Originally Posted by Lamplight

I've wondered if using clipless pedals would help me to pedal more smoothly. And I definitely need to work on keeping my upper body relaxed and minimizing my movement there. On particularly bad climbs, I find myself really pulling on the bars, which I have to remind myself to avoid. I also feel that having cycling-specific shoes would probably help me a bit, too. I've tried some clipless pedals in the past, but they were ancient Look pedals that had seen better days, and I was using them to ride around town instead of long rides out of the city. So needless to say, they didn't work well for me. But I think modern clipless pedals would work well with the sort of riding I do now.