Sorry, I just had to share this…

Invested in clipless pedals and shoes yesterday. Installed the pedals last night and practiced clipping and unclipping in the hallway.

This morning, I go out to a large parking lot and practice starting and stopping for an hour. Made a few adjustments to the cleats in the shoes and got everything ship-shape. These things are great, don’t know why I waited so long.

Rode around the parking lot some more and then headed off to the store to get groceries. 90 percent of the route is on the MUP, about 2.5 miles one way.

On the way back, there’s a traffic light where the MUP crosses a major intersection. I unclip my right foot, thinking I’ll land on that and stay clipped on the left (since I normally start with the left).

Mind you, I’m loaded with about 35 lbs. of groceries in a pannier/trunk combo on the rear rack. My CG is high, so the bike is a little unstable when stopped.

So, when I stop, the bike unexpectedly rolls over to the left. All I can do is go over with the bike, since I’m still clipped on the left. Boom. There go the groceries.

Some roadies are on the other side of the main street taking all of this in. After assuring them I was fine, we had a good chuckle. I packed away the errant items and continued home.

I already love these things. Feels like I have a lot more power, I can spin faster and feel a lot more connected to the bike. Maybe a little TOO connected, but that should work itself out with more practice…

Looking forward to the commute on Monday. I have this weekend to practice so I don't get run over.

Oh, and in case anybody’s interested, my eggs survived the fall without so much as a crack.

Yeah, that happens every once in a while--you unclip one foot as you pull up to a stop and, for whatever reason, you realize you need the other foot.

i think this has happened ot everyone, well maybe not the grocery part but all the rest .

my experience on my daily commute .

1st day with SPD's.
i go flying on my usuall route passing everyone on the road . then i pull up to the red light pop out my right ( same as u ) and fall to the left . scraped up me knee .
laying there like an idot feeling so embarassed i see everyone i passed NOW passing me .

truly a priceless moment .
after that day i fell 1 more time ( after a few pints ) my own fault .
nowdays it feels odd if im not clipped into my crankBrother Egg beats on my bike .

fun fun fun

CHeers T

The first time out with my shimano clipless pedals I ate it at a stop sign. It happens.

I still use clipless for long rides, but dont bother on my commute, mostly because I stop about 30 times.

I quit using the darn things and haven't suffered one bit of 'performance' loss. They are a great marketing item however and are making the manufacturers some money.

My commute is 12 miles with a few stops at the beginning and end. The rest is a straight shot on a suburban highway - I think the clipless pedals will work well for the majority of the trip.

I imagine I'll fall over a few more times before I really get the hang of it. I'm sure I must have looked like Artie Shaw falling off of that tricycle on 'Laugh-In'...jeez, that was a LONG time ago!

I didn't buy clipless just to have them (I'm the kind who likes to make do with what he already has), but once I needed some new shoes I bought some Sidi Dragon 2s. They didn't work with my standard platform pedals, so I bought some Shimano PDM-324s (dual-sided).

It has made cycling noticably more efficient. It is better. I've also come to learn that they help with climbing, by using a "pulling" motion, at least with my old MTB. Haven't tried it on my new (faster) commuter bike. BTW, can anyone tell me whether "pulling" like this is a bad idea?

I've been a clipless rider for years. I'm switching to the Shimano M324s on my commute bike though, for the simple reason that I want to be able to ride in street shoes at times.

I knew that this was going to be a fall story as soon as you started on the trail description. However I had to start laughing as soon as I saw the "35 lbs of groceries" factor....

I've been commuting with clipless for years. After a couple of pratfalls and many close calls I learned to unclip one foot and just as I come to a halt with the last couple of feet to roll I turn the bars away from the loose foot quite hard. This steers the bike out from under me and away from the loose foot and drops my weight firmly on the loose side with all the stability of a good camera tripod. Works like a charm regardless of slope or grocery loading...

Yep - I got the M324 pedals also, for the same reasons. In case I just want to jump on the bike for a quick trip, or if a friend needed to ride it for some reason. I like the flexibility.

I agree that you can apply power through the entire pedal circle. Makes for quicker acceleration in traffic and by more muscle groups sharing the effort, stamina is probably increased as well.

BCRider, GREAT tip about turning the bars away from your free foot. I'm going on another practice run and I'm going to give that a try.

Thanks for all the feedback!

OK, first impressions after a 13-mile trip to a dinner date. Just got back...

1. Wow. Just wow. It's like I've had a governor on my engine until today. I can move it out a lot more since I can get power from lifting, pushing, pulling - not just mashing.

2. Related to #1...OWWWWW! My quads!

3. I have MTB shoes. I selected those because the cleats are recessed and I didn't want to have to change shoes often. However, when I walk on concrete, I can hear the cleats scraping, and they feel a little slick. Can they be adjusted? Are they going to tear up linoleum (and other) floors?

4. Related to #2...OWWWWWW! My adductors (or whatever they're called)!

5. Still have a few small adjustments to make - mainly raising the seat a little more, yet. That was the biggest change for me.

These things are great. If you're on the fence about getting them, consider this a highly positive review!

Thanks to everyone for the feedback - here's to staying in the saddle!

Cheers,

J.

That about sums it up....

When I walk upstairs on the kitchen lino and on the hardwood in the rest of the house I walk with a lot more pressure on the outer edge of my feet to avoid the cleats digging in. They still touch but without much force. And so far no damage that I can see.

You are doing it wrong. Simple as that.
Your font size is exceptionally annoying. Why don't you bold it as well?

DJ, nice...you came in where I almost did.

OP, my first time on clipless was 14 years ago. I was spinning around in my front yard on my MTB, tried to go over a rock and was stopped by too much weight on the rear-couldn't clear the rock. I paniced and forgot to twist my heel out and fell.

I'm sure I had a couple of others like that, but I can't remember. They're so natural to me now I feel naked without them. Good decision.

You'll need to get 'touring shoes' Lake, Cannondale, Shimano all make them I believe. MTB shoes don't give the cleats the clearence needed. I've got 2 pairs of C'dales I bought 10 years ago. Don't know the model name, but they're beige, burgandy and black oxford style w/a velcro strap over the laces. Great shoes and you can walk around in them w/o a click at all. The reason I bought them was exactly the reason you're talking about...the Mtb shoes I've got(old Specialized Rockhoppers) are like 'soft soled' lace-up road shoes. And, yes they'll tear up linoleum and other floors...as my wife will attest.

Congrats on going clipless and your story was achingly familiar...to all of us, I'm sure. I fell once on Swords road in Dublin("the busiest fookin' road in all of Ireland!", according to my 'pub partner' later that evening) w/full touring kit, including front and rear bags...I unclipped on the right while riding on the left hand side of the road...nasty spill requiring iodine and guaze from my first aid kit. If you've never been to Ireland take a cab into town instead of trying to ride in from the airport...much safer.

Clipless is the Best. Shimano PD520s are the cheapest/best value in dual sided. Wouldn't recommend road pedals for urban as they can be a b***h to clip in and out of while in traffic. Have fun!

DataJunkie, thanks - you saved me having to say almost exactly the same thing. If someone's getting the same efficiency and power out of platform pedals as out of clipless or other foot attachment methods (toe clips, Powergrips, whatever), then it's because they're merely mashing on the downstroke, which isn't a particularly efficient way to ride.

A month or so ago I test rode several bikes after not having ridden anything in ages without being clipped in. I'd never quite realized how much pulling up I was doing in my pedal stroke - I kept having my feet leave the pedals on my test rides! Somewhere along the line, I guess I made the transition from a masher to a spinner, but not having my feet attached is what made that noticeable.

haha - that happened to me too recently. The bad part was that i sprained my wrist in the process.

I just installed my first set of clipless pedals on my mtb and have another set for a new mtb build and really think they will work well in these areas mostly becuse the shoes have to be very hard and this aids in power transfer.

I can pull off speeds of nearly 60 kmh in a sprint with old school toe clips and my non cleated riding shoes and this is because I am a very efficient pedaller and strong rider... I have gone better than 50 kmh on my mtb with half step pedals and when I ride with friends I am regarded as one of the best climbers in our group despite being the only guy without clipless pedals.

I went on some test rides and had no difficulty clipping in or out and perhaps this comes from still using those old fashioned clips and straps on many bikes which I am very comfortable with.

I can also see them helping when the rides get wet and keeping your feet securely attached is a plus.

I find when I unclip I unclip early
I then slow down and bend my left leg (clipped)
wich lowers my unlipped leg closer to the ground
when Im about to stop I turn the bars to the left
And I havent had a mishap YET

I rode around Ferrara on a hire bike a couple of weeks ago (platforms) and found myself clipping out before I came to a stop.

Then you weren't spinning the pedals. Which is the whole idea. If you're just going to mash, you may as well stick with BMX pedals.

That's one way to deride and disrespect everyone in this thread who is speaking positively of clipless pedals.

Great comments in this thread (well, except for the one dissenting voice in the peanut gallery)! I appreciate everyone sharing their stories - it's a great way to learn more about this.

Even though I had one spill and a couple near-misses, I feel a lot more secure on the bike. Getting in the habit of unclipping early is pretty easy, given the strong incentive to not fall off the bike...

Nashcommguy, thanks for the tip about road shoes - I may invest in a pair down the road. My LBS didn't bring up road shoes, but steered me towards MTB shoes when I requested recessed cleats. Maybe there was a price difference, I didn't know enough to ask. These shoes will be fine for now, though. I'll just have to be careful. Is there a cleat cover I can use on MTB shoes, or is it too much of a pain to use?

I choose to go with platforms in the city, with numerous stops and lights, or going somewhere so i can wear normal shoes. For racing they might be better, for commuting i'm not so sure. Will give them a try no doubt, but i can seem being an inconvenience.

Funny thing is after using clipless for about 25 years or so, I find that I pedal better on platforms... I've managed to train my legs to pedal very evenly.

I do prefer clipless though... as you simply cannot pull up when out of the saddle on platforms; clipless give you power.

He wasn't serious - just trying to get a rise out of someone. He did. When someone says something that is obviously factless and wrong, I just drive on and avoid giving them the pleasure of an argument.

Bob