clipless pedal woes

[DMB]

Thanks so much for all the great suggestions and quick replies. I spent the better part of the morning reading the horror stories of going clipless from men and women, and now I'm not sure I should do this at all! I ride about 20 miles a day, 6x a week - by myself. On path, off a path, down a bumpy street, on dirt, wherever I want to go.......now I'm wondering if clipless is even something I should consider. I'm not going to race, don't really enjoy riding with groups - and if I do anything it's a Randonneur ride where the only one you're racing against is....yourself. I use toe clips now - and like them very much. I also have to tell you that I'm no spring chicken (55) and an injury now would probably take forever to heal and I would be soooooo depressed. So - I guess my question is - what's the reason for going clipless? any real benefit if you're not racing. The toe clips I use now hold my foot in the perfect spot - and that in itself was a challenge - especially locating the correct pedal to go along with it. Small feet are cute and all but ......geesh! thanks again

[Flur]

When I switched to clipless I gained 2mph without changing anything else. It's just more efficient. And, with my pedals at least, it's easier to get out of than toe clips. I ride crank bros candies.

The easiest pedals I've ridden to get out of are speedplay frogs. There's no strength involved in getting out at all. Just turn your foot and they come right off.

BTW- small foot size should actually make it easier for you to get out as your heel doesn't have to turn as far (short lever) to get the same degree of rotation. So I wouldn't blame the little feet.

[Crankin]

I am not the most coordinated person in the world; if I could learn, you can, too. And, I am also 55, although I was 49 or 50 when I switched to clipless...
I practiced on the lawn, but what helped me the most was clipping in with one foot and riding with just one clipped in. I did that for about a month. Then I started clipping in with both feet, but I would constantly unclip one foot and put it back in, to practice how fast I could do it in different situations. Obviously, I did this on quiet streets.
I second the Speedplay pedals.

[DMB]

Thanks again for all the great answers and suggestions. I spent some time reading many reviews on speedplay frogs and no one is saying anything negative. I like that they'll "save your knees" too - had no idea that going clipless would even affect the knees. One more question - do I have to get special shoes or will the shoes I have work? I have your basic Izumi cycling shoes with the 3 holes on the bottom. So, I just get the SF pedals, and the clips that go with SF's for the shoes right? Thanks again for your time. D.

[Eden]

Sorry to say that those pedals may not be compatible with your shoes.... at very least you will probably need a 3 hole to 2 hole adapter - if Speedplay makes one - Frogs owners?

An option for easy to use pedals that do have a 3 hole to 2 hole option are Crank Bros pedals. Their pedals and cleats are all pretty much interchangeable (so you can use the 3 hole cleats from Quattros with the other pedal styles), but their road pedals (Quattro) are just as easy to use as their mt bike pedals (Candy, Eggbeater, etc) in any case. I wear a pretty small shoe myself usually a 5 or 5.5 in street shoes and I've never had any trouble getting into or out of this brand.

[TrekTheKaty]

Don't give up on clipless. There is a learning curve, but now I have to think twice before riding my hybrid with normal pedals. I also find that I'm not positioning my feet correctly without the clipless pedals.

[emily_in_nc]

Lisa,

Your picture is fabulous! You sure look great on your lovely new bike! However, I do think you have some misapprehensions about clipless pedals and the shoes that go with them.

I'm a purely recreational cyclist these days, enjoying short trail/fire road rides on my mountain bike for fitness and fun, not speed or distance (been there, done that back in my roadie days), and I love, love, love my Speedplay Frogs! They are incredibly easy to clip into and out of, and the shoes I have are VERY, VERY comfy. Mountain bike shoes come in all types, from a Cannondale pair I have that look remarkably like your hiking boots, to sleek models that look like road shoes (I have a pair of those too), or the cool Keen Commuter sandals my riding buddy has and loves with her Eggbeater pedals. I got both of my pairs on sale, so they were not very pricey ($39 and $65) and have held up well. My shoes aren't so tight that I can't wear a variety of socks, from thin summer socks to thicker wool winter socks, and having the recessed cleats, walkability is not an issue as it is with road shoes/clips. Sure, I probably wouldn't want to walk in wet mud with cleats, but I don't really ride in it either!

The cleats definitely give me more power and speed on the hills, and they are so easy to clip into and out of that doing so at stops is just no big deal at all, no bigger than it would be to get into and out of Powergrips, I'd imagine.

I definitely believe in live and let live, so I respect your choice of Powergrips over clipless. It's definitely the more frugal choice. I just wanted to point out that some of your ideas about clipless pedals and cleated shoes are not necessarily accurate. I've heard a lot of complaints here about various pedal systems (and I've had my own issues in the past with Speedplay Zeros and Eggbeaters Candies), but I've yet to meet anyone who's tried them who doesn't like/love Speedplay Frogs.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks so much for all the great suggestions and quick replies. I spent the better part of the morning reading the horror stories of going clipless from men and women, and now I'm not sure I should do this at all! I ride about 20 miles a day, 6x a week - by myself. On path, off a path, down a bumpy street, on dirt, wherever I want to go.......now I'm wondering if clipless is even something I should consider. I'm not going to race, don't really enjoy riding with groups - and if I do anything it's a Randonneur ride where the only one you're racing against is....yourself. I use toe clips now - and like them very much. I also have to tell you that I'm no spring chicken (55) and an injury now would probably take forever to heal and I would be soooooo depressed. So - I guess my question is - what's the reason for going clipless? any real benefit if you're not racing. The toe clips I use now hold my foot in the perfect spot - and that in itself was a challenge - especially locating the correct pedal to go along with it. Small feet are cute and all but ......geesh! thanks again

Just throwing one other opinion in here....
I ride more like you- I'm 54, not into group fast rides at all, no competing. I ride in the country and on highways and back roads, mostly either by myself or with my husband, sometimes with a friend or two.
Lots of hills, cold winters.
I use PowerGrip straps, in a way similar to toe clips i guess. Just the right amount of keeping my feet in place securely without being actually locked in.
Here's a picture of me in semi-cold weather biking (40F) with hiking boots, heavy wool socks, and my straps:

I am totally happy with this setup, especially since it allows me to wear comfy sneakers in the summer and warm insulated hiking boots in the winter- I just adjust the straps bigger or smaller seasonally with my change of shoes.
Sure, I wouldn't mind instantly getting 2mph faster....but not if it means I have to wear expensive tight plastic shoes that make my feet go numb, avoid walking on dirt, ice, or mud, have freezing toes in the winter, and lock my feet in and out at every intersection. YUK, no thanks.
Many riders like clipless, many don't. Do what's right for you and what makes you comfortable.

[VeloVT]

I've ridden with toe clips and with clipless pedals, and while toe clips are light years better than riding on flat pedals, clipless pedals still feel much more powerful. The difference is especially noticeable on hills.

I think it just takes some people longer than others to get the clipless thing down. I read here about people who have no problems at all from the very first ride. For me, it took me probably a month before I could reliably clip out when I wanted to (lots of falls and lots of fear in the meantime), and a full summer before I felt really comfortable with them. Now, it's completely automatic and I wouldn't want to be without them. I actually feel more secure and safer with my clipless pedals than I do without them.

I have average sized feet (US size 7.5) and am average size/weight. When I first got my pedals (Ultegra spd-sl), even set to the loosest tension, I found it incredibly difficult to get out of them. I actually brought my bike into the shop and asked them to make sure there was nothing wrong with the pedals or cleats (they must have thought I was ridiculous). Nope, nothing wrong with the pedals. I just didn't have the feel for doing it, it felt awkward and I was probably doing something wrong (for instance, trying to lift up while turning). It also really helps (at least in the beginning) to clip out only at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

Anyway, I now don't find it difficult to clip out at all, either on my pedals or on my boyfriend's stiffer Dura Ace pedals. Once you get the motion right, it feels a lot easier (even though the actual force you need to unclip has not changed).

So, Lisa is right that you shouldn't feel pressured to get clipless, you need to do what works for you, but I wouldn't give up quite yet.

Best of luck!

[chicago]

Thanks so much for all the great suggestions and quick replies. I spent the better part of the morning reading the horror stories of going clipless from men and women, and now I'm not sure I should do this at all! I ride about 20 miles a day, 6x a week - by myself. On path, off a path, down a bumpy street, on dirt, wherever I want to go.......now I'm wondering if clipless is even something I should consider. I'm not going to race, don't really enjoy riding with groups - and if I do anything it's a Randonneur ride where the only one you're racing against is....yourself. I use toe clips now - and like them very much. I also have to tell you that I'm no spring chicken (55) and an injury now would probably take forever to heal and I would be soooooo depressed. So - I guess my question is - what's the reason for going clipless? any real benefit if you're not racing. The toe clips I use now hold my foot in the perfect spot - and that in itself was a challenge - especially locating the correct pedal to go along with it. Small feet are cute and all but ......geesh! thanks again

gosh do not go back!! stay with clipless... you wont be sorry. it's just hard to get used to at first... but soon it will become second nature to clip in and out. you might have the tension too tight and some other adjustments... you need to read like you've been doing. i can't imagine riding in anything but clipless. once you get used to them and do longer rides on them, you will wonder how your rode a bike any other way. hang in there... anything new takes time to get used to

oh and yes you do have to clean them!! when you wash your bike, wash your pedals. dust and dirt get in there and sometimes make it difficult to clip in and out... so keep them clean just like the rest of your bike

[Flur]

I wish I had an answer for you on your shoes and the frogs, but I know that they're designed for a 2-hole shoe and you have a 3-hole shoe and I don't know if there's an adapter. But before you go out and buy a new pair of shoes thinking that Frogs will fix everything, keep in mind that no pedal is perfect for everyone. I'm selling mine with only about 20 miles on them b/c I had major knee issues with them. They are a "great for most" pedal, not a "great for all" pedal.

I second the recommendation to consider the Crank Bros Quattros. They will work with your shoes, they are easy to get in and out of, they have a reasonable amount of float, two-sided, etc. I love my Candies and have never had a hard time getting out (there is a wear in period where you'll want to clip in and out over and over to make them easier, but even when I first got them I had no issues).