Clipless pedals
 

Please, I need some advice/tip about how to properly use these pedals. I'm having problems when trying to taking them off my shoes when riding in the middle of the traffic. The pedals are Look a.31 and the shoes are shimano R125G.
I would appreciate any help.

I dunno how looks work, since I use SPD cleats (mtb style), but did you make sure to adjust your release tension adjustment? Most clipless pedals have one somehwere on the pedal, usually a small allen bolt.

Just find a place where you can lean over safely if you can't unlcip, and adjust a bit then ride then adjust a bit until you get it how you want it.

If they unclip like SPDs, then you just rotate your heel outward, with the ball of your foot being the pivot point. Make sure to not apply significant upward or downward pressure....a striaght lateral movement offers the smoothest release. Applying upward pressure is how I got into accidents...when I got into a bad situation I freaked out and tried to lift up while twisting, and that just kept the pedal from opening.

For daily commuting I finally just put my platforms back on.

The Looks are relatively easy once you get the hang of them.

First, have you checked / adjusted the tension setting. Not familiar with your exact pedals, but most Looks have adjustability.

As for unclipping, its a matter of just rotating your foot. Imagine a line going thru the ball of your foot, the cleat and the pedal. This is the line you want to rotate about, swinging your heel outwards, away from the bike. Some people find it easier to swing the heel in. Don't raise your heel up when rotating, in fact it might help to press down on the pedal slightly.

Start out with your dominant leg, which for me is my left one (right handed). Unclip with your leg fully extended. Once you get good at that, practice with the other foot and then learn to do it with either leg in any position on the crank.

And just a lil safety pup tip: Keep one foot engaged until your sure of your stop. Many a time I've been caught scrambling to reclip one foot when the situation changed, ie, light changed, something moved into my path, blah, blah, blah

Me too but now I miss my clipless. I considering some of those platform/clipless combos.

Find the adjustment and dial it all the way back to as loose as it will go. Then notch it back about 2 clicks. if you find that you are slipping out too easily, then notch it up more. I use clipless pedals to commute and wouldn't do anything else. It takes awhile to get used to but it is well worth it. And you will fall over a few times before you get it down.

1) Kick your heel out in a swift, firm motion. Don't try to nudge it out.
2) Try doing it at the bottom of the pedal stroke; you get more leverage that way.

Definitely stick with it, though. Clipless is the only way to go.

Make sure your cleats are tight.

Why is clipless the only way to go?

Seriously; I am in the process of getting a new bike and have to decide now wether to get clipless or platforms.

I have the Crank Brothers Candy SL. While this may not be the patform/clipless combo you were thinking of, the Candy SL's do offer a little bit of a platform for your foot. This is my first set of clipless pedals (and really my first real bike, an '05 Specialized Enduro, yea for me!), and I am not real happy with the platform part of them. I was hoping for something that I could use with street shoes for a quick ride around the neighborhood. The egg beater part of the pedal sticks up too far for your foot to get a good purchase on the pedal. I am thinking that the pedal is great for what it is intended for, which I believe is to give your foot a little more platform while clipped in, but it is not a good pedal to get if you will not be clipping in.

in addition to pulling your heel out, push your toe in. it helps me to think of squishing a bug (or cigarette). you shouldn't need to take any spills, just practice in the parking lot for a few minutes before you hit the traffic.

Phiber: the clipless pedals really help give an even pedal stroke by letting you pull up as well as push down on the pedals. give 'em a try- your LBS should let you try out the pedals on a stationary bike.

Should have gotten Mallet C's... eggbeater core w/ a full platform... very comfortable in street shoes.

These were the ones I was looking at. I like the full platform so I could take my bike out at lunch without changing shoes.

Clipless pedals keep your feet in an efficient position and allow you to use force pulling up as well as pushing down. Once people get used to them, they only rarely go back. But they are more expensive, and you probably need to bring a real pair of shoes if you plan on doing much walking at the end of the ride.

I find the best thing about clipless (or clips) is that you don't have to worry about you foot slipping off the pedal.

If you use SPD, or other MTB-style pedals, you can walk normally in your cycling shoes.

Isn't 'normally' a relative term? With my Specialized shoes, the sole doesn't flex much at all. It took some getting used to, but once you are used to it, you can walk - lets say easilly, if not normally.

Those are the ones I have. One thing about street shoes, though - I found I wanted to drop my seat about a cm when I rode them without clips - seemed I was stretching further this weekend wearing my steel toes.

As far as never going back, well, this winter I'm going back. But I have a lot of snow and ice to deal with, it wouldn't be wise to try that with clipless. I often have to put a foot down at a moments notice when I try to bust through a 2 foot high snowbank or find myself fishtailing. There's no way that I want to do that with my foot glued to the pedal.

For clipping out, I've found that doing it when the pedals are parallel to the ground and there is still motion in the cranks the best. But I ride fixed, so that may not work for everyone. The reason that I like it is that you have no chance of running your toes into the crank arms when they are under your toe. Fast is also better - the slower you turn your heel out, the less likely that the clip will release.

Here is one training tip I was given to train myself to SPDs. I think it should work with Look, Eggbeaters or whatever.

- Reduce tension to minimum.

- Get on your bike near a fence, post or similar structure you can lean onto.

- Backpedal and try to unclip with the left, then the right foot (you still have the post to lean onto, so there is no rush to immediately unclip.

- When it becomes natural, go ride.

I am looking at a set of Crank Brothers Candy C pedals. Good choice?