General Cycling Discussion - Clipping back in

I've used clips for 25 years, but I just bought a new road bike and decided to go clipless (Campag Centaur pedals). I've fallen twice (only serious damage to handlebar tape and pride), and now routinely unclip whenever I'm approaching anything that looks like I might need to stop.

My problem is clipping back in.

On the flat it isn't too bad. I am able to keep myself going forward with one leg while I fluff around trying to get the other shoe in. But faced with a hill I just have hell. The unclipped shoe slips preventing me from getting any momentum with two feet before I clip in, and I just don't seem to be able to cycle up hills with one leg.

And before anybody suggests track standing, my balance is dreadful so that is just out of the question.

:(

what cleats are you using? spd? spd-r? spd-sl? look? eggbeaters?

I had problems clipping in before, but that was just about 2-3 days after my first clipless pedal. All you need is practice. What I do is I clip-in my right foot first and position it in the 3 o'clock position and go. It will give me enough momentum to gel my left clipped. By the time my left is at 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock my left is clipped-in. If ever I miss, I just continue pedalling until my left is at 3 o"clock again and try clipping in..

I use spd, Btw.

Practice, practice, practice. It takes time to get the positioning of the cleat to instinct level. In the mean time, push as hard with your lead foot as you can to get momentum . This will give you time to clip in.

what cleats are you using? spd? spd-r? spd-sl? look? eggbeaters?

I had problems clipping in before, but that was just about 2-3 days after my first clipless pedal. All you need is practice. What I do is I clip-in my right foot first and position it in the 3 o'clock position and go. It will give me enough momentum to gel my left clipped. By the time my left is at 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock my left is clipped-in. If ever I miss, I just continue pedalling until my left is at 3 o"clock again and try clipping in..

I use spd, Btw.

I think Campagnolo uses the Look system. Two things make it tricky. The pedals spin freely and never seem to be the right way up when I'm trying to get in. I find I have to look down to know if I need to flip the pedal before I can clip in. And because the pedals are so small, and there is no flat surface, and the shoes are so smooth on the sole, I don't seem to be able to pedal at all without clipping in.

I never unclip my left foot, my balance is so bad that even with platforms I can't stop with my left foot down. So the problem for me is just my right foot. Most of the time what you describe works for me. If I miss, I just go round again and hopefully click in next time.

This doesn't help me when I am trying to take off going up a hill. There just isn't time between the take off and the time I run out of momentum to get that right foot in - I'm talking about a reasonable incline here - a bit of a hill isn't too much trouble.

When I first started I fell a couple of times. But as posted above Practice, practice, practice. Now I don't even think about it. I do however unclip if I thing something might happen.

It does take a lot of practice...took about 50 miles for me to get used to. I just changed from shimano to carnac shoes. The cleats are positioned more forward on the shoes, than on the shimanos. This has been very hard for me to adapt to!

Some hills you just can't get enough momentum to get that second or two to clip in.

On those I turn around, clip in while coasting downhill then turn around again to go back up the hill.

I have Campy Record, Chorus and Centaur pedals.. I like there pedals.. they are similar to looks but a bit different. Basicaly like the others say it takes practice, you will fall down in the begining like you have noticed but after a while it will become second nature.

Haven't used them, but i understand campy's have adjustable tension settings for clipping in and out. figure out which is for clipping in, and make it fairly loose. also, if they're like looks, the rear edge will tend to hang down. i find, not always, that bringing the toe forward along the top edge will rotate the pedal so that the cleat and rentention mechanism meet pretty close, and then it's just easing into it. kind of the opposite motion to toe clips.

but like everyone else said, in the end it's still just practice.

To give yourself even more time to clip in, practice pedalling with one leg too.

I think Campagnolo uses the Look system. Two things make it tricky. The pedals spin freely and never seem to be the right way up when I'm trying to get in. I find I have to look down to know if I need to flip the pedal before I can clip in. And because the pedals are so small, and there is no flat surface, and the shoes are so smooth on the sole, I don't seem to be able to pedal at all without clipping in.

I never unclip my left foot, my balance is so bad that even with platforms I can't stop with my left foot down. So the problem for me is just my right foot. Most of the time what you describe works for me. If I miss, I just go round again and hopefully click in next time.

This doesn't help me when I am trying to take off going up a hill. There just isn't time between the take off and the time I run out of momentum to get that right foot in - I'm talking about a reasonable incline here - a bit of a hill isn't too much trouble.

sorry, I didn't realize you specified the campy pedals until just now. :D stupid me..

What I do in really steap inclines is don't try to clip in the first time and concentrate on getting my momentum up.. Once the bike is stable enough, I click my left foot.

But I only do this when MTBing when the terrain is really tough and really steap. In my roadie, its second nature..

Anyway, you'll get used to it in time...

enjoy!

What I do in really steap inclines is don't try to clip in the first time and concentrate on getting my momentum up.. Once the bike is stable enough, I click my left foot.

But I only do this when MTBing when the terrain is really tough and really steap. In my roadie, its second nature..

Anyway, you'll get used to it in time...

enjoy!

I agree with dexmax's advice. I first tried clipless on my MTB. It was so frustrating until I did exactly what dexmax suggests. After doing this for some time, I now find myself clipping in without thinking about it.

... stop on an uphill!

More seriously, I still have problems clipping in on occasion with Campy pedals. Two things to do: one, before starting up make sure the top pedal surface is facing up; two, try not to hit the pedal too hard when clipping in. The Campy pedal rotates very freely and you've got to wait until it stops spinning before you can re-attempt clipping in.