clipless for scaredy cats?

[mimitabby]

After a long time of spinning with SPDs and knowing how easy it is to get on the bike (usually) but how hard it can be to get OFF, I did not want to get that system for my new road bike. (Frequently, I have no problem clipping in and out to adjust the seat on a spin bike, but by the end of class I'm stuck in at least one pedal. Once, I had to take my foot out of the shoe and kick at the heel of the thing to get it off the pedal (wrenched up the bottom of the shoe as the cleat tried to turn first despite being screwed on tightly).

So I get Look KEO Sprints with the red cleats, because I'd gotten good feedback on those from friends (well, red KEO cleats in general).

I sat on the bike next to my couch and practiced clipping out a million times, especially with the left. But I couldn't practice clipping in with any speed and stationary tires. I tried to sneak in some practice at the bike shop when I went for a fitting with the pedal system, but the mechanic kept holding the back break until I was clipped in, saying "Wait, you're not in on this side." Duh. I'm trying to figure out if I can do it while pedaling.

I think my problem is not knowing how to pedal with one leg while staying upright, going forward from a stop, and simultaneously trying to stomp down with the other leg. So first 3 seconds on the bike ended with slamming into pavement in the parking lot, of course falling over on the clipped-in side. With a bloody elbow, I move my experiment over to the grass, where I proceed to keep falling over. There, the ground is soft, but I can't get good momentum before clipping in. My problem is getting a hang of nudging the pedal with my toe so that it's right side up and the clip in process is started. Once it happens, I generally have enough power to keep on pedaling (once, on a hill, I didn't, slow-mo fall to the other side).

These things are so slippery if I can't hit it right, how do I get going and get my other foot clipped in without getting lucky right away?

Fall 3 broke the tip off the right cleat, so now it's super loose (I had the springs already as loose as they'd go, which is not loose at all!), and I'm keeping it like that for now, being careful -- no standing, no big hills, so it can be my emergency release get a foot down leg.

Surprisingly, my practice paid off for unclipping with the left, and I didn't fall at all while stopping. I gave myself PLENTY of time, though, as my default coasting position is not my ideal unclipping position. The problem is getting started again. I think I'll get better at stopping, and I'm not going to be riding in traffic anytime soon with all the toppling over. Right now, I'm still pulling off in the grass to stop (just in case) and to start, though getting momentum in the grass is impossible, so if I'm doing this wrong, I'm never going to learn right--particularly since pulling up with the broken cleat is now hard. I could put on the gray ones, but those are so tight. Having a broken cleat kept me vertical even if stationary.

Am I using the wrong system? I thought these platform-like road pedals would be great. My new (non spin class) shoes will not take SPDs, and I don't want to go there. Someone suggested lollipops, but those are so tiny, I'm sure I'd miss those as well. I hope to get the hang of this without removing more skin and causing more bruises.. at least until these heal some.

Thanks for listening to my story.

Hi girl, I read every word. I hope you heal up soon and get the hang of those silly things. please introduce yourself on the getting to know you thread, it sounds like you'll fit right in with the rest of us!

[tygab]

Aica,

I have SPDs and use my shoes both in road and in spin class. I know that at the gym they have the tension MUCH higher than I do on my road bike. I can clip out of (or in) my road bike easily, with almost just a flick. At the gym, I sometimes fumble around for a while to get my clips sorted, and I am sure the rest of the people are thinking does she know how to use them or what?? The difference is on my own pedals I can, and have, set the tension nice and low. The gym ones are stiff/tight - I am not a 170 lb burly guy so the gym pedals are a pain.

I learned clipless after I got my new bike. My bike came with SPDs so I didn't think about it at the time, and SPDs are considered very universal. One other thing I like is that I don't have to worry about sided-ness - with the Looks you can only clip into one side, right?

My relatively newbie comments, so take as you like: I would make sure you adjust your tension down to a very low setting (I guess you have done this). Next, always clip out to the same side. The bike shop manager I purchased from told me this. You want it to be a reflex action. If the left is working, stick with it. As you gain confidence the right side will come along, and you're clipping out on the same side (left) anyway so you don't need to force it.

My husband has the 'lollipops' which are Speedplays, and if/when I upgrade, it'll be to those, because of the two sidedness. I think trying to spin the pedals around to clip in would stress me unnecessarily. Also, I doubt you'll miss them, they're not as small to the foot as they are to the eye... Our friend swapped his SPDs for Looks just recently and while it'd be a stretch to say he regrets it, I don't think he is fully happy with them either. One thing that is better about the non-SPD styles are that you generally get more float, or knee rotation with them. This could help in the long term.

Also, it's ok to pedal unclipped for a while. Just place the heel of your foot on the pedal instead, if you can on the Looks. I have to do this regularly in intersections, or stopped/restarting up hills. It's ok, once you realize that you can pedal without being clipped in.

Of course, there are many many Look users who swear by them. I am sure most have had to go thru what you are experiencing. Every pedal system appears to have a learning process with it.

Edit: To clarify, I unclip left, and leave my right foot in while stopped. So to go again, I push off with the left foot, or have my right positioned at say two oclock ready to push, and clip in my left at my first comfortable time to do so. Sometimes this is right away, sometimes I just leave it unclipped til I have some momentum and have more time to clip in. Usually as Karen points out, simply placing the cleat with mild downpressure on the pedal stroke does it at that point.

[aicabsolut]

Thanks. I do try to always unclip left, start right. The only problem there is when I'm not 100% balanced when I jump off the seat to put my left foot down.

I see what you're saying about SPDs, but the shoes I just bought for the road bike won't work with them anyway. And there are other things about these shoes I like a lot better than my other pair for spinning. I also really really like the float. These pedals are awesome once I get going. So it's between sticking with these or going with Speedplays.

My problem is always *needing* to get the left clipped in on the first try. What you said about figuring out that I can pedal unclipped is key. Because I haven't gotten there yet. I tried a couple of times, though I was in grass because I was sick of falling which is slow, but if I don't get pretty close to making it on the first downstroke with the left, then I slip off the pedal entirely (darn carbon soles), and by this point I'm not in one-legged-pedaling mode anymore. So I go too slow and the slo-mo fall always to the clipped side (right is usually back down at this point) begins. If I'm in the viscinity of the right place, then I'm clipped in right away and things are gravy. It's the building momentum and try again part that I haven't mastered. Any tips for that? I'm searching for the clip with my toe to get the pedal right side up and get the front part engaged, so I don't know if I could switch to heel pedaling so easily. Thanks

[aicabsolut]

Oh, and yes, the springs are as loose as they'll go. I really wish they went looser.

[aicabsolut]

Today was MUCH better, and I replaced the broken cleat. My biggest problem I think is trying to start in waay to high a gear, like forgetting to take it out of the big ring before I stopped last time. Once I toppled over in the grass once and made a couple other short-lived attempts, I got on, dropped some gears, and after that if I'd remember to keep shifting down before a stop, I could actually keep on pedaling with my right leg while the left one figured things out. Stops are getting a tiny bit faster but still make me nervous.

My newest question? How do you stop with these cleats on pavement? I'm mostly pulling off in the grass, but once I stopped on the side of the trail, put my foot down, and it promptly slid out from under me. Luckily, I cought myself and my bike with my gloved hands. The 'walking pads' on the toe of my shoe isn't really big enough to land on without also landing on the cleat.

Just another reason to keep myself out of traffic for a long while.