clipless pedal woes

[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).