think the pedal thing is too difficult if you are patient and aren't inclined to panic (unlike me...).

*Yes, the SPD pedals are technically mountain bike pedals, but I can get into them and out of them, so they work for me on my road bike. Which is all that really matters, right?