I tried clipless pedals on Saturday

[cruziegirl]

I just had a thought for people just going to clipless - maybe try what are called campus pedals. These are pedals with one side that is clipless and the other is just a regular pedal. That way you can clip in just when you want. My sister has always used these because the idea of completely clipless just never appealed - the idea of being in traffic and not being able to unclip, that whole thing. Shimano has a pair that are quite nice. Anyway, this might be a way to ease into the whole clipless thing.

[RoadRaven]

I have never ever heard of pedals where you clip in one side and dont the other!
Wouldn't this mean you use your legs differently? For example, when you try and get up a hill...
I am interested to hear how well this concept works... surely if you don't like to clip in to the pedal, you just avoid cleats and clips?

[CorsairMac]

I have them on my mountain bike. One side of the pedal is a regular clip, the other side is a platform with a flat place in the middle that is shaped like the cleat. That way, when I'm trying to get started somewhere between a rock and a hard place, I'm not trying to deal with clipping in at the same time. Or if I think the trail is getting just a tad too rough, being a newbie, I can unclip and flip the pedal over. Then if I fall, I don't have to worry about unclipping at the same time.

[cruziegirl]

Yep, that's exactly the way my sister uses them only on the road. She doesn't want to have to try to get going from a dead stop at a light or in the middle of traffic and also be trying to clip in. So she gets going and then clips in. She says that she will ride with her plant foot unclipped as a just-in-case when we're likely to have to stop. Seems to work really well for her.

[roughingit]

I use mine on the platform side more than the other side lol! I wear my biking shoes when I'm out riding on long roads, but if I know I'm just going about town and making tons of stops here and there, it's much easier to just wear normal shoes.

That and I'm still a bit nervous about using them downtown with all the stop and go

[RoadRaven]

OK, I am getting a picture of how useful these pedals can be in MtB rides... but I still wonder about being on the road and having your legs working in different ways (given that with cleats you can pull up a little)... do these pedals work at speed, or is it better like Cruzie's sister uses them, at slower speeds in town?
I just find the whole idea fascinating, though it doesn't appeal to me to try. i think I'd confuse myself.

[cruziegirl]

OK, I am getting a picture of how useful these pedals can be in MtB rides... but I still wonder about being on the road and having your legs working in different ways (given that with cleats you can pull up a little)... do these pedals work at speed, or is it better like Cruzie's sister uses them, at slower speeds in town?
I just find the whole idea fascinating, though it doesn't appeal to me to try. i think I'd confuse myself.

Yeah, I think it would confuse me too but my sister really prefers it. The only time she has one in and one out is when she's going really slow and thinks she may have to stop. The rest of the time she clips in both feet and they work just like regular clipless pedals.