General Cycling Discussion - Silly newby problem...

Hi,
I am trying to get back into cycling after a 40+ year layoff...

I bought a Specialized Sequoia Comp at the beginning of the
month.

I have had several misadventures trying to free/enter my rockport
brogans into the toe-clips.

I read (mostly here ) that Adidias indoor soccer shoes make a
fairly nice shoe for use with toe-clips.

I went out an bought a pair (Adidias Sambas)and indeed they escape the toe-clips
fairly easily ( I keep the straps very loose) because the shoes have
a fairly flat bottom.

I am having a ridiculous problem trying to flip the pedal ( the left one)
so I can enter the toe-clip.

I don't seem to be able to use the small tooth to flip the pedal !

If I am going uphill from a dead stop I have to wait till the top of
the hill before I can even attempt to enter the left hand pedal toe-clip.

I suppose that, given enough time, flipping the pedal will become
second nature...

I think that part of the problem is the low quality of the supplied pedals.

Any suggestions as to flipping the pedal and or suggestions of a more
user friendly pedal to use would be appreciated.

I don't think that I am psychologically ready for clipless pedals.
Bouncing on the pavement cuz of toe-clip exit problems has
made me a bit gunshy of being tightly locked to the pedals.

Jerry

Maybe the grease is still a bit stiff in the LH pedal so to toe clip doesnt hang pointed down when it is free. Try adding some weight to the front of the clip, like some solder, to make it point down. With a bit more riding the pedals should spin more freely, and should always present the back of the pedal to your foot, to flip into place.
I love my Shimano A520 SPD pedals, they were a bit stiff at first, so it was sometimes tricky getting my foot in, but after a few weeks I found they always had the right side up, ready for the shoe to click in. I keep the latch set loose so there is no effort to unlatch. It is just part of taking my feet off the pedals. It doesnt require any preplanning.

If you can't master toe clips then I would forget clipless for now....although toe clips are a bit sloppy and working to get in em is part of their charm.

I once swore up and down I would never ride clipless, especially when I am on a Mountain Bike....but now I wouldn't ride anything but.

Try hitting the little tit on the pedal with the ball of your foot,not your toe.When the pedal swings around,your toe should be in the correct position.

For uphill starts,get some speed up before flipping the pedal.

Leather straps help a little also,the sides stay open better than the nylon ones.

I'm right handed and mount the bike from the left,so my left foot goes in first.My right foot is easier to get in than the left,but I've also been doing it like that forever,so that helps too.

After a little practice,you won't even think about it.

It took me about a month on my roadie to get completely used to my clipless. I did the embarrasing stop, oops, look at me I'm a turtle impression a couple of times but it doesn't hurt, well just the pride. I find it really hard now on my MTB+trailer which doesn't have them.

I don't know from personal experience, but many people have said toe clips are much more difficult than clipless, citing the getting in to them issue specifically.

Where I do have experience is in being nervous about getting clipless. My LBS recommended SPDs for the type of riding I do (commuting, errands, mostly around town). They fitted me and adjusted the release tension to a mild setting.

After showing me how to clip in and out correctly (and several of the incorrect methods to avoid), they made me do stop-and-start drills in the parking lot for a full half-hour before letting me pay the bill and ride home. I must have had 100 stops and starts in before they told me I could quit.

Because of that, I was confident with them the first time on the road, and have never had the hugely popular clipless fall.

Summary: They're easier to use than clips, and can be adjusted for minimal release tension. Then, use drills early to set the habit.

Use PowerGrips

I don't know from personal experience, but many people have said toe clips are much more difficult than clipless, citing the getting in to them issue specifically.

Where I do have experience is in being nervous about getting clipless. My LBS recommended SPDs for the type of riding I do (commuting, errands, mostly around town). They fitted me and adjusted the release tension to a mild setting.

After showing me how to clip in and out correctly (and several of the incorrect methods to avoid), they made me do stop-and-start drills in the parking lot for a full half-hour before letting me pay the bill and ride home. I must have had 100 stops and starts in before they told me I could quit.

Because of that, I was confident with them the first time on the road, and have never had the hugely popular clipless fall.

Summary: They're easier to use than clips, and can be adjusted for minimal release tension. Then, use drills early to set the habit.
Your bike shop sounds awesome.

Your bike shop sounds awesome.

They are.

Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport (http://fullmoonvista.com/) The pic on the About Us page shows the customer lounge area including the coffee bar and the ride-in/ride-out, no-appointment-necessary service area, which is great for those of us who are car-free or bike commuters.

They're also the organizers of what began as the Rochester Twilight Criterium (http://www.rochestercrit.com/), grew last year into the 3-day Rochester Omnium, and next year will become the 6-day Tour de New York (http://tourdenewyork.com).

The part they play in racing explains why they have excellent coaching.

I would suggest a period of plain platforms. You havent ridden in a long while and the bike is new to you. When you are confident about doing a track stand you can put the clips on. You can start with just clips, no straps and train your feet to do the flip and to remove your feet straight back, not to the side. With a bit of practice you can do the flip in one smooth action from start.
I can remove my feet from clips during a fall if I have too, eg when I reach for a lamp-post to rest against and miss. I havent experienced anything akin to a "clipless moment".

Clips should be used in utility mode (with lose straps) rather than cinched tight. If you feel the need for a tight connection you are better off with a clipless system.

The clip should be the right size for your feet and the straps should be quite stiff. A few of us diehard toe-clip users still favour metal clips with leather straps over plastic and nylon.

The combination of shoe and pedal needs some thought. A totally slick sole will slip around; a knobly one will impede removal so you need to be in the Goldilocks zone, just the right amount of grip pattern.
Same with the uppers, the modern trend for lots of bits on your sport shoes can entangle with the strap. Look for a clean, simple upper and lace it so the lowest eyelets are laced from below not on top.

I took a closer look at the pedal and did the following:

1) I popped off the reflector on the back of the pedal, it was
effectively reducing the size of the 'pip'. I don't plan on
riding at night :)

2) I added some small lead weights to the end of the
toe-clips. This extra weights caused the back of the
pedal to be, more of less, 'on top' making it easy to
flip the pedal...I did not have any problems in my
trip today :)

Jerry

Use PowerGrips

I'd recommend Powergrips too. However, you still have issues around getting clipped in and... worse... getting out. Just like every other type of pedal.

One thing about Powergrips is that you can tramp on the strap and proceed if you can't get clipped in at an intersection. When the situation is less stressful, you can then work on getting in...