Hello everyone, newbie question here:

I'm 41, way out of shape and I've been riding my new sirrus for about 2 and a half months now, I'm riding only about 16 miles or so per ride and from what I can tell averaging about 14mph or so (I know this is really lame, I've seen plenty of riders crusing right by me). I just ride in regular clothes and currently use the toe clips that came with the bike. I do use a helment and gloves (gloves were a necessity with a flat bar road bike) my next goal is to do 20 miles per ride.

Some general questions here,

1. I am still way below the point of getting any benefit from going to clipless pedals?

2. If so, when is it suggested to go to clipless?

3. When does one begin wearing bike shorts, are these really just benefical for people who do long rides? (probably a funny/stupid question, but it never hurts to ask)

Thanks for any inputs...

I don't know that there's a correct answer for when to go clipless. You will be more efficient and you should learn to be smoother in very little time after going clipless. It's for you to decide though, just as it's for you to decide what type of clipless system will work best for you.

Almost the same with shorts, but I will step out of line (with some people) and say that you will almost certainly feel like you can ride longer distances with greater comfort in proper shorts. I recently sent a buddy a pair of baggies with chamois, and he's riding a crappy mountain bike. He was skeptical, and then after the first ride with them he called me to thank me.

I would suggest that you go with a pedal that uses SPD on one side and is platform on the other. This will allow you to use a shoe that is comfortable to walk in or allow you to just get on and ride if you don't have much time.

Enjoy your Sirrus, I think it's a nice bike. I wish the one we have hanging in the stairwell was a size larger...we bought it for my son, who put maybe 300 miles on it, then my daughter put maybe 300 miles on it, now they both have road bikes and the Sirrus is a size to small for me or I'd use it for a commuter bike.

If you're starting to get up to riding an hour at a time, you can get a good benefit from both clipless pedals and cycling shoes. I think you will actually get more benefit from the shoes than the pedals. I think you will also find that clipless is a lot easier to deal with than toe clips. I'd suggest spd mountain-bike style cleats and shoes, since they have a flat sole and can be walked around in.

Shorts make a big difference in comfort. You can find ones that look like normal shorts but have bike shorts inside if you don't like the look of spandex.

Go for both. They help, and it's never too early to start receiving the benefits.

It seems that in both instances, you might take a step backwards before progressing further in your riding.

By this I mean that learning to ride with clipless pedals can feel like a regression since it adds another element to learn to the skills with which you are already comfortable.

In some ways, mostly social stigma, the same might be true of cycling shorts. You might get them on and then feel less interested in going out in public.

However, it is possible that neither of these common reactions happen to you.

My advice, if you are willing to make the investment of time, money and effort, go for the bike shorts and clipless pedals/shoes.

If at any point an "upgrade" is causing you to ride your bike less, get rid of it and maybe try it again later.

Lastly, cycling can be taken far too seriously... don't forget to have fun.
Good luck.

Hello florida hybrid. Glad you decided to use your bike to get back into shape. It's a great, low impact way for us 40 somethings to get started!

As for pedals and shorts, experiment and see what you like. I would estimate about 10% of the "upgrades" I add to cycling wind up being a loser, but experimentation is part of the fun.

I only ride about five miles a day on my commute, but I do it in full lycra. I don't care how I look, or what people think. It's more comfortable for me. I put clipless pedals on my new folding bike after a ride in the rain, when I kept slipping off the platform pedals.

Check the laws pertaining to bicycling in your state. No sense getting hurt. The Advocacy and Safety sub-forum has good advice, if you can cut through the...uh... emotion that springs up from time to time.

I think Loooty has the best advice: ...cycling can be taken far too seriously...don't forget to have fun.

Since you're using toe clips and straps, clipless will be easier for you to use. I started with double sided SPD type pedals and mountian bike shoes. My riding level was the same as your's when I switch to clipless. Go to a bike shop to make this purchase and have them instruct you on how to mount the cleats, if they don't do that for you, and how to use the pedals including adjusting ceat tension release.

Good bike shorts will make any ride more comfortable. That being said, I find that for rides up to about 15-20 miles, depending on which underwear I'm using, my bike shorts are unecessary...so I don't wear them for most of my commuting, just when I feel like it.

As far as clipless; they won't make you faster. They will however give you greater endurance and proper form. So I guess from that standpoint clipless will give you greater sustained speed over time, but not greater instantaneous speed.

There really is no "proper" time for either of these. Bike shorts are simply a comfort luxury that is dependent upon your comfort level with strolling about in spandex. Clipless are a neat technical innovation that a lot of people are hooked on, but not everybody. But it's never "too early" or even "too late" to try either.

Keep on riding. Even without a "training" regimen, if you just ride your normal ride, over time you'll see your speed has increased, and you don't even know when it happened. Nothing wrong with 14mph, as long as you're enjoying yourself.

I find clipless far easier (and frankly safer) to deal with than straps and clips, so I would say go for clipless. Find some double sided ATB pedals and mountain bike style shoes that are walkable. The stiff sole is much a help as much as the pedal.

The shorts are up to you. As you start building endurance, they will help more. I would just go ahead and start getting used to them now, as you are going to be over 20mi a ride soon. When I first started riding again, I was not comfortable wearing the spandex in public. There are baggy shorts that have cycling shorts with padding sown in (kind of like a bathing suit). They are a good place to start.

Get em both. Welcome to the club.

what twahl said

Joe

I have had 40+ mile (round-trip) commutes in the last year and double centuries in the dim and misty past and still do not have clip-less pedals. I am not "Retro", just low income. I still commute at 12 to 14 MPH average after all these years. Higher speeds are a strain my knees do not like. Speed is personal, if it hurts I hope you can afford the medical bills.

Snug shorts are more critical for me than gloves. When the spandex ages and stops giving enough support I use tight briefs under them to keep the ***** from getting squashed between my thighs and the saddle horn. As far as image goes bikers do not mind and the others are not bikers so I do not care much. Unless it is my current boss. Then I would pull trousers on over the shorts before entering the workplace early and hit the handicapped stall to remove the shorts.

After reading this thread I want to jump in. I too have a hybrid, Giant--Sedona. regular peddles to boot. I want to be efficient with my riding and in this thought process am wondering if a move to clipless w.shoes or staying where I am is the right thing. I am preping for a century and am at a crossroads. I have fun and feel myself getting stronger doing what I am doing with what I have. As for shorts...I love mine. Wouldnt ride without them.

Thank you all for the kind advice.
I think I will go ahead and get some pedals/shoes and try them. If things don't work out, I can always go back. From what was said here, it seems SPD pedals are the ones to try. I have been researching them a little, but wasn't sure - now I see that the recessed SPD shoes may be easier to walk in - so SPD sounds good from that point to. Sounds like a pair of padded shorts may be in order as well. I'm trying to do my rides about 3 days a week minimum, so far I've been able to get that much in (both weekend days and an evening during the week).


Thanks again for the responses!!

SPD-type = any two bolt cleat attaching system. Other versions are Time ATAC and Crank Brothers Eggbeaters. Those two use the same two bolt cleat pattern, but the cleats are different then SPD.

Eggbeaters are 4 sided.

I highly recommend eggbeaters. I used SPD's for a while and it took a long time to get them correctly adjusted. A close friend of mine had the same issue when she first went clipless.

Both of our pedal issues went away when we switched to eggbeaters. I think they are a great starter pedal.

You could try one of the models that has a platform, like the Candys.

Good luck.

I've had good luck with SPD pedals, even the lower line Shimanos. In fact, I have some older 515's I just love. Those and some mountain shoes so you can easily walk in them and you're set. I've been wearing Specialized Rockhoppers for years and my wife has Cannondale's mountain shoe. See what feels comfy to you. I can't speak for eggbeaters as I've not yet tried them.

I think they're worth it anytime you're riding 20 minutes or more and are doing it for fitness, not just riding with the kids or leisurely gawking. They're really helpful with making smooth circles with your legs and getting your hammies involved a little bit. You'll enjoy it!

Eggbeaters. The quad entry is nice, and ditto what all the above said about being a great pedal. They look more "primitive" than alot of the pedals you will see, but don't let looks decieve you.

You will fall.

You'll go out and practice, and it will be fine. And then you'll ride about, and it will be fine. But you will fall when you get to a situation where you have to think fast, and your reflex is still to lift your foot from the pedal to put it down. In time you will develop the twist/unclip reflex, but until that happens, beware of and attempt to anticipate the possibility of needing to react quickly.