clipless for scaredy cats?

[mary9761]

right now I'm still on the Navigator 50 and I'm using toe cages. I hope that when I get a road bike that it will at least have me a bit more prepared for clipping in and out. I've only fallen a couple times with the cages when I was making a sharp turn and lost balance. Of course it had to be in front of the gorgeous chocolate roadie that had just spoken to me and 3 skinny chickies that had just stepped onto the MONON. One of my feet was trapped under the bike and nearly tangled in the derailleur. The roadie came over to help and strained to pick up the nearly 50# bike off of my foot. I was embarassed, but ok.
I've already talked to several at The Bike Line in both Carmel and Downtown, that when I make the move to a road bike, I will likely go to the pedal types with the platform on one side and clip on the other. I use my bike for everything (basically IS my car) so I will more than likely also use mtb shoes that will clip in and out. This way I won't have to worry about the cleat (waddle) or scratching floors in stores.
Mary

[ReneeLynne]

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)

I'm a hill slug too....steep hills really irritate my asthma, although I'm starting to take some spinning classes in the hope that the higher resistance training will help me fight that. What is it about the mountain bike shoes that's better aerodynamics for the hills? Also, I do ride over 40mi a couple times a month and am working toward a 1st century in the spring....

[SadieKate]

. . . Of course it had to be in front of the gorgeous chocolate roadie that had just spoken to me . . .

Am I showing some lack of street cred? What does this mean?

[mimitabby]

Am I showing some lack of street cred? What does this mean?

either something to eat or a brown bike? that's a good idea, a brown and tan bike! that would be beautiful!

[mary9761]

Originally Posted by mary9761
. . . Of course it had to be in front of the gorgeous chocolate roadie that had just spoken to me . .

Am I showing some lack of street cred? What does this mean?

sorry, I meant to say he is a gorgeous African American gentleman that I've met at some of the rides and the LBS. He looks a LOT like a young Billy Dee Williams.
I hope I didn't offend anyone, it was really not my intention..

[betagirl]

You've gotten a lot of good tips. I personally have found clipless pedals easier to manage than toe clips. It's pretty straight forward to get your foot out of a clipless pedal.

I started with Bebop's, but those are pretty rare and were something my LBS carried. They look similar to speedplays. After about a year or so, I switched to Look pedals/cleats. I like thsoe better. Very easy to get in and out of. I gave my Bebop's to my friend who was getting started with clipless, and she did great. She fell more with the toe clips

Good luck!

[indysteel]

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?

Renee, the non-recessed/recessed cleat issue is partly a function of the pedal and partly a function of the shoe. I think most "road" systems, i.e., the pedal plus the shoe, are non-recessed. That would include Look, Speedplay, and Time pedals to name a few of the more popular systems. SPD pedals are used (I think) primarily with touring and mountain shoes that have recessed cleats. There's certainly nothing wrong with using those on a road bike. I know plenty of roadies who just find a recessed cleat easier to use, especially for touring. The bikes used for my gym's spinning class also have SPD pedals.

It's not impossible to walk in a non-recessed cleat, although I wouldn't recommend going too far in them. They're a little treacherous on kitchen floors and the like, but it helps if you remember to put the weight in your heels as you walk in them. There's also a product on the market called Kool Kovers that are plastic covers that slip over the cleats. They make them for both Look (and Look-style) and Keo cleats. They're available from a variety of online retailers and cost about $10-15. I bring them with me when I know I'm going to walk in my road shoes. Otherwise, I leave them at home.

As for swelling: The guy who sold me my SIDIs put me in a women's size 40. That's about a half-size bigger than what I wear in regular shoes. Even with that, they sometimes get a wee bit snug by the end of a long ride. I like the shoe though. They're light and easily adjustable with three velcro straps. My other pair of shoes were by Vittoria and were a men's size 39. They were a little big/wide for me but otherwise light and comfortable. I also think it helps to wearing cycling/running specific socks. They're generally thinner and more absorbant than regular athletic socks.

I hope that helps!

Kate

[postiechic]

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

so what's wrong with the Wellgo pedals? My Trek came with em too(one side clip, one side platform) but I only used em for the first time yesterday. Are they not a very good pedal? Just curious.

[KSH]

so what's wrong with the Wellgo pedals? My Trek came with em too(one side clip, one side platform) but I only used em for the first time yesterday. Are they not a very good pedal? Just curious.

Well, I am sure they good pedals... but when I have seen someone in action with them... it was just plain DANGEROUS. Why?

Because we (my friend and I who were riding) would start from a light, in traffic, and her head was down for a couple of BLOCKS and she was trying to find/flip around the pedal for the side that she needed to clip her cleat into. Worried me the whole time.

The idea of the pedals is great... but in reality, they seem to be a lot of work... from what I observed.

[postiechic]

Because we (my friend and I who were riding) would start from a light, in traffic, and her head was down for a couple of BLOCKS and she was trying to find/flip around the pedal for the side that she needed to clip her cleat into.

Well yeah..good point.....but it shouldnt take you that long to find the right side....and besides, with practice, finding the right side would/should get easier all the time.

[SouthernBelle]

SPD pedals are used (I think) primarily with touring and mountain shoes that have recessed cleats. There's certainly nothing wrong with using those on a road bike. I know plenty of roadies who just find a recessed cleat easier to use, especially for touring. The bikes used for my gym's spinning class also have SPD pedals.

nope.

[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.

[Duck on Wheels]

Well yeah..good point.....but it shouldnt take you that long to find the right side....and besides, with practice, finding the right side would/should get easier all the time.

Yes, finding the right side gets easier. Thanks to sister Trek420's coaching, I do NOT look down to find the connection. I flip the pedal with my toe if I need to, sometimes multiple times, line my foot up and slide it in. Click. No look. And I don't stress out about clipping in, because I also practice riding with one or both feet free for a few yards til I'm in the flow and out of the intersection I clipped out for. I think maybe this friend who has her head down focused on the pedals has not had the friendly-but-strict coach I had who got me over that (thanks, sis!). Now she needs to break the habit. I'm now fine with the reversible pedals. I still envision needing them (once my bike finally gets here), f'rinstance for days when I ride out to the woods wearing hiking boots.

[spindizzy]

I knew I would fall with clipless..it was just a matter of time. Twice on the same day, in fact, both coming to a stop and forgetting to clip out...
My mantra: "Save the bike." No scratches on bike; bruises and scratches on me and my ego... I figure, if I'm going to fall, relax and let it happen.
Happened again in the summer, trying to climb a gravelly hill with my road bike. (what was I thinking?) Tires started to spin..going nowhere. Falling. "Save the bike." Looked like a turtle on it's back, still clipped in, hands still gripping the handlebars.. Another lesson learned and no scratches or dents on my bike. I do believe that I'm done falling for the year..when the weather turns nasty, I'll be safe on my trainer in the basement....(Has anyone fallen off their trainer?)

[postiechic]

ok..well... after a couple of days with these Wellgo pedals I can honestly say "what's the fuss?!" Fairly easy to flip pedal to the clip side, easy enough to clip in and easy to clip out after some adjustment to the tension. No big deal, really. Shaving a good 5 mins or so off my ride to work without even really trying! Neat-o!