Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Clipless tomorrow - wish me luck

Well, I finally got a pedal wrench and installed my new Time Roc pedals (first time going clipless). Tomorrow I'll be commuting on them and will hopefully keep my face off the pavement. Wish me luck!

P.S.> Feet are in (last year's model) Specialized BG Comp MTB shoes... VERY comfy so far compared with tennis shoes on BMX pedals.

Have fun - and be careful the first few times out. My first day of riding clipless was confined to the three cul-de-sac streets of our small development. Neighbors probably thought I was even stranger then they thought originally. Anyhow, I got to practice clipping, unclipping, slowing down, mounting, dismounting, etc while on the "road" but not having to worry about traffic. Next night was on the local bike trail and third time was for real on roads.

I have the same shoes and am very happy with them (comfort and price).

They are really worth it; just takes a short time to get used to them. I suggest loosening the tension at first, and tightening it up a notch at a time, after you are more confident.

I'm careful not to type with my broken finger (you guessed it; clipless fall a couple weeks ago). Still worth it! "Bones heal, and chics dig scars"...Lance Murdock

until you feel comfortable with your new pedals, unclip early, unclip often and give yourself plenty of time to clip back in, especially when crossing traffic that does not have a stop sign/light. I thought I would be able to unclip just one foot to stabilize myself at a stop and ended up falling over toward the my clipped-in foot. that was 3 years ago and I now feel comfortable only unclipping one foot at stops. unclip well before a stop sign and coast with both feet unclipped up to it. also make sure you can clip back in for take off, it's dangerous to cross a street while fumbling with new pedals.

all that aside, i love my speedplay pedals and wouldn't dream of riding without them. just be careful for the first few months. :)

you'll enjoy the extra power you can put down... if you MTB they are great for a bit of extra control also... I can't stand riding with out em anymore

Hi,
I have been riding with my SPDs about a week now and I have fallen twice.:cry: Once, I unclipped on the left but leaned to the right. The next time I couldn't decide if I was going to stop or turn. While in my quandary I came to a stop and fell over to the left. So, I am equally bruised in body and ego. But that being said--I really like them!!:twitchy:

Good luck! Like others have said, practice in a low traffic neighborhood and set the tension light so that it's easier to get in and out at first.

Good luck! Fun times to come ahead. Beware of red lights... 6 falls total for me on red lights/stop signs, 2 on the same light!

I really wished my feet were more secure on my Sunday ride, but reading all the stories of falls scares me! :injured:

I bought my first pair of clipless pedals last weekend. I was really skeptic at first because I've heard the stories as well. It was simple as ever. It's not a worry about falling. You just have to be smart with them. Always unclip one pedal before you stop. Unless you're done riding for the time being, then do both.

One of my high-performace roadie buddies warned me about falling and I have taken his advice to heart. When he first went with clippless pedals he fell right away. He was coming up to a stoplight at a fairly busy intersection and the light went red for him. He couldn't get unclipped and fell. The tension was so tight on his pedals that he stayed clipped in as he fell over and the bike stayed connected to him. As he fell he rolled over onto his back and the bike ended up above him. He said he looked like some kind of mutant/perveted turtle struggling to right himself. His fellow travelers at that road must have gotten quite a chuckle at his antics!

I have only fallen once. I was getting confident with my SPD's and decided to crank up the tension. Got back to the van and couldn't get unclipped. Everything was in slow motion as I slowly started listing to the left. The worst part was a uber-skinny roadie with full team kit on a full carbon model was coming by through the parking lot at the time. He looked back and asked if I was okay. My mind shouted "Get the H*$L out of here and leave me with my shame!" but all that came out of my mouth was a sheepish, beaten down "yeah, I'm okay..."

I have since bought a road bike and it came with SPD-SL pedals ("Look" style). They are much more intimidating to me so I unclip quite early with those and make DARN sure my weight in on the unclipped side as I come to a stop. The SPD-SL type shoes are MUCH more slick on the bottom than my MTB type shoes so I have more trouble getting clipped in as I start off. I have had to learn to use the clipped in foot to pull and push as I 'struggle' to get my right foot clipped in. I make DARN sure I have lots of room as I venture into the intersection. The last thing I need is for a bus to be speeding toward me as I fiddle with the pedal trying to get everything lined up just right. But, I LOVE that loud, reassuring click of the cleat locking in place!

Just don't show off like I did trackstanding a fixed gear in front of a gaggle of sorority girls on campus and tip over into a rose bush. :p

You'll be just fine, the first few months with mine were fine, you need to worry once you get confident on them, as others have also experienced I fell over after getting in the practice of waiting till the last minute to clip out. My knee is finally healed up and more importantly my ego too. :)

So far so good. Clipping in has been harder than clipping out. Fortunately I can pedal w/o clipping in for a bit. Temps are over 100 degrees here so I have not gone on any long rides yet.

Did 20mi this morning and definitely noticed an improvement. I was able to do a higher cadence and spin up the hills. There was also less bouncing on the pedals and more spinning. No crashes yet. I still fumble quite a bit clipping in the 2nd foot but am getting better at 'feeling' it.

OK, here's the 2+ week update on my clipless experiment. No falls so far and I have become comfortable clipping in and out of the pedals (can do it without looking). I have nearly fallen once (got distracted rolling up to a stop sign) but was able to rip out the foot on the falling side at the last second. I agree with the statements above that you are likely to fall after you become comfortable with going clipless. If you are careful and are paying attention then you shouldn't fall. My only real problem is pushing myself too hard on the commutes. Doing 40 hard minutes twice a day for 5 days in a row each week has taken it's toll (had to take a day off here and there). I am now working on biking more slowly during commutes (i.e. keep the HR in the aerobic zone).

Just don't show off like I did trackstanding a fixed gear in front of a gaggle of sorority girls on campus and tip over into a rose bush. :p

This might be the funniest picture I have ever imagined!!!!:lol:

Well, I finally got a pedal wrench and installed my new Time Roc pedals (first time going clipless). Tomorrow I'll be commuting on them and will hopefully keep my face off the pavement. Wish me luck!

P.S.> Feet are in (last year's model) Specialized BG Comp MTB shoes... VERY comfy so far compared with tennis shoes on BMX pedals.

Not to highjack your thread but I just went clipless yesterday. I got the Shimano 105s and Shimano road shoes. It truly does make a difference in riding. I didn't have problems unclipping at all. I had more problems clipping on, but I know I just need to get used to it. I had to look down a few times to see the angle of the pedal so I can clip in. Other than that, it was a great ride. My ham strings and calves were sore afterwards though. Also had a little cramping in those same areas but not too bad. I think I was just concentrating too much on pedaling in "circles". other than that..a big :thumb:

Not to highjack your thread but I just went clipless yesterday. I got the Shimano 105s and Shimano road shoes. It truly does make a difference in riding. I didn't have problems unclipping at all. I had more problems clipping on, but I know I just need to get used to it. I had to look down a few times to see the angle of the pedal so I can clip in. Other than that, it was a great ride. My ham strings and calves were sore afterwards though. Also had a little cramping in those same areas but not too bad. I think I was just concentrating too much on pedaling in "circles". other than that..a big :thumb:

Sounds like the cleats may be a bit too far toward the toes. Try adjusting them back a litle bit at a time until the calf pain eases.

Sounds like the cleats may be a bit too far toward the toes. Try adjusting them back a litle bit at a time until the calf pain eases.

Thanks Tom! Will try it out.

I went clipless pretty quickly after I got back into a riding a couple summers ago... I think it was the second or third time I was out riding with the new pedals that I successfully rode the 11 mile loop of off-road trails that I used to live near in Tampa. Anyways, I was dead tired as I pulled up to the water station at the trailhead, and I made sure to unclip as I pulled my bike up to the bike rack. Unbeknownst to me, my right shoe inadvertently clipped back in, and so I of course lost my balance and fell forward onto the end of my handlebar as the bike laid down. The other handlebar hit the ground at the 'perfect' angle so that it didn't give/twist at all, thus my ribs took the full brunt of the impact. It totally knocked the wind out of me, and of course there were several people standing there getting water that saw it all happen. Worse, I ended up with some pretty nasty bruised ribs and was in some pretty severe pain for quite a while, it took nearly 2 months for me to fully recover.

Other than the scar from the front gear cutting into my calf like 4 sharp fingernails from a fall at a stop sign I have been fine since. It is not 'IF' it is 'WHEN'. I trained myself to clip out of my right foot and always lean right when stopping. So far so good.

I've been keeping my eye on this thread. I'm going clipless next week.

I rode nearly 300 miles in 3 weeks on my new clipless pedals before I suffered my first fall. I am became complacent and fell at a busy intersection with bunches of cars witnessing the event. Only damage...ego.

Have to agree, it's more WHEN than IF you're going to fall. I thought that I had trained myself fairly well after the initial 2-3 times that I just forgot to clip out. :bang: This past spring on a club ride, I failed to make sure the cleats were tightened well enough to the shoes. Turned my foot to clip out, but unortuately the clip remained right were it was, clipped in, I had lost one of the set screws that hold the clip secured to the shoe.
:fred:
Take some time every month or so to make sure the cleats are well affixed to the shoes. I've since started putting a tiny drop of fingernail polish across the set screw's head, so I can just look to see that it's still locked in place. Haven't had a problem since.
:speedy:

Tried mine tonight for the first time. Clipped in and rode up and down the street just fine. Not once, but TWICE I coast into my garage and forget that I'm clipped in. I became comfortable with them that quickly. I saved myself both times just before I hit the concrete. The first time was funny, the second time...not so much. Having said that, I really like them.

Most of my falls were in the privacy of my own backyard. My hip was sore for a while as I tried to get the hang of riding clipless. I have fallen twice in public (I appreciate the symmetry of having small scars on each knee) but luckily weren't too many people around. Now I just make sure I unclip one foot a few seconds before I get to a stop sign or light.

So I tried out the clipless pedals tonight. The bike shop manager just so happens to wear my size shoe and had a pair he was trying to sell, so he let me use those. And he had a pair of Crankbrothers Candy SL pedals.

I fell within the first five minutes. It was just in the alley behind the shop practicing clipping and unclipping. I leaned over and was still clipped in. Woops. I landed in the grass so it wasn't bad.

Rode 5 miles up the MUP and we decided to turn back because the trail closes at dusk and we had gotten a late start. I fell again when I turned. Again, didn't unclip and toppled over. This one skinned my arm in a small area and my elbow is a touch sore now.

BUT! Pedaling was MUCH more efficient! I was able to go faster with less effort. It was great! Why didn't someone tell me to try this earlier?! :p

The shoes turned out to be a little loose because I could feel my foot lifting against the top of the shoe on the up stroke. We went back to the shop and he let me try on a few different shoes. Some felt loose, some felt tight. The ones that felt just right was the Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek. It looks like a running shoe, but with a mountain bike sole. Don't know if the more cycling specific shoes just felt odd because I'm not used to them or what, but I'll go with the ones that felt the best.