pedals/clips/clipless 101?

[wackyjacky1]

oooh, I like those half clips! How do you think it compares to clipless as far as how much extra power you get from them?

I haven't done clipless, so I can't say for sure. I like the half-clips 'cause I can wear any old shoe and still jump on my bike. But I recently acquired a pair of Exustar mtb shoes from a fellow TE-er, and I've found that it's the stiff sole from a cycling shoe that makes all the difference as far as extra power in my pedal stroke. (There are no cleats installed on the shoes, so I just use 'em with my regular pedals & half-clips.)

[tandemrider48]

Good Morning All...

I am a newbie to TE as well.......

Looking for advice on what others do, when their feet become sore and numb, especially on long rides.

My husband and I ride a tandem, will be riding in the MS 150 from Houston to Austin this coming weekend.

I have changed shoes, have watched my form, but, still have some distances my feet will become painfully numb.

Any suggestions?

Gina in Houston

[pinkbikes]

Hi tandemrider48

I have two pairs of road shoes and three pairs of mtb shoes (yes - so help me I do identify with Imelda Marcos - but mtb shoes get dirty and I need at least one pair I can keep clean to wear to work/touring...).

The road shoes (Shimano and an old pair of Adidas Eddy Merckx) rarely give me any trouble, and if I do get a little numbness on a long ride, a quick wriggle of the toes seems to sort that out.

The mtb shoes I regularly wear to mtb (Shimano skate shoe sort of style and Wellgo racing style) are also great. I suspect that the fact that you are so mobile when you ride mtb means that there is less repetitive movement and more natural "wriggle" happening in the toes anyway, so there is less likelihood of numbness.

But the latest pair I bought to keep clean and wear to work for commuting between appointments (and the odd bit of touring on the tandem when I want to look presentable) are Exustar and a funny narrow fitting. They feel ok when I put them on but there is a pressure point under the outside of my right ball that starts to tingle and get numb - sometimes before I even get on the bike! I am starting to wonder if I crank them up too tight because they are lace-ups?

So maybe it is about the shoes? Also I have worn shoes that were not so rigid and found that the small platform of the SPDs did create a high pressure spot because the load was not spread so well. An inner sole helped a bit.

Try wearing the shoes a little looser (your feet will swell while you're out) and wriggle those toes a bit (especially if you've been grinding away in the same position for a long time). If that doesn't fix it then you may need to look at different shoes?

[hipmama]

alrighty, I got my new bike today! Pedals are SPD- so from what I gather, I can get pretty much any cycling shoe, and just have to have the SPD cleats put in, yes?

[pinkbikes]

Wahoo! Very exciting. Bet you can't wait to get out on that puppy!

If they are SPD pedals you can just get pretty much any shoe as long as they are drilled for a two bolt cleat. It may be best to take the SPD cleat with you when you go to buy them so you can check for sure that the holes line up, because sometimes you get a knucklehead of a shop assistant who just assumes they'll be ok and gives you that "yeah it'll be fine" thing with the airy wave. And then you get home it it isn't really fine!

An MTB shoe will probably be better just from the point of view that the SPD cleat recesses into the sole and does not usually protrude beyond the tread of the shoe. This makes it a bit more stable for walking in and it doesn't scratch your floor! Also if you end up getting SPD pedals for your tandem you will be able to wear them for touring on it too and still be able to walk around like a normal human at the end of the day (not like a duck)! I only take one pair of shoes when we tour - the MTB ones.

The only down side of an MTB shoe is that if you decided later that you wanted to go all hardcore roadie and buy a more roadie-style pedal and cleat system it is quite likely that the roadie cleat will be too large to fit on the MTB shoe. It' a one way thing.... plenty of roadie shoes will take SPD cleats but most SPD style shoes won't take roadie cleats (well the three bolt ones anyway)!

[tctrek]

Great! Let us know how you make out getting your shoes and getting the cleats on the shoes... that can be fun! +1 on recommending MTB shoes. You can walk in them.

[hipmama]

Yup, I'm all over the MTB shoes- must be able to walk around- double time for the tandem, all those times I have to walk the kiddo out to the right place to squat behind a tree and stand guard for her
I can't wait, it's killing me! Going to go browsing tomorrow but am really hoping to pick up a used pair as money is going in many directions right now- oy!

[pinkbikes]

Yup, I'm all over the MTB shoes- must be able to walk around- double time for the tandem, all those times I have to walk the kiddo out to the right place to squat behind a tree and stand guard for her

ROTFL!!

I can NOT get mine to squat behind a tree. I cannot the count the number of times since she was a wee thing that she has been "DESPERATE to GO MUM!!!" but it didn't really matter where or when, I have NEVER been able to convince her to go behind a tree. I'm sure she thinks something is going to crawl up and bite her behind! Maybe a bit of grass tickled her butt once or something?

[wildeny]

Hello, today I first road-tested it inside the campus. No fall.

I use MTB pedals (Exustar E-PM811) on the road bike. Already read many tips on the Internet (here & the road bike forum). I set the tension to the lowest and rode slowly to learn how to clip the other foot in after taking off. It's not really difficult at all.

The only problem I noticed is when I tried to practice in releasing my right foot first and stop, because I'm not used to leaning to the right for stopping and I am afraid of doing so. I ended up jumpping from the seat and standing on both feet. Well, I will have to practice to use my right foot for balance on my commute bike first. Just in case I need to do so.

[pinkbikes]

It's OK wildeny - you just have to move to Oz! I have a total mental blank about clipping out my right foot too!

This would be because I am a short person who cruises up to the kerb at the traffic lights, unclips my left foot (since we drive on the left hand side of the road) and plonks it unceremoniously upon the kerb until the light changes. Right foot remains resolutely clipped in.

It has never really caused me any trouble through the twenty-something years I have had clipless pedals because they don't look like they are changing the side of the road we drive on anytime soon!!

However, I have had to get my act together and educate my right foot since I started mountain biking. The convenient rock or high side of the track is not always nicely coordinated and sitting there on my left!

Well done on managing a first ride clipless without a gumby stack though! My DH says that if I look up the word "gumby" in the dictionary there are pictures of my two stacks in the MTB race the other week! He was behind me for both. Should I be suspicious?

[txred9876]

It's OK wildeny - you just have to move to Oz! I have a total mental blank about clipping out my right foot too!

Its my left foot! I have just started using them and already fallen a few times. I just get back up like nothings wrong and move on...LOL

tina

[tctrek]

The only problem I noticed is when I tried to practice in releasing my right foot first and stop, because I'm not used to leaning to the right for stopping and I am afraid of doing so. I ended up jumpping from the seat and standing on both feet. Well, I will have to practice to use my right foot for balance on my commute bike first. Just in case I need to do so.

wildeny, I have found that unclipping left foot first works best for me. You can unclip it in advance of the stop. Try to unclip and just let your left leg hang down a little in front of the pedal, you are braking/coasting to the spot where you want to stop. Right foot is still clipped in and most likely in the down pedal position. When you are ready to stop, fully engage the brake and just put your left foot down to complete stop. Obviously, you have to leave the saddle to get your left foot all the way down on the road. Leave your right foot clipped if you are just stopping for a stop sign or some obstacle. Make sure to keep your brake engaged so you don't roll off with your right foot clipped... you are a one legged girl on a skateboard at that point! Bike is leaning a little to the left.

When you're ready to go, just lift your right foot to about 2 o'clock position, push off on your right and hoist yourself back into the saddle. Now you're rolling and can clip in your left foot again. I have found that I sometimes have to make one or two pedal strokes to get my darn left foot re-clipped. That's ok, cause your right foot can make slow revolutions while you get the left foot clipped again.

If you repeat this over an over an always do it exactly the same, eventually it becomes a habit and clipping in/out is natural.

You can do this fast as well, if you don't know in advance that you have to stop, you can quickly unclip left, apply full brake, hop down from saddle and plant your left foot leaving right foot clipped in.

I have seen people unclipping on the right and even unclipping both feet at once and hopping down and it looks incredibly difficult to me... maybe because I am now brainwashed to unclip on the left. Also, on the trainer or spinning bike, it's opposite for me, unclip on the right.. but I'm used to that as well.

[Michi1244]

Hi everyone,

I just started riding. I bought the cleats and pedals, but i am having a horrible time with the clips. would it be dumb to just go back to regular pedals?

[alpinerabbit]

Well, it depends.

If you intend to do serious distance, it would be dumb as you get better power, can last longer, and prevent muscular imbalance...

But if you need some more time to get comfortable with the bike per se, go back, but not for too long...

[wildeny]

Make sure to keep your brake engaged so you don't roll off with your right foot clipped... you are a one legged girl on a skateboard at that point! Bike is leaning a little to the left.

This point is really important. I had a clumsy stop because I didn't apply brake firmly enough.

Michi1244, what's your problem with clips? Everyone has his/her way of learning clipless pedals.

I didn't install my SPD pedals right after I bought them. I am a new roadie so I take some time to get use to a road bike first. I was also afraid of falling. But then I remember someone's saying, "it will all be mental." As long as one know how to cruse on bike. Just remember to clip out before roll into a stop.

I used the approach tctrek described, and test rode in a parking lot. After I took off, I looked ahead and tried to feel the side of my left pedal (mine is SPD on one side and regular on the other) while pedaling slowly. Sometimes it took few pedals to clip in my left feet, but that's all right. Just don't look down (you can have a quick glimpse though). And think you won't fall.