Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - first clipless ride

I put The clipless pedals on my bike don't think my other pedals will go back on.

Once you get used to them, you'll like them. Took me all of 5 minutes when I got my first pair.

thats awesome! I love clipless.

Remember to practice on the trainer if you can, making sure to practice clipping in and out on both sides. Especially clipping out. This is key.

I put The clipless pedals on my bike don't think my other pedals will go back on.

I am on my first pair too. I bought them last year, and love them. Have you fallen down yet? If you do, remember to laugh at yourself. I do as I realize how much of a dumb mistake I made to fall.

I went clipless relatively late. I think it was '93. Before that, it was toe clips. My first ride was on the sidewalk outside my apartment. Despite knowing that I needed to twist to clip out, my brain was so wired to pull up and back. You can imagine what happened when I reached the end of the block and tried to disengage using the latter method. I managed to grab a stop sign pole as I was going down and let out an audible explative right in front a father walking with his young daughter.

So why do we clip in and out of clipless pedals but not toe clips?

Spent a few minutes practicing clipping out while holding on to the rack on the back of my Jeep. Then, I took off, and haven't looked back since.:thumb:

The falls happen more from having to make a sudden, unexpected stop, than from forgetting to clip out when you come to a stop sign, red light, etc.

I could feel muscles burning in different places almost immediately. Got them last July and am not going back. I almost fell twice early on, but now I rarely think about it. Still working on technique, and expect that to take some time.

I started clipless last Spring...after a fall or two the first day in my driveway from trying to stand still and watch what I was doing (very dumb), I've gone roughly 4000 miles with no spills *knock on wood*. The one time I got on a bike with platform pedals since then I felt oddly like my feet would slip off the pedals. Safe to say I'm sold on them. :)

I must be one of the few people that haven't fallen from forgetting to unclip. I feel like I have been deprived of a memorable experience.

I started clipless last Spring...after a fall or two the first day in my driveway from trying to stand still and watch what I was doing (very dumb), I've gone roughly 4000 miles with no spills *knock on wood*. The one time I got on a bike with platform pedals since then I felt oddly like my feet would slip off the pedals. Safe to say I'm sold on them. :)

Your feet will slip off platform pedals, especially when it's wet out. You get used to sort of dragging your foot across the bottom of your stroke when you're clipped in--it becomes second nature after awhile. On Saturday, in the snow, I rode my hybrid with platforms for the first time in ages, and I fought to keep my feet in contact with the platforms so much that my left hamstring and the left side of my butt were very sore after only a 20 mile ride.

Fell right in front of my garage door coming home from a ride. Neighbors came running over thinking I'd had a heart attack, they couldn't believe I was dumb enough to tie my feet to the pedals

So why do we clip in and out of clipless pedals but not toe clips?

Why do we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?

Why do we fly in a plane through 3 dimensional space?

Intriguing questions.

I must be one of the few people that haven't fallen from forgetting to unclip. I feel like I have been deprived of a memorable experience.

I've never fallen from forgetting to clip out. But I fell once, when I was new to clipless, because somebody had put a bunch of gravel down on my trail overnight, which I wasn't expecting to find there, and when I started to go down, I wasn't able to clip out in time.

Why do we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?

Why do we fly in a plane through 3 dimensional space?

Intriguing questions.

Why does a pine apple grow on a pine tree and look so much like a granny smith?

yo: You will..... trust me :)

the first day 50 miles no problems yet

On long hauls and continuous bike trails, the clipless pedals work great. I pickup 5 - 10% efficiency with them I think as measured by total time to complete the ride/avg speed. But for a commute through the city with lots of lights, curbs, crosswalks, and the need to obey traffic signals, I find toe clips superior. I find most clipless riders simply blow through lots of lights and stop signs and that's because of the cost of re-engagement - you gotta clip back in and that means finding the sweet spot, which can change and does change for those of us who own a few bikes. Sure, you get used to it, but I see lots of folks who slip/slide out at intersections in clipless systems. Unless they ride an MTB/SPD style shoe with soft soles, most riders have shoes that have a lower coefficient of friction on wet ground than my teflon pan, and I have seen some do the splits and slide at intersections, which can be painful.

I was an early adopter and later abandoned clipless because I used to sprint up hills and at my size, I would pull out of the pedals. Also, talk about slipping sideways with platform pedals, I'd slid out with clipless in the old days when Look first came out. They were meant for light 150 lbs or less riders and not bigger 255 lbs guys who break steel frames climbing hills. But I've come back in my old age to them, but insist on SPD style shoes/pedals with softer soles for grip. Plus, with knee and ankle injuries that have changed my alignment and Q-factor, I can't use many shoes because they force pedaling too close together and feet always pointed straight ahead. But for me, one leg is twisted out like a duck a little more than normal and this is not noticeable with toeclips, but with many Clipless Pedal/Shoe combinations, I can't pivot the cleat sufficiently to clear the crank arm because the pedal is too close. I end up having to ride with a pedal axle extender, which can also have consequences, since I've been known to snap pedal axles honking out of the saddle. Buyer beware of one's self especially, especially if you're a clyde.

the first day 50 miles no problems yet

The first few days you won't fall. You'll be so paranoid about falling that you'll always remember to unclip. Then you'll get complacent, have to do a panic stop or simply forget to unclip, and you'll fall over. At least that's what happened to me...

I must be one of the few people that haven't fallen from forgetting to unclip. I feel like I have been deprived of a memorable experience.

I'm also among the few, though I've come close a couple of times. Fortunately for my ego, all of those occasions were sudden unexpected stops and not from brain farts. For reference, I learned by riding for many years in the '70s with clips, straps and cleats. That'll condition your mind if nothing else will.

Mine have also been from sudden stops. They are the best. I mean when all of a sudden you go from 20 to ZERO miles an hour in less than 5 seconds. You are now at a full stop, and still clipped in, time to fall over... D'OH!!!



Forgot 1...

This hapened last week. Climbing a hill, I down shifted the chain fell off, and I just lost it. Over the side I went, at about 12 mph.... Laughed my @$$ off too. Cop pulls up, says he saw me fall, am I all right? I say yup, fell off, and just felt like laying here laughing for a few.

jethro56,

Good on ya, I went with spds last summer. I have fallen once, I didn't think that I needed to unclip. I fell on the rocks on a country road while doing a U turn. Live and learn. We are almost neighbors. Maybe we can do a ride sometime.

BobH.

Forgot 1...

This hapened last week. Climbing a hill, I down shifted the chain fell off, and I just lost it. Over the side I went, at about 12 mph.... Laughed my @$$ off too. Cop pulls up, says he saw me fall, am I all right? I say yup, fell off, and just felt like laying here laughing for a few.

Isn't it funny how our brain can go from complex thought proccess to , doh splat in about half a second.


My first week with clip-less shoes as well, i spend an hour practicing in my yard before i would even look outside my fence. Had a few close calls on the bike path but nothing yet.

jethro56,

Good on ya, I went with spds last summer. I have fallen once, I didn't think that I needed to unclip. I fell on the rocks on a country road while doing a U turn. Live and learn. We are almost neighbors. Maybe we can do a ride sometime.

BobH.

Great to have somebody from the great corn and soybeans desert joining us. I had 1 emergency stop and I pulled right out of the clip I can tell my hamstrings have done much more work than last year.

Just been learning this past week. Spent a lot of time going in circles clipping in an out. Feel pretty good about it now, time to go for a real ride. Had one fall, after all my practice. Was coming up to my front door, went to clip out, just didn't quite make it and TIMBER. Over like a tree in the front yard. Luckily in nice soft grass and in the dark, so no one saw me struggling like a turtle on its back to get unclipped while on the ground. Love the power and acceleration advantage though of pulling on the upstride. However, I think for my commuter/tourer, I'm going to stick with the platforms. As a previous person commented, just too much stopping in the city during a commute to be clipping in and out. And I know of a couple times that no matter how fast I could have clipped out, wouldn't have been fast enough to catch myself and avoid a fall.

jethro,

Most of my rides start and stop in Allenville. My wife has started using spds also. She told me that she is pleased with them, in fact, she likes them. She looks forward to using them next year on the Arthur Ride.

The Corn Fields,,, if I'm not in them, I feel like I don't belong. i was in Spain last wimter ,missed my cornfields a bunch.

BobH.

What type of pedal did you go ? i went for a single sided one ,Means at lights if i screw up i can still pedal and not feel to foolish

I commute half the time on Wellgo WPD-95B's. They are a two sided pedal. But Ultegras on the road bike aren't 2 sided. But for me, I track stand at most lights. Taking the feet out wastes time! :-)

I commute half the time on Wellgo WPD-95B's. They are a two sided pedal. But Ultegras on the road bike aren't 2 sided. But for me, I track stand at most lights. Taking the feet out wastes time! :-)

Trackstands, I have a Haro 1.1, when I ride it and that is daily, I practice trackstands. At 62 years and 250#, I must look strange doing trackstands. It will be a while before I try trackstands in my spds, but I hope to get there.

BobH.

I've never fallen from forgetting to clip out. But I fell once, when I was new to clipless, because somebody had put a bunch of gravel down on my trail overnight, which I wasn't expecting to find there, and when I started to go down, I wasn't able to clip out in time.

This is where I am at. I fell when I had a problem with a group of three dogs and got entangled with the first, when I started to go down I could not clip out in time. It all happened very fast and I don't know if I would have gone down even without the clipless. I like pedaling with them and I can get in and out easily otherwise. But I hate walking in the shoes and find them inconvenient.

I put The clipless pedals on my bike don't think my other pedals will go back on.
Great stuff.

After a while they will become second nature.

jethro,

Most of my rides start and stop in Allenville. My wife has started using spds also. She told me that she is pleased with them, in fact, she likes them. She looks forward to using them next year on the Arthur Ride.

The Corn Fields,,, if I'm not in them, I feel like I don't belong. i was in Spain last wimter ,missed my cornfields a bunch

BobH.


Sounds great. I'll pm you when I get back in town.

You don't ride technical dirt trails do you?

You don't ride technical dirt trails do you?

That's what I use a john deere for.

What type of pedal did you go ? i went for a single sided one ,Means at lights if i screw up i can still pedal and not feel to foolish

Shimano m 324 spd/platform.

I'm not a virgin anymore.:crash: :)

This is where I am at. I fell when I had a problem with a group of three dogs and got entangled with the first, when I started to go down I could not clip out in time. It all happened very fast and I don't know if I would have gone down even without the clipless. I like pedaling with them and I can get in and out easily otherwise. But I hate walking in the shoes and find them inconvenient.

Which pedals and shoes do you have?

Sounds great. I'll pm you when I get back in town.

That reminds me - I owe you a ride on your own turf, or at least on your own roads. We gotta do that this season.

I'm not a virgin anymore.:crash: :)

..... lets just assume he had a fall on the clip pedal today

also same pedals i have, i like them so far.

At first I was great at unclipping because as others have said, I was so paranoid about it I couldn't stop thinking about it. When I finally did fall, it was because I got in the habit of only unclipping one foot and shifting my weight to that side. That's great until the crank spins around and my weight shifted the wrong way....

I too started using the clipless pedals this past week! thus far no falls but am waiting for it... I got the Shimano M-424 double sided platforms with shoes MTB shoes from Diadora. On my first ride with them I felt alot more power with my upstroke. I will love them till I fall, curse them once or twice, get back on and love them again. I like the fact that I can still jump on the bike and ride and don't have to wear the shoes, for a quick spin with the kids.

I was laughing all the way down. Once you start going down it's too late.

I got my first set of clip-less pedals (Speedplay Frogs) at a bike shop that was five miles along a fifteen mile planned ride. I had about a half minute practice on a trainer in the shop, and about a minute tooling around the parking lot then I was off to finish the ride. I have never fallen, though I came close twice.

When I bought my road bike I switched to Forte SPD because equipping two bikes with those was cheaper than getting another set of Frogs for the road bike. I am kicking myself. I know better than being cheap. I miss those Frogs, and when I step up to a Carbon Road bike I will probably check out the Speedplay road bike stuff.

BTW, the frogs are MTB pedals, but I prefer those since I commute, and do a fair amount of walking in them.

I was pretty concerned about falling until the bike shop adjusted the tension to the minimum tension setting. Now, just a little, quick twist of the foot and I'm out. Did fall once last year in Rome when I came to a spot on the cobblestone street where several stones were missing. Was hardly moving at the time and had to make a quick stop. Oh, that was so embarrassing to do a slow-motion fall with an audible, "uumph" at a crowded intersection. Lots of people turned their heads to look, but nobody came over to see if I was okay.

Coming from toeclips/straps/cleats, it didn't take any time at all to readjust from lifting and pulling to twisting. I couldn't ride without being strapped in because my foot would come off the pedals on every stroke because I'd be pulling up, and there would be nothing to pull up. Great stuff. I have a set of those rubber covers so that walking in cleats isn't a problem; and the cleats don't wear out very fast when using those rubber covers.

When I bought my road bike I switched to Forte SPD because equipping two bikes with those was cheaper than getting another set of Frogs for the road bike. I am kicking myself. I know better than being cheap. I miss those Frogs, and when I step up to a Carbon Road bike I will probably check out the Speedplay road bike stuff.

BTW, the frogs are MTB pedals, but I prefer those since I commute, and do a fair amount of walking in them.

Can you elaborate? I'm thinking about getting a pair. I've got SPD pedals on both bikes, and I hate one set of them; I was thinking of moving the nicer SPDs from my nice road bike and putting them on the commuter, then getting a set of frogs for the CF road bike. Specifically, I'll be doing long mountain road rides in them (and lots of other types of road riding), and when I run out of water, I'll be scrambling down to the creek for more. Sometimes I need to walk over boulders, or scree, or whatever, which is why I'm only looking at recessed cleat systems.

I've got the regular SPD's on all my bikes right now. What's the advantage to the SPD-L's or a similar wider platform like Look, for instance? I've not felt my connection to the pedals to be insecure and I like having compatibility on all bikes, but many seem to prefer the larger cleats.

Frogs

+ Easier to clip out
+ Zero float on the inside- Heels cannot bump the chainstays. All float is to the outside for clipping out. I like the solid feel that gives.
- A little pricey - Still under patent protection, so no third parties available.
- A little tricky clipping in sometimes.

If riding with street shoes, the SPD's are a little more platform like, but I try to avoid that.

Do the SPDs break in? Because it seems that it's getting easier to clip in the more I use them.

Frogs

+ Easier to clip out
+ Zero float on the inside- Heels cannot bump the chainstays. All float is to the outside for clipping out. I like the solid feel that gives.
- A little pricey - Still under patent protection, so no third parties available.
- A little tricky clipping in sometimes.

If riding with street shoes, the SPD's are a little more platform like, but I try to avoid that.

You might have just talked me into it. :) Thanks! :D

Do the SPDs break in? Because it seems that it's getting easier to clip in the more I use them.

I don't know, but my guess is probably not. Mine were very easy to clip out of the first time I used them, but got easier to clip into over a few days before it was completely second nature. I don't think it's the pedals breaking in, so much as the rider getting used to them.

You don't ride technical dirt trails do you?
I was thinking the same thing. ;) I like the technical stuff when mountain biking, and I absolutely refuse to go clipless. Especially since I had several slow-speed crashes on road and mountain bikes in the early 90s, which is when I last used clipless pedals. On one of the mtb crashes, I ended up on my back like a turtle with the bike upside down in the air. :lol:

The most memorable road fall occurred while climbing Salmon Falls Road. I veeered off the pavement into the gravel and fell over before I had a chance to unclip-right in front of an El Dorado County Sheriff's deputy. He was very kind though, and offered to give me a ride. I thanked him and told him I would be all right. He said he was going to come back by in a bit and to wave him down if I changed my mind and wanted a ride. Sure enough, he drove by. I kept pedaling though.

The extremely technical section I rode on last week's MTB ride (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/798407-MTB-ride-with-a-hamfisted-ending-(warning-graphic!)) could be deadly if I was riding with clipless. A poster on another forum told me there have been deaths on that section from people falling off the cliff. I got the impression there may have been more than one death.

I wonder how many of the deceased were using clipless pedals?