My Clipless Experience (spoiler: back to flats for me)
07-25-14, 06:52 PM
#76
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It appears that it is the cleats that allow yanking from the top, here's what the package looks like (note the arrow pointing up):
07-25-14, 07:59 PM
#77
Senior Member
i did not know that multi-release cleats existed, however looking at the image I believe my shoes came with multi-release clips. I happened to see the little graphic with arrows in the instructions that came with the shoes. I figured that meant that the shoes will easier to detach. Thanks again!
Last edited by yashinon; 07-25-14 at 08:08 PM.
07-25-14, 10:54 PM
#78
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I like your thread and I appreciate you sharing your experience. My brother insists that speed play frogs are the way to go. He espouses all of those myths about clipless as well. I ride on pinned platform pedals and 5.10 free ride shoes. My feet stay pretty planted to those pedals. Yep, I've slipped and scrapped my shins on the trails, but I wear shin guards now and all is right in the world. I like the ability to be able to bail if I have to (on my mtb).
On my hybrid, my partner and I usually ride busy bike trails. There is a bunch of stop and go and like you, when things start to get too serious around biking, it makes it no longer fun for me. So, today I tried my brother's frogs along with a pair of his shimano mtb shoes (we wear the same size). I must admit that clipping in and out of them was a breeze. It took me all of a a minute to get used to the action. I rode it around the block clipping in And out constantly and stopping and staring it it was all a breeze. I can understand, why he recommends them for a beginner. That said, for he type of riding I do, I think I'll stick to platforms. Our rides are for fitness and fun, not for speed or distance and we like to make stops for a beer, or coffee, lunch, dinner, snack, etc...
For me, I'm in the same boat as you. I think they are ok and it's great that there is choice. I may go clipless when I get a road bike bough. For reference, I run crank brothers 5050 v3 on my mtb, and azonic 420 on my giant.
On my hybrid, my partner and I usually ride busy bike trails. There is a bunch of stop and go and like you, when things start to get too serious around biking, it makes it no longer fun for me. So, today I tried my brother's frogs along with a pair of his shimano mtb shoes (we wear the same size). I must admit that clipping in and out of them was a breeze. It took me all of a a minute to get used to the action. I rode it around the block clipping in And out constantly and stopping and staring it it was all a breeze. I can understand, why he recommends them for a beginner. That said, for he type of riding I do, I think I'll stick to platforms. Our rides are for fitness and fun, not for speed or distance and we like to make stops for a beer, or coffee, lunch, dinner, snack, etc...
For me, I'm in the same boat as you. I think they are ok and it's great that there is choice. I may go clipless when I get a road bike bough. For reference, I run crank brothers 5050 v3 on my mtb, and azonic 420 on my giant.
07-25-14, 11:07 PM
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Rivendell bicycle's ( The Shoe's Ruse ) pretty much agrees with your findings.
07-26-14, 12:20 AM
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I stick to pinned platform pedals. They offer wide support for the foot, they're simple and they're reliable. Plus they're not terribly expensive.
07-27-14, 09:22 PM
#81
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i really enjoy the PD-M324 pedals. For beginners you can keep one foot clipped in and the other on the platform side when you are in situations that require it. Otherwise with the tension set low and the multi-release cleats (which I just found out about), detaching is a breeze!
07-31-14, 03:01 AM
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Picture this.Twelve year old sent to the the corner store to get 2 pints of milk.Empty milk bottle in each hand.Forearms jammed between
handlebars and brake levers to steer(old sit up and beg bars).Mate pulls along side on his bike.Race is on,100% effort called for.Foot slides off pedal and into front spokes.The good news,the milk bottles didn't break.The bad news even 50 years latter I still have a lovely set of scars on each elbow.
Now you would think that I would be an advocate for clipless pedals and if riding on the road you would be right.Where things are pretty
predictable it's the only way to go.
As others on this topic have pointed out pathways,trails etc etc are a little different.Very unpredictable.
When I bought my latest hybrid I'd made the decision to ride mainly off road ie cycleways and trails.I'm lucky that there are well over 100km
of them starting virtually at my door.
I thought I would try riding with the steel caged flats that the bike came with.After 2k kms I've had no issues but I've had 3 incidents where if I'd been clipped in I would've worn the deck.These came out of left field with no warning.At 62 I don't bounce as well as I used to
so I don't think I'll be trying clipless any time soon.
handlebars and brake levers to steer(old sit up and beg bars).Mate pulls along side on his bike.Race is on,100% effort called for.Foot slides off pedal and into front spokes.The good news,the milk bottles didn't break.The bad news even 50 years latter I still have a lovely set of scars on each elbow.
Now you would think that I would be an advocate for clipless pedals and if riding on the road you would be right.Where things are pretty
predictable it's the only way to go.
As others on this topic have pointed out pathways,trails etc etc are a little different.Very unpredictable.
When I bought my latest hybrid I'd made the decision to ride mainly off road ie cycleways and trails.I'm lucky that there are well over 100km
of them starting virtually at my door.
I thought I would try riding with the steel caged flats that the bike came with.After 2k kms I've had no issues but I've had 3 incidents where if I'd been clipped in I would've worn the deck.These came out of left field with no warning.At 62 I don't bounce as well as I used to
so I don't think I'll be trying clipless any time soon.
07-31-14, 04:38 AM
#83
C*pt*i* Obvious
I use toeclips with platform pedals, for me this is the best of both worlds.
I've used toeclips for over 20 years, I've never had a fall or any injury because of them.
That said, I'm accident prone, so I'm wary of increasing the odds of injury by switching to clipless pedals.
I recently replaced my old cycling shoes with 5-10 ascent shoes, however they were too wide to use with my existing toeclip setup, so I removed the toeclips and re-installed the pins. (Wellgo MG-1)
That lasted for just one ride though, I found my feet were rolling off the pedal during the 10 - 2 clock position. I upgraded to MG-2 pedals that allow toeclips to be mounted inside the cage which makes it much easier to use wide shoes.
MG2,Wellgo
I totally understand why long distance tourers use platforms though. I think, with enough practice, platforms can actually be more efficient on longer rides, because they allow you to move your foot fore and aft, as well as side to side. Its not natural for feet to be locked into a fixed position for long periods of time.
Clipless pedals can build up a sense of over-confidence by being firmly attached to the bike. When locked in it feels safer to put down maximum torque because it is very unlikely to slip anywhere during the pedal stroke, this can give the impression that they are more efficient.
I've used toeclips for over 20 years, I've never had a fall or any injury because of them.
That said, I'm accident prone, so I'm wary of increasing the odds of injury by switching to clipless pedals.
I recently replaced my old cycling shoes with 5-10 ascent shoes, however they were too wide to use with my existing toeclip setup, so I removed the toeclips and re-installed the pins. (Wellgo MG-1)
That lasted for just one ride though, I found my feet were rolling off the pedal during the 10 - 2 clock position. I upgraded to MG-2 pedals that allow toeclips to be mounted inside the cage which makes it much easier to use wide shoes.
MG2,Wellgo
I totally understand why long distance tourers use platforms though. I think, with enough practice, platforms can actually be more efficient on longer rides, because they allow you to move your foot fore and aft, as well as side to side. Its not natural for feet to be locked into a fixed position for long periods of time.
Clipless pedals can build up a sense of over-confidence by being firmly attached to the bike. When locked in it feels safer to put down maximum torque because it is very unlikely to slip anywhere during the pedal stroke, this can give the impression that they are more efficient.
Last edited by SHBR; 07-31-14 at 04:49 AM.
07-31-14, 07:58 AM
#84
Senior Member
Edit: Asian porn link. Good thing my boss wasn't standing here.....
Yes, all the reading I do on clipless here gets me wondering about being locked in 1 position for such a long time. I have toe clips and straps. My feet are wide, I wear a EEEE width, which I don't see any bike specific shoe I could even get my foot into. I don't tighten down the straps on the toe clips. I find my feet going numb a bit even with riding an hour and like to wiggle the foot around a bit. I can still pull up on the pedal and my foot won't slip off the pedal with the toe clips.
I totally understand why long distance tourers use platforms though. I think, with enough practice, platforms can actually be more efficient on longer rides, because they allow you to move your foot fore and aft, as well as side to side. Its not natural for feet to be locked into a fixed position for long periods of time.
Last edited by mrodgers; 07-31-14 at 08:01 AM.
07-31-14, 09:00 AM
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I've tried both toe clips and clipless pedals, and to me, toe clips feel much more dangerous.
For example:
Panic manuver with toe clips = remember to pull your feet back straight back. If the straps got too tight or you pull from the wrong angle you might get caught in them.
Panic maneuver with clipless pedals = move your ankle sightly left, slightly right, or pull hard upwards.
Starting manuver with toe clips = start moving the bike, attempt to flip the pedal with your foot and thread it through the toe clip hole, all while paying attention to the road
Starting manuver with clipless pedals = start pedaling the bike, when you have gotten up to speed, move your foot back slightly on the unclipped pedal until you hear a "click" and you're good to go
I haven't fallen with either.
As far as float goes, most systems have a couple degrees of float, and if your cleats are adjusted properly you could arguably have more float than using toe clips because you can allow your feet to float around without worrying about them coming off the pedal. If you need even more float, you could go with the speedplay systems which have large amounts of it.
I think people are thinking that all clipless pedal systems are single side release cleats with the spring tension up all the way. Those are for people going at it hard for long periods of time (very few). But they sell multi side release cleats and you can set the spring tension super low for just putting around town.
This isn't to say that _everyone_ should go clipless, but I think some people are afraid of it because they have heard the stories of the wanna be racer who turned his spring tension all the way up on his single release cleats and ate it at a stop sign because he wasn't paying attention.
For example:
Panic manuver with toe clips = remember to pull your feet back straight back. If the straps got too tight or you pull from the wrong angle you might get caught in them.
Panic maneuver with clipless pedals = move your ankle sightly left, slightly right, or pull hard upwards.
Starting manuver with toe clips = start moving the bike, attempt to flip the pedal with your foot and thread it through the toe clip hole, all while paying attention to the road
Starting manuver with clipless pedals = start pedaling the bike, when you have gotten up to speed, move your foot back slightly on the unclipped pedal until you hear a "click" and you're good to go
I haven't fallen with either.
As far as float goes, most systems have a couple degrees of float, and if your cleats are adjusted properly you could arguably have more float than using toe clips because you can allow your feet to float around without worrying about them coming off the pedal. If you need even more float, you could go with the speedplay systems which have large amounts of it.
I think people are thinking that all clipless pedal systems are single side release cleats with the spring tension up all the way. Those are for people going at it hard for long periods of time (very few). But they sell multi side release cleats and you can set the spring tension super low for just putting around town.
This isn't to say that _everyone_ should go clipless, but I think some people are afraid of it because they have heard the stories of the wanna be racer who turned his spring tension all the way up on his single release cleats and ate it at a stop sign because he wasn't paying attention.
07-31-14, 09:39 AM
#86
Senior Member
Starting manuver with toe clips = start moving the bike, attempt to flip the pedal with your foot and thread it through the toe clip hole, all while paying attention to the road
Starting manuver with clipless pedals = start pedaling the bike, when you have gotten up to speed, move your foot back slightly on the unclipped pedal until you hear a "click" and you're good to go
Starting manuver with clipless pedals = start pedaling the bike, when you have gotten up to speed, move your foot back slightly on the unclipped pedal until you hear a "click" and you're good to go
07-31-14, 09:59 AM
#87
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Neither are particularly suited towards an urban environment. It can be done with both, but it would be a pain in the ass for little gain (unless you're riding fixed and you value your shins).
It really is a lot easier to get into clipless pedals because the cleat is on both sides of the pedal and you engage by feel. I generally hit the pedal with my mid foot if I don't intend to clip and then slide to the ball of my foot and push to clip in. Since you can't actually see the cleat, looking down at your feet does nothing
The maneuvering required to enter the toe clips and discomfort on the top of my foot from the clips themselves (normally after 2-3 hours) is the main reason I switched to clipless.
It really is a lot easier to get into clipless pedals because the cleat is on both sides of the pedal and you engage by feel. I generally hit the pedal with my mid foot if I don't intend to clip and then slide to the ball of my foot and push to clip in. Since you can't actually see the cleat, looking down at your feet does nothing
The maneuvering required to enter the toe clips and discomfort on the top of my foot from the clips themselves (normally after 2-3 hours) is the main reason I switched to clipless.
07-31-14, 04:55 PM
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I have been following this post since it began. I have used toe clips/straps for years and still use a pair of Specialized shoes I bought designed for toe straps. I enjoy using toe clips, but as matter of fairness, I gave clipless pedals a try. After a little while, I became proficient with them and noticed that they helped me focus on cadence. But the overall difference in performance compared to my toe clips was marginal at best. Plus, I didn't like wearing the heavier, clunky clipless "boot". I call it it a boot because it resembles a ski boot to me. My Specialized toe clip shoes are very light and very comfortable as a shoe. I went back to toe clip. I ride in a variety of environments and never think twice about slipping out of the toe clips.
08-02-14, 02:55 PM
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It's flats for me. I used to clip in, and it became second nature for me to do it, but I still prefer a high quality set of platform pedals. Maybe it's a throwback to my childhood, I don't know. I can't think of any reason to go back to clipless though because I don't race and I try to avoid hills like the plague.
08-02-14, 03:58 PM
#90
LET'S ROLL
just like anything that has to do with cycling;
saddle model, tire selection, short brand, frame
material, etc. - it's all a matter of preference.
What may feel great for one rider maybe torture
to another. Sometimes you just have to try and
see if it works for you or not. Me; I've been riding
with clipless pedals for over 6 years now and I
really like them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh5V...aIoDLA&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFyX...IoDLA&index=49
saddle model, tire selection, short brand, frame
material, etc. - it's all a matter of preference.
What may feel great for one rider maybe torture
to another. Sometimes you just have to try and
see if it works for you or not. Me; I've been riding
with clipless pedals for over 6 years now and I
really like them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh5V...aIoDLA&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFyX...IoDLA&index=49
__________________
One day: www.youtube.com/watch?v=20X43026ukY&list=UUHyRS8bRu6zPoymgKaIoDLA&index=1
One day: www.youtube.com/watch?v=20X43026ukY&list=UUHyRS8bRu6zPoymgKaIoDLA&index=1
08-06-14, 06:50 PM
#91
Senior Member
I have been using the PD-M324 pedals for a few weeks now and I love them. However, I have a question about cleat position. My left foot when clipped in feels like the cleat is positioned more in the middle and comfortable. My right foot when clipped in feels like the cleat is positioned more towards the ball of my feet, while not completely uncomfortable, my leg tends to ache a little.
I only clip the right foot in when I feel completely safe while on the roads or paths. When I place the right foot on the platform side, placement is usually in middle of the foot (because of the cleat) and feels very comfortable.
What is the difference between left and right foot? I have the right cleat as far back as it will go. Is there an adjustment period?
I only clip the right foot in when I feel completely safe while on the roads or paths. When I place the right foot on the platform side, placement is usually in middle of the foot (because of the cleat) and feels very comfortable.
What is the difference between left and right foot? I have the right cleat as far back as it will go. Is there an adjustment period?
08-06-14, 10:18 PM
#92
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I have been using the PD-M324 pedals for a few weeks now and I love them. However, I have a question about cleat position. My left foot when clipped in feels like the cleat is positioned more in the middle and comfortable. My right foot when clipped in feels like the cleat is positioned more towards the ball of my feet, while not completely uncomfortable, my leg tends to ache a little.
I only clip the right foot in when I feel completely safe while on the roads or paths. When I place the right foot on the platform side, placement is usually in middle of the foot (because of the cleat) and feels very comfortable.
What is the difference between left and right foot? I have the right cleat as far back as it will go. Is there an adjustment period?
I only clip the right foot in when I feel completely safe while on the roads or paths. When I place the right foot on the platform side, placement is usually in middle of the foot (because of the cleat) and feels very comfortable.
What is the difference between left and right foot? I have the right cleat as far back as it will go. Is there an adjustment period?
The cleat should be under the ball of your foot in the middle of the shoe (from side to side, not top to bottom) at it's starting point. From there you adjust the angle as needed depending on which way each of your feet tilt.
There are a couple of sites on the internet that go over this in massive detail, if you're totally lost though, it's probably worth going to your LBS.
I just recently started messing with the angle of my cleats after having knee pain in the left, and I just made a small adjustment to tilt my toes out and it's like night and day comfort difference.
08-07-14, 10:31 AM
#93
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We're kind of talking this topic to death here, but I'll toss my 2-cents in anyway...
I have been riding the same Trek 750 Hybrid for the the last 18 years, and still using the strapped toe clips that came with the bike. Stopping, starting, suddenly, gradually, etc. became second nature in terms of getting in and out of the clips. I guess I'm lucky, but I have never fallen in the 18 years I have been riding.
Recently I just purchased a new 7.7 FX and decided to try clipless. I went with Shamono PD-T700 mountain bike pedals and M087 shoes because you can walk in the shoes, and if I am just taking a ride around the block, I don't need the shoes - and the T700's have clips on both sides.
Now for the adjustment period... I've only had the pedals for a couple of weeks, and so far so good. I have learned to twist out of one side as soon as I get close to and intersection or see any potential hazards (people roaming aimlessly, guided only by the rhythm from their head phones) along the trails. I have had a couple of near falls when stopping, but I'm learning and thus far have avoided the embarrassment. I'm sure in a panic situation, all bets are off. But if I adapt to the clipless like I did with the straps, I should be fine. I must say, I really like to feel of being so solid on the pedals, and according to my Run Keeper app, my performance has seen a bump to the good. I have only ridden in 10 mile increments so far, so can't comment on the longer rides yet. So unless the longer rides bother me, I'm pretty much sold on the clipless route. I'm a fitness rider, so power and speed are important to me.
-Brad
I have been riding the same Trek 750 Hybrid for the the last 18 years, and still using the strapped toe clips that came with the bike. Stopping, starting, suddenly, gradually, etc. became second nature in terms of getting in and out of the clips. I guess I'm lucky, but I have never fallen in the 18 years I have been riding.
Recently I just purchased a new 7.7 FX and decided to try clipless. I went with Shamono PD-T700 mountain bike pedals and M087 shoes because you can walk in the shoes, and if I am just taking a ride around the block, I don't need the shoes - and the T700's have clips on both sides.
Now for the adjustment period... I've only had the pedals for a couple of weeks, and so far so good. I have learned to twist out of one side as soon as I get close to and intersection or see any potential hazards (people roaming aimlessly, guided only by the rhythm from their head phones) along the trails. I have had a couple of near falls when stopping, but I'm learning and thus far have avoided the embarrassment. I'm sure in a panic situation, all bets are off. But if I adapt to the clipless like I did with the straps, I should be fine. I must say, I really like to feel of being so solid on the pedals, and according to my Run Keeper app, my performance has seen a bump to the good. I have only ridden in 10 mile increments so far, so can't comment on the longer rides yet. So unless the longer rides bother me, I'm pretty much sold on the clipless route. I'm a fitness rider, so power and speed are important to me.
-Brad
09-13-14, 03:35 AM
#94
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Well last week i purchased a set of Shimano MT34 shoes and some M530 pedals for the cyclocross ( Ridley X-Bow yeah sorry it's not the DS 8.4 ) but thought I'd share my experiences as it's appropriate to this thread
As mentioned earlier on in the thread I'd been running Wellgo R146s on the Cyclocross. Made and functions like a full size MTB pedal with screw in studs. I must admit I'd never ever had an issue with the R146s but a couple of mates "convinced" me that I'd be more efficient with clipless so with some spare money thought I'd give them ago. You can see the R146s are a very similar size to the M530s.
After quite a bit of research ( yes I'm a bit OCD at times ) I decided that the SPD system was the way to go for a number of reasons;
1. Because it's a Cyclocross I do ride some pretty dirty trails and this includes pushing the bike at times ( normally uphill)
2. It's a commuter and I didn't want to have to carry another pair of shoes with me if I wanted to ride and walk
3. I'm not a full lycra rider and would rather have a more sandshoe/walking boot style shoe (I currently ride in a set of Merrells)
4. Using SPD gives the option of a dual sided clip in pedal.
5 I bought the M530 rather than the M520 because I read it was easier to get into because of less rotation issues while clipping in and that you have a bit more surface to do a couple of rotations before clipping in if you need it.
The pedals and shoes were all setup on Wednesday night but I didn't get a chance to go for a ride. I set the tension to minimum and spend a bit of time leaning on the door frame and clipping in and out.
Thursday I decided to brave it and did about 6 kms on the clipless system albeit on a nearby basketball court Ride, stop, start, ride, stop, start, ride.... you get the idea
Didn't fall over, didn't get stuck but my initial observation was that my left foot is easy to get out, my right not so easy.
So a lovely day today and decided to brave the "real world" clipped onto my bike. The first part was 40km (return ) of bike track ( 386m elevation) and road. Lots of stopping for roads , cars, pedestrians All in all it all seemed pretty good. Certainly no butt pucker moments though I'll make the observation that I probably unclicked more and earlier than I really needed to but then again that's probably not such a bad thing. At times I'd also just unclip and clip both feet just for practice.
Observations:
1. While my left foot feels fine, my right foot seemed to want to move around sometimes, especially heel out.
2. When I get my water bottle I tend to (now try) and move my right knee outwards
3. A couple of times there was an issue with toe overlap with the front wheel and my right foot.
After that the ride home (10.2 km) with quite a few hills (360m elevation) and in the end decided to do half of it on the (uphill) fire trails that lead to my house. This way I'd pretty much cover all the types of terrain I'd normally ride. Again no real issues except a couple of times the toe overlap was a bit of a worry and this even happened while riding the fire trails ( you've' got to be pretty careful picking a line on a rocky trail with the CX's 32mm tires which can be a lot of left/right on the front wheel). I was more concerned about issues with the clipins on the trails and even though once I did have one slide off the side of a rock I easily unclipped my left foot to steady myself.
So...in the end what can I say about clipless pedals ? Was I more efficient or faster, in truth I don't really know. There was a severe headwind riding out on the biketrack and there's so many more variables that I cannot give you a firm decision on this. Did I feel I was pedalling more efficiently , don't know though I must admit my legs don't "hurt" like they used to after a ride.
My fear of clipstacks is still there in the back of my mind but nowhere near as bad as it was before I rode today.
All in all, I'll stick with the clipless and see how they go and in addition I will order a set of the M530 for the DS 8.4 hybrid as well. If you're thinking about it give it a go. (So far) it's nowhere nears as difficult as I'd imagined it would be.
More info to come as it comes to hand
As mentioned earlier on in the thread I'd been running Wellgo R146s on the Cyclocross. Made and functions like a full size MTB pedal with screw in studs. I must admit I'd never ever had an issue with the R146s but a couple of mates "convinced" me that I'd be more efficient with clipless so with some spare money thought I'd give them ago. You can see the R146s are a very similar size to the M530s.
After quite a bit of research ( yes I'm a bit OCD at times ) I decided that the SPD system was the way to go for a number of reasons;
1. Because it's a Cyclocross I do ride some pretty dirty trails and this includes pushing the bike at times ( normally uphill)
2. It's a commuter and I didn't want to have to carry another pair of shoes with me if I wanted to ride and walk
3. I'm not a full lycra rider and would rather have a more sandshoe/walking boot style shoe (I currently ride in a set of Merrells)
4. Using SPD gives the option of a dual sided clip in pedal.
5 I bought the M530 rather than the M520 because I read it was easier to get into because of less rotation issues while clipping in and that you have a bit more surface to do a couple of rotations before clipping in if you need it.
The pedals and shoes were all setup on Wednesday night but I didn't get a chance to go for a ride. I set the tension to minimum and spend a bit of time leaning on the door frame and clipping in and out.
Thursday I decided to brave it and did about 6 kms on the clipless system albeit on a nearby basketball court
Ride, stop, start, ride, stop, start, ride.... you get the idea Didn't fall over, didn't get stuck but my initial observation was that my left foot is easy to get out, my right not so easy.
So a lovely day today and decided to brave the "real world" clipped onto my bike. The first part was 40km (return ) of bike track ( 386m elevation) and road. Lots of stopping for roads , cars, pedestrians All in all it all seemed pretty good. Certainly no butt pucker moments though I'll make the observation that I probably unclicked more and earlier than I really needed to but then again that's probably not such a bad thing. At times I'd also just unclip and clip both feet just for practice.
Observations:
1. While my left foot feels fine, my right foot seemed to want to move around sometimes, especially heel out.
2. When I get my water bottle I tend to (now try) and move my right knee outwards
3. A couple of times there was an issue with toe overlap with the front wheel and my right foot.
After that the ride home (10.2 km) with quite a few hills (360m elevation) and in the end decided to do half of it on the (uphill) fire trails that lead to my house. This way I'd pretty much cover all the types of terrain I'd normally ride. Again no real issues except a couple of times the toe overlap was a bit of a worry and this even happened while riding the fire trails ( you've' got to be pretty careful picking a line on a rocky trail with the CX's 32mm tires which can be a lot of left/right on the front wheel). I was more concerned about issues with the clipins on the trails and even though once I did have one slide off the side of a rock I easily unclipped my left foot to steady myself.
So...in the end what can I say about clipless pedals ? Was I more efficient or faster, in truth I don't really know. There was a severe headwind riding out on the biketrack and there's so many more variables that I cannot give you a firm decision on this. Did I feel I was pedalling more efficiently , don't know though I must admit my legs don't "hurt" like they used to after a ride.
My fear of clipstacks is still there in the back of my mind but nowhere near as bad as it was before I rode today.
All in all, I'll stick with the clipless and see how they go and in addition I will order a set of the M530 for the DS 8.4 hybrid as well. If you're thinking about it give it a go. (So far) it's nowhere nears as difficult as I'd imagined it would be.
More info to come as it comes to hand
Last edited by limbot; 09-13-14 at 04:07 AM.
09-13-14, 04:43 AM
#95
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I started using SPD pedals after slipping off platforms on the NYC Hudson Greenway and cutting up the back of my calf along the Achilles tendon pretty badly. I was sitting on a bench bleeding in a pretty remote area when a Police car came along and lent me a hand. Can't tell you how glad and surprised I was to see them. They gave me some first aid stuff to clean and cover my injury and then I went home. Later that day when talking to my daughter, who is an exercise physiologist, she explained that the Surgery and then rehab from an Achilles injury is long and grueling. She advised looking into a way to keep my feet on the pedals.
I use the M324 with the cleats that release from both directions with 4 degrees of float. I turned the adjustment screw on the pedals to the least tension. I can pop my foot out easily. I also ride on the platform side with the cleats when I am in traffic and have had no issues.
When I started, I fell. I had minimum road rash but a pretty good size lump on my left calf for a few days. I stayed away from them for a few weeks but another friend who rides also convinced me to try again. Love my dual sided pedals and the easily popped cleats.
Good luck and enjoy.
I use the M324 with the cleats that release from both directions with 4 degrees of float. I turned the adjustment screw on the pedals to the least tension. I can pop my foot out easily. I also ride on the platform side with the cleats when I am in traffic and have had no issues.
When I started, I fell. I had minimum road rash but a pretty good size lump on my left calf for a few days. I stayed away from them for a few weeks but another friend who rides also convinced me to try again. Love my dual sided pedals and the easily popped cleats.
Good luck and enjoy.
09-14-14, 03:27 AM
#96
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Dary 2 and tonight I could concentrate on riding rather than (un)clipping.
That being said I had a car pull out on me but easily unclipped, got the foot down and stopped
Again in terms of overall efficiency and speed I really couldn't say I felt more efficient or faster. I did get 7 PRs on the Biketrack which I've done at least once a week on the X-Bow for the last 6 months though I'm of course wary that there's SO many possible variables. Not sure if it's a good indicator or not.
One thing I will say is that there is a BIG difference in getting the power down when you're up off the seat.
That being said I had a car pull out on me but easily unclipped, got the foot down and stopped
Again in terms of overall efficiency and speed I really couldn't say I felt more efficient or faster. I did get 7 PRs on the Biketrack which I've done at least once a week on the X-Bow for the last 6 months though I'm of course wary that there's SO many possible variables. Not sure if it's a good indicator or not.
One thing I will say is that there is a BIG difference in getting the power down when you're up off the seat.
09-17-14, 07:11 PM
#97
Senior Member
[QUOTE=
I use the M324 with the cleats that release from both directions with 4 degrees of float. I turned the adjustment screw on the pedals to the least tension. I can pop my foot out easily. I also ride on the platform side with the cleats when I am in traffic and have had no issues.
When I started, I fell. I had minimum road rash but a pretty good size lump on my left calf for a few days. I stayed away from them for a few weeks but another friend who rides also convinced me to try again. Love my dual sided pedals and the easily popped cleats.
Good luck and enjoy.[/QUOTE]
I also have my PD's set to where I can pop my foot easily. In a bit too easily but I like it. I tend to keep my left foot clipped in and right foot on the platform when in traffic or otherwise feel unsafe.
I use the M324 with the cleats that release from both directions with 4 degrees of float. I turned the adjustment screw on the pedals to the least tension. I can pop my foot out easily. I also ride on the platform side with the cleats when I am in traffic and have had no issues.
When I started, I fell. I had minimum road rash but a pretty good size lump on my left calf for a few days. I stayed away from them for a few weeks but another friend who rides also convinced me to try again. Love my dual sided pedals and the easily popped cleats.
Good luck and enjoy.[/QUOTE]
I also have my PD's set to where I can pop my foot easily. In a bit too easily but I like it. I tend to keep my left foot clipped in and right foot on the platform when in traffic or otherwise feel unsafe.
