vipjun

Today was my first time experiencing clipless pedals, I rode about 4 miles.
Fell once while trying to clip-in on a stop n go light. Anyone who ride with clipless pedals in a city like NYC have advice for a beginner?

Equipment used -
Shimano M324 (Single Entry, Flat pedal)
https://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp...FF:GAN_k232270

Shimano MT21 shoes.

Specialized Crosstrail Hybrid


Some questions I have regarding the pedals.

1. my left foot feels like the front toes are pointed too much inward. i actually had to clipout by moving my heel inwards instead of outwards. I think this is because i normally walk and pedal with a slight penguin foot position. Is this normal? how can I adjust this?

2. i feel that trying to clip-out in slower speeds will cause my bike to tip over. could this be my tension being set too high ?


3. When do you clip-in? or are there times where you shouldn't be clipping in?
Do you clip-in on every stop and go? or do you wait until getting to a less traffic area such as West side highway or parks before clipping in? places like union square or 6th ave seem to be a little risky clipping in.


4. When do you clip-out?
Do you clip-out before braking or during your braking?


Any other tips to clipping in faster? How long do you fiddle with cliping in?

shizzy

try backing down the tension one click and go for a ride. repeat this untill you like the clip in and out.

when starting out I clip in my right foot, pull the pedal up to about 10-11o'clock and then push off. I put my left foot on the pedal and start pedaling. once I have built up enough speed, I move my left foot to clip in. I do not worry about clipping in the left untill I know im moving. No harm will be done by having only one foot clipped in.

99% of the time when coming to a stop I only unclip the left foot since that was the foot I always seemed to put down. no reason to unclip both if you are going to be restarting in 10-20 seconds. I simply unclip the left when its convinent as Im slowing down. If I have any concern about being clipped in I unclip. mostly when coming up to a quastionable intersection or in very heavy stop and go traffic.

the main thing to take away from this is dont be in a hurry to clip the second foot in. again, you can pedal all day with the one foot clipped in and the other foot doing the hokey pokey off the side of your bike.

tjspiel

#1. You can adjust the position of the cleats on your shoes so that your toes point the same way they would without clipless pedals.

#2. Set the tension as low as possible to start with. You could also try the multi-release cleats that shimano makes. Sh-56 I believe. Those release easier.

#3. I usually leave one foot clipped in almost at all times. The other I clip and unclip as needed. If I've only got a block to go before I need to stop again, I may not make much if any effort to get clipped. Often it just happens and thats OK.

#4. If I can avoid unclipping I will but when I'm on my best behavior, I'll unclip one foot if I'm approaching an intersection that may require a stop. I'm probably also braking but maybe not always. I don't think it really matters. After awhile you gain more confidence in your ability to unclip quickly so you won't have to think about it as much.

hairnet

i ride in heavy traffic, not NYC but still chaos
You should adjust the cleats to accommodate your natural foot position. You can hurt yourself if your feet are locked in bad position. You just need to loosen the cleat bolts, angle the cleat, tighten bolts.

Seems like you just need to get used to clipless

I'm always clipped in, but I don't have pedals with a platform like yours.

Clips out when you need to. If you feel like you should before stopping then do so.

Practice. I've ridden a bike with your pedals and they're really not the easiest to flip around and clip in

lucille

I would suggest going for a ride on a trail rather than road for a few hours. If you fall (everybody falls at first), at least you're not in danger of being run over.

As mentioned, loosen up the tension. You should be able clip in and out easily. Just not too easily, you don't want to come out of the pedals accidentally when you're climbing.

I got in a habit of unclipping my right foot every time I'm coming to a stop sign, see the light start to change, child or dog close to the curb, I see some kind of obstruction coming up etc., I don't wait till the last minute. That way I can always put my foot on the ground when needed. I don't think about it anymore, the foot automatically clips out. Not sure why it's always the right one, maybe because I can put it on the curb, and if I was falling I would prefer to fall to the right, as it's on the sidewalk and not into the traffic.

You can change the position of your cleats, move them to the front or back of the shoe, more to the right or left, and also change the angle. I would start with them straight and then keep making micro adjustments until you get it where it feels comfortable. You can get some serious knee pain if it's not adjusted properly. That again is best done on a trail, as you're bound to stop and go quite a few times until you get it right. Cleats can be single release or multi-release, which means you can twist your foot any way and you will come out of your pedals, very handy.

If your cleats are not too tight, you can clip in and out very fast. The only delay clipping in with your pedals (and ones I ride) would be that the wrong side always seems to be on top.

It takes a little getting used to, but you will love clipless climbing the hills. Just remember to push down and then pull up on the pedal with your foot to get the maximum power, and not just push like with the platforms. Good luck!

Commodus

Sounds like you've gotten good answers to your questions.

May I suggest, simply don't ride with clipless. They are good in many situations (okay, I don't really believe that, but let's just leave it) but stop and go traffic isn't one of them.

jyossarian

I ride w/ clipless in NYC. It takes more than one day to get used to. In a week or two, you'll be more comfortable and in a month, you'll be much smoother at it. You'll still fall, but it'll be rare and usually cuz u spaced out while coming to a stop.

PaulRivers

1. Yes it's adjustable, the cleat on the bottom of your shoes has 2 bolts in it that attach the cleat to the shoe. They also control how far forward or back the cleat is. And (the answer to your question) you can use them to angle the cleat one way or the other.

2. You should make sure the release tension is at it's minimum setting, that's what most people leave it at. The other settings are for people who are really hitting it hard (racing), or perhaps when the cleat gets worn down after a lot of use. Neither seem to apply to you.

3. Only you can determine when exactly you clip in - I clip in every time I start moving.

However, I also have 2 sided clipless pedals. One big advantage of them on routes that require frequent stops is that as long as you keep one of your feet clipped in, you can clip in the second foot without even looking down, so I can clip in without taking my eyes off the road at all. With 1 sided pedals like you have you often have to look down, so...actually I'm not sure what advice to offer.

4. When you start out people often clip out when they're approaching anything that might require them to clip out. When they get used to it, they usually stay clipped in until right before they actually need to put their foot down (this often leads to once or twice where they don't quite clip out in time and fall over at 0mph once or twice). You should do whatever's comfortable for you.


It sounds like the biggest thing you need is practice clipping in and out in a less stressful environment. Either bike around a park or something that doesn't have much or any other traffic, or find a trainer that you can put your bike on (my bike shop has one set up that I might have been able to use for 15 minutes during a non-busy time) and just clip in, clip out, clip in, clip out, do it until it becomes second nature.

------------------------------------------------

Hmm, reading back through your post and what bike you have, I actually might agree with the other guy - I'm not sure there's any need to you to use clipless at all.

Clipless provide some improvement in efficiency, moreso if you learn to peddle a certain way with clipless. However, it's not necessarily a "huge" difference.

If your Crosstrail has a suspension seatpost like the ones I looked up do, you may well get as much of an efficiency improvement from replacing it with a non-suspension version as you do from clipless pedals - without the additional worry about falling over, clipping in and out, etc. Ditto with the front suspension, or maybe the stock tires...though I'm not as familiar with the bike.

I know someone I work with who went from a $400 bike with front suspension etc (it might have been a crosstrail, I'm not sure though) to a road bike - a Specialized Sectuer - and he was amazed at not only how much faster it was, but how losing the front suspension didn't make much of a difference.

Uh - my point isn't to try to talk you into buying a new bike. My point is that the minor increase in efficiency for clipless may not be worth it for you to deal with the hassle of learning to ride them, clipping in and out, etc.

And if you're really interested in efficiency and speed, I'm just trying to say that clipless pedals isn't where I would start with your current bike. Nothing wrong with riding it, that's not what I'm trying to say...it's more like...

Geez, I just can't seem to come up with exactly what I'm trying say. Look, if your concern is mostly speed, you own the wrong bike. The suspension will rob some of your power, it's heavy - etc. Assumably you bought it to be comfortable. If your concern is to be comfortable but then as fast as possible, clipless pedals probably aren't worth it for you - the performance difference is very minor, especially since you're starting and stopping all the time. And the additional hassle of constantly clipping in and out, along with learning to use them, isn't worth it. And I say this as someone who rides loves clipless and rides with it all the time.

tjspiel

+1

I didn't actually read it all. I'm just assuming that somewhere in there, there must be something I agree with.

J/K. I think clipless pedals make the most sense for commuters who've adopted them for other types of riding. If you're looking to go faster they may not be the best place to start.

PaulRivers

Lol

When I'm cruising across town on my lightweight road bike, in my opinion I really do think clipless makes a difference. Especially with better clipless pedalling technique - now that I changed that, my average speed is actually improving again! And as you know, I ride clipless even in the winter - I really like it.

But add in constant stopping and start, the fact that this OP doesn't have other more performance-oriented bikes that he rides with clipless, the fact that he/she is likely riding at a lower speed, on a slower bike and wants to be comfortable...in my opinion, I think the benefits of clipless would likely be very minor. And at that point, not only is there a certain "adjustment period" before you get used to using them that clipless pedals are a little more dangerous than platforms, but you also get into the "yeah I shaved 3 minutes off my commute with clipless - but I also spend 5 minutes changing in and out of the shoes before and after every ride" lol.

Kotts

Thoughts / opinions inserted below:

Join the club. t takes practice.

More than you want, probably :-)

You have rear toes? Seriously, you adjust for that by the positioning of the cleat on the shoe. Lots of prople assume (incorrectly) that you just line them up straight. Aslo, don't assume that the angle should be the same on both shoes. If you look closely, there's a good chance that the angle your feet end up in when you stand is different. So should your clip angle be.

That, or lack of practice, or a combination of both. Back the tension down and see if that helps. You may find yourself taking it back up after a while.

I always clip in, because it makes it a lot easier to accelerate enough to stay out of traffic trouble. Then again, this is a matter of experience. I unclip for very low speed maneuvering or pedestrians.

It depends, but generally during.

I use double-sided pedals for commuting, so it's step-stomp and I'm in. On my touring bike (with single sided pedals), I'll often pull away from a stop and clip in after I'm already moving along briskly.

vipjun

Thanks for all the comments and tips.

I wasn't sure how much performance gain clipless pedals would gain me, i tried doing some research but nowhere did it say what the approx gain was.

I did read that it helps with uphills, which is probably everyones bane when biking. I don't really need to go as fast as possible, but the area that i live has a steady 3mile uphill and was hoping to have an easier time with that. That was my primary reason for getting the pedals.

That 3mile uphill is really discouraging for trying to make the whole commute by bike. sometimes i just take the train to manhattan and ride there.

AdamDZ

My suggestion is to ride with flat pedals in NYC, they're safer in traffic. If you fall sideways in traffic, it may be unpleasant. Unless you are a very strong rider, using clipless as way to deal with the hills may yield the wrong results, as it's harder to unclip when your legs are tired. Just use easy gear and spin faster, hills are not that bad and clipless pedals do not make day-and-night difference. They only help with hills if you are strong enough to push and pull. As a newbie to clipless you're likely to end up with cramps.

Practice riding with clipless off-traffic, and practice a lot to the point they become your nature before trying them in the traffic.

Actually, what hill are you referring to? Maybe there is a way around it? The hills become easier as you get stronger too.

Adam

oboeguy

I ride in NYC clipless. Honestly I feel safer with clipless pedals (no chance of feet flying off the pedals). Clipping in and out casually and automatically will come with practice. If you're really afraid of falling, try practicing on grass: falls don't hurt nearly as much.

Try, as others have said, the lowest tension.

AdamDZ

Ever seen BMX'ers or dirt jumpers with clipless? Yet, they don't worry about their feet slipping off the pedals when they come down from a jump. I never, ever had any problems with my feet slipping off the pedals, even in the rain and during the Winter. I really can't buy that as an argument in favor of clipless pedals.

PaulRivers

To be fair though, the bmx riders do tend to use flat platform pedals with pins in them, plus they have their own bike-specific specialized grippy shoes (like the kind 5-10 makes).

They may not technically clip in, but they usually aren't using sneakers and plastic platforms either. I don't know if they ride in the rain like commuters do either...that seems to be the most common cause of feet slipping of regular platform pedals.

I'm just suggesting other factors, not totally disagreeing with your point though.

AdamDZ

Exactly! That's the kind of pedals I use And regular sneakers with soft soles. You can't slip if you wanted to.

PaulRivers

Which ones do you use?

I bought some Sun Ringo Zu Zu pedals for my brother (who doesn't bike enough to justify the learning curve of clipless). They have a ton of pins on them, they're supposed to be super grippy.

But - setting them on my carpeted floor I'm not terribly impressed with their ability to grip the bottom of my shoe (regular shoes). I can definitely slip off them...to be fair I haven't actually tried them on the bike, just set them on the floor and stepped on them...

njkayaker

Use pedals with clips on both sides (that is, pedals with clips on more than one side).

I basically always clip-in. I use pedals with clips on both sides and they are really crappy for pedaling without clipping-in. The pedals are easy/quick to clip into and out of. (Once in a while, I miss the clip in but I have enough momentum to avoid falling.)

When I plan or expect that I'll have to put my foot on the ground. (People might need some practice/experience before being comfortable doing that.)

One clear advantage of clipless pedals is that they make it easier to use a high cadence (since your feet can't slip off of the pedals). Their advantage for hill climbing is that you can pull on the pedal in different ways (ie, to use different muscles).

PaulRivers

A lot of the mountain bike pedals come in a version with a platform around the pedal so your foot has something to rest on if you don't clip in right the first try.

njkayaker

A front suspension is really only necessary for rough trail riding. Proper technique and proper attention makes them unnecessary for road riding.

njkayaker

There are those. Any pedal, as long as there are clips on both sides!

njkayaker

Many mountain bikers use clipless pedals. Clipless pedals make it easier to use a high cadence. Keep in mind that none of this is an "all or nothing" kind of thing.

PaulRivers

I don't think you even need "proper technique and attention" for road riding with a fat tire but no front suspension, unless you're doing stuff that's obviously pushing it like hoping onto a curb. The way you put it it makes it sound like a front suspension would be good for a beginner - I don't think even a beginner even benefits from it for on-road riding! Suspension is meant for going over big obstacles like logs - I don't think it even helps with small stuff on the road. It's the fat tire that provides the "suspension" for smaller stuff, and the nice ride.

njkayaker

Let me say that I used a mountain bike with no suspension for fairly rough trail riding!

A fat tire would certainly do a lot of what the front-suspension is supposed to do. But you still have to be involved in riding even with fat tires. (Most hybrids with front suspension don't use especially fat tires. 32mm tires are fairly typical.)

I think many beginners are convinced that a front suspension is more comfortable and/or allows them to roll over potholes and things more easily.

Keep in mind that the front-suspension bikes we are talking about are not mountain bikes but are intended for some light trail riding. I suspect there are a fair number of people who prefer having front suspension (for whatever reasons).

Whatever the value of front suspension might be for these kinds of bicycles and the places they are used (reasonably), technique and attention is a sufficient replacement (in my opinion).