clipless rules
 

I decided to go with time atac roc's and some mavic mtb shoes. I love it so far, much better power transfer and much more comfy than my shoes in cages. I would recommend them to anyone who is thinking about switching. I'm gonna keep with brakeless unless I run into any problems

Haha I agree with you, clipless is so much better than toeclips/straps. I have ridden clipless for almost a year now (Time ATAC XS/Shimano road shoes) and never plan on going back. As for skidding, I have never clipped out accidentally.

i have probably ridden more clipless than either of you. if you're riding down large hills and skidding with a lot of force, it's not "if you clip out," it's when you clip out.

+1 I'm loving my cheapo Shimano MTB shoes. :thumb: Aside from the crazy small pedal area, with no brakes and a crappy looking bike, its a bit more confusing and undesirable to steal for the average bike thief looking for a easy ride across town.

Science does too.


And speedplay zeros FTW BTW.

release all tension all the way up, on SPD and SPD-SL, and i can still get either to "accidentally" de-clip.

but thankfully, i got a bwake!

With road pedal systems, unless you are ridiculously strong, accidental unclips are either due to tension being too low on the pedal or poor pedaling form. It's virtually impossible to unclip by pulling on a Speedplay Zero pedal. Your knee will come apart first. Same for Shimano SPD-R.

MTB pedals like Time ATAC and cranks brothers that use two bars to grab the cleat aren't hard to pull straight out of...especially with worn cleats.

For whatever reason, it seems a lot of people have a strange tendency to twist their feet around on the pedals, especially while skidding. As carleton suggests, poor form.

I live at the top of a category 3 hill and I have never once clipped out. In fact, I have never clipped out and I have been riding clipless for a few years (don't remember how long, maybe 2004). I ride time atac xs, but have used eggbeaters, look keo, and shimano.

I have this problem, but I've been working on it. I twist my feet because I don't move my body with the bike when I whip the skid, so when the bike moves sideways, I'm still facing forward. It's a bad habit. For me, it helps to think moving 'with the bike.'

I don't understand why atacs or eggbeaters should unclip under tension if properly maintained; the mechanism tightens as you pull up. That obviously can't account for worn cleats or twisting the foot (also problems w/ road pedals as already mentioned), but I've ridden both systems and only encountered problems when I allowed my cleats to get terribly worn.

Regardless, I'll chime in with the obvious: use a fracking brake regardless of your retention system.
Also, my pet peeve: clips != cages.

Lol. I get that track stars are beasts, but that wouldn't mean unclipping so much as breaking a self-tightening pedal design, no?

I do own an older pair of Aliums and I can pull my foot out if I try. I also own a new pair which have a lot more tension and I cannot pull my foot out. it makes my brain hurt

It may be designed as a self tightening system, but I can still pull out of ATACs. I've seen several normal-sized guys pull out of them. Plus, there is no way to adjust the tension. They are great for muddy situations, but they are not known for being inescapable.

If you are twisting your feet while pedaling, to such an extent that you are unclipping, then I would guess your saddle is too low.

My only concern with clipless is I hear the shoes are uncomfortable to walk in, leading me to use straps so I dont have to carry a spare set of shoes in my pack. The idea intrigues me though..

You can adjust tension on the ATAC Roc models.

I don't disbelieve you, and agree on road retention, but I still can't picture how it is possible to pull out of ATACs if the cleats are fine and one is not unclipping - when pulling up, the force is being applied at 90 degrees to the direction the spring moves in. It's like trying to open a door by pulling the doorknob straight towards the hinges.

I rode Eggbeaters for a while, Fantastic for FG just a PITA for me because I never found a comfortable shoe that I could wear off the bike at work and I hate changing my shoes 3 times a day. I never unclipped while skidding in fact my only unintentional unclipping was because I bottomed out on a curb while weaving in and out of traffic though I never popped out on a corner

someone wants a cookie

I'm thinking of going and getting some pedals + shoes this weekend... first time, and I don't want Eggbeaters. ANy suggestions? I know Shimano, Look, and Speedplay all make them. What do you all use?

Unless you buy some used pedals, Shimano offers the cheapest starters with the M520.

if you guys skid with MTB/SPD, make sure to get the regular SPD cleats, not the "Multi-Direction-Release" cleats (usually denoted by an engraved "M"). fml so much difference, no wonder i couldnt skid with the M ones without popping out.
why didnt any of you tell me this earlier? =D