Originally Posted by
SylvainG
Like I said earlier, I like the efficiency of clipless pedals. As I pointed out, I was able to climb at a faster speed, bigger cog/chainring ratio, less fatigued and recover faster than with my flats. Looking at Strava, for that hill segment, I did a personal record today with the clipless pedals. I also got two personal third best time as well during that ride. My 'Suffer Score' remained the same as my previous commute back home but my average wattage went up by 25W.
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Thanks for your suggestion though. Now it's time to add another layer of
New Skin to that scrape (blood was flowing too much from one scrape for just one layer of New Skin to stop it). It stings like hell when applied to a fresh wound but contains antiseptic and beats plasters, specially on hairy legs lol.
Lol, well I'm not in the "suffer score" crowd myself.
I went through working way to hard to make clipless work, spending way to much money buy different pedal systems, shoes, 2 bike fittings, etc. Like most people I ride for fun, and trying so hard to make clipless work greatly reduced my enjoyment of riding. It made my knee hurt and was just an overall hassle with changing shoes.
I finally read about how studies has shown clipless didn't improve power and pro racers didn't actually pull up, and tried going to flats and five ten shoes. My speedometer said the same speed, and I greatly increased how much I enjoyed riding.
There's a lot of reasons why a time could go up, including the leg extension change putting them in a better fit (even if you don't change the seat height your leg will length from the saddle to the pedal will change when you change from flats to clipless), and others I won't go into because they just seem to cause arguments.
I personally don't think clipless is ever worth getting bloody and torn up over. Matter opinion I guess. I just want people to know their speed isn't going to dramatically go up even if they get clipless to work - I wish I had known then what I know now and not spent so much effort and money trying to make it work.
Originally Posted by
SylvainG
I have an exercise bike but I don't think it will help because my issue isn't with the unclipping per say but the leaning of the bike as I stop. An exercise bike doesn't lean, well, not mine at least... I just need to remember to lean the right side so I don't fall over or maybe unclip the other side as I'm about to stop so if I do lean the wrong side, my foot will stop the fall and not my side of the body
I couldn't find video of pro racers at the end of the race, but at the beginning when one foot is one the ground they keep the bike almost entirely upright. Cyclocross videos are particularly amusing as they have to swing their entire body off the bike, but still keep the bike almost entirely upright. Perhaps you're leaning the bike to much?
Everyone has to go through developing the motor patterns to clip and unclip without even thinking about it, it might help. Personally, when I was using clipless, unclipping both sides sides seemed far more hazardous - clipless isn't meant to be ridden with neither foot attached, it becomes really hard to brace against the bike. In my opinion, it would be far better to just practice doing it right until it becomes routine and automatic.
Lol but I supposed I'm not as enthusiastic about scraping myself up! Good luck.