Fear of Clipless Pedals

[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.

[Catrin]

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.

Thank you for this information, it does sound worthy of the experiment once my finances recover from the LHT conversion and I get a few more miles under my belt.

I DO see the advantage of being clipped in somehow, and since I refuse to use toe clips I do have to deal with the issue of my feet sometimes sliding around/off of my BMX pedals though it is generally only a problem in the first few hundred feet after starting. I have several rides coming up this month, and a club ride in hilly southern Indiana in mid-July, perhaps after then.

[colorisnt]

Wow. You learned to ride in December and THEN tried the pedals? You are brave! I have been riding since age 4 and have good balance and I was so terrified! I have done so many stupid things on a bike and not fallen that it isn't funny. It's been at least 10 years since I had fallen off, so I was not expecting it. Good for you for getting back on that bike! I probably would have been too terrified to do so!

Ah!

And pedals definitely help with the sliding on hills. My feet used to slip a bit on the ascents without the clips. I don't really have that issue with the LOOK pedals.