Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Finally Broke Down and Bought Clipless Pedals

OK, so after hearing how much they improved the cycling experience, I bit the bullet and bought clipless pedals. I am getting ready to take my first ride tonight and I have to say I'm extremely nervous.

I guess there's only 2 outcomes, 1.everything goes well or 2. I eat the pavement

With that said, I bought the Shimano 105 pedals and the Serfas Pilot Carbon shoes.

I will check back in tonight with more feedback on this. Ironically I just paid my health insurance for the month online, hope that's not a bad omen lol.

When I first got mine I practiced in a parking lot.

For the first ride or two, you'll be so paranoid about falling over that you won't have a problem. It's the 5th or 6th ride where you'll get a little complacent, forget you're clipped in, and end up falling over at a stop light...

I'm fairly new to them and have fallen a few times, but only in emergency situations. Never really had the slow-fall.

When I got mine, I sat on my bike in my apartment and practiced clipping in/out for about an hour for a couple nights before riding. Really helped when I went for the 1st ride.

Before you head out for the first time try leaning against a wall or in a doorway and clip/unclip a few dozen times just to get the feel of what it takes to get in/out of them. I especially recommend this if you're transitioning from Clips and straps since the motion to get out is a twist vs straight back.

Just remember to unclip before stopping and always lean towards the side you unclipped and you'll be fine. It becomes pretty natural pretty quickly so take your lumps and don't let a trip or two to the ground discourage you.

I put speed frogs on my commuter 2 years ago. I read all the info about falling, was really nervous. Had my husband hold the bike while I practiced clipping in and out and a half dozen times. Then I did my first ride in a parking lot, followed by a round on a paved green way, then into light traffic. I've never fallen in the past two years (3-4 rides of 10-12 miles/wk.) Now, I consider myself fortunate, and I went with a style that was easy for me to use. I haven't added clipless pedals to my mountain bike for fear of not being able to dab (which I do a lot of yet) and I pulled mine off my commuter while I'm trying to learn to track stand.

You will enjoy the clipless pedals for sure. All the hype about falling I don't know about. I got mine last year and have yet to take a spill with them. I had the LBS install the pedals on a Friday night got me Sidi shoes and rode the next day with no practice they showed me how to clip in an clip out at the shop. Anymore it's just second nature for me when I am riding and when I get in an area that is real busy I just unclip one foot as I have the Shimano pedals that only have the clips on one side. I think it is a mind set that people believe they are going to crash and gain fear of them. Get out ride and enjoy the ride and just think a little more about what you have to do and you should be fine.:thumb::)

I cut my teeth on the single release Shimano cleats and used 'em for years. Now that I'm older and wiser I go with the multi-release.
No matter how many hours I put on the bike, in a panic situation I just couldn't get my foot out quick enough with the single release. It's just not natural to remove the foot from the pedal in that way--- if you know what I mean.

Well there was a third option lol. I was practicing on my deck using the railing to balance and i couldn't get my left foot to clip in like the right foot. It was extremely hot and humid here today and I was sweating buckets, which made the whole process worse. So to make a long story short, I decided to put my flat pedals back on temporarily so i could ride tonight. Not making excuses but it was getting close to dark and the humidity was killing me, so I decided more practice was needed.

So I come back to the forum with my head held low and my tail tucked between my legs. Basically this thread turned into a big fail for me. I have brought disappointment to my fellow clydes and athenas who probably wouldn't have given up so easily.

Seriously though, I'm not done yet. I'm going to keep practicing and I'm definitely not a quitter. I think I need to increase the tension on the left peddle, it just unclipped to easily. Luckily changing the peddles isn't too hard so i will be back in them soon.

Thanks guys and gals for all the awesome advice and support.

Man, I don't think I ever used the flat pedals. Not without the toe clips at least. Once you get the hang of the clipless you won't go back. It's easy, you'll see.

Man, I don't think I ever used the flat pedals. Not without the toe clips at least. Once you get the hang of the clipless you won't go back. It's easy, you'll see.

Yeah I'm gonna do it, just wasn't my night. I really want to use them bad, so I will rpobably trying again this weekend.

How cool, I just went clipless myself today!

I picked up my new Trek 7.5 FX, which I traded a month old 7300 for, and decided while upgrading to a higher performing bike I should go w/the clipless. I already used toeclips.

Anyway, I got the Shimano 530 pedals that are clipless on one side, and platform on the other. That way I don't have to change out of my flip-flops when going for a 6mph ride w/my wife! :-)

I've only ridden up and down the block, and can't get in at first click, but it seems I'll get the hang of it.

I also got a pair of Bontrager shoes, whatever the LBS had for a good price (in other words, in the other room ...)

How cool, I just went clipless myself today!

I picked up my new Trek 7.5 FX, which I traded a month old 7300 for, and decided while upgrading to a higher performing bike I should go w/the clipless. I already used toeclips.

Anyway, I got the Shimano 130 pedals that are clipless on one side, and platform on the other. That way I don't have to change out of my flip-flops when going for a 6mph ride w/my wife! :-)

I've only ridden up and down the block, and can't get in at first click, but it seems I'll get the hang of it.

I also got a pair of Bontrager shoes, whatever the LBS had for a good price (in other words, in the other room ...)

Congrats. Sounds like you did a lot better than me. I'm going to get the hang of it sooner or later. If my left foot stayed clipped, I think i would have made it. I just think i need to increase the tension on the left peddle a bit more, and try again.

Congrats. Sounds like you did a lot better than me. I'm going to get the hang of it sooner or later. If my left foot stayed clipped, I think i would have made it. I just think i need to increase the tension on the left peddle a bit more, and try again.

Nah, probably just beginner's luck. Expanding a bit on my experience: like I said, I couldn't always get in the first try (actually, maybe I never did it on the 1st try), but sometimes I got part way in, and then sort of "stamped" straight down. Doing that, I could feel it "click in" and knew it was secure.

Getting out didn't always come easy; I tried well in advance of when I needed to. I think someone maybe got it right, you're fine the first few rides when you're very conscious of falling, but after that: splat!

I'm going to use a local schools parking lot so I don't have to deal with traffic next time. I will conquer the clipless peddle!!

I cut my teeth on the single release Shimano cleats and used 'em for years. Now that I'm older and wiser I go with the multi-release.

I think this is only an option if you're using SPD mountain bike pedals? Sounds like the OP is using SPD-SL road pedals...

I have only crashed twice in three years. Both times it was to avoid a collision.

I agree with others. It's not the first few times you need to be worried about. It's when you get lazy and stop worrying about them that it will get you.

I think this is only an option if you're using SPD mountain bike pedals? Sounds like the OP is using SPD-SL road pedals...

I did not know that. Knew I liked those pedals for some reason. Thanks for the info.
BTW, I use them on the road and they work great.

Update. I haven't put the clipless pedals back on yet. The weather here for the last few days has been tough, and I have just been trying to get my miles in. Looks like next weeks weather will be better and I will try again soon. It will happen !!!

So I come back to the forum with my head held low and my tail tucked between my legs. Basically this thread turned into a big fail for me. I have brought disappointment to my fellow clydes and athenas who probably wouldn't have given up so easily.



Bah. I don't ride clipless. I'm far from being a failure. :-)

I fell over for the first time today..lol

I was paying 3 dollars to enter a park and I uncliped my right foot. I tried to hobble towards the gate but i got off balance and over she went.

It happens.

Bah. I don't ride clipless. I'm far from being a failure. :-)
Some of us prefer toe clips. There's even an online store which sells old school cleats for SPD shoes!!! http://www.yellowjersey.org/cleats.html The picture of the cleats I'm referring to are close to the bottom of this web page.

I fell over for the first time today..lol

I was paying 3 dollars to enter a park and I uncliped my right foot. I tried to hobble towards the gate but i got off balance and over she went.

It happens.

OMG! So did I. I was in my own driveway, right foot unclipped. Did I stop and lean to the right and then worry about unclipping?

Nooo. I kept trying to unclip the left foot until the point I went over. Scraped my elbow, scraped the pedal, loosened the mirror.

G/F got me some SPD pedals for my b-day and I just put them on today...will see how the first ride goes tomorrow...need to get some practice before the Monday commute!

I use SPD's as well. The best thing I did was set the tension as light as possible. Makes it easy to get in and out of. Once you get the hang of it you can increase tension if you want. I left my tension really light and love the clipless peddles.

God luck

Some of us prefer toe clips. There's even an online store which sells old school cleats for SPD shoes!!! http://www.yellowjersey.org/cleats.html The picture of the cleats I'm referring to are close to the bottom of this web page.

I rode with those Dettos for years before switching to Looks when they first came out in the '80s. Even though those old cleats were better than not being attached to the pedals at all, I found clips, cleats and straps to be a major pain in the rear, as well as a literal pain in the foot - the straps cut right across the spot where I tended to get plantars warts - hugely painful.

Though I did get good at reaching down to tighten and loosen the straps - again, a process I found way more cumbersome and potentially fall-inducing than clipless pedals/cleats.

Does anyone know how easy it is to pedal on clipless pedals without the associated cleats (ie: just sneakers)?

Or is that going to be a different answer for every pedal?

I'm curious because I'm very intrigued by the Garmin Vector power meter pedals that are (supposedly) coming out soon, and I'm surmising that they'll probably only be available in clipless... and I'm not a clipless rider. Wondering if that's something I may have to end up learning if I want to use that product. Up until now the idea of clipless scares the bejezus out of me, because I've had some balance issues in the last year (blood pressure meds, plus it's tricky trying to eat the right amount of foods when you're on a low-calorie diet, ended up being lightheaded a lot), the issues have mostly gone away now (off the meds), but I still worry.

OK so I'm going back to the drawing board this evening. The weather is a little better so I'm putting the clipless pedals on and just going to ride around a parking lot until I get it.

Life insurance? Nah who needs it, I'll be dead anyway so makes no difference to me.

I ordered Forte Boulevard Pedals (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1104537_-1_1592508_20000_400916) from Performance last week.
Last Friday, I bought a pair of cheap-ish Shimano mt-33s from REI.
Installed the pedals on Saturday, lowered the spring tension as far as it would go. After reading some of the falling horror stories, I very nervously tried them out riding around my neighborhood on Saturday night.

Turned out to be a non-event. :D
On Sunday, I went on a 30 mile ride without incident.
Clipless pedals are great! I'm a convert!

I've been using Speedplay X pedals for 5 years or so, very nice, although the float took a while to get used to. I haven't fallen in them, but I did have an "incident" trying to hop over a speed bump - my left foot was only partially clipped, and the cleat came undone in mid-air. I caught my balance by sitting back on the saddle (Brooks Team Pro), but when I landed, all 245 lbs. of me was perched on the seat. I didn't realize until a quarter mile later that I had bent my saddle about 45 degrees to the side! Fortunately, the saddle rails are really tough, and I was able to get them (mostly) back into shape with a vise and a lot of elbow grease. At some point I should probably replace the rails, but it will be expensive, so I will wait until I absolutely need to.

I just got a commuter bike and put mtn SPD pedals on it. A little different than the Speedplays, but I like being able to walk in the shoes, plus they're good for my spinning class, too.

Ok, got rained out last night and lightning. This is going to happen tonight!!

Does anyone know how easy it is to pedal on clipless pedals without the associated cleats (ie: just sneakers)?

There are a few SPD pedals that are platform on one side (you use cleats on one side and normal shoes for the other).

Other than that, riding without cleats on clipless pedals sucks (and isn't very safe). The pedal is too small and your foot slips off.

I'm curious because I'm very intrigued by the Garmin Vector power meter pedals that are (supposedly) coming out soon, and I'm surmising that they'll probably only be available in clipless... and I'm not a clipless rider.

If you want power, buy yourself a Quarq or a PowerTap and use whatever pedals you want. The Garmin/MetriGear stuff has been vaporware for so long, I wouldn't hold my breathe while waiting for it to appear... PowerTap will still be your cheapest option and Vector will likely have the same sort of teething problems that seem to affect all power meters for the first 12 months after release.

Well I'm back and I did it. I rode about 10 miles in a big parking lot. I started just clipping in and out then I would ride a little and practice stopping. The hardest part for me was getting my second foot clipped in, but with a little practice I got the hang of it.

I only had one incident where I thought I was going to fall. This happened because i didn't get my foot unclipped in time. Luckily, I still had some momentum so I just started peddling again.

The biggest hurdle I think is making sure you are unclipped before coming to a stop. Seems like it would be common sense, but I believe it has to become a natural reaction without thinking about it.

The clipless pedals are much better than the flat pedals IMO. If you are thinking about trying them just take your time, and practice a lot before hitting the street. I still have a lot more practicing before I will feel comfortable but I feel like I'"m a step closer to getting the hang of it.

There are a few SPD pedals that are platform on one side (you use cleats on one side and normal shoes for the other).

Other than that, riding without cleats on clipless pedals sucks (and isn't very safe). The pedal is too small and your foot slips off.

I have these on my mountain bike at work in case I forget my cleats:

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You guys are lucky! For the first 400 miles, I had about 5 slow-motion falls mainly onto grass and two asphault falls due to getting used to clipless. But after a short while, you auto click or unclick.

But the pedaling efficiency is worth it. Just bought some Serfas Interval road shoes that can mount SPD 2-bolt or road 3-bolt clips. So great for guys riding road and mountain. But the Serfas will be my dedicated road and commuting shoes!

I like the dual sided pedals (SPD/flat) and have them on both my road bike and my touring. I wear a walkable MTB shoe and often ride the flats when I'm in stop-n-go traffic or at other times when I need to put a foot down often or might need to put one down fast. I also find it nice on long rides to be able to unclip and flip the pedals for a while just to be able to change positions slightly. With practice, I've trained myself to clip out early and flip the pedals all in the same motion so I come up to stop signs riding the flats, then pedal a few strokes to get started again, flip and clip once I get some momentum. The secret for me was to force myself to use the clipout motion every time I took my foot off the pedal whether I am clipped or not. That way I never get embarassed with a low speed tip when I forget I'm clipped.

When starting out I only tipped twice from being clipped in both at stops before the clip-out motion had become natural. It took me a couple of months of frequent riding before I got to the point that I could clip out consistently without thinking about it.

Well I'm back and I did it.

Good job Sir! It's not as scary as it seems. I fell over twice with mine, once after about a week and infront of my friend's family - "Daddy, why did Steve just fall on the floor?". The second time was after about 8 months at a road crossing in Holland. Neither of them did any real damage, just something to laugh off and pick yourself up again.

...The best thing I did was set the tension as light as possible. Makes it easy to get in and out of. Once you get the hang of it you can increase tension if you want. I left my tension really light..

Listen to this guy! He's spot on.

I've been clipless for years, and before that; top clips, straps and cleats. Assuming you have no physical limitations that inhibit you twisting your ankle, (to unclip), riding clipless will enhance your cycling experience. The key is anticipation, (knowing beforehand that you need to unclip).

Well I'm back and I did it.
<<SNIP>>
I only had one incident where I thought I was going to fall. This happened because i didn't get my foot unclipped in time. Luckily, I still had some momentum so I just started peddling again.

The biggest hurdle I think is making sure you are unclipped before coming to a stop. Seems like it would be common sense, but I believe it has to become a natural reaction without thinking about it.


It will become like second nature after a while. But you do need to be diligent. Having trouble unclipping in a parking lot where you can just pedal again to get more momentum is fine. Had that been an intersection with cars coming it might have been a different matter. I always unclip well before the intersection just in case. Then I just coast until I brake to a stop--maybe a hundred feet or so.

Nightshade is right--using these pedals MAY add a dangerous element to your ride. It is POSSIBLE to injure yourself in a fall because you were clipped in. But, you need to ask yourself, is the risk REAL or THEORETICAL? And to whatever level the risk is real, you need to balance that against the benefits. (For some there are no benefits to being clipped in so no level of risk is worth it--YMMV). I have heard MANY stories about people doing the <1mph, slow-motion roll because they did not unclip. Mostly this happens very early on. I have done it twice--I'm almost certain I survived both of them. My wife did it once--pretty sure she survived as well.

The real question is would being clipped in make a crash more likely, and are you likely to be more severly injured, if a crash occurs at full speed. (Whatever that speed is). In every crash I have ever heard of the usual injury is arm/shoulder/collarbone and road-rash. I have never heard of an ankle/leg injury caused by the foot being clipped in. I suppose there is probably some example out there--I've never heard of one. Freaky things happen. My wife injured her back because she was leaned over in her chair and sneezed--she pulled a muscle in her back and required physical therapy. (Come to think of it, let me just declare: you should not to sneeze while seated.)

So, if the pedal is not the CAUSE of the accident, and the most likely injury does not involve the pedal, the risk would seem to be quite low. My contention is that by choosing to ride a bike instead of walking you are increasing you level of risk exponentially more than the increase from riding platforms to clippless.

In summation: Be careful out there.

I use SPD's as well. The best thing I did was set the tension as light as possible. Makes it easy to get in and out of. Once you get the hang of it you can increase tension if you want. I left my tension really light and love the clipless peddles.

God luck

This is what I did. I bought SPD's and a pair of PI mountain shoes for a mountain bike several years ago. The shoes were delayed in the mail and I got them the morning of a big, fast ride. I cranked the tension as low as they would go, took a deep breath, and clipped in for the first time. After an hour, I cranked the tension up a lot and never looked back. Low tension and just doing it seemed to be the best way to learn.

Some of us prefer toe clips. There's even an online store which sells old school cleats for SPD shoes!!! http://www.yellowjersey.org/cleats.html The picture of the cleats I'm referring to are close to the bottom of this web page.

Checking out this site reminded me that I bought some LOOK carbon Arc's in bright red at a yard sale a could years ago. Didn't realize they were "vintage" :lol:

I had an interesting clipless experience 3 weeks ago. I was hit by a car.

When the event was over I expected my bike to be on top of me due to being clipped in, and my body an even more mangled mess as a result. I was surprised to see the bike was over a dozen feet away. As it turns out, when the car hit me, the motion of the collision unclipped me instantly and I went flying away from the bike.

Talked to my bike shop about it, saying I was completely surprised that the bike didn't end up on top of me or mangling me due to being clipped in. Turns out that's not really a concern; they said that clipless are designed to unclip in those kinds of situations. Pretty neat. I'm sold.

I bought this combo back in April. Shoes are casual enough that I can go to the grocer, coffee shop, tavern, etc, without looking too goofy. The shoes get some stares at times. The pedals are entry level and work fine.

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As others said, I set the tension as loose as possible for my first ride and took it for a spin around the neighborhood. No problems. For the first week I made sure to unclip 10 or 15 yards before expected stops. As time went on I was to the point where I'd unclip as I was coming to a stop. Now I stay clipped in until I'm on the edge of losing my balance, hoping the light will change or traffic will clear, and then I unclip.

I had more issues getting in. Crossing roads in front of oncoming traffic, which you would think is far enough off to not pose a threat, only to slip and slide all over the pedal, is a bit bothersome. I've learned to pedal across with my heel before clipping in during close encounters.

I had one accident on a crushed limestone path where I was traveling too fast (21 MPH) for the corner and looser than expected surface. My wheels slid out away from me and I came down on my side. After collecting myself on the side of the path I realized I wasn't clipped in. Single release cleats. High tension. Wasn't terribly violent but they came undone nonetheless.

I'd suggest during the trial period to unclip BOTH feet until getting right the feeling of leaning and actually going to the intended side. I have seen way too many times people that unclip and lean to whatever side of their choice and maybe too little speed or whatever reason causes them to steer the wrong way (the same direction in which they're leaning). It's watching the fall in slow motion. Thankfully all my witnessed event had nothing of serious consequence besides big egos bruised, and pedals, handlebars and skewers scratched as well.

Many posts have been deleted from this thread because they violate forum guidelines (http://www.bikeforums.net/faq.php?faq=forum_guidelines). Here are the cliff notes for those starting off with, or are intrigued by, clipless pedals. Some people have fallen down because they don't unclip in time. That can hurt and be embarrassing. One poster feels they are much more dangerous than platform pedals and should not be used. By the number of subsequent posts, most everybody else in the thread disagrees with him. There it is, in a nutshell.

Please, let's not continue the safety debate, otherwise, this thread will be moved to A&S where it won't do anybody any good. If you want to carry the safety debate further, please do it here:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/132613-Clipless-pedals-amp-accidents?highlight=clipless

Thank you.

10 miles in a parking lot, wow. That's a lot of practice.

Maybe you should try Fat Cyclist's 100 Miles of Nowhere.

It's really not that hard. They are awesome, keep at it.

Some of us prefer toe clips. There's even an online store which sells old school cleats for SPD shoes!!! http://www.yellowjersey.org/cleats.html The picture of the cleats I'm referring to are close to the bottom of this web page.

Some of us prefer to put cigarettes out on our arms because we like pain. The last guy to win the Tour de France with clips and straps was in 1987. It's much easier to get out of clipless than straps and much more efficient to go clipless than it is to use flat pedals.

Just bought my second pair of Shimano SPD clipless shoes M063 first and now a pair of M077 from REI. really helps you get up those hills full stroke!