Commuting - First Day with Clipless: Advice?

I'm about set to enter the cult of clipless. My big worry is that I won't be patient enough to adjust the cleats correctly, and I'll ruin my knees or something. Any general advice?
(And if you're riding in Prospect Park today and see a tallish goon on a Lotus touring bike who's fallen and can't unturtle himself -- give me a boost, will ya?)

I run eggbeaters and know nothing about adjusting because they never need adjusting. So I can't help you there. I can say that most fears regarding clipless are much greater than necessary. You will probably crash but probably at low speed.

Just make sure that you are familiar with the clip and unclip procedure BEFORE you head out. Try it hundreds of times in a doorway or on a trainer. That will at least narrow your reasons for crashing. The others will still exist, they are:

1. Forgetting to unclip.

2. Unclipping one foot and falling over the other way.

I crashed my first day with clipless. Like the poster above said it was at low speed. I agree with practicing clipping in and clipping out. One other tip...clip in one side then start peddling but keep the other shoe on top of the pedal without clipping in for some time until you get some momentum going...then safely clip in. Then...just practice clipping in and out...over and over again while you are riding. The other key.....think ahead. If you know you are coming to a stop....clip out early and coast in. When you are new to clipless you may forget to do this which can cause some problems. It doesn't get any harder than trying to frantically clip out as you are coming to a stop. Your instinct will tell you to just pull up as hard as you can but that won't do anything....then Captain Crash...going down with the ship.

It will get easy pretty quick if you just practice and be patient. But even when you get experienced you can still have problems. I just replaced my Speedplay Frog cleats on my shoes since the old ones finally wore out and I was slipping out. The new ones were so tight I almost ate it big time several times after I first got on them. I probably need to adjust the screw on the cleat a little, but I hadn't felt this anxious since my first few days after switching to clipless.

Anyway, good luck and enjoy the increased efficiency. To me it was like night and day.

Clipless is certainly worth the one or two silly, very low speed crashes. Frankly, stubbing my toe hurts a lot worse. I practiced getting in and out many times before I went out, and would practice each day right before the ride. I still fell twice at nearly a standstill. The worst injury was my pride, the second worst was a scratch to my new Brooks, the third worse injury was a tiny bruise on my thigh where the saddle hit me on the way down. Once, I fell to the wrong side. The other, I didn't accelerate enough before I put the second foot in. The key as many others have said is to unclip, WAY ahead of time before you stop and to plan where you will stop and purposefully lean to the bike to the unclipped side. Always unclip the same side, so it becomes automatic. Also, many have suggested that you unclip the left foot first so that if you do fall to the wrong side, it is away from traffic. As you get better, you won't need to unclip so far away, but it isn't a big deal to coast in for 50 or more feet for a few weeks.

The other big mistake people make is to clip in the second foot too soon. Be sure you are going a good five or six MPH before you try to clip in the second foot, even faster on uphills. This will give you plenty of time to fiddle around. It is a little awkward, but you can pedal with your unclipped foot. If you still can't get the foot in, resist the temptation to keep trying until you are going too slow and then fall over. Just give up trying to get the foot clipped in for the moment, and concentrate on pedaling your way back up to speed. Then try again. I have SPD style pedals and the easiest way for me to pedal unclipped is to use my heel. It is flat and has a nub on the end to keep my foot from falling off the pedal. Trying to pedal with the cleat end, unclipped is very hard. Depending on your pedals and cleat material, it may be easier to use the cleat end.

One mistake I kept making is trying to unclip too slowly. You need to make it a quick flick of the ankle, not a slow deliberate twist. A slow twist will work, but not 100% of the time..... And you know what that means.

+1 what everyone else said (although I think you can grow out of the delayed second foot clip-in as you get used to it).

I'd suggest that you find a slight uphill road that you won't find falling on (even grass if it's available) and practice clipping in uphill. There is a knack to how long you keep trying to clip in the free foot, and when you give up and pull the clipped-in foot around to give it another try. If you wait clipping in too long, you'll fall.

Good luck, it's worth the effort!

In no time you will be doing trackstands and not bother unclipping till you get back home.

You will crash.

When I got clipless, I was advised that the first time I crash will be when I need to react quickly, and the reflexes for clipless aren't there yet. I went out and practiced in some grass, and that was easy. Then I went for a 30 mile ride, unclipping to stop, etc. That was easy too. I kinda wondered what those clowns were talking about.

Then, near the end of my ride, I was just thinking about all the errands I had to run before the day was up, and wasn't thinking about unclipping as a cruised to a stop. I came to a stop and went to lift my foot off the pedal, as muscle memory would have me do. Uh oh. I dawned on me a little too late that I was still attached to the bike...and I couldn't react quickly enough to unclip.

My second crash was attempting to screech to a halt 3 days later as I was being right hooked by a land boat. Again, the reflexes weren't there yet.

Think ahead, and anticipate those situations as you are starting out. And it may still happen, but you'll be ok.

A good LBS can help you get the cleats adjusted properly.

Adjusting them isn't that bad. Take a hex wrench with you on the ride (a real one so you don't get frustrated with a multitool) to adjust on the road during a test ride.

Bring a wrench on your ride (you probably already do) and don't be afraid to adjust the position of the cleats from front to back. I like my cleats fairly far back on the shoe, but you may find different. Once you get it right you will know.

When you are getting started with clipless, unclip well before you have to. I often unclip my right shoe (my plant leg) and rest the heel of my shoe on the pedal as I coast to a stop.

Its not really a "crash" but more of a "tip over". More embarrassing than painful usually.
Go to the supermarket or mall late in the evening and practice there when nobody is around to see you. Clip in and out a gazillion times at various different speeds.

Its not really a "crash" but more of a "tip over". More embarrassing than painful usually.
Go to the supermarket or mall late in the evening and practice there when nobody is around to see you. Clip in and out a gazillion times at various different speeds.

Yeah, exactly. I've tipped over twice in the 7 months I've been clipless, and neither of them hurt me or my bike, well except for a scuff on the seat the time I fell over in the middle of an intersection.

Personally, I think it's totally worth it. And I second the egg beater recommendations. The only adjusting you might have to do is determining whether you want/need a spacer under your cleats, and that's only an issue if you get treaded shoes. I'm consistently clipped in before most SPD using commuters off the red light.

Go to PP, practice on the grass so it won't hurt so much if you fall.

You will crash.

...
I kinda wondered what those clowns were talking about.



Yeah, me too. The installation, though, was a little dramatic. The left pedal on my vintage bike was misthreaded 25 years ago, apparently. I had to ride to the LBS with one SPD and one toe clip and hold my breath as the mechanic took a two-foot-long spanner to it. He gave me a 50/50 chance that the threads in the crankarm wouldn't be stripped. These are vintage Shimano 600 cranks, which I guess would be tricky to replace. So already I'm totaling up how much this is going to cost me...but the crank was OK. Pedal installed. The guy charged me $2 for 10 minutes of heavy labor. Whew.

So I ride. I must say, I didn't notice the performance boost immediately. Felt like my toe clips for the most part, but I was also not exactly hammering it. When I did, I felt like I had a glimpse of the possible advantage. The clipping in after 20 minutes--piece of cake. Clipping out even easier. What, I wondered, were those clowns talking about?
And then, the crash. First day out! Hilarious.
Met my kids at a playground. They wanted to see Daddy's pedals and shoes. I unclipped the right; No. 1 son grabs my foot to examine the cleat...and I go over to the left, clipped in and helpless. A spectacle for all the hot Park Slope moms to gawk at. It didn't hurt.

The others will still exist, they are:

1. Forgetting to unclip.

2. Unclipping one foot and falling over the other way.


I want to add a 3rd way of falling, which is starting on a hill, pushing off with your unclipped foot, and then putting the foot on the pedal only to find that foot stuck (clipped in) when momentum fails.

I did all 3 my first time out, but I didn't really practice before hand. Falling from clipless pedals is nothing compared to the falls from mountain biking. You'll just tip over and catch yourself on your hands. Maybe you should practice this too before you ride. :D

practice practice practice. Leaning against a wall. Seriously, it may seem silly, but concentrate on nothing but clipping in and out, without looking at your feet. After a couple dozen of each foot while leaning against something, ride around a parking lot (PP sounds nice, as long as you can concentrate on your pedals and not avoiding people)....

I got my clipless about a month ago, I love the suckers. Thus far I've been fortunate not to have any crashes. The one thing the bike store told me repeatedly was to remember to remove my foot from the clips before you get to the stops, like, 10-15 feet before you get there.

I'm still learning them, and as I bike I'll pull a foot out, then practice slipping it back in. Stopping at stop lights are good practice too, espically if that person in the car behind you is eager to go :)

I've done the fall at a stop light waiting to get into Prospect Park. Just forgot to unclip.

I love clipless and can't ride without them.

I also pulled the low-speed tipover my first ride on clipless. This after swearing that I wouldn't be one of those guys who falls because he forgot to clip out. Oh well, no harm, no foul.

A spectacle for all the hot Park Slope moms to gawk at.
Yeah, those moms in Park Slope are hot. Did any of them rush over to tend to you? ;)

Yeah, those moms in Park Slope are hot. Did any of them rush over to tend to you? ;)


Ha. Yes. They all came to my aid, offering handfuls of Veggie Booty, juice boxes, and a Dora the Explorer band-aid.

(Actually, as I tipped helplessly over, I managed to blurt, "Oh, sh*t." So in addition to being a spectacle, I offended the ears of countless small children. I didn't get much sympathy. My wife suggested I go home and start dinner.)

I've done the fall at a stop light waiting to get into Prospect Park. Just forgot to unclip.

I love clipless and can't ride without them.


What I'd love to see is a video compilation of all these low-speed collapses, set to that insane "Benny Hill Show" music.

Practice clipping in and out WITHOUT looking at your feet. You'll figure it out pretty quick.

Maybe it's been mentioned, but another potential hazard is wrongly thinking you're clipped in and standing and stepping hard on the pedal to start off. This has happened to me infrequently. The other day it happened and I almost fell into the path of oncoming traffic.

This is not likely a mistake a beginner will make though as they're vigilant in trying to do everything right, following the proper clipping/unclipping procedures - too careful rather than too casual about it.

Erm..I didn't crash my first day of clipless... I did run over a makeshift parking stop (those things at parking spaces that keep you from going into the next space) bent my rim a little (nothing a hammer couldn't fix) but otherwise no trouble.

+1 for eggbeaters. even with little practice I find my right foot (I start greenlights with my left) clips in on first contact about 50% of the time without thinking about it now. (and its only been 2 commutes)

I did find oddly enough, that my legs are a lot sorer after riding with clipless than they were earlier. knees/hips/ankles/lower legs feel fine, but the top of my upper legs just feels way more fatigued.

It seems most everything has been covered allready.
I can add one incident that occured last week to me.

Every so often I miss my clip in after I accelerate from a stop light or sign.
This time I missed the clip, slid my foot off my pedal, and landed on my seat. I would imagine that was quite the funny looking sight.

Every so often I miss my clip in after I accelerate from a stop light or sign.
This time I missed the clip, slid my foot off my pedal, and landed on my seat. I would imagine that was quite the funny looking sight.

at least you didnt hit the top tube.

I had a few low-speed/stand-still crashes when getting used to clipless. I had been riding fixed for a while and gotten a little used to track stands, but still commonly dropped a foot if more traffic was coming than I expected or some other circumstance made me remain stationary longer than I anticipated. This didn't translate well to clipless though. The times I tipped over, it seemed I would come to a stop, start track standing only to realize I was going to need to unclip, then start to unclip almost subconciously, but I would be bearing almost all my weight on the pedal I was trying to unclip from and accordingly couldn't get unclipped *cue the falling redwood*.

I corrected the problem by doing what everyone else says to do - unclip well ahead of your potential stopping point, even if you think you might track stand through the stationary pause. (if you are a master track stander, maybe you can ignore this advice).

I may be missing something, but with all the talk of falling and having trouble with sudden stops, what's the fricking point of these things on a commuting bike? What's wrong with just putting your foot on the damn pedal? Remember that method :D

I may be missing something, but with all the talk of falling and having trouble with sudden stops, what's the fricking point of these things on a commuting bike? What's wrong with just putting your foot on the damn pedal? Remember that method :D

You are missing something, because we who've used them for awhile tend to over emphasize our (mostly) early slip ups (and fall downs.)

I was reluctant to go clipless for a long time to avoid what seemed inevitable humiliation at least! Once I finally made the move I realized the great advantages in pedaling efficiency, what I was missing all along. I don't think that you'll ever hear someone return to riding without them. Proof that it's worth the early mishaps - which in my case (and the case of many) were not catastrophically damaging to my body, bike or ego.

After awhile it's so natural, easy. It seems unatural for me to go without on the rare occasion that I do.

I may be missing something, but with all the talk of falling and having trouble with sudden stops, what's the fricking point of these things on a commuting bike? What's wrong with just putting your foot on the damn pedal? Remember that method :D

These problems are a significant minority in the scheme of things. I've actually had more issues with regular platforms. Besides, who in their right mind would give up being able to pull and push their pedals?
I have a nice steep gravel slope I ride up using my touring bike. Without clipless I would have to walk my bike up. Anyhow, too each his\her own.

I'm about set to enter the cult of clipless. My big worry is that I won't be patient enough to adjust the cleats correctly, and I'll ruin my knees or something. Any general advice?
(And if you're riding in Prospect Park today and see a tallish goon on a Lotus touring bike who's fallen and can't unturtle himself -- give me a boost, will ya?)
set them as loose as you can for the first couple of days, and don't work so hard to pull up as you will later. practice clipping and unclipping whilke you coast, and unclip way earlier than you need to the first couple of days...if you really get stuck, that'll give you time to slow way down & find a parked car or lamppost to lean on. think a lot about which way you're going to lean when you put a foot down... my first tumble came when I had unclipped my right foot but found myself leaning left.
After a few days it'll be second nature. I love em!

oh, and fwiw, when I've crashed, the bike has been no where near my feet when I get up;)

I fell down in my new pedals today. I hope I made a few cagers happy. I was laughing my own a$$ off cause it was so damn funny. It was exactly as I had been warned in this thread, I had carefully unclipped one foot a whole dozen meters ahead of time, I was coming to a careful stop and prepraring to go across the bike path (still half clipped in) to push the walk button. The pressure of my clipped foot on the pedal suddenly took over and I descended gracefully and slowly sideways to lay in a wet laughing pile in one of the deepest mud puddles along my route. Skinned up my knee slightly, although I cut myself worse shaving this morning, and I have a funny shaped bruise on my knee where the handle bar landed.

All in all I'm very pleased with the clipless pedals, they seem much easier to get into than my toe clips were, for the most part I find all I have to do is stomp down with my foot, with toe clips I would have to coast for awhile trying to get the flip and scrape timed correctly.

My hips were out of wack for the first week, but that seems to have passed.

That would be a horizontal trackstand

Yesterday was the first day I rode on my clipless pedals in the rain. I could tell the pedals were a bit slick because the shoe was moving a bit, but I never fell out of the pedals (nor did I fall over, thankfully).
I can just imagine how difficult it would have been to keep my feet on the pedals if I weren't clipped in :)

Good job at laughing at yourself, bike2math. Too many people get uptight about mishaps in front of cagers. It's happened to me and I wish I were laughing as much as you were. My worst (funniest?) was trying to get over into a left turn lane when a line of traffic was coming up in the right (my) lane. I should have just taken the lane, made the line of traffic slow down considerably, then merge over to the left turn lane. Instead I just kept slowing down and hugging the white line, looking over my left shoulder for a break to get left. It never came (probably because they slowed down, not knowing what my move was going to be) and pretty soon I was at a standstill with my weight on the pedal I was used to unclipping from. I tumbled over to my right where the shoulder sloped down at a slight grade. When my side hit the ground, I kept rolling (still clipped in) with the bike coming right on over me with the rotation. I ended up on my left side, still clipped in. Luckily the line of traffic had continued to move on so those drivers I had been making eye contact with and saying to myself "come on, come on, keep moving - what are you doing!?" had moved on.

Needless to say, I learned a lot from that experience.