clipless pedals?

[Eden]

I also ride in a mountain bike shoe as opposed to a road shoe - the cleat is set deeper into the shoe so I have no problem walking. I noticed on our Iron Man triple brew pub tour that the ferries have signs posted with no cleated shoes on deck and I didn't have to worry as my cleats don't scratch a floor.

Technically they (the WA State ferries) want you to take off even your recessed cleat shoes (and it's not just cyclists, no soccer cleats/other sports either) because even recessed cleats can and do scratch floors. I wouldn't allow you to walk around on my wood or tile floors with them....

[Sky King]

Eden, thanks for the info. Now I feel bad about walking on the ferry as just because I know my cleat doesn't hit the floor doesn't mean I could have been setting a bad example. I too have a wooden floor and walk on it with my shoes, my metal cleat doesn't hit the floor. Next trip I will change out my shoes as I strap my merrill sandals on my rear rack so super easy to grab.

[sookiesue]

Thank you all for the input. I appreciate hearing about pros and cons, as well as types of pedals that work for different peoples' needs. I think I'll get some clipless pedals to try out on shorter/recovery rides but not feel too worried about adjusting to them or using them for my 150-mile event.
As Jen and Indysteel discussed, it seems to me that clipless pedals force you, for better or worse, to stay in one position. I tend to move my feet around on the pedal a lot to rest different muscles and to alleviate lower back pain and saddle discomfort. Any other thoughts/experiences about knee/back/saddle comfort related to the fixed location of a clipless pedal?
Thanks so much!

[indysteel]

I would argue that there are more effective ways of dealing with saddle, knee and back discomfort than moving your feet around on your pedals. But then again, I'm not sure any of the fit issues I've had on my bikes would have been alleviated by moving my feet around more. Even if you don't go with clipless pedals, there are benefits to wearing a stiff-soled shoe.

Admittedly, you need to know how to set the cleats up correctly in the first place. Some people swear by float to address knees issues; some people insist that float hurts their knees. If you do go with a no-float cleat (like an SPD), then you really have to get it set up correctly or it will likely give you knee problems.

Have you talked to a fitter about your bike fit in general and/or clipless shoes?

[Caddy]

^I second that. Back and saddle discomfort usually are not caused by pedals, although it's possible if your seat is in the wrong position to begin with. The most common complaint I hear is knee pain, but most people get clipless with high degrees of float and it seems to fix the issue.

Clipless was very awkward to get used to at first, but it took me about one short ride to get the hang of it.

[Rebecca19804]

I second a lot of what's been said here already.

I went through last winter planning to go clipless with my Surly Cross Check in the spring but then had some fit issues to sort out, for one reason or another, put off the whole clipless thing for a while. Then the day that all the various components got swapped out on my bike and it *fit* properly... oh boy, what a difference in that first ride! Suddenly my bike felt like an extension of myself and it just made sense to go clipless to complete that circle. Most natural thing in the world. Yes, I had the famous "clipless moment" on my third day using them. But now I don't want to cycle without them. The slight inconvenience of carrying a pair of shoes to change into at the end of even very short rides is totally worth it, in exchange for the feeling of efficiency and connectedness with my bike that clipless pedals & shoes give me.

I use Speedplay Frogs. They have adjustable float and aren't spring-tensioned. I find I can move my feet around a bit while I ride, even just as a kind of playing around (fidgeting?) with being firmly clipped in or not. On the whole, though, I do "stay put" for longer periods, which according to my physio and my fitter is what I need if I'm to improve and maintain stability through my knees and pelvis.

I'm not 100% convinced about the whole "more power" argument but I do like how being clipped in lets me change which muscle groups I use, which does mean less fatigue... and, yes, probably also scratches that little "fidget itch" that I sometimes get on long rides.

[RubyTuesday]

Ok. I am going to ask the question being I am a newbie and you can't hold it against me yet. What is "float"?

I took my first 33 mile ride and found that my legs were tired, by upper back/neck and shoulders were pretty sore and had to stop from time to time to let my lower back relax and stop hurting. Stopping actually did help. I have had my stem raised ( I am older 57 and very flexible, palms on the floor flexible), but I still end up with back pain at the end of a ride. It is my back that stops me from going longer distances, not my legs.

Suggestions?

I am using clipless pedals and after my first fall, I have to say that I do like them. I bought the book "Every Woman's Guide to Cycling" by Selene Yeager. I am reading it and trying to implement her suggestions on proper riding skills. She talks extensively about clipless pedals. If you haven't read the book, I would highly suggest it. She says that if you plan on riding more than ten miles, then you might want to invest and learn how to ride clipless. Great book!

[indysteel]

Float is how much lateral movement you can make with your foot while clipped in without actually clipping out. It's measures in "degrees." As a practical matter, it allows your knee a bit of wiggle room in how it tracks. For some people, this float helps with knee pain. For others, it makes knee pain worse. With no-float pedals, it's very important to get them set up correctly. Of course, I'd argue that it's also important to get pedals with float set up correctly, too, but they arguably offer a wider margin for error.