clipless pedal woes

[ginny]

Oh man, I did not move to the Looks very gracefully. Let me tell you my thinking on it. Last season I had SPD pedals, this season I read about a great shoe then I found a good deal on it, and bought it without much research. The upshot is, it was a road shoe and I couldn't use the SPDs... duh! Anyway, I bought looks and tried the grey cleats. When I first started using them, I fell over all the time. I had horrible lumps on my legs for a good long time. I have put a lot of miles on my bike this summer, and the cleat/pedal system seems to have loosened up quite a lot. I think I had to sort of break in the cleat part. It is WAY easier to clip unclip now. So, yes, it has a steep and painful learning curve, but also, the cleats do 'break in' (break down?) a bit and become much easier to get in and out of the pedal. So, I would suggest to keep at it. It was a miserable early season in terms of falling off my bike, but when my friends and I started laughing at the lumps on my legs and celebrating every ride without a topple by me, it became a bit more comical Good luck - I totally know what you are going through.

[Grog]

Hi DMB and welcome to TE! If you have a chance, please take a minute to introduce yourself in the sticky thread at the top of Open Topic (Getting to Know You).

There might be a problem with the pedal (it happens - I mean THAT pedal, not the whole R450 series) but I would suggest that you do as others have suggested and 1) verify that the tension is really on the loosest setting (towards the - sign) and 2) Put the bike on a trainer, or next to a wall, or to a hip-high counter, and practice clipping in and unclipping, with maybe someone to help you guide your foot. Do just one foot at a time. I don't know what you mean by "kick out of the pedal" but for me that motion had nothing to do with a kick and everything with a rotation of my ankle to push my heel towards the outside. In those pedals for me there is no upward motion, just an outward motion of the heel. It does not have to be a violent move but it does require some strength, and I can testify that when I started riding clipless my ankles were not as strong as they are now. There might also be a "break in" factor.

You can put your feet flat on the floor (barefoot) and practice pushing your heels out (thus your toes will point in) while keeping your whole foot on the floor. For me it really mobilizes the same muscles and gives me the same feeling.

I have seen children riding with clipless pedals so I don't think the size of your foot is a big factor, but perhaps it does force you to push your heel relatively further out than a guy who wears size 13 shoes.

You can also have someone a bit more experienced try your pedals and see what they think/feel.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[SadieKate]

Grog's answer is very comprehensive. The only thing I would add is to be sure you are not lifting your heel while rotating it outward.

[alpinerabbit]

SPD pedals should be very easy to get out of.

The whole clipless experience is not designed to be painful... to talk to the store you bought them from.

[batsheva]

dont kick - just slowly rotate your heel outwards just using your ankle joint to do so--

try straddling the bike at home maybe and just clipping in on one foot, keeping the other firmly on the floor and practice doing this heel rotating-outwards manaoevre - no lifting of your foot - just your heels rotating outwards---

bat

[uforgot]

I second the "keep one foot down and practice". I found it really difficult to turn my heel outward, so by accident, when I first got them, I turned my heel inward and that's how I always clip out. I can't ski either, my toes and knees just have a hard time going in that "heels out, knees and toes in" direction.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Can you practice with your bike on a trainer or some other 'hands free' way of staying upright and still?

I had SPDs and had them cranked as loose as I could get them and I still crashed and was still clipped in. It's a mystery to my friends and the LBS as other people have no problems. And I have BIG FEET! Haha...
For mtn biking I don't use them at all, but on the road, well when the foot is better, I will. If you are mtn biking with them, I would try doing your getting in and out on the road or a very easy trail first.

[Di bear]

SPD pedals should be very easy to get out of.

The whole clipless experience is not designed to be painful... to talk to the store you bought them from.

Right on. I've used a couple models of SPDs and prefer them because they are so easy to get out of. You must make sure the tension is set to the easiest setting, for real. It may help to stop into your trusty bike shop for some assistance. :-)

Also, if you're riding in muddy conditions, that can make it difficult to clip out. Just kick the pedal to knock the mud off.