dingodog

How many rides has it taken to get 150 miles? If you are doing lots of short rides, you may not be in the saddle long enough to really get knee pain. Have you done any long rides with clips?

I wouldn't worry about the swelling. It is probably just blood swelling the muscle. If your legs are thin as you say, it would be more noticeable. Not to worry unless there is pain. Be sure to stretch. If you are worried, something like Advil would help reduce any inflammation.

bmclaughlin807

While you're over there in the mountain biking forum check out how many people banged their shins on the pedals because they hit a nice, hefty bump in the path and their feet bounced off the pedals. I've still got a scar on one of my shins from the last time I rode a bike that didn't have clipless pedals on it.

I love my clipless pedals!

TRaffic Jammer

Clipless for 20 years and lovin' it!

mihlbach

I used to ride BMX with "BMX" platform pedals. As a result, the skin on the anterior surface of my shin is 100% scar tissue and the anterior surface of my tibia still feels like a gnarled old tree. BMX racers even use clipless nowadays because of the added power and pedal-foot security. I'd hate to think what my shins would look like if I did my 60 mile time trial last sunday or the hill interval/repeats I did yesterday with a pair of Vans and ABH's precious platform pedals. No thanks.

jkizzle

i somewhat recently switched from clips to clipless, and at the same time, had my other bike with normal platform pedals.

since i switched the clipless, i can get out at lights and stops alot faster and easier, i don't get numbness in my feet, and i cut about 10 minutes off my 25 mile ride, most of it likely at lights, where i would have trouble getting my shoes back into clips. I also had a flat recently, and took my bike with platforms out on my normal hard hill route. i now have gashes up the back of my leg because my foot was able to move freely off the pedal when i was going over rough pavement at a fair speed, and my leg ran down my big cog, causing me to almost wreck, and bleed like hell.

if you are going to ride over 10 mph, i very much recommend some kind of clip or clipless system.

oh, and to address the contact area, if you have good, stiff shoes, your entire foot bed becomes the contact area...

Frugle

guys, don't feed the troll...he just wants a reaction.

I was worried about the same thing, I bought look 247s and set the float all the way open and haven't had a single problem with any sort of pain caused by the pedals.

alanbikehouston

You guys who claim you can't get your feet to stay on a BMX pedal: you are right. Over the past twenty years, there have been some really poor BMX pedals (just as there have been poorly designed pedals of every other type).

That is why MKS designed the MKS "sneaker" pedal. It is designed to "stick", even in rain, ice, and snow, to any rubber soled shoe or sandal. I've used it in the rain, and used it with "slick" leather soled shoes (which is not ideal). Zero slip. Yet, your foot releases instantly when you want to remove your foot from the pedal.

What do the folks have in common who think using the MKS "sneaker" pedal is a bad idea have in common? Not ONE of them has ever tried them. The ultimate in "armchair" expertise.

One of the interesting aspects of the history of the Tour de France is the history of injuries. From 1905 to 1985, there were thousands of injuries. But, it was very rare for a cyclist to require knee surgery. I don't recall any leading pro losing a season to knee surgery in that era (not related to crash imposed injuries).

Fast forward to the "clipless" era of 1985 to 2007. During the "clipless" era, many/most of the major Tour contenders have had knee surgery at some point in their careers.

During the weeks leading up to one of Lance's last Tours, he was in constant pain...the cause was traced to a new shoe/pedal combination that had a different angle of stress on his feet/knees/legs than his prior shoe/pedal combination. In at least two of his Tours, he refused to use either Shimano's current "best" pedal or "best" shoe because of pain problems.

"Hot Spots" with clipless pedals? Every year, Shimano claims its new shoes have eliminated "hot spots". And, every year, a significant number of owners complain about pain with their Shimano shoes. And, the following year, Shimano introduces "new and improved" shoes to eliminate hot spots. Been eliminating them for going on twenty years now...

Pros are paid to suffer. Their pain and their surgeries are paid for. But if "Joe Average Cyclist" is suffering from his clipless pedals, he has options...including NOT using clipless pedals.

gmason

Thanks, you beat me to that point. I never have understood the hot spot argument people make. Decent shoes, even using SPD, seem to eliminate that issue.

Pharmr

ABH, we all bow to you the BF expert of experts on all topics....from pedals, to seats,how and where to buy a bike, why LBS's are the greatest things since sliced bread...etc...is it tough being right all the time???....all threads should be locked after you post on them, because there is really nothing else that is needed to be said.....seriously ABH, it's not always what you say...it's the demeaning and condescending tone in which you say it.

rooftest

Serious BMX riders are using clipless now, too.

Ironic Mullet

It's even more interesting if you take into consideration that arthroscopic knee surgery had its beginnings in the early 1970s, and didn't mature until the 80s.

dcbikeguy

No, its pretty much what he's said - at least this time. I agree with Alan sometimes, but this clipless rant is lame - and the "logic" he argues is laughable. But hey, that's just my armchair opinion I suppose

TRaffic Jammer

I'm clipless in my armchair too...

Pharmr

okay....I fixed my post.

Frugle

yeap... who needs internet forums... we're all just armchair dummys.

TheKillerPenguin

lol.

recursive

So... are you saying you've tried clipless pedals?

RazorWind

How do they liberate their feet from the bike when they do all their fancy flips and stuff?

G. Ike

You're very exotic looking. Was your dad a GI?

^Completely off topic, but that made me laugh sooo hard hahaha.

Keith99

I don't need to try the MKS sneaker pedal. Perhaps it does keep good shoe to pedal contact, perhaps not. It simply does not matter, I would still be wearing a sneaker and I would no sooner wear a sneaker for a 50 mile ride than I would for a backpacking trip. Now sneakers are fine for their intended use, but decent length bike rides or hikes are not one of them. Sneakers flex, that will lead to feet that ache or worse.

As to knee problems, does the name Bernard Hinault mean anything to you? His knee problems were in teh pre 85 era. I'll bet there were lots of others, but they are all but impossible to find. It was hard enough for Bernard even knowing the information was there.

jkizzle

also, it needs to be considered that cycling in le tour fashion is only more and more competitive, requiring more and more serious training, and more and more exertion, forcing more and more injuries.

you could put that same argument on any athlete. people just "werent good anymore" when they actually had torn ligaments etc. the science wasnt there yet.

Jesus Christ

alanbikehouston, your act is tired.

rizz

I switched from platforms to clipless (Shimano shoes and Time pedals) and my hot spots and knee discomfort have all gone away. I must be doing something wrong.

blonduathlongrl

( side note) that's one great edit! never saw this little guy before.

tt1106

I have been riding clipless pedals for some time. No knee pain at all. Which is a great change, since running used to destroy them.