DreamRider85

That's the one thing I'm wondering about. How do you deal with it? I understand that you are supposed to clip in and out early and often. So do you ever clip out very early and then just pedal with one of your cleats not clipped in?

And when it's a last second thing and you need to get off the bike right away, is it harder to do so with clips than without? Does this concern you?

FullGas

fwiw, they're referred to as 'clipless' pedals, not 'clipped'...

with Shimano and Look pedals, the ease of disengagement depends on the tension setting.

early and often...huh? just do it when it's necessary.

GlennR

After you fall, it's easy to get out.

1nterceptor

I only clip out when there's a reason for it(stop sign/light coming up, getting to my destination, etc.);
I don't clip out just to practice clippping out. Sometimes I might clip out while still resting my foot on
the pedal. Deciding if the light will change green soon(clipping back in) or not(putting my foot down).
I've been using clipless for a few years now; so I'm just used to it.

Homebrew01

All manner of things in life seem difficult or tricky at first, then "no big deal" after a bit of practice and familiarity.
And like everything else, some people and situations are more suitable to take part, while others are not. I like clipless on my road bike, but for more casual rides, or riding trails or paths, I prefer sneakers & flat pedals, especially if I think I may need to stop frequently.

Clipless pedals are not "magic", and millions of people are quite happy without them.
If you want them, try them. If not, that's fine too.

Mobile 155

To add to what everyone else has said. After a while it is almost second nature to kick your heel out when you are stopping. People even do it on a fixed gear. And if we do forget we have been known to fall down. It has been a few years since I have forgotten even in a panic stop.

jfowler85

The binding's tension can be adjusted with simple tools - adjust the tension to the loosest setting such that you can still pull up during a pedal stroke without unclipping. Another useful trick to learn is how to ride very, very slowly while maintaining balance in case you find yourself in a situation where you did not anticipate unclipping but have to brake to a near-stop.


I use PD-A600s on my road bike which do not allow for any purchase when unclipped, so thus I do not unclip early if I anticipate an quick stop. Instead I, as aforementioned, have the tension in my pedals set to where I can put a foot down, then weight the foot while twisting it outboard, which unclips and sets my foot on the ground in one motion.

supercharger

Agreed

Mountain Mitch

Agreed! They don't make you TdF material. And, if you're not, they make very little difference to your actual riding capability....aside from making you fall over in comical ways for a while.

Larry77

When someone pulled out in front of me a couple months ago, I went over the handlebars and my pedals disengaged without any issue...

GeneO 

I have multi-directional release SPD. Never had a problem clipping out in and emergency nor accidentally clipping out when I didn't want to. I have been using them for many years on the road and mountain biking with no mishaps. Now when I had the single release SPD... I took a lot of falls mountain biking.

SkyDog75

A split second before I need to put my foot down, I rotate my heel outward. After a few rides, it's pretty instinctive.

(On those first few rides, though, don't be surprised if you forget at least once and fall over!)

In general, no. It's typically easier to clip in and out than to 'limp' along with one foot clipped in.

I can't think of an instance I needed to "get off the bike right away" in the course of normal riding. I've needed to stop in a hurry, but that doesn't require getting both feet unclipped. Just one, so I can put a foot down once I've stopped. Then I unclip the other foot.

indyfabz

Unclipping in an emergency is easier than clipping out of Bikeforums.

Maelochs

I just switched to clipless. I find that it is easiest to forget how to unclip when others are watching ... and easy to unclip in a crash.

Compared to flat pedals, any kind of foot restraint is dangerous--getting off of and away from the bike before and not after an impact is a huge difference which is not possible when clipped in.

I still prefer clipless pedals, though I cannot say why.

blakcloud

Homebrew01 this is probably the best piece of advice/wisdom I have read on the forums in a very long time. Thanks for posting it.

Mulberry20

are these threads serious?

shelbyfv

Obviously not. Apparently a decision has been made to treat them as if they were.

Homebrew01

Just a reminder that this thread is about pedals and shoes. Feel free to contribute on the topic at hand if you wish.

Maelochs

I am with HomeBrew01---I keep rat-traps and flats on my around-town bike so I can wear real shoes and walk like a human.

deapee

Sometimes you don't clip out until the bike is above your head, you're lying on your back, and someone is asking "man, are you ok" ... I mean it's just part of the game. That has only happened to me once, and oddly enough it took about 2.5 years before it happened. I did have a broken ankle earlier in the year, which has left my preferential foot to unclip with as also my preferential foot to rest my weight on when coasting to a stop. That has really wreaked havoc on my stopping game. What was always natural is now a chore, every time I come to a stop.

T Stew

Based on your cycling experience (or lack there of) I would suggest you do not mess with clipless pedals/shoes and stick to platforms with regular shoes. The advantages of clipless might be completely lost on you, and to be honest I find their advantages not worth my money/time/effort anyhow.

StanSeven

I've used clipless for years and it's second nature. In fact it feels funny going fast or hard on a beach cruiser. I even switched my commuter to clipless.

kuroba

I use Click'R pedals (supposedly easier to clip out) with multi-release cleats. That combinations has served me well, and I've been able to clip out even in emergencies (when I've panicked and forgotten I had clipless pedals in the first place lol).

corrado33

I clip out early and often as you say. Sometimes as often as every other pedal stroke. Can't be too careful about being attached to the bike. When I'm coming up to a stoplight or sign, I unclip about a half mile beforehand. Then I just work on my one footed pedaling until I get there. I have had a problem recently that my one leg seems to be getting bigger than the other. Maybe I should clip out the other foot sometimes.

It makes me really nervous riding with clipless pedals because one time I was mountain biking and I crashed and the bike flew over top of me, while still attached to my feet. It was very unnerving. If only I had clipped out before I knew I was going to crash I wouldn't have had an issue.

On second thought, maybe you should stick with flats.

cyccommute 

Many people make the mistake of just leaving the pedals at the factory setting for tension. This, in my experience, is at the middle point of the threads on the adjuster with is actually a high tension (the tension isn't linear). Backing the tension off helps a lot and I doubt that most of us need the tension that high anyway. You certainly don't want to pull out of the pedal while pedaling hard but the tension for that to occur for "normal" humans is less than the factory setting.

I don't generally unclip early and have gone on long rides where I don't unclip at all. I stop at all lights and signs but I usually just stay clipped and trackstand the bike. If I have to, I'll unclip from a full stop and put my foot down but I try not to. It's a bit of a point of honor to outlast a light but it's also practical, I can get up to speed faster when clipped in.

While a trackstand is a stupid human trick, it does have some practical application, especially when it comes to clipless pedals. If you can stop and stand still with your feet clipped in, you don't feel any panic when you have to unclip and put your foot down.

This is one of those things that many people fear about being attached to the bike. They dread being attached to the bike in the event of a crash. They think that they can jump of the bike and "save" themselves.

But it doesn't work that way. Think of it this way, would you throw open the door of a car and jump out "just before impact"? If you are smart, you don't. The car protects you and you really don't want to be outside the car when it is sliding around.

Bicycles work pretty much the same way but you don't have as much stuff protecting you. But it is better to ride the bike into the ground in the event of a crash then try to "jump off just before impact". You aren't going to land on your feet and even if you did, you are more likely to break something when you hit the ground. Humans aren't really designed to jump onto the ground at 10 to 20 mph.

Stick with the bike in a crash. Let the handlebars and whatever other parts of the bike that can take the impact. You'll still be beat up but you won't be as beat up as if you tried to get off the bike.

And you'll probably find that you are out of the clipless pedals without even thinking about it.