Getting Clipped.
 

I just ordered a pair of Lake MX101 shoes, and Nashbar Rodeo Peddles. I am very excited about this and a little nervous also. How long does it take before you felt comfortable clipping out, and what advice do you have.

It won't take too long to get used to. My advice is simple:

Practice.

Count on doing at least one "Horizontal Track Stand"!

Practice clipping each foot in and out while you are stationary. Then try it on a soft lawn. Clip in one foot, start pedaling, DO NOT worry about clipping in the other foot yet – just get going. After a couple pedal revolutions, if you other foot has not clipped on it’s own then try to find the ‘sweet spot’ and get it clipped in. Most novices fall when they are so focused on the second foot that they forget to keep going and fall over from lack of momentum.

Don’t try to start on the uphill until you are more experienced.

Practice unclipping a lot.

Which foot you start with or end with is often the subject of long debates – but is mostly a personal choice

It’s a good idea to unclip the same foot every time so that it’s an automatic habit. As soon as the free foot is firmly on the ground, bring the attached foot up to the 2 o’clock position so that you are ready to go when the light turns green.

At some point (when you least expect it) you will forget to unclip until it is too late and you will fall over like a klutz. It only hearts you dignity.

heh, did one of those this morning!

I've been riding my Trek 820 with a borrowed pair of SPD Shimanos, with clips and just was loaned SPD pedals for my old road bike and as well the new Trek.

All this talk about the learning curve had made me nervous. Or maybe cuz all these are well worn, I've ridden 60 miles since converting last Thursday without any problem at all. So far think clipless is overrated over using clips, but I'm liking the looseness of grip to the pedals.

Had trouble at first clipping in but finding its pretty easy - just based on getting your foot placement close, and in a second or 2 or 3 in hearing the "click"

Peter

LOL

Thanks for everyone’s help. I am sooooooo looking forward to this. I feel that it will a great time (for me as well as anyone who is watching)

I will take off my mirror before I try them out. I don’t think my wife would appreciate me telling her I need a new mirror because I got clip in pedals.

Mark.....I'm in about exact same boat as you.....

I made this move about a month ago. I got the EXACT same shoes. :)

I got some shimano pedals from the lbs and with the Lakes....and my performance increased immediately. You'll be wondering why you didn't make the move sooner.

It turned out to be cake....in fact, I find it harder to clip in than to clip out. The only issue to clipping out is to remember to do it. I haven't fallen yet. I think the only times I've come close is when I didn't remember until the last moment as I was stopping. Try to plan it.....start thinking about it......a little bit before you stop and you'll be fine.

I fell over the first time I rode with clipless pedals and shoes, Shimano SPD's. I rolled up to an intersection, there was a car coming, and I couldn't get the right pedal to uncleat. After several attempts, I was barely rolling forward, I couldn't just go through the intersection because of the car. At the last second, I gave the left pedal a try, and it wouldn't come out, either. Anyway, I finally realized it was fall over or get run over, so I fell. I'm sure the car driver pissed himself laughing. He didn't stop to see if I'd had a heart attack or something, though. Basically, the mechanism in the new pedals was very tight, I backed off the tension a few turns, and they were fine, never had that problem again.

Practice....practice...practice. Admit that you will fall and people will be around to see it. Good Luck.:)

Mark - I 'borrowed' (or stole if you prefer) my dad's clipless pedals and shoes last weekend and didn't practice at all. I just popped 'em on and away I went. Be sure to release at least one foot while coming up to a stop... other than that it's not too scary :)

One piece of advice, be sure to research removing pedals. I believe it's the left pedal that is actually removed CLOCKWISE, which is backwards from what you'd expect, though it makes sense if you think about it.

If your good about a mile you will get it down, but you will have a least one Horizontal Track Stand, but for some people it will take many miles. This is that the guy told me at my LBS, I was good to go after the first mile or so.

Good Luck,

GEEK

Haven't tried those pedals myself but went to www.mtnbikereview.com to see what they were rated -- not all that great, hope you have good luck with them, but remember you get what you pay for.

Unless I did something wrong, I just got a spam page?

www.mtbr.com

and good luck, Mark

I thought I was doing something wrong.

The pedals were recommended by my nephew. He said they work great, so I will just wait until they come, and give them a try.

Big Mark, I have been clipless for about 3 weeks and have fallen twice. Once right outside the front gate. The second time was about an hour ago. Stopped on a hill, tried to start, hooked my shorts on the nose of the saddle and over I went. Experts at falling tell me that unless you are seen, you don't have to call it a fall. :D I was not seen, so no fall. :rolleyes:

Another complete stop fall this morning. Left foot wouldn't come loose, over I went. Jabbed the chaining in my right lower leg. Cool, blood :o

Except in my case, but I think I'm literally like one in 100,000 or more... I actually found it not too scary and fairly easy to use my new shoes/pedals, but I did have an incident in which I unclipped fine, but fell over to the other side. Wound up with a NASTY straddle injury and 3 weeks later had to have surgery to have the hematoma drained. Worse than childbirth... But like I said, I'm definitely the exception. I took my neighbor out on her first clipless ride last weekend and she fell over literally 5 or 6 times with nothing more than a bruised hip and a bruised ego. You'll be comfortable before you know it! Good luck.

So...some of you experienced fallers...give me your insight. I am falling to my left side (that foot seems to be disconnected from my brain) and getting scrapes, cuts and punctures from the chainring on the OUTSIDE of my lower right leg. I'll admit that the fall seems slow, but I can't understand how I am getting scraped on the part of my body away from the bike and away from the fall. I guess I won't have to get the chainring tatoo now, I'll have the chainring scars instead.

I almost fell over the first time I rode my bike with clipless, and a few times today when I was almost bonking. Both times I got scared and started thrashing my legs about violently and I unclipped.

I never felt uncomfortable clipping out...finding out how to line up the cleat with the pedal for clipping in was worse for me. I was a bit nervous, having read about all the people falling over at stop signs and so, but I have only come close to falling once and I got unclipped in time to catch myself.

Edit

I put the pedals on my hybrid first, to get the feel of them without risking my road bike. Now I'll have to get a second set for my road bike, the pedals made the hybrid so much better.

the best advice to give is, loosen the spring the whole way so ur foot comes out ultraeasy. so if u have difficulty ull most likely not fall cos there isnt much resistance on the clip so u can always pull foot out. the other thing to do is get in a habbit of puling foot out in advance. just one foot is fine. anyways they are awesome and id never ever go back to without it.

I also am new to this clipless SPD thing with my Shimanos shoes. I have more trouble getting them in then out. On my first night while getting used to them I had the wrong foot unclipped and the bike went the other way....... Rut row ...... oh chit here it goes.... you might be suprised how fast you can unclip and swing your foot out and how close to the ground you can be without falling over ... LOL

I started with the PerformanceCampus Pedal. They are wonderful for riding up sections of hills where your not too comfortable, you can clip out, switch to the other side and stop if you have to.

Remember, not to have the tension too tight, because it will be difficult to clip into or out of.

Also, one word of advice. Always remember to unclip one foot before you come to a stop, or else you will probably fall over.

Anybody who can drive a car with a manual transmission can master clipless pedals. Always clutch before you hit the brakes to stop; always unclip before you hit the brakes to stop. Practice your panic stops.