marcpotash

My girlfriend has done centuries, cross state rides, and loves to ride... but she has never clipped in her left foot due to falling 13 years ago as a beginner and not being able to unclip. She has Look pedals and she would just use the cleat against the back side of the left pedal. Recently she tried to start on a 10% uphill grade when her left foot clipped in. She tried to unclip it before getting up to speed and crashed, breaking her arm. For 13 years I've tried to convince her to clip in the left foot but she will not do it.... extremely stubborn!
What road pedal that is adjustable is the easiest to unclip out of, consistently every time? I was thinking of the Shimano 105 PD-5800 carbon pedal.

clasher

Might better just ride flat pedals. I did a 400K brevet on flats and survived. Did lots of other long distance riding on flat pedals too.

10 Wheels

VO Deep Half Clips

They work great.

PepeM

It's not mandatory to use clipless. Just get some flat pedals ffs. Thirteen years clipping in one foot only, wow.

deex

One of her legs may be stronger than the other by now. Clipping in/out is half mental. Once it becomes second nature it is hard not to unclip unless there is a mechanical failure with the pedals. Also helps to be proficient at unclipping both feet perfectly.

Besides clipping in to my road bike (SPD-SL) I also have SPD clips on my mountain bike. When I do trails clipping/unclipping happens a lot. Great practice. You may want to try some Shimano SPD clip pedals as they are easier to clip/unclip.

deepakvrao

My wife got on a bicycle for the first time in her life at 42. She learnt to use clipless with MTB cleats.

Just got the Powertap pedals, and she just could not unclip. Sold it. She is happy with SPDs. Much easier she says.

1nterceptor

Have only tried SPD, Look, Eggbeaters and Speedplay X series so far.
Speedplay is pretty easy to get out of. But as others have mentioned;
clipless pedals are not mandatory to ride a roadbike.

BounceCT

another vote for SPD pedals but specifically with the multi release cleats.

Sy Reene

Probably Speedplay light action has to be one of the easiest in/out clipless pedals

Mountain Mitch

Flats. I like old campy road bike pedal knock offs best, but any flat will solve this problem.

mpath

Look pedals come in different tension levels - 8, 12, 16, 20 iirc. Try the 8. I use the 20, and while it's a more deliberate act of unclipping, it's still intuitive and I haven't had any issues.

Bolo Grubb

Another vote for these. My sister in law is a runner who recently took up cycling and did not like spd pedals. I got her a set of the half clips and she loves them. It is what works for her.

TimothyH

Either of these would be an excellent choice.

SH-56 are the Shimano Multi-directional release cleats.

Triathletes love the speedplay light action pedals.

softreset

Agreed. The 8s from Look are almost too easy to get out of when you're riding. You could even go one step further and get the Look Keo Easy pedals. They're also very reasonably priced so if the rider doesn't like them you're not out $$$

rpenmanparker 

If the GF knew how to unclip, she would be able to do it. It isn't about tension; it is about technique. There are some things to some folks that are not intuitive, that have to be taught.

rpenmanparker 

And BTW, you don't learn on the road; you learn on a trainer. You can try every position around the crank circle and both directions until you find the one that is easiest for you.

Kevindale

I recommend you change your mindset. Your GF's problem isn't her skill or bravery or willingness to learn, it's that she's developed anxiety over crashing, which has unfortunately been confirmed by her recent accidental clip-in. When she clipped in on the left, she panicked at the feeling of being clipped in. A lighter clip mechanism probably wouldn't have made a difference. You're approaching this like an engineer, instead of like a therapist. She must get over her phobia, and she won't do that by logic or rationality or improved engineering, because her fear is real, and is irrational to you, but entirely rational to her.

If she's not willing to try to change, then I would not press her. It'll make things worse. If she is willing to change, and try to get comfortable using clipless pedals on both feet, then she should do it on a trainer, where there is no danger. She's familiar with the Looks, so maybe she could come to feel safe with them by using them on a trainer, but probably the association with the crashes and these particular pedals is too strong.

Changing to the SPD pedals/clips, which are dead simple and which I use, might allow her to have a fresh approach. Or one of the other types mentioned above are probably good choices, especially if she knows people who use them and like them. Whatever she tries, she needs to confront her anxiety in a safe way, gradually, and without pressure. If she's not ready to do that, then as noted above either flat pedals or the half-clips are good solutions. Either way, she needs to stop using the Looks the way she has been.

xraydog

I have been using Shimano Click'r pedals ( SHIMANO CLICK'R - TECHNOLOGIES - CYCLING FOOTWEAR AND PEDALS - LIFESTYLE GEAR - SHIMANO ) for the past 18months. I have found extremely easy to unclip in any direction, even straight up in an emergency when paired with the SH-56 SPD multidirectional cleat. I have not had them unclip accidentally at any time under load. They are reported to be 60% easier to clip-in and clip-out than the standard SPD pedals. Not really a "road" looking pedal.

fietsbob

I stopped using Clipless Pedals .. Life goes on just fine..

One of 2 transcontinental Tourist's bikes (in LBS to Ship Home) had MKS Lambda Pedals and Power grips,
a diagonal strap that is looser as you swing your heel out. (in that, it is a similar Motion as Many clipless pedals)
wearing regular shoes on them is reasonable.

Dan333SP

OP's gf has done "centuries" with the right foot clipped in and the left foot just kinda pushing against the pedal back? I'm calling bs.

A cleated road shoe pushing the back of a pedal would just slide around or slide off the pedal entirely as soon as you put some force into it. Why wouldn't she have switched to flats as soon as she realized clipless was not for her?

rpenmanparker 

That's why I suggest practicing on a trainer...to relieve the anxiety and provide a safe environment for learning the best technique.

Jakedatc

Crank Brothers pedals clip out insanely easy. going to my mtn bike from road pedals almost feels too loose until i get used to it again.

being able to clip out in a non planned event needs to be second nature.. i agree with the trainer.. then a grass field

chinarider

Or simply practice during normal rides in non emergency situations.

knobd

I ride on flat pedals. These look interesting. How are they out of the saddle on climbs? I'm a bit tentative getting out of the saddle on climbs with flats.

shoota 

This is amazing.