clipless for scaredy cats?

[eclectic]

I put Frogs on my road bike and am very happy with the decision

My road shoes clip into the frogs plus I have the option to wear my mtn bike shoes.

I don't wear the road shoes for aerodynamic reasons - I am pretty much a hill slug (although a faster one now ) I need them for riding long distances, the soles are stiffer and give better support on rides over 40 miles long. (This is repeated in claims from all my riding partners who do rides of 40 miles plus)

When I am bumming around town, or doing shorter rides with some touring involved I wear my mtn bike shoes so I can walk in stores, visitor centers etc.

So my vote goes for the versatile frogs (you can clip in and out on both sides)

The spd reversible could be a good solution too

It all depends on your riding style, where, when, how far and what you do when you get there

[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!!!!

[Melstar]

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

And she pedalled off into the sunset happily ever after

[Crankin]

Well, not burst anyone's bubble, but I have crashed twice and both times I was lying in the road, on my side, still attached to the bike, and it was very difficult to get out. One time, my husband had to twist my foot to get me unattached from my bike. This is with regular Speedplays, which I love, double sided and VERY easy to get in and out of if you are upright! But, I have heard that it is not uncommon for you to stay attached to them if you fall.

[Bad JuJu]

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!

I'm impressed that, even lying in the muck, you could still manage an ironic and funny little line to other bikers. Never lose your sense of humor, you Silly Little Girl!

[quint41]

I'm a newbie, too. And I was afraid of going clipless, although every week my group friends would tell me that I HAD to go clipless. When I went to LBS and was fitted for my new bike, the first thing he told me was that I had to go clipless to improve both power on the bike AND posture. I left there with pedals and shoes.

I have the SPD's (mountain bike shoes and pedals). He did tell me it would be easier to get out of those than the LOOK style. He adjusted the pedals so they are at their loosest possible point. I have ridden about 4 or 5 times on them, and (knock on wood) I haven't fallen over yet! Everyone tells me I will, and I'm afraid of that day. But, so far, so good!

Whenever I approach a traffic light or something that I may need to stop for, I just twist my angle outward and the shoe pops right off the pedal. I dangle that foot out and prepare to lean and put my foot down on the road as I stop. Always the left foot, as that is the foot I always tended to balance on anyway. I've had people tell me that it's smart to get used to using the same foot so you don't forget or get confused when you stop. So far, so good! Go for it!

[littlegrasshopp]

When I still had my road bike I road with Speed Plays and loved them. The only word of caution was that I had to be pretty careful not to get dirt in them. I carried cleat covers. They were easy to get in and out of and I never had a zero mph crash with them. I'd tried two other kinds but they never worked out well for me.

I'm trying to switch to clipless on my mountain bike but every time I get close someone tells me a horrible crash story from when they switched. So far I'm working on the trainer clipping in and out, in and out

[KSH]

I did not read all of the responses, so forgive me if I repeat what someone else has said.

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?

I started on this type of pedal. The shoes were great, because I could walk in them, but the clips were NOT EASY to get in/out of. Sure, it got better with practice, but they weren't very easy.

Then I switched to Speeplays (looks like a lollipop). They are SO EASY to get in/out of. Downside? You have to get road shoes (not as comfy as mountain biking shoes) and don't expect to walk too far in them... as the cleat on the bottom sticks out.

When I still had my road bike I road with Speed Plays and loved them. The only word of caution was that I had to be pretty careful not to get dirt in them. I carried cleat covers. They were easy to get in and out of and I never had a zero mph crash with them. I'd tried two other kinds but they never worked out well for me.

The cleats can get junked up with dirt and it makes it challenge to clip in/out after that.

Of course, I have only encountered this situation when I am on a bike rally walking through mud/dirt. I fixed that problem by tying plastic bags around my feet at the rest stops... the cleat covers never stayed on for me. Sure, everyone looked at me like I was *nuts* but my cleats didn't get dirty.

Unfortunately, at the Hotter N Hell ride, I forgot to do this! I have attached a picture of me cleaning my cleats!



Good luck in making your decision.

[midgetcycler]

Then I switched to Speeplays (looks like a lollipop).

Do you ever hear people saying that these break easily? I saw one of these in the middle of the road on my Tour de Pink ride Sunday (or Tour de Boobs as I saw amelia05 call it). There was no screw to attach it to the bike, just the little round thingy you clip your shoe onto.

it was at the beginning of the ride too. I sure felt bad for that guy.

[KSH]

Do you ever hear people saying that these break easily? I saw one of these in the middle of the road on my Tour de Pink ride Sunday (or Tour de Boobs as I saw amelia05 call it). There was no screw to attach it to the bike, just the little round thingy you clip your shoe onto.

it was at the beginning of the ride too. I sure felt bad for that guy.

Well, I haven't heard that.

I have had mine for over 1 year and around 2,500 miles and they are in 100% perfect condition.

[emily_in_nc]

Do you ever hear people saying that these break easily? I saw one of these in the middle of the road on my Tour de Pink ride Sunday (or Tour de Boobs as I saw amelia05 call it). There was no screw to attach it to the bike, just the little round thingy you clip your shoe onto.

My husband and I have been riding Speedplay X-2's for years, many thousands of miles overall, and have never had one break. It's possible that the less expensive models they make now (X-5??) are not as robust, however.

Emily

[indysteel]

I totally recommend clipless pedals, although they do take some practice. I purchased two bikes this year. The first was a Trek FX hybrid. It came with Wellgo SPD clipless pedals, but the LBS switched them out for Shimano one-sided SPDs. I bought some Nike touring shoes with recessed cleats to use with them that are pretty comfortable.

Before hitting the road, I practiced getting in and out of the cleats by propping myself up in a doorway. After working on it for a bit, I started to develop a sense of where the cleat was in relation to my foot and the pedal. They were pretty easy to use after that. Admittedly, I did take the obligatory fall on one of my firsts rides, but quickly learned my lesson. Within a couple of weeks, I was only using the clipless side of the pedals.

A couple of months later, I bought my first road bike--a Bianchi Eros Donna. It, too, came with Wellgo SPDs, but I immediately swapped them out for Keo Sprints. These have taken a little more of an adjustment. I practiced using them at the LBS while the bike was on a trainer. My first couple of rides, however, were still kind of tough. I ended up loosening the tension on the pedals quite a bit and then practicing in a parking lot. Keo's sort of float backwards when you're not clipped in. So to clip in, you have to first push the pedal down with your toe. It's taken some time for that action to become fluid and automatic. I still sometimes have to get all the way through an intersection before getting clipped in.

Anyway, here are a few observations:

Everybody seems to have a preference when it comes to brand/type. I talked to the guys at my LBS a lot before settling on the Keos Sprints. Weight wasn't that big of an issue, but in the Look/Keo line, some pedals have more adjustable tension than others. Your LBS should be able to explain that factor to you. Also, if you have knee problems, talk to your LBS about using a pedal/cleat system that has some "float."

Everybody has a preference when it comes to road shoes too, although SIDIs seem to be the most popular. Try on as many as you can. I ordered my first pair off of Nashbar. They weren't women-specific and while they fit okay, they weren't great. I then bought a pair of SIDA Zetas for women that fit much better. Whether you go with a mountain/touring or road shoe, make sure that they're well-ventilated, big enough to allow for some foot swelling, and are compatible with the type of pedal that you've purchased. Insoles can help make them more comfortable too.

Always unclip the same foot when you come to a stop. In my opinion, this helps use of the pedals become more automatic, and you're less likely to fall. If there's any chance that I'm going to have to stop, I unclip my left foot but then I keep the foot on the pedal so that if I don't end up stopping, I can easily just push down and clip back in. I only unclip my right foot when I stop along the side of the road to eat something or actually dismount the bike.

Be patient with yourself. There is a learning curve but considering how many riders swear by clipless pedals, it's easily surmounted. Just stick with it.

In my opinion, it's worth it to pay a fitter to make sure your cleats are positioned correctly on the shoe. When my LBS installed my cleat, they essentially approximated where the cleats should be. A month later, I had a professional bike fitting that included cleat positioning. The fitter measured my foot and precisely reset the cleat to maximize my power and comfort.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Kate

[ReneeLynne]

Wow, what great responses!!!!!!! Thank you so much to all of you.

OK, so as I'm continuing to assimilate all this information, here are a couple questions for clarification --

1. Do all road clipless systems come with non-recessed cleats, or do some of them have recessed cleats? In other words, to get the recessed cleats (which would seem to be good since I have a habit of riding my bike to Starbucks) do I have to get a mountain bike system?

2. Is it totally impossible or highly damaging to walk on the non-recessed cleats, or just a huge nuisance?

3. Everyone is saying to allow room in the shoes for foot swell, and I've noticed on the other boards that a lot of folks with clipless systems seem to have sore big toes . But how much room is the right amount? Should they feel totally loose all around, or just a bit too long, or too long and too wide?