Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - My newfound joy and freedom with platform pedals

As for comparing average speeds with and without clipless pedals, you would have to repeat the experiment multiple times on the same course. Doing it on a different course when your body is more or less recovered tells nothing. Average speed is already easily influenced by wind, temperature and your own body so many experiments with someone getting the full benefit of clipless (no pedaling squares) are needed.


Or setting up the trainer or rollers and using a power meter... but I'd want to see cadence vs. power and then resistance vs. power and cadence. Somewhere in there would be a way to see what was more effective for LD riding.

When I had my pro fit done I was on a fit bike that was hooked to a computer - something we looked at was muscle recruitment through my pedal stroke. The machine was somehow able to take the spin of the cranks and determine power and then the fitter looked at the varying graphs and we tweaked saddle height and pedal adjustments until he felt we had a good balance for the type of riding I do.


But, having said that - I ride with flats sometimes. But I do like the clipless on the steep dirt (road) and on the FG. Something about having my feet firmly attached...

Riding fixed is another great reason for clipless. You have much more control over your rear wheel with your feet firmly attached than with clips and straps.

Clipless pedals are a godsend, for people with bad knees or other bad joints.
Thought about this at the gym today, chose a spinning bike with clips & straps. On platforms I max around 90's and only for a few minutes before it starts to hurt, so it's more like 50-70 riding a bike, and I can't mash at all or it'll hurt. Well even with sorta loose straps I ended up holding 120 rpm for a few minutes before having to stop. I didn't stop because of knee pain but rather because I'd pushed too hard and my breath smelled like blood. It was the first time in ages I'd felt that again, and it was awesome! So bye bye platforms, I'm getting me some clips & straps.

I find that people who don't like clipless are usually just not comfortable at removing their feet automatically without thought. It is scary the first time that they get a "knee jerk" reaction and try to pull their foot off the pedal. Once you feel comfortable clipping in and out easily, there is no going back.

I find that people who don't like clipless are usually just not comfortable at removing their feet automatically without thought. It is scary the first time that they get a "knee jerk" reaction and try to pull their foot off the pedal. Once you feel comfortable clipping in and out easily, there is no going back.

10 years with clipless ... and I never got completely comfortable with them. As mentioned before, I went back ... with my right foot.

I find that people who don't like clipless are usually just not comfortable at removing their feet automatically without thought. It is scary the first time that they get a "knee jerk" reaction and try to pull their foot off the pedal. Once you feel comfortable clipping in and out easily, there is no going back.

Exactly my thought as well. See post #42.

I remember when I got my first bike with toe clips and straps back in 1962 when I was 17. Awesome! I was turbine powered. It felt like I could do power wheelies, though I never managed it.

Yeah, SPDs and MTB shoes (Sidi Dominators for me) are the real deal for LD. Try crewing the finish line for a 1200. How many come in with platforms? Never saw one. I guess 1/2 would count Machka's new pedals.

As for falling: absolutely stay with the bike. DO NOT remove your hands from the bars. Hang tight. If it's a low speed fall, try to take it on the whole side of your body to spread the impact. If you're in a flat skid, push your helmet down into the pavement to reduce the scrubbing of flesh. You'll stop before it wears through. If you start tumbling, you'll come unclipped, don't worry.

I've been riding single speed recently. Impossible with platforms. You'd stop as soon as you came to a grade that couldn't be climbed with body weight on the pedal, and you wouldn't be able to pedal low rpm power circles at all.

If you're having troubles with clipless, you've got the wrong pedals, shoes, or both. Shoes are very tricky. Difficult to buy online, unless you already have a pair of that make and model. Pay the money.

On a brevet once, I came up behind another rider and just sat his wheel for a while, tired. Then I realized he was riding a fixie with platforms and I got out of there pronto. Talking with him after the ride, he'd walked up a couple of the final grades, even though they weren't more than 8%. Can't imagine he'd have had to walk with clipless and good shoes. On the other hand, if you're planning on walking the bike, comfortable shoes are good. I've often wanted to walk, but you know, pride and all that nonsense.

boo this thread! ive noticed a HUGE increase in avg speed (on similar rides with similar conditions) once i stepped it to clipless. i time myself in climbing from a certain point to another and before clipless i was avg'ing 10 or 10:15 each time consistantly...took a minute off that time first time out with clipless, THATS an improvement!

dosnt hurt that i got my setup (boonin pro shoe and ultegra pedals) for free, ordered shoes online and they sent two pairs, sold one to a friend... bought pedals on ebay and for some strange reason the guy refunded my $100 w/o asking me for a return on the pedals or another payment

dosnt hurt that i got my setup (boonin pro shoe and ultegra pedals) for free, ordered shoes online and they sent two pairs, sold one to a friend... bought pedals on ebay and for some strange reason the guy refunded my $100 w/o asking me for a return on the pedals or another paymentYou were meant to ride nothing but clipless...

10 years with clipless ... and I never got completely comfortable with them. As mentioned before, I went back ... with my right foot.

I'm with Machka as I too have a foot in both camps, left foot free platform, right foot clipless. Part of the fun for me is tinkering with the accepted ways of doing things and finding what works for me. So I have weird pedals, a road frame with mountain bike hubs, a triple crank with only two rings, I tour with a saddlebag rather than panniers and I've stopped wearing a helmet.

Nun "the iconoclast" cyclist.

I also tend to dismiss complaints about being unable to unclip from a clipless system. It simply isn't that hard. I've met all sorts of incompetents and mental defectives who could unclip, so for folks who are avoiding clipless solely or largely on that basis, I think they're making a mistake.


Thats' appallingly rude. Were you deliberately rude, or just thoughtless?

I use SPDs and wouldn't want to ride distances on platforms. However, I used to have an ankle injury that would have made it quite impossible to unclip my right foot.

People who have arthritic knees or ankles might also have problems.

Thats' appallingly rude. Were you deliberately rude, or just thoughtless?

I use SPDs and wouldn't want to ride distances on platforms. However, I used to have an ankle injury that would have made it quite impossible to unclip my right foot.

People who have arthritic knees or ankles might also have problems.

Sixjours tends not to be rude, and one of the more level headed folks on the LD forums, IME.
True, folks with certain physical conditions might find it hard or impossible to unclip. In the context of this discussion I'd wager that in general we are not talking about those folks.

I've unclipped just fine with an ankle injury (in a soft cast / brace structure for weeks) - the whole leg can pivot (from the knee or the hip) enough to get out of most systems - and once you get one foot out and down you have many options for getting the other out. There is a fear about clipless that seems a bit irrational...

But - ride your own ride, and ride what works for you... :thumb:

Sixjours tends not to be rude, and one of the more level headed folks on the LD forums, IME.
True, folks with certain physical conditions might find it hard or impossible to unclip. In the context of this discussion I'd wager that in general we are not talking about those folks.



I believe that Machka uses a platform pedal because of a joint problem that makes it difficult for her to unclip one foot.

I severed the ligaments on the outer side of my ankle, so I had very little ability to control the rotation of my foot (since healed, but it took 2 years).

So that's two of us.

Clipless pedals are a godsend, for people with bad knees or other bad joints. Keeps your feet where they are supposed to be, without fear of slipping off.I couldn't disagree more. After years of abuse skateboarding and jumping bmx and mountain bikes my ankles, knees, and hips are basically crap. The last thing I want is to restrict my feet to one position on the pedal. Moving my feet helps to relieve stress on different muscles and joints while in the saddle for extended periods. If you are racing then there are obvious power advantages to having your feet "where they are supposed to be" but, IMO and experiences, being able to use multiple foot positions is the clear winner.

Thanks for the back-up, Mike. Seems to me that there's a certain type that goes looking for something to be offended about, context be damned.

So for the record, my post should not be interpreted to include those with joint problems, severed connective tissues, missing limbs, dwarfism, low self esteem, hemorrhoids, or really, really bad sunburns.

Thanks for allowing me to clear that up.

Before switching to clipless (rather late) in 1991, I had cycled with cleats, clips & straps for about 30 years.

Wow! what a wonderful revelation. Clipless was/is way easier to get out of.

The issue with early clipless was the difficulty in setting them up properly, regarding proper alignment. I didn't resolve that completely until switching to Speedplay.

Each to their own, but I just can't imagine trying to ride -- with any efficiency, and certainly not for any distance (this is the long-distance thread) -- on platform pedals. The only time I've ridden platform pedals in recent years is on a 6 kilometre commute, where I didn't want to bother changing shoes when I got to work. Even then I disliked it, especially in the rain, when I'd slip off the pedal. Dangerous!

Count me as a confirmed clipless user. If all clipless systems disappeared tomorrow, I'd pull out my old Campag quill pedals & Christophe clips and nail a new set of cleats (I have an unused pair in original package) on my old leather Deodoras.

I also had this revelation. My dad got back into cycling in a big way around the time I turned 10 in the late 1990's, so I grew up with clipless pedals. More recently, I bought an old Raleigh three speed, mostly out of curiosity, at a yard sale and rode it home. In normal clothes!

Since then, I've always kept at least one bike around with lights, platform pedals, fenders, and some sort of rack, just so that I can hop out for a no-prep ride when I want to.