Beginner's clipless pedal system
 

Since I bought my road bike I've had flat pedals on it, apart from a few weeks when I tried out Shimano Ultegra 6800 SPD-SL pedals. I want to revisit going clipless but found the SPD-SL pedals a bit too nerve-racking and the stress and worry of not being able to unclip spoilt my rides.

Is there a gentler way to get into clipless pedals? I realise I may also have to purchase appropriate shoes that will fit the pedals. I'm really looking for a 'beginners' clipless pedal system that I can use more confidently without falling off my bike at traffic lights.

MTB pedals are easier IMO. Just about any of them. The father of a cycling friend of mine uses Egg Beaters because of the 4 sided engagement, I had my GF try my Time ATACs because I had spares and think they are easy but they didn't work for her for the reasons you mention on the SPD-SLs. So I got get some Shimano SPDs with the Multi Release cleat and she's now riding clipless and gaining confidence. There are adapters to use 2 bolt cleats on road shoes if you've already purchased them...or get MTB style shoes. Personally the walk-ability of MTB shoes and pedals is the best choice for beginner clipless users.

Pick the pedals of your choice. Adjust them to the loosest setting, and try to concentrate on remembering to unclip in advance of stopping early on. After a very short while, the unclipping will become part of your automatic and unconscious process as you prepare to stop, and your concerns will take care of themselves.


As noted, the mtb systems are a bit more forgiving, but, I suggest you start out with whatever system you intend to end up with.

If your concern is unclipping at a stop, I'm not sure that other pedal systems are going to help much.

Unclipping is a twist, an outward kick of the ankle. If it feels like it takes very much force to get out, loosen the tension screw on the pedal until you can unclip easily.

Think about stopping like using the clutch on a car with a manual transmission: you disengage in anticipation of the stop. Whatever foot you like to put down, unclip it before stopping and, as spend the last bits of slowing down preparing to stand on the ground.
Maybe try standing with one pedal clipped in, butt out of the saddle, with your hands on the brake hoods as you come to a stop.

I guess I'm worried about damaging my road bike after a fall as much as anything else - more so than the embarrassment of the fall itself. Perhaps I could put the 6800s on my low-cost hybrid and get used to the pedals on there before fitting them back on the road bike? As it's a heavy steel bike and has already provided incredible value for money for the last several years, it wouldn't really matter if it got scraped or bent!

Shimano Click'r are great for new and casual riders.
Lighter spring tension overall. Suggest adjusting them to lightest setting to start.
I Have introduced many new riders to clipless on these with great results.
Also, they use mountain bike shoes which are walkable.

Good luck

You can get these adapters if you don't want to buy another pair of shoes: Shimano SPD-SPD-R Cleat Adaptor | Chain Reaction Cycles

The clipless setup I started with, and still use: Shimano PD-M324 pedals and the SH56 cleats on some SPD mountain bike shoes.

The pedals are clips on one side and regular pedals on the other side. The clip side tends to naturally rotate to the top, so I rarely have issues finding the clip. But this means I can consciously flip it over with my foot and pedal the old way if I want. (eg I'm stopped at one street crossing, and the next one is only a block away, I won't even bother clipping in. Or if I'm coming up to something where I'm not sure if I'll need to stop or not, I can get the unclipping out of the way early.)

The 56 cleats will come unclipped if you twist your foot in any direction, whereas the 51 cleats only work in the one direction. My belief at the time was that if I wrecked at any sort of speed, the 51 cleats would keep me clipped in, which would likely twist/injure something worse than if I was unclipped. I don't know how true that is, but I can confirm from first hand experience that the 56 cleats do indeed unclip themselves just fine if you were to, say, wedge your front tire into a crack in the road and go flying over the handlebars.

Also, having an indoor trainer was a great way to practice with them before going out into the real world.

I've only fallen over once with my Shimano clipless pedals. You may also fall over, but I'm willing to bet it'll be just one time. I actually laughed at myself as the driver next to me asked; are you okay?


I recommend the 105 pedals. way cheaper, not much different from Ultegra. At least, back in 2014 when I bought my pedals.

Another vote for SPD pedals and shoes with the 56 cleats.

Sometimes I wonder if the fall is a necessary part of the process of permanently resetting your brain's firmware.

Kind of like the difference between intellectually knowing to keep your fingers out of a flame, and actually having been burned. We know that once is enough, but is that once also necessary?

(No need to start a debate on this, it's just random brain spillage).

Most clipless falls when coming to a stop can be attributed to brainfarts, not equipment. As a beginner, I'd be more concerned with getting in rather than getting out - for that reason, I'd recommend Speedplay.

Falling at a stop because you didn't get unclipped is not going to hurt you in most cases. Just bounce up and remember to dance like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky did after running up the steps, so the people that witnessed you screw up will get their monies worth.:p

It's a right of passage you have to go through.

If you're worried about not being able to unclip, Crank Brothers Egg Beater/Candy are easier to clip out of than any other pedal, including Shimano Click'r.

I've come to the conclusion that falling down due to failure to unclip is unique to SPD-SL/Look style road pedals. I've only ever used 2-bolt cleats, and I've never fallen over.

With the exception of DrIsotope, most of us fall over sooner or later with any cleat system. There are tricks to making those falls no big deal. Mine are to: as soon as I realize I am going over I remind myself to relax, hit the road with as much of as possible and don't let go of the handlebars. I rarely get more than very minor bruises and usually don't do more than dirty some clothing. The bike rarely hits the road at all and if it does, it is the bate tape, maybe a few scratches on the hood.

Ben

Same.

SPD-SL.

I find my SPD 2-bolt cleats and MTB shoes harder to clip into as well.

I did fall in 2-bolt cleats on a rented MTB when the back tire lost all traction in soft lava gravel at 12000 ft after ascending from sea level for 8 hrs.

I don't think it counts.

I agree. I put Candy's on my wife's bike and she never failed to unclip (BITD when we used to ride together). I also put them on my dad's bike as the wire form clips on the pedals are far less likely to cut you should you somehow manage to scrape your lower leg on the pedal, something my father managed a few times with SPDs while on blood thinners with not-so-pleasant results.

LOOK Quartz pedals are similarly easy to enter/exit but I don't know if they are made any more. I have them on my commuter and MTB but use SPD-SL on my road bikes.

I have, but not in recent years. Usually when the chain came off or something*. I've gotten a lot better adjusting things post ankle-break, and I no longer keep them tightened down all the way.

* Once I did the slow-motion keel-over right into a stream of traffic but somehow didn't get my skull crushed. It was actually kind of funny, but I am getting too old for that kind of thing.

Speedplay light action, two sided and easy to clip in and out....'

If you want road pedals, Shimano R540 SPD-SL, Light Action.

I just went clipless in April, and started with these. On the lowest setting, they're super easy to get in and out of. I now have them cranked up as hard as they go, and am ready to "graduate" to regular action pedals!

They're also cheap - I picked some up for under $30.

I've never fallen with clip in pedals. I use look style. But I've fallen using pedals with toe clips and strap. Actually twice. It's weird how it feels like slow motion.
To OP if you're currently using toe clips and straps, clip in will be a lot simpler no matter which type you choose.

The "updated" version of the Quartz is the S-Track. I'm using them on both of my bikes (about 13,000 miles total,) and love them. Just the right amount of float (for me,) the cleats last a really long time, and they stay quiet-- which was my chief complaint about SPDs. After awhile, they all get squeaky.

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.

During the short time that I had the SPD-SL pedals, I did go through the slow motion keel-over. The timing could not have been worse. I had only just bought my bike and had taken it back to the Soecialized store that I bought it from to have the ‘health check’ done on it after a few weeks of ownership.

As I cycled away from the shop to join the main road - a distance of about 30yards - I had to slow down as there were a few cars going by. I was expecting to just merge onto the road but a couple of more cars came by and I had slowed down to a virtual stop by then. I was focussing on joining the road and suddenly realised that I would have to stop completely. By then it was too late and the slow motion fall had already started. Worse still I landed on the drive side.

This was in full view of Saturday shoppers on a busy shopping street. I got a slight bruise on my shoulder and leg and the right pedal was slightly scraped.

That put me off clipless pedals and I had switched to flats a few weeks after that fall. However, a couple of years on, I’m now ready to try it again.

Just do it as Nike says. I remember being nervous as well. It won't last long though. I'm not sure if any system is either or not. I have only ridden spd's and have them on all my bikes. Have I fallen at a stop because I forgot to kick out? Yes, and it will probably happen again. If you don't stick out your hand, you just fall over and get up. No injuries and laugh it off. Most of the time your bike does not even touch the ground as it's on top of you, which is important. Your leg will heal but your bike will not.

Thanks for the all the encouragement and advice. It worked!

This afternoon I put the SPD-SL pedals onto my hybrid and dusted off my road shoes and went for a short ride near my home where there are some very quiet roads. I put the pedals on my hybrid bike as that's the bike I ride the most and have had for about 6 years now so I'm comfortable with the bike. Also, it's not really worth any money now so if it got damaged then it wouldn't bother me too much.

I was surprised to feel so comfortable using the SPD-SL pedals. I had set the tension to the lowest level on them. I just had a couple of scary moments when cars came towards me and I had to move to the side of the road and unclip. I think what I found much easier this time around was the sense to keep enough forward motion going whilst I unclipped.

My plan is to ride the hybrid with the SPD-SL pedals for a while and then put them onto the road bike once I'm very comfortable with unclipping.

Once again, thanks for all the advice offered in this thread.