Yesterday I bought my first clipless pedals & cycling shoes. I bought Specialized shoes & Look pedals. I can get the right foot out fine but am having a terrible time with the left. I've already landed on my hiney once when the bike leaned left. The shop installed the pedal for me and I have no instructions. I know -- I should have asked. I was too busy trying to figure out how to use them on the shop's trainer. Anyway, do you adjust the pedal to loosen tension or the shoe? How do you make the adjustment? Thanks!

Okay, so I think I need an Allen wrench to loosen the pedal. My hubby just went to get one because we didn't have one that was small enough. I'm on fall #3 for the day.

What model of Look pedals did you get? I dont have look pedals but I believe somewhere on the pedal, towards the back I think, should be a screw that you can turn to loosen/tighten the release tension.

Thanks TriDevil. Hubby just went out to get a tool. I'm getting sore & he was mortified when I showed him how hard of a time I was having getting the left foot out. I crashed in the back yard. LOL

With Look pedals for beginners it is recommended that the tension be set at the minimum. And as a recreational rider, that's where mine stays. And, I'll unclip early if there's any possibility of having to stop. There's a 'set screw' (at least on the 396s) with arrows indicating increase or decrease in tension. Enjoy the Looks.

Thanks, fuji. I bought Look 357s. I did find the screw & turned it as far over as possible. I'm doing a little better. Lord, I don't want to be scared of myself out on the road -- there are too many other things to watch out for. Hope this gets better!

It will get better. Can't remember how many times I fell when I went to clipless

Thanks samp -- just practiced again about 10 times releasing each side in my backyard. Then, I braved it out on the cul de sac in front of my house. Who knows? By afternoon, I may make it around the block. LOL No falls yet today.

I fell over alot when I first used clipless pedals for a similar reason... once they are set right you probably shouldn't fall again! Although in about a year I have fallen over 2 times since One was at a set of traffic lights and it amused a truck driver behind me no end...

Tim

Lol, Stiffler! I was amusing myself yesterday. One time I fell really hard & just laid back & laughed.

Sounds like you lbs is crappy

LOL -- I just called them to see if they had a conversion kit where I could make the look pedals be regular pedals and they said Look didn't offer that kind of kit -- but other pedal makers did. Sure wish they would have let me in on that when I was purchasing the pedals. I ride my bike at Kiawah Island a lot & there are kiddies everywhere on the bike paths & places where they don't allow you on the roads. I sure don't want to have these clips on when I'm being approached by a 3 year old.

I ride on a trail with alot of familes, its a royal pain in the butt, on the street to with traffic lights, i look for a pole or something to lean on.

At Kiawah, it's lagoons with alligators in a lot of places. LOL Or, the road on the other side.

Anyway, I guess I'll get used to these #@#%! things. It's kind of scary right now. The LBS guy said to just ride on those with my tennis shoes when I'm out & practice with the other in a non-trafficked area. He also said it would probably be a bit uncomfortable. So helpful! LOL

Poor hibiscus09,

You will get used to those pedals. Be patient and practice a lot. Even I eventually mastered my Looks..., by:

- starting with a loose tension as possible (you have found out by now how to work the loosening bold;
- always being alert, anticipating stops by releasing one foot just to be on the safe side (the clean side, by the way, is on your left--where the chain(rings) won't leave 'rookie marks' on your calves);
- knowing that with clipless pedals, you can continue pedalling with one foot only;
- not hurrying the release, gently turning the foot: there is always more time to clip out than you think;
- getting better at bike handling in general;
- keeping the pedals and cleats clean;
- not panicking.

The last time I panicked (an unexpected sharp turn, some nasty flora and fauna approaching), I still succeeded in releasing one foot (a brute, abrupt, uncoordinated movement, which I could not reproduce easily--the cleat looked damaged afterwards). No harm done there.

If it's too late and you are already dangerously close to the road surface, beyond recovery, perhaps it is better not to resist the fall, but rather to go 'along with it'. I learned this the hard way: the proverbial granny was blocking the road and picking an unpredictable 'pace line'. While going down, I struggled hard to free my foot, only to 'shave' my leg by scraping the cable mount on the top tube.

Thanks Bruco! I feel like I need to drink whatever you're having in your avatar. LOL

Cheers! As far as I know, that stuff is not on any black list. No Ms. Rumsas or Dottore Ferrari for me...