SPD Encouragement needed

[Catrin]

I saw your original post in my email box

In the end, I will decide when I walk into the door today whether the experiment will come now or later. I do have BMX pedals - and while my feet do stay on the pedals keep my legs torn up where they wallop me. The pedals are now looking pretty bad - so I will walk out with new pedals today - one way or the other.

The nice thing about the Shimano pedals is that I can use either kind of shoe with them - and I LIKE that - especially if the teeth on the platform side are substantial enough to keep my shoe on the pedal. There is a reason why I have put up with having my right calf torn up all summer from the spikes on the BMX pedals - my feet are quite stable on them - which is a great thing!

[uforgot]

Let us know how it goes.

[OakLeaf]

What Knott said, and ALSO, it's okay to put your right foot down first.

So do I. I know we're in the minority. Always have, probably always will. Bicis aren't "meant" to be dismounted one side or the other (unlike motos, which do require the right foot on the rear brake, and even after a 12 year hiatus from bicycling in which I rode tens of thousands of moto miles putting the left foot down, I still unclip right).

People say it's normal to put your non-dominant foot down first, but I'm right-handed and right-footed. What I am, though, is left-eyed (cross-dominant people are also in the minority), and I wonder if that's it. Think I'll post a poll....

[sundial]

Did the SPD thing and I've converted to platforms. I climb big hills better on platforms. I can wear virtually any shoe that I want to. I can change the foot position on the platforms and give different muscle groups a rest which is especially nice on a long ride. My knee is a lot happier too. Platforms help you connect with the die hard, competitive, weight weenie, hammerfest cyclists who secretly admire your courage to challenge convention. Give the SPDs a chance and if it doesn't work out, you have a myriad of choices for platforms.

[uforgot]

I always put the right foot down first too. I'm right handed, but what I like to call, left footed. I do left cartwheels, left splits and left kicks better. As a dance teacher, I find that there are always a couple of girls, even though they are right handed, do these things better on the left too. Opposite the majority. I also wonder if that is the difference, since we have had this discussion before.

[KnottedYet]

I'm left dominant (hand, leg, eye) and I always put my right foot down first. I always manage my water bottle with my right hand.

My dominant side stays in charge of the bike. I like the bike more than the ground or bottle, I guess!

[Crankin]

I have mixed dominance, which I am sure plays a large part in my messed up perceptual/spatial skills. Right handed for writing, but do a lot of other stuff with my left. Left footed/eyed. Can't even approach my bike on the right side, like if I have to walk it, I can't do it from the right. It just feels wrong. Can only do the water bottle with my left hand, and even that is shaky. When I go down stairs or hike, I use my left foot first, although with running, I switch between both. Thus, I clip/unclip left, although I swear, I started with the right and switched after I read something, which I can't remember. I can unclip right on my mountain bike, which is more for survival, I think!
In the end, it really doesn't matter. Although I pretty much cannot ride without being clipped in. My feet fly off of the pedals and I find it very hard to get started.
I can't imagine unclipping with both feet every time I had to. I am not sure how I would get off the seat and I imagine myself impaling my nether regions on the saddle! The process of unclipping, slowing, and putting my foot down is so automatic and fluid. I really do not feel like I am leaning the bike, although I must be.

[TxDoc]

Every woman should have her own pedal wrench and her own vibrator, and know how to use them.

KnottedYet - LOL!!!
This wins the contest as the best TE Forum quote ever.
Now I have to dry up the keyboard, good thing I was drinking plain water instead of the usual coffee...
There should be a rule or something - "Don't drink and read the TE forum"...

[Catrin]

I now have new SPD double-sided pedals on Mr. Explorer. My fitter took quite some time to adjust the cleats on my shoes and my pedals. It is SO easy to clip in and out that it is amazing! We both think the spring will likely need tightening once I am more accustomed to using them.

The real surprise was what happened on the trainer. My LBS uses a fork-mounted trainer, and while being on any trainer is far from being on the road, the experience with the pedals was outstanding. The fastest I've ever pedaled on my bike when doing intervals as been 19.8. While on the trainer, clipped in, I actually saw my computer break 30mph - and he had me in the hardest gear! I wasn't working all that hard either - though of course part of that was just how much resistance he had the trainer set for.

It was far too windy to go check out the pedals for real tonight, and tomorrow I will not use my cleated shoes for my long ride. Sunday afternoon, however, here I come.

I am kind of excited now

[Bike Chick]

KnottedYet - LOL!!!
This wins the contest as the best TE Forum quote ever.
Now I have to dry up the keyboard, good thing I was drinking plain water instead of the usual coffee...
There should be a rule or something - "Don't drink and read the TE forum"...

Yep! I love Knot's quote!!!! Rules to live by I say

I unclip so automatic now that I had to think about which foot I unclip with. It's my right but I also unclip with my left if I need to. I practiced unclipping with both feet at the same time until I could do it well in case I have to hop off in a hurry (like when i'm in a bind on a steep climb). It feels weird riding with flat pedals now but I was anxious when I learned to ride clip less too.

Good luck Catrin! Let us know how it goes.

[JennK13]

What Knott said, and ALSO, it's okay to put your right foot down first.

So do I. I know we're in the minority. Always have, probably always will. Bicis aren't "meant" to be dismounted one side or the other (unlike motos, which do require the right foot on the rear brake, and even after a 12 year hiatus from bicycling in which I rode tens of thousands of moto miles putting the left foot down, I still unclip right).

I'm right footed, and even when I ride a moto, I put my right foot down!! I always brake using my hand and my foot brake, but as I actually come to a stop, I'm shifting with the left foot, and I always have put my right foot on the ground. Guess it's just natural to do the same on the bike