The thing about being a new rider...

[Blue_Fedora]

I stayed with cages for a long while... and at first had a few tumbles with them due to my inability to get the timing right when it came to getting out.

I just switched to clipless in May and did very well on the trainer... and very well in the cul-de-sac near our home... and very well in a flat section of off-street bike path. I had good confidence after all that Then I took the bike out on a real street during the early morning weekend hours and did very well there... UNTIL... until on the return journey I had to navigate a particularly hairy (to me) section of road where there was oncoming traffic (though in honesty the traffic was quite a bit away). Mentally it was too much to handle the traffic, the road, the clipping out... and that was the end of it. Tremendous tumble that resulted in my left knee being terribly torn up and road rash across my left butt-cheek. I finally got myself together and resumed heading back to where my car was parked. Then at a complete standstill with the left side clipped out beautiful and just standing there, I just lost my concentration and leaned to the right and that was all she wrote. I experienced the longest tumble ever... it amazed me how long it took between my "oh crap, I'm falling over" thought and the actual hitting of the ground. Felt. Like. Forever. LOL! So from that one day I was torn up on both sides.

Mentally that messed me up and since then I've only been able to use clipless in the cul-de-sac. DH said it would be damaging to the cranks to keep putting on and taking off the clipless pedals so I have returned back to cages... and I'm very mad at myself. I don't know how I'll ever get back to riding clipless again since it's a mind-thing at this point and sometimes that's the hardest (for me) to overcome

Cycling should be enjoyable in my opinion. When it's not and it's too stressful because of the clipless pedals, I won't ride. I love to ride so for now I'm back in the cages and very disappointed in myself.

Bruises will heal, be patient with yourself and continue to enjoy cycling

[Biciclista]

stay with cages as long as you're comfortable with them. OP, are your "clipless" pedals loose enough? I don't fall much either. You've just been unlucky I think.

[Cataboo]

I only used cages a few times before switching to clipless - I gotta say, cages freaked me out a lot more than clips.

I did have a few of those slow motion topples with clips to begin with - and I haven't had any of those since (last 3 years)

Road biking - I've had 3 "crashes" that in the grand scheme of things weren't really all that bad - one I was clipped in and someone that I was drafting behind braked and swerved suddenly - whether I was clipped had nothing to do with it when you're going fast and someone takes your front wheel out. bruises & road rash. then I've had 2 crashes on platform pedals on my surly - and I have no idea why that bike likes to crash me. either I have this mental image of it as a tank and do things I wouldn't do normally on a bike with it or it's the 130 mm stem to make up for the too short top tube that gets me in trouble. Whatever. I don't ride that bike clipped and it crashes anyways.

Now mountain biking is a different story - the more aggressive I am mountain biking means I crash more. That's because of my lack of bike handling skills. Or something. I don't really think it makes a difference that I'm clipped in or not, 'cause generally I'm trying to get over a big log or whatever and topple over on a log. If I do a couple falls like that, then I decide alright, this just hurts and ride a lot more cautiously the rest of the ride and don't fall anymore.

I almost always have a bruise on my butt from the saddle poking into it if I get off the bike and stand over the top tube.

I think the bruises on my arms and legs currently are actually from my kayak - carrying it myself for the arms, and doing self/group rescues for the legs. Least that's the only reason I can think of for why my entire inner right thigh is a huge purple bruise and about 1/4 of my calf is.

I do bruise really easily and usually have no clue how I did it though.

[trista]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one bruised up

stay with cages as long as you're comfortable with them. OP, are your "clipless" pedals loose enough? I don't fall much either. You've just been unlucky I think.

They are at their loosest setting, but unclipping isn't the issue. Both times I've fallen due to clips (the first time was my very first practice session in the cul-de-sac), I was unclipped on my lead foot. Just leaned the wrong way.

I went clipless because when I am not clipped, I feel like I'm losing 80% of my power. I've been doing spin class forever, before cycling, and i was used to having those clips and putting power to the entire rotation, not just the pushing down part. So when I started cycling on a real bike, I couldn't wait to go clipless. But, my skills are lacking and I am still learning. Hence why I mostly ride on deserted farm roads where intersections are rare. Of course it had to be in one of those rare intersections where I had to fall .

All that said, I use dual-sided platform pedals. First off because when I pull the kids in the trailer, I don't go clipless. I don't like to be bound with them behind me and plus I have to stop a lot. Second, because I don't clip in on the lead foot till I'm out of traffic and have no cars near me. Call it nerves, lack of skill, whatever, but for now I usually wait until I'm away from traffic to clip.

I like the dual-sided pedals a lot - gives me the option of going clipless or not.

[Blue_Fedora]

{snip}
I went clipless because when I am not clipped, I feel like I'm losing 80% of my power. {snip}

Thank you! That was pretty much my point of why I'm disappointed in myself for going back to cages. I know I'm losing a crapton of power and it impacts my performance.

[KnottedYet]

Here's a fun rant on pedals: http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse

A little science: http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/83/6/3351
this sounds like a good one, but I can only see the abstract: http://www.jelectromyographykinesiol...181-2/abstract
proof that whatever theory you want to support, you can find research that will support it: http://www.fredericgrappe.com/CV/bibliographie/D7.pdf
And you can have it both ways: http://www.springerlink.com/content/n453621502u03657/

Or you can ask yourself if you would trade net mechanical efficeincy for increased pedalling effectiveness: https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejour...s-2008-1038374 (in other words, clips are great if you are sprinting)

Why do we women feel this urge to beat ourselves up, tear ourselves down, and be disapppointed in ourselves? Why all this deep and heavy emotional baggage and guilt over a pedal? Don't worry. Ride now what works now. Try again what you think should work better in a month or two. Get strength and bike handling skills up the wazoo, take a break from the emotionally fraught and overwrought clipless experience for a while, and then toss the clipless back into the mix.

(and ride your clipless every which way in a big grassy field. That was the best clipless advice anyone ever gave me!)

[AMP]

I'm only a couple of months back into cycling after a long--15 year-- hiatus. I love my new bike, cannot believe the efficiency of the SRAM red, how light weight the bike is, how easy, or easier the hills are.
Then I get to pedals. Sigh. I am gamely soldiering on with clipless. Two sets, two pairs of shoes.
But while on a ride last evening over rolling hills, I just couldn't enjoy the speed because I kept worrying about crashing and not getting my foot out/off the pedal.
Also, when I do clip out on the paved road, my clip on my shoe--I have speedplays now--skids like crazy, and I'm afraid I'll fall that way.
I miss my cages, and I miss not being so afraid.
I do get the power tansfer...I get up hills more efficiently...but now I'm too afraid to gather the momentum on the downhill to get up the next one. So each hill is its very own little mountain.
I'll give it another month and see if I can get the fear factor under control. If not, I'm going to have to go back to my other pedals.
For being new to cycling, I'm noticing this exact discussion on so many forums. It seems the technology is not "elegant" enough not to cause anxiety.

[KnottedYet]

I miss my cages, and I miss not being so afraid.

Ride what you like.
Not much point in being miserable on the bike.
Everyone has their own preferences. And they do better on their own preferences than on someone else's. Don't be afraid to be yourself.

I managed to find a pedal wrench with a super-long handle (and a hollow handle so I can add a pry bar to make it even longer!) so I can switch pedals willy-nilly as the mood strikes me. It's lovely! Freedom and power and leverage to beat the band!

[ny biker]

I'm only a couple of months back into cycling after a long--15 year-- hiatus. I love my new bike, cannot believe the efficiency of the SRAM red, how light weight the bike is, how easy, or easier the hills are.
Then I get to pedals. Sigh. I am gamely soldiering on with clipless. Two sets, two pairs of shoes.
But while on a ride last evening over rolling hills, I just couldn't enjoy the speed because I kept worrying about crashing and not getting my foot out/off the pedal.
Also, when I do clip out on the paved road, my clip on my shoe--I have speedplays now--skids like crazy, and I'm afraid I'll fall that way.
I miss my cages, and I miss not being so afraid.
I do get the power tansfer...I get up hills more efficiently...but now I'm too afraid to gather the momentum on the downhill to get up the next one. So each hill is its very own little mountain.
I'll give it another month and see if I can get the fear factor under control. If not, I'm going to have to go back to my other pedals.
For being new to cycling, I'm noticing this exact discussion on so many forums. It seems the technology is not "elegant" enough not to cause anxiety.

I'm not sure I understand -- why are you worried about crashing when you're going downhill? Did you have the same concerns with regular pedals?

[trista]

Here's a fun rant on pedals: http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse

I loved that article! I do use the upstroke on hills, but I can't sustain it, and I have always thought it must be my inexperience or lack of strength - that all cyclists must be able to pull up AND down at the same time on both feet, all the time. After reading that, I feel a little differently.

Maybe I feel like I lose power when going clipless because I've been TOLD that so many times. Sitting here at my desk, I can't say whether I actually do. Two falls in 1 month BECAUSE of clips has me thinking, maybe I should go without for awhile....

[malkin]

Between cycling, my natural clumsiness, and my work with kids with autism I can't keep track of where all the bruises come from.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Why do we women feel this urge to beat ourselves up, tear ourselves down, and be disapppointed in ourselves? Why all this deep and heavy emotional baggage and guilt over a pedal? Don't worry. Ride now what works now. Try again what you think should work better in a month or two. Get strength and bike handling skills up the wazoo, take a break from the emotionally fraught and overwrought clipless experience for a while, and then toss the clipless back into the mix.

Well said, Knot.

[ny biker]

My trainer's advice before I got clipless pedals was: don't get them unless you can laugh at yourself when you do something dumb.

And yeah, do what makes you happy, otherwise what's the point? Forget about what everyone else is doing and what anybody else thinks. Just have fun.

[PamNY]

Why do we women feel this urge to beat ourselves up, tear ourselves down, and be disapppointed in ourselves? Why all this deep and heavy emotional baggage and guilt over a pedal?

I'm fairly certain men do this too.

It is an interesting discussion though -- I would love to try clipless at some point but just don't see doing it in the city.

[Crankin]

Is your bike skidding, or do you mean the cleat on your Speedplay is skidding across the road?
If I clip out early, in anticipation, I just rest my foot on top of the pedal. Yea, it slows you down, because you can't really pedal, but mostly in these situations, you are coming to a stop. Otherwise, you will ruin your cleats by dragging your foot on the road when you unclip.