halocon

i recent got a pair of Look pp357 Pedals for christmas and i bought a pair of pearl izumi shoes to go with them. i finally got the chance to try them out today and i fell twice within five minutes time. my right foot seems to unlock easier than the left foot but my left foot doesn't seem to have enough clearance to unlock because it pushes against the crank. any suggestions on how i can solve the problem? btw, i've tried setting the cleats as far away from the pedal as possible and that doesn't seem to be much better. one other question is: are clipless pedals a must? would i be a laughing stock if i wore all the proper attire but wore a pair of regular of sneakers to road bike? thx for the help all!

Matt Gaunt

You get such a performance boost from clipless pedals. You just get used to how to undo yourself!

I don't really know anything about Look pedals since I have never used them but on SPD-SLs it's the pedal you adjust, not the cleat. Btw you know you should unclip with the crank above the bottom bracket, right?!?! Cos otherwise you are, as we say in the North of England, 'pushing wind' ie you're gonna get nowhere fast!

When you get back on the bike, find a nice bit of soft ground, preferably grassy, and just ride round and practice getting out of the pedals smoothly and safely. Also, practice falling to the left at all costs cos you don't wanna be smashing that beautiful rear mech to bits, now, do you?!

Let us know how you get on.

Matt

slvoid

Twist your heel OUT to unclip, not in towards the crank.

Zouf

Unclip outwards instead of inwards - you won't get any clearance problem. I typically unclip just one foot anyway, unless I'm getting off the bike, or standing for a long time at a red light.

The performance and comfort gained is well worth the trouble in the first couple of outings. It's like learning to drive a car with manual transmission: it feels like an impossibility the first time you try, but it all quickly becomes reflex.

phantomcow2

Ive been running crank brothers for a few weeks, same principle. They are not a must but I find most of the dedicated cyclists out there use them. Theres such just great advantages, more power plus you can sort of bunny hop. I find it is easier to unclip when the crankarms are parallel to the ground

BananaMan

Have you adjusted the tension setting on the pedals (typically a small allen bolt at the back of the platform)? It could be that the left pedal is set too tight. Like people said above - twist your foot outwards when it's at the top.

Clipless can be a pain to get used to but is well worth a few bruises.

demoncyclist

To move your foot away from the crankarm you need to move the cleat TOWARDS the crank.

Ed Holland

Practice practice practice..... and anticipation.

Clip out before you need to stop or even if you think you may need to. This will mean a lot of clipping/unclipping at first, but the confidence follows quickly. Take it from a faller...

Cheers,

Ed

bostontrevor

Riding traditional clips and straps is an option. There may be those that will laugh at you, but they'll laugh at you for having a quill stem and a non-integrated headset, too. Try not to pitty the technogeeks too much. If you go that route, you'll still want to have a pair of stiff soled cycling shoes (street-style clipless-compatible without the cleat installed are good). This will give you more efficient power transfer.

On the other hand, millions of people have successfully leraned to ride clipless. A few of them dumber than you! So give it a little time, follow the advice everyone else posted, and ignore mine unless you're interested in scrapping your investment in a nice clipless system.

2manybikes

All the other advice here is right on the money. Also let me add...

Everyone falls down when they first go clipless. Everyone..!! You will get used to it.

boston trevor: have a nice commute this morning?? yuck.

AndrewP

I dont know whether my cranks are up, down or horizontal when I unclip. Unclipping is just part of taking my feet off the pedals.

bostontrevor

Pretty gorgeous. I was going to take the mountain bike for the snow but then ended up taking the fendered bike because of the rain. It wasn't so terrible, actually. But we'll see how dry my pants are by the time I leave.

phantomcow2

I still have a mark from my first encounter with clipless

jazzy_cyclist

I second what everyone else has said. I'd feel naked without this setup now...

I first practiced in the LBS by having the bike in a trainer and just clipping in and out. You can also practice by sitting on your bike in a narrow hall where you can support yourself with your arms so you won't fall.

That said, I still did my share of "turtling" when I had to stop unexpectedly and panicked while watching myself slowly fall over...

2manybikes

Do you have any pictures of your other bikes, so I can look for them when I'm up there?

bostontrevor

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...postcount=1064

2manybikes

Your bikes may be on Candid Camera Someday. Nice looking bikes. The orange Fuji is still my favorite.

I love the fold up bike stand holding the Blue Fuji with the padded tool rest and built in work bench. Even an outlet!
Very retro..My parents house had one.

halocon

so, do you guys agree that practicing clipping in and out while a trainer is a good way to learn it? i've tried that at home before and it sure seems much easier than when on the actual road.

jazzy_cyclist

It's a place to start so that you get the feel of it. The road is really only more difficult because you're worried about not getting unclipped and falling over. After you're comfortable on the trainer, go to an empty parking lot for an afternoon and just practice clipping in and out. You'll pick it up quickly.

Avalanche325

I'm glad I learned to use clipless on a NTB first. Softer landings. Only two though.

roguehippie

Stay with the pedals, they're SO worth it. However!!! Practice. On grass as mentioned. I don't ride Look pedals, so maybe you have to unclip by twisting inward, on the SPD pedals I've ridden you could unclip by twisting outward. Give that a try. Otherwise, just unclip with your foot at 12 o'clock, above the bottom bracket.

My lame story: When I first tried clipless pedals, it was with a pair of Onza's that a buddy swore by. I think I had a bum pair because I could NOT disengage my left foot. I literally would have to fall down, and then twist my body as to gain more leverage and twist the daylights out of my leg to get my foot out. I took the pedals off and swore to ride toe-clips. Then I exchanged them for a pair of Ritchey clipless pedals and they were smoother than butter! In and out, no problem. So, maybe it's the pedal. . .

PALux

halocon: Practice, practice, practice and you will never look back. Loosen up the adjustment. You may be more comfortable at first if they are very loose. Even a little lube may help. Don’t be afraid to move the cleat around. If you have any foot or ankle problems it may be the cleat is not properly placing your foot on the pedal. I ride with SPD pedals and mountain shoes. They bury the cleat allowing you to walk. A trip on a Puget Sound ferry with its metal deck with road shoes is like walking on an ice rink.

2manybikes: 20,000+ miles since going clipless in ’99 and I have yet to fall. I had put 20,000+ miles on toe clips before that and found clipless a very big improvement.

fsor

I use Speedplays and cannot tell if this is relevant to the LOOK system or not. Big feet can be problematic if the cleats are not well placed on the shoe. The toe can hit the crankarm during the heel out twist. This is no problem if you only unclip at the top of the stroke. Can you twist the cleat slightly to lessen toe contact? Sooner or later, an emergency will require that you clip out when the arm is down. I doubt that one foot is too much larger than another so maybe it is just a matter of slightly rotating the offending cleat? LOOK has been building clipless for near forever, so I am sure the system will work well for you after setup and acclimation.

halocon

well, let's put it this way. i'll give it a shot again but not immediately. im still recovering from the bruises and cuts i got from my last accident with clipless. i think i'll spend some time at home on my trainer practicing clipping in and out until i get more comfortable with it and then i'll find a nice grassy area to practice on. thx for all the supportive comments and suggestions everyone. i know i can get this clipless thing down.

bmat

good luck
must add that after about a year of riding MTB I changed to clipless SPD (actually wellgo pedals), and I am amazed by the improvement. My motivation was rinding in muddy conditions, with my foot sliding all over the place. Two weeks (4 rides) later - I clip in and out easily, never fear that I'll slip off the pedal, and can jump with the bike staying with me.
And I only had to fall a couple of times - no injuries.