stopping technique

[goddess1222]

roxgirl is right. clipless are fabulous, but really hard to learn.

[missliz]

Na, they're intimidating, not hard. There's a difference.
A lot of people have this deep irrational conviction that their feet are tightly attached and they can't get out of the pedal- this is a head problem. Throw in the set up problems, and the fact that a lot of shop guys will put you on a bad choice of starter pedal 'cause they've forgotten how it was to learn, and yeah, it seems worse than it is.
You should be starting with clips and straps. When you're riding with the strap cranked tight all the time, it's time for clipless. Beginners will start cycling with clipless and wonder why it's so hard and scary- well you have to put the the time in to teach your feet what to do with the beginner equipment first.

missliz.

[goddess1222]

MISS LIZ WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? i miss you a lot. you are right, clipless are intimidating.

but boy am i glad i took the time and the courage to learn.

[missliz]

Where have I been? I've been in a snit, sulking. I fell on my bad knee and tore up a rotater cuff and had nothing nice to say or interesting to contribute, so I just didn't.
I'm better, and cheering up, so I'm feeling a little more bike- interested. I got five omens, so it's time to come back.
1- Irulan emailed me to ask where i'd been. Thank you Irulan, you will never know how much that meant.
2- Met some people who are starting a really serious Mt bk club- IMBA, corporate grants, workdays, scar comparison, everything a good club should have.
3- A giant red shouldered hawk swooped across the hood of my Jeep in the middle of the city. That's a really powerful get off your expanding butt into the woods sign.
4- My inbox is suddenly full of alerts from this board.
5- I found out why I keep getting sick and can't train consistently, I'm allergic to the place I live. If you have a cause, I can solve the problem. Sudden Optimism!
All in one week. And I had a dream about a peice of bike gris gris I need to fix.
So, no place interesting.

missliz

[Jacqui C]

Hey guys,

I too like clipless but still get a bit nervous. My husband bought me a set of pedals for Christmas, they have a flat side and a spd side ........... great, I have them on all of my bikes. When in traffic I can ride with one clipped in and one out but without having to worry about slipping or inadvertantly clipping back in. I tried the LOOK system, almost went A over T, infront of my neighbours as well!!! I use them with mtb type shoes so I don't slide everywhere if I'm off the bike at the shops or stopped for lunch while touring.
Being double sided it also makes them much easier to get used to, you can practice one foot at a time.

Jacqui.

[missliz]

Those are really practical for beginners at clipless, and shops should be putting people on them. It's no fun to ride anxious. Terry sells them. I started on LOOK mt SPDs (yes Virginia they made them) designed for neophytes. You could set the tension super loose so they were super easy to get in and out of, and at the lightest setting they were almost like platforms, just better.
There's a big psychological aspect to clipless, and I still think clips and straps are a good intermediate training tool. They're also good after injury or knee surgury, so knowing how to use them is multi usefull.
My two p.

missliz

How many times have I posted this message now? twenty, thirty times?

BMX pedals are really good for trail riding if you get too clipless phobic- I understand they're big for downhill and dual slalom now, and I know the ones on my BMX cruiser are cool, great for urban obstacles on the way to class.

[Grasshopper]

I was terrified to use clipless pedals! Terrified! But the lady that sold me my bike is a serious rider and she convinced me that I would love Speedplay pedals. She says they have the fewest zero mph crashes and are the easiest for new riders to learn. Oh, and they give you abut 30 degrees of rotation with your feet so you can find a natural position to ride in.

Well, I've fallen twice - once the first time I got on the bike, standing in front of my house! And the second time was when I ran over my water bottle (I thought it was hooked in the cage, but it was beside it I guess). Since then I feel pretty comfortable with them. I'm surprised at how quickly I've grown to love them and I highly recommend them!!

[MightyMitre]

Yeh! MissLiz is back!! Sorry to hear you've been in a bit of a downer but glad to have you back on board.

This is turning into a week of reunions . A good cycling friend of mine moved to the other end of the country ( literally) in the autumn, as her husband was relocated for his job. But he's been relocated back again so much to my delight I've got my riding buddy back

[missliz]

Thank you , MM, it's good to be back! And yeah, Speedplays are great, easy release. They tend to be pricey, though, and a lot of newbie/ intermediate riders tend to balk at big cash outlays for stuff they don't understand. And you don't really understand clipless 'till you ride them.
It may be just dumb random cosmic chaos- some people will slide onto clipless and some have to work at it. And I think pedal choice is a lot of it, but who sells them to you ( picks them out!) and sets them up is the random factor.

missliz

[hibiscus09]

I bought my first cycling shoes today (Specialized) and Look clipless pedals. I've been practicing in my driveway to my backyard. LOL Anyway, I can pop my right shoe out quite easily, so I guess I'll go that route. The left one gives me a little more trouble. I'm not very left side coordinated. Anyway, first ride out on the road tomorrow with these things. Cross your fingers.

[goddess1222]

i have LOOKS too. you might release the tension on the pedal a little. that may help you get out of the left a little easier.

[hibiscus09]

Thanks, I just did on the left & it helped. I just don't feel real confident with these things. I'd like to do a training ride tonight but I sure don't feel ready to use these things yet. Can you ride on clipless pedals with your tennis shoes?

[Irulan]

one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet, is that some pedal/clip systems need the occasional drop of lube. I find that when I do riding in rain/mud etc, my SPD get seriously seized up, and get "cured" by just a drop of pro lube.

Irulan

[missliz]

I want a picture under my name- how do you do that Irulan? And thanks for writing to me, it did cheer me up 'till the crash part and then I got really upset cause I've left neither blood nor flesh on a trail in soooo long. But I really appreciate it, you have no idea how much.
Then the next day I saw a red shouldered hawk in the middle of the city, so I knew it was time to suck it up.
Lube in the cleats does help- I like a waxy kind like White Lightning, it doesn't gum up with dirt. Those red arc plastic cleats will wear a bit, and that helps with LOOKs. A great drill is to cruise the cul de sac, or whatever quiet street you've got, and just keep cipping in and out, alternating feet. Drop into the rythm (sp?) of it. Also do some where you blow both feet out at once- think of it as the eject button drill. More of a Mt bike thing, but good to know as the hairy moment happens. You can adjust most LOOKs and look type (knockoffs) spring tension, too, so it can be easier.

missliz

[hibiscus09]

I've been practicing this morning & seem to be getting better. I do have a question, though. How do you get out of both at once? Where are your pedals positioned when you do that?