Fear of Clipless Pedals

[colorisnt]

Thanks, Mary Anne. Tomorrow I will go to a local church parking lot to practice or over to a local school. Regardless, I am going to bring both shoes and give it a shot.

[AMP]

I'm completely sympathetic and have only just this weekend solved the clipless problem.
I started a month ago with Shimano ultegra pedals. Could not for the life of me clip out easily. They were adjusted for the lightest tension--still I had to yank that set my bike to shimmying. Ridiculous.
Finally I went to my lbs and said I wanted to try clips and pedals until I felt safe. They put speedplay light action pedals on my bike and the problem was immediately gone, so much so that I thought it was a joke.
No wonder I felt like an idiot; it really is that easy with the right pedals.
For the time being I cannot use Look, shimano, mavik pedals--that type safely. Certainly not in traffic. I'd be a danger to myself and to motorists, not fair for anyone.
The speedplays are giving me plenty of time to learn and be safe. I can learn to use the other pedals later when I have more confidence and strength and muscle memory.
Be safe first.

[Loraura]

I would spend a week or 2 getting comfortable on the bike in general if you are not accustomed to riding this type of bike.

I would have a LBS check the tension on the pedals and set them to the losest setting.

When you clip out, are you clipping out on only one foot to set it down? That's how most do it. When I go for a ride my left foot clips in at the beginning (before I ever start peddaling) and i stays clipped in until I get off the bike. (Don't make the same mistake I did and learn to clip out with the right foot, it makes chain ring tattoos on me all the time! Clip out on the left while you are learning so it becomes second nature). It may take some practice for balancing the lean. Do this in your non-clip shoes. Try leaving the right foot on the pedal, and only putting your left foot down. Gently lean a LITTLE to the left as you do so that the bike will lean in the direction of your free foot.

Soon enough it will be in your muscle memory to lean the right way, which will avoud toppling over toward the clipped in foot.

I can't say I recommend this BUT when I was learning, I didn't have anyone to teach me the "right" way. So I learned to clip out by actually rotating my foot TOWARD the bike, rather than outward. For some reason I was stronger in that motion. Not sure this works with your type of pedals, but on SPD's it does. I try to swing the foot outward to clip out now, but if I'm in a hurry to unclip, muscle memory takes over, and I swing toward the bike and pop right out.

It sounds like you are fine on the trainer, so you need to practice the leaning of the bike with one foot still on the pedals.

When I come to a stop, I unclip the foot and hang it downward off the pedal. I squeeze the brakes to time my stop to wear my clipped in foot will stop at the bottom of the pedal stroke. As I'm slowing and my clipped in foot is rotating downward I stand up a little, clearing my rear end from the saddle so that I land my clipped out foot down on the ground and I'm standing over the bike, but in front of the saddle. I can not place a foot flat on the ground while still in the saddle. If I tried to, I'm pretty sure I'd fall over.

[colorisnt]

I am good now, guys. I listened to your advice and the advice of my ride group and did great. I went to my grandmother's church (where the parking lot is big, open, and quiet) and talked to myself a lot. I practiced a million times in my tennis shoes. Then, I put on clip on (the left, the one I first put on and take out) and left the other out. That was really simple. I then put on my other and didn't fall NOT ONCE!

It was the tilt of the bike and the tension of those clips that became a problem. I put them on the loosest setting with a 2.5mm Allen Wrench like they told me and life was GOOOOOOD. I rode all over town and even crossed a busy road. I remembered to down shift and pull that left foot out every single time, so I think it is working.

[Catrin]

I am good now, guys. I listened to your advice and the advice of my ride group and did great. I went to my grandmother's church (where the parking lot is big, open, and quiet) and talked to myself a lot. I practiced a million times in my tennis shoes. Then, I put on clip on (the left, the one I first put on and take out) and left the other out. That was really simple. I then put on my other and didn't fall NOT ONCE!

It was the tilt of the bike and the tension of those clips that became a problem. I put them on the loosest setting with a 2.5mm Allen Wrench like they told me and life was GOOOOOOD. I rode all over town and even crossed a busy road. I remembered to down shift and pull that left foot out every single time, so I think it is working.

Yay for you! I am so glad that this worked for you!

[lisathew8lifter]

THANK YOU so much for posting this. I came here with the intention to put something similar because of my own anxiety over clip pedals.

I have been mountain biking for several years and have never once thought about clip pedals despite everyone saying how great they are. I bought my first road bike yesterday and am planning to switch to clip pedals but I'm terrified. This post was extremely helpful and I will take the advice to get used to the bike for a few weeks and then go to a parking lot with a grassy area and go for it.

[tiva]

THANK YOU so much for posting this. I came here with the intention to put something similar because of my own anxiety over clip pedals.

I have been mountain biking for several years and have never once thought about clip pedals despite everyone saying how great they are. I bought my first road bike yesterday and am planning to switch to clip pedals but I'm terrified. This post was extremely helpful and I will take the advice to get used to the bike for a few weeks and then go to a parking lot with a grassy area and go for it.

Don't be terrified! I freaked myself out and delayed getting them for years, but it took only a few minutes to become comfortable. If you can get your LBS to put them on your bike and make the tension as light as possible at first, adjust your cleats, and let you practice on your bike on their trainer for a while, that will really help. But before you try on the grass, make sure you shift down first!

[tctrek]

I'm completely sympathetic and have only just this weekend solved the clipless problem.
I started a month ago with Shimano ultegra pedals. Could not for the life of me clip out easily. They were adjusted for the lightest tension--still I had to yank that set my bike to shimmying. Ridiculous.
Finally I went to my lbs and said I wanted to try clips and pedals until I felt safe. They put speedplay light action pedals on my bike and the problem was immediately gone, so much so that I thought it was a joke.
No wonder I felt like an idiot; it really is that easy with the right pedals.
For the time being I cannot use Look, shimano, mavik pedals--that type safely. Certainly not in traffic. I'd be a danger to myself and to motorists, not fair for anyone.
The speedplays are giving me plenty of time to learn and be safe. I can learn to use the other pedals later when I have more confidence and strength and muscle memory.
Be safe first.

+1 on Speedplay! I've been using them for 3 years and have them on both of my road bikes. You don't need other pedals!

[Catrin]

In what way are the Speedplay pedals different? Can it be described easily? Some may remember my "clipless gymnastics" a few months back - though honestly I think it more due to my lack of bike skills than anything.

[colorisnt]

Clipless gymnastics? I am going to use that the next time I impale myself on my bike! haha.

I rode 27 miles tonight and crossed a huge highway in the pedals. Played it safe and DID NOT rush. My speed is so much more consistent. Here I was going up a hill at 17 miles an hour haha! I finally feel like I own the bike. Unclipping is becoming second nature.

[Catrin]

Clipless gymnastics? I am going to use that the next time I impale myself on my bike! haha.

I rode 27 miles tonight and crossed a huge highway in the pedals. Played it safe and DID NOT rush. My speed is so much more consistent. Here I was going up a hill at 17 miles an hour haha! I finally feel like I own the bike. Unclipping is becoming second nature.

There were many, many, many falls over a three day period and as it was right after the Olympics started this winter it seemed a perfect way to refer to it at the time. I just tried it much too early for me (I just learned how to ride a bike in December) - now I am waiting for everything else to become instinctive/part of muscle memory before I try again. I could certainly see the advantage of the pedals though - when I wasn't practicing my falling over skills I do not fall over anymore, but am gun-shy about trying this soon.

It is so great that the pedals are working for you, that just rocks!

I have Speedplay Light Action and they are just so easy to get in and out of. The pedal and the cleat marry up with almost no pressure or effort. Hard to explain!

This is very interesting to me - so they require no force to get in/out? This is something to think about, I have read in other places that Speedplays are considered by some to be easier than SPDs.

[Crankin]

Catrin, I think you should try some Speedplays. I started on spd's and when I switched to Speedplays, I was wishing that I had had them when I first went clipless. No force needed at all.
There are lots of types of Speedplay pedals. A lot of people here use the Frogs, which are mountain bike pedals (like spds), so they can walk in their shoes. I have the regular Speedplay X pedals, as well as the covers for the cleats, so I can walk around without killing myself!
I have spd pedals on my hybrid and mountain bike and my knees really feel it if I ride them more than 10 miles.

[tctrek]

In what way are the Speedplay pedals different? Can it be described easily? Some may remember my "clipless gymnastics" a few months back - though honestly I think it more due to my lack of bike skills than anything.

I have Speedplay Light Action and they are just so easy to get in and out of. The pedal and the cleat marry up with almost no pressure or effort. Hard to explain!