Bit the bullet...

[Owlie]

I bought clipless pedals and shoes today. I toyed with the idea of buying Sidis for a bit, but I'm a bit on the broke side. (One day, perhaps.) I wound up buying some cheaper Specialized MTB shoes and M540 pedals. I also thought about buying the Keen sandals (since I have the non-cycling version of it and live in it between March and November), but these were cheaper and means I wouldn't have to buy a second pair of shoes for October onwards. And BF hasn't disowned me for not buying Sidis or for putting SPD pedals on a road bike.

I tried clipping in and out, and apparently I have the opposite problem everyone else does: Getting out is intuitive. Getting in is not.
Any tips for that first clipless ride? I should add that I'm going straight from platforms.

[MommyBird]

You will probably get a few post with such detailed instructions that they tell you when to breath, just not from me, that is not my gift.
I have one suggestion that I never see, even in from the super tech posters.
As I was coming to my first stop on a hard surface, after practicing on grass, my husband said "Oh, I almost forgot, always lean slightly towards your unclipped foot when you stop, otherwise you will fall over on your clipped in side."
I have never forgotten and I have never fallen.
I am sure my day will come.

[Owlie]

I read a few threads about going clipless and now I'm freaked out. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. Part of it is that I'm starting to think about the mechanics of it. At the moment, if I'm stopping, my right foot comes off the pedal. But I also start with my right. It can't work both ways.

Let me see if I'm thinking this through correctly:
1)When starting, clip in right foot, with pedal at 1-2:00 position. Start pedaling.
2)When left pedal is in 1-2:00 position, clip in.
3)When stopping: apply rear brake, unclip left foot from 1-2:00. Brake, lean left, stop.
4)To restart, move right pedal back to 1-2:00, repeat step 1.5-2.

Maybe I should stop thinking about this and go to bed.

[Bike Chick]

Don't overthink it Good luck. I'm sure you will have it down in no time.

[sfa]

First make sure your heart rate is no more than 89 bpm. If it is higher, try some deep breathing or calming meditation to slow it down.

Second, say a brief prayer to Loki, the trickster god, and make an offering (I usually just sprinkle some water from my water bottle, but if I remember it I get better results with Nuun) to ensure a safe experience. Alternately, you can say a prayer to the Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of bicycling, but you have to do the whole rosary if you really want it to work and that just takes so long.

Third, check over your entire bicycle to make sure everything is properly tightened, lubed, and inflated. Remove any speck of dirt or grit from your pedals and cleats. This is critical. One tiny piece of dirt and you'll be thrown from your bike and squished like a bug.

Fourth, straddle your bike and psych yourself up a little bit by telling yourself that Floyd Landis does this all the time and he's a total ***, so if he can do it, surely you can.

Finally, read someone else's advice because I've never ridden clipless in my life. The Floyd Landis thing might work for me, though.

Good luck!

The Loki thing might not hurt too.

Sarah

[TrekTheKaty]

I've been doing it for years, and some days, one shoe won't go (sometimes the cleats just need to be adjusted). The harder I try, the less my shoes want to clip in. Stop. Take a cleansing breath. Gentle pressure while gently moving your foot around to find the right spot (pushing harder doesn't usually help). A a few "Ohms" don't hurt It's kind of an art, I guess.

[ridenread]

I just starting riding clipless this week after two years of deliberating. My best advice would be don't think too much. I was surprised by how easy it actually is and I am not very coordinated at all. It doesn't really matter what position the pedal is in when you clip in and out. I find that I can clip in with my right foot, start pedaling and clip in with the left as I am moving along. When I stop I clip out with my left foot first. I really did not need much practice at all to get the idea it just feel like a natural movement to get the left foot in.

Now given how easy I found it I did get a bit over confident and fell at the end of my driveway on my return home. I did a 30 mile ride and pulled into my driveway to check the cyclometer. I was so focused on the cyclometer that I forgot to clip out and crashed on my left arm. I have my first case of road rash but I survived and will be back out with my clipless pedals again.

[marni]

I have been riding clipless for 4 years. I alternate feet randomly on clipping in and clipping out. some days one foot goes in easily and I have to try "stabbing or stepping dowwn with the other foot several times. It isn't always the same foot. Some days it happens every time I start, some days it only happens once. It's random and the luck of the draw. I don't really know, or care as long as I eventually get clipped in and remain upright and mobile while doing so.

Relax and enjoy your ride. I promise the bicycle police won't stop you or give you a ticket.

marni

[ny biker]

Read this:

http://outside.away.com/outside/body...-20070330.html

You want to be seated right away, before you try to clip in with the second foot. You'll be more stable and better able to pedal with one foot only if you miss on the first attempt with foot #2.

[loopybunny]

Has the tension been adjusted on the pedals so that it's easier to get in and out?

This sounds like the combination I started with when I went clipless. I just made sure the tension was easy for me.

[Owlie]

Has the tension been adjusted on the pedals so that it's easier to get in and out?

This sounds like the combination I started with when I went clipless. I just made sure the tension was easy for me.

I've spent this evening in the garage clipping in and out and giving my multitool a work out. I've got the left set; the right may need a bit more tweaking. The pedals now have names a la Bill Cosby's Himself.

I'm going to try a suggestion of DBF's and ride with a regular shoe on my left (which will stay clipped in due to range-of-motion issues in that ankle) and the bike shoe on the right, so I get the practice clipping in and out on the appropriate foot but still have some insurance. We'll see how tomorrow goes.