Got the Clipless Pedals

[Python]

Shimano SPD SL R540 - colour coded to the bike.

Haven't tried wearing the shoes and cleats with them yet but cycled home using just my normal shoes I wear for cycling. Was pleasantly surprised that I could use them just as well as flats (probably because I've got small feet) which is good because if I want to nip up to the shop I don't have to put on my cycling shoes.

Going to have fun later on this evening. Probably fall off a few times

Bought my second pair of cycling shorts (Specialized in black - same as my other pair) and reserved another pair which I will collect next weekend when I get paid again. They're the dreaded red ones but I figured that they'll be OK under tights for the winter. I got discount off them as well

[Bad JuJu]

Great--you're going to love going clipless! I used clips and straps for years, got clipless pedals last fall, never looked back. And maybe because I used clips for all those years, I haven't yet had a fall with my clipless pedals.

Of course, now that I've said that, you know I'm doomed to fall any day now.

[Duck on Wheels]

I went straight from platform pedals to clipless, at age 57. And I've been a klutz all those years too! Still, thanks to helpful tips and instruction from my sister (aka Trek420) and other TE'ers, I haven't fallen yet. Now in my second clipless season I feel safer clipped in than not, more connected to the bike, more in control, not to mention more efficient pedaling. You'll find lots of tips here and there on TE, stuff like adjusting the pedals to clip as loose as will hold your shoes while pedalling, having a preferred foot to unclip first and always stand on, clipping out that foot when you can see you might need to stop soon (loose gravel ahead, stop sign ahead, that sort of thing), or like practicing clipping in and out while in spin class. You'll quickly get the hang of it, and I'm pretty sure you'll be happy you made the switch.

[Python]

Was going to go out with the bike tonight but I woke up this morning with a very stiff, sore neck (probably a combination of falling off my bike the other day and the cat hogging my pillow all night - again ) and it's gradually started to get stiffer and more painful again. I resorted to taking a couple of Ibropofen tablets (normally hate the things) which eased it up a bit this afternoon but it's got worse again.

Going to have a long soak in the bath and get hubby to massage it later on and hope that shifts it.

Tomorrow I'm going out with my cycling neighbour. It'll be sometime in the evening as she's working till 5pm and I've got to go and pick up my new baby snake tomorrow. We're going to go to a grassy area where I can practice.

I've got the bike in the kitchen at the moment and have been practicing clipping in and out there. Feels really weird and at the moment I'm not 100% convinced that Shimano SPDs were the right choice. I can see me going over to the ones I originally wanted - the Speedplay lollipop ones. I'll see how I get on.

One thing I've noticed since I fell off the other day, I'm snatching at the brakes when I'm stopping (panicking). I seem to have lost confidence in stopping, which before that happened I used to be able to do quite smoothly. Hope it's just a phase that passes soon, otherwise I'm going to have a problem especially with the clipless.