From clipless to pedals
 

I took my old hi bird on a very hilly ride the other day,( it has pedals) and had a dickens of a time keeping my feet on the pedals. I kept lifting my foot off the pedals, being used to being clipped in. It was weird. Funny how one gets used to something. Anyone else have that problem?

All my bikes have pedals - clipless pedals. The pedals on my commuter bike have clipless on one side and a BMX-style platform on the other; when riding it in running shoes it feels weird because my feet are free to move around and it's difficult to get the crankarm up to where I want it for a start.

yeah... legs have gotten hard wired pedaling the bike clipped in. I got so flustered trying to pedal a bike with regular platform pedals I ended up dismounting and walking!

Almost all my bikes have clipless pedals of some sort: Shimano SPD, SPD-L, SPD-R or . . . Crank Bros.

The exception is my folding bike (DaHon) and yes, I have the same problem you do, feet flying off when I forget, even for a moment, that I'm riding cleat interfaceless pedals.

Rick / OCRR

All of mine are clipless as well. I had to do some work on my boys bikes (none of them are clipless or have clips ) and it felt really really wierd when I went out for test rides. My feet felt really tentative on each stroke I was expecting them to fly off.

Use toe clips. Nashbar sells strapless toe clips, but I found them a bit small for my foot. I've converted all my bikes from clipless back to pedals and toe clips. A great convenience, and as I am not a racer or competitive cyclist in any way, no diminishment in performance. I never pedaled up anyway whether I was slipped in or not.

I did the same thing eight or 10 years ago. I flocked to clipless when they came out, and rode with them on most of my bikes for several years, but finally realized I was no faster, went no further and didn't like walking like a duck when I stopped for a snack.
I still have one bike with clipless, mostly because I have the pedals and shoes and can't stand to let them go to waste. But for me, at least, there's no loss in performance. I've done the same 25-mile RT commute at least 1000 times (same house and same employer since 1979), and there's no correlation between pedal systems and times.

I have put my platform pedals on my MTB/Utility bike now and then just to see if I will notice the difference. While towing the trailer I don't notice much till I come to a stop. Not being able to lift my left foot up to get ready for the light to change is the hard part. I will be sitting there and as the cross light turns yellow the cars sitting next to me get see one foot come up about a foot higher than the pedal as if I am getting ready to smash a can or something.

I returned to platform pedals after a few years on clipless ( eggbeaters ). I had the same problem you had, it lasted for maybe at most 2 to 3 miles. Now my feet always stay securely on the platform.

1 bike - the one I use most - clipless. All other regular bikes have either straight platforms (2) or toe clips used simply to keep the foot in place.

I ride them all equally well and have none of the problems described by the OP.

Both bikes with SPD-M520 pedals. I clip in my Decksters when I don't want to ride clipless and that gives me best of both worlds. I love riding clipless but they are a PITA when riding in a congested area and having to unclip every block for a red light. That's where the Decksters come in handy.

I had the same problem, and traded the 'foldable' pedals that came on my Dahon to 'campus' pedals. Now I can ride with cycling shoes for my commute, and the regular platforms with street shoes when I'm going short (or to NY to visit my daughter). I found myself trying to pull the pedal to the 3 o'clock position.. and only moved my foot. It is a whole different set of moves to get the bike ready to pedal from a standstill.

train safe-

Even though I have only been using clipless pedals for less than a year when I went out on my hybrid which does not have them I had a distinct feeling of vulnerability; like I had not buckled my seat belt or worn my helmet. Also, the inability to use the whole stroke was disconcerting.

I ride recreationally and I prefer toe clips with loose straps. I have no interest in having to buy special shoes so I can ride, which I often do impulsively. Toe clips are safer IMO, cheaper, and are probably 80-90% as efficient when climbing. Do you really want to be locked to your bike like skis? Not me. I suppose if I was a competitive rider that would be one thing. By the same token, I don't like straight platform pedals for anything but bike path cruising. I like how toe clips help keep my foot positioned and give me a little help when climbing.

With clipless being so popular ,and well defended here, why in the world would anyone who uses clipless ever return to platform pedals if clipless is so great????

Oh yes indeed. Put me in tennis shoes, provide me with platforms and I will provide a fine clown show.

Yep I have that problem. I feel much safer and feel better while pedalling with my egg beaters. Before when I was using normal pedals - even without having used clipless before - I had trouble keeping my feet on the pedals over rough road surfaces.

Because clipless pedals have their place and not all types of riding require them. It's much easier to use platform pedals when riding in a congested area (like a large city for example) then clipless because of the frequent stops that you have to do. Could you do it in clipless? Yes, but why spend most of your ride time clipping and unclipping. It's also easier to use platform pedals when doing slow, family rides as you don't need the benefits that clipless provides. FYI, around 90% of my riding is clipless.