Phil_gretz

Amen. My experience exactly, and having ridden for 40+ years and having used clips/straps/cleats, platforms, and clipless of several varieties. For power and confidence (for me), SPD-SL is best. For simple convenience and compatibility with most of my riding shoes, it's SPD. This includes touring, general purpose, and MTB.

Platforms are fine for social riding and window shopping in small towns. But I wouldn't want to depend on them for a difficult climb or a long paced ride. That's just me. PG

noglider 

Thanks Bill, rwc, and jdon.

I don't see much sense in taking offense. No one actually said you must ride one way or another.

My best friend and I put toe clips on our bikes on the same day for our first times. We were 14 years old. We took a longish ride and fell in love and swore we'd never go back. Then clipless came out and I fell in love with them. First I rode with Look, and then a few years later with SPD. Love SPD's. I've been doing my commuting and errands on SPD's, but I just switched back to toe clips on my SUV.

I can't presume to know what's right for others. I do think it's worth trying various things to know what's right for you.

mprelaw

It happened to me when I was 19, and riding my very first road bike, standing on a climb. Gashed my shin on the sharp edge of the pedals. I put toe clips and straps on the next day, and never rode a road bike with platforms again.

TromboneAl

My fall was into a lane of the freeway.

I also fell once and hurt myself a bit on the very start of a ride. I just wanted to go home and pout, but, like you, I did the ride anyway. Yay us!

Bikey Mikey

So, is one required to yell "TOMBAY!" or "TIMBER!" as one falls?

I had a tombay using toe clips but was lucky enough for it to happen really early in the AM and in the dark. No, I'm not bidding to be in the club. I'll await that honor when I go clipless.

Don in Austin

If something like that happened to me I might not be so satisfied with platforms. In several thousand miles of riding I have never slipped off these pedals.

Don in Austin

maddmaxx 

As the former membership motivational counselor for Club Tombay, I must inform you that "Tombay" or "Timber" is rarely the vocal selection made during a proper Tombay fall. There is an approved list of things to say, but like any other secret club password, they shouldn't be uttered in polite company where non members may be encountered.

At any rate: Planemaker, be welcome in our club.

NOS88

Jseis 

I've ridden with clips since '73 and clipless since '90. About a month ago at a beach approach I rested my unclipped cleat (honkin big Time) on a concrete curb, wasn't paying real close attention and it slipped off. Bang over I go. A jeep puls up and an old timer (like me) leans out the window and asks if I'm ok. I thank him and laugh. He says, " Ya know, we aren't exactly young anymore".


Falling gracefully is an arcane art but if you can learn to tuck and roll with chin pinned to chest and arms hands relaxed and not shooting out to catch you (so as to not break a wrist), you can land easier. I've landed such with my bike in the air, upside down and still clipped in and me on my back like a turtle. I'm also cognizant of falling right and/or away from traffic because usually you have a second or two of an "oh sh$$" moment when you can direct the direction of your fall. Of course, in a group ride at a stoplight, I've also seen one rider take out three so uncliping and clipping is a necessary practiced skill.

SwampDude

Spot on, in my opinion. Pedal choice depends solely on what the rider wants his ride to be.

Clipping in, in my opinion, provides a real performance edge through greater power and efficiency. Its also 'expected' equipment among cyclists who strive for speed and a high performance riding style.

Recreational and fitness riders don't 'need' to be clipped in to achieve fun and fitness goals. Furthermore, its not expected from our peers. I use really good platform pedals and ride as hard as I want to without fear of slipping off under any condition. If anybody notices I'm not clipped in, who cares.

By the way, I rode clipless pedals for several years because I thought it was necessary equipment for serious bicyclists. The fall I took convinced me (actually it was the serious injury to my right leg) to rethink the need for clipless pedals. Platform pedals have worked out just fine for me.

cplager

These pedals work well for many people. Some people, however, find that these pedals grip so well that they have too little float. (If you're not experiencing any knee problems, I see no reasons for you to stop using them.)

cplager

When I started with clipless pedals, I used the pole in my garage and spent 30 minutes holding onto that pole clipping and unclipping. I think this helped a lot. The other advice for people starting out is when you're approaching a stop and unclip one foot, stick that foot way out there. You want to make sure when you stop, you lean towards your unclipped foot, otherwise...

noglider 

I'm surprised that needs to be said. It wouldn't occur to me to take my right foot out and lean to the left.

Shamrock

Thanks for the update I've been yelling SH*T,my bad.

TromboneAl

Note that for extra credit, you can reconstruct the fall, and have someone take a picture -- points off for overacting.

This is someone from the forum, right?



I also found this:



From: https://mybloodybikeblog.com/club-tomber/

Rwc5830

Man, I thought this thread would have died already Now that we have a dramatic re-enactment it will live again! I thought I had seen everything.

OK, I'll say it, I feel sorry for the pavement (ducking) So who is the actor in the compromising position?

cplager

I don't think people who unclip the right foot so much lean to the left as, well, just not lean to the right and end up going left...

Frankfast

Maybe side air bags are the answer. They would inflate when the bike reaches a certain degree from perpendicular. Motorcycles tried them.

I've fallen enough to be a lifetime member in Club Tombay.

Nightshade

HUH?? Name calling? No, proper use of descriptive adjectives.

big john

I think "wannabe racers: is quite derogetory. As an old fat guy, I have no interest in racing at any level, but I have used clipless for all my bikes for 20+ years.

"Masochist" is another matter, however...

SwampDude

Isn't this discussion all about risk vs. reward? At least thats the perspective that led me from toe clips (adult recreational rider) to clipless SPDs (middle-age recreational/fitness cyclist) to platforms (older, post-accident recreational/fitness cyclist).

i went through a normal progression up to clipless pedals because I was convinced I could get more benefit (more efficiency and power resulting in better performance and enhanced development) from clipless. I believe the theory behind clipless performance is real, based on my experience. I just wouldn't go so far as to say the improvements in my performance were extraordinary. Remember, I wasn't, and had no desire to be, a competitive cyclist in any sense.

The turning point back to platforms happened when I had a bad fall in my driveway that required medical attention. I came to a stop after a 10 mile late afternoon ride and attempted to unclip my right foot as usual. It just wouldn't unclip and I went down onto the concrete with full force. After an hour or so, my right hip and upper leg developed a huge, swollen, blue/black bruise and the pain was bad. Fortunately, a nearby neighbor is a physician and his wife is a nurse; she was home and came over to check my injury as soon as I called. He arrived a little later to confirm her diagnosis: a bad contusion that they also called a hematoma. Only ice packs and rest were required, but the leg took a long time to look normal again.

When I was ready to ride again, the question to be answered was: are the benefits of clipless pedals TO ME worth the risk of injury from falls when that little mechanical device fails to work as designed (or maybe I just screwed up trying to unclip)? In my particular case the answer was easy; my relatively modest gains with clipless didn't offset the risk associated with using them.

My story isn't intended to pursuade anyone, but it might provide a small data point for someone trying to decide which pedal to use. There are also lots of folks who swear by clipless pedals for various reasons. The final choice comes from understanding the rewards and the risks of clipless as they relate to our personal cycling goals.

cplager

Sure. And I think you have added positively to the conversation. I don't think the same can be said about Nightshade's contributions to this thread, however.

I understand why you chose to give up clipless pedals. Just like I understand why somebody who's torn their calf to shreds on platform pedals might choose to only use clipless pedals.

In my opinion, there isn't a right answer here for everybody. And, by and large, I think people should do what they are comfortable doing.

oldster

toeclips and straps (from the real olden days(also on a really old Italian steel frame)even though it got indexedshifting Bud

TromboneAl

Wow, I almost rejoined the club today. Going up a steep grade, I stopped midway to see what my heartrate was. When I started up again, I clipped in at the 2:00 position, and stalled while pushing down. It was one of those instances where your brain goes into slow motion, and, not making this up, this is what my internal dialog was:

"Oh, noooo! I'm going join club tombay again. And I was just reading that thread this morning. Oh, I hate this. OK, calm down, don't panic, you can do this. You've trained to unclip at any angle. C'mon! [Click] Awright! Bonk [bonked my groin on the top tube, but not too badly]."

I do think the key is to spend an hour clipping out hundreds of times with both feet at all pedal positions.

daredevil

but sh*t happens so it does need to be said actually. Let's say you unclip early anticipating dismounting and suddenly....you have to turn or accidentally turn the other direction.

get what I'm saying? It would be a stupid move no question, but like I said earlier...