Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Clipping into Look-style pedals

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Clipping into Look-style pedals

Old 07-16-10, 02:03 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 265
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 4 Times in 1 Post
Clipping into Look-style pedals

I've been using clipless pedals since the early 90s. I bought a pair of Ritchey SPD-style pedals for my MTB back then and have loved them ever since. Since returning to biking last year, I've been using them on my road bike, but clipping into them with road shoes is tough. I couple of months ago, I went down at an intersection because I stood up to accelerate before my foot was completely clipped in and there's nothing on those hard-soled road shoes to grip the pedals. (In the spirit of seeing the silver lining, I got a cool scar from that one when my chainring bit into my leg.)

So, I've recently acquired some Look-style pedals, but I'm not doing that well clipping into them either. When not in use, they point their nose straight up. So, there's two operations that are required: 1) Get the pedal horizontal. 2) Get the cleat in the toe of the pedal before it rotates to vertical again.

Can anyone offer me a good strategy for clipping in?
dellwilson is offline  
Old 07-16-10, 02:08 PM
  #2  
No matches
 
Flatballer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 11,647

Bikes: two wheeled ones

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1398 Post(s)
Liked 444 Times in 250 Posts
it's really just one operation, you flip it and clip at the same time.

You dig the front end of your cleat into the front of the pedal. While you do this it starts to rotate forward and then you push down to clip in.

Imagine kind of putting the smooth front of your toe on top of the front of the pedal, then slide the shoe forward until the cleat catches the pedal. As the cleat catches the pedal the pedal will rotate forward and become flat so you can push down.

It sounds more complicated than it is. It'll become second nature.

You can also pedal if you're close but not clicked in, just don't stand.
Flatballer is offline  
Old 07-16-10, 02:55 PM
  #3  
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
 
BarracksSi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 13,861

Bikes: Some bikes. Hell, they're all the same, ain't they?

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
Also, leave one foot clipped in while stopped.
BarracksSi is offline  
Old 07-16-10, 03:19 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Yellowbeard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 855
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I started using Looks at the end of last year and it took me at least a couple hundred kms to get the hang of it, so don't worry, just stick with it until it gets easy. One thing I found made it easier was to twist my foot back and forth a bit as I step in, if the front of the cleat isn't in quite engaged at first it will be after that. I also avoid pushing off in low gears to keep the pedal from spinning.
Yellowbeard is offline  
Old 07-16-10, 03:57 PM
  #5  
Live to ride ride to live
 
Carbon Unit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 4,896

Bikes: Calfee Tetra Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Look style pedals didn't work for me either. Maybe because I was new to clippless. I sold them on Ebay and bought Speedplay pedals. I have never had a problem clipping in or out since.
Carbon Unit is offline  
Old 07-16-10, 09:21 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Moraga, CA
Posts: 1,701

Bikes: 2008 Cervelo RS, 2011 Scott CR1 Elite, 2014 Volagi Liscio

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I gave up on Looks and went with Speedplays, too. With Looks I spent too much time looking down at the pedals while going through the intersections. Not a safe situation.
RoboCheme is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 08:14 AM
  #7  
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 29
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I think I used my Looks twice or three times on the road before I switched to Speedplays...they were just not for me.
Solorouleur is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 09:19 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
mathwheels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: CT
Posts: 221

Bikes: Cannondale CAAD9 5...duh!

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Solorouleur
I think I used my Looks twice or three times on the road before I switched to Speedplays...they were just not for me.
only ever had look and were first clipless. It took a bit of practice to nail it. one suggestion: remember that the front part of shoe clip that grabs pedal clip is under the ball of foot so use that as you starting point when feeling where you are clipping in. I was using toe as guide and took a lot more manipulation to get in. hope this helps.
mathwheels is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 09:24 AM
  #9  
Live to ride ride to live
 
Carbon Unit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 4,896

Bikes: Calfee Tetra Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by RoboCheme
I gave up on Looks and went with Speedplays, too. With Looks I spent too much time looking down at the pedals while going through the intersections. Not a safe situation.
I always thought that Look pedals were properly named because you have to LOOK before you can clip in. I guess Speedplay should be called NO LOOK pedals because you don't need to look down to clip in.
Carbon Unit is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 09:51 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
skol's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 404
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I find them much easier to clip into than SPD mnt pedals which is more of a mash foot straight down - with the Look its like a fluid motion (when done correctly) just like a pedal stroke - it will engage easier as your cleats wear in also...candle wax helps on cleat
skol is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 09:55 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Gege-Bubu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 803
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Carbon Unit
I always thought that Look pedals were properly named because you have to LOOK before you can clip in..
LOL! I do not have a problem to clip IN, it's only when I have to cross the road and be slow, or I just pedal with one foot until back on trail
However, sometimes I cannot clip OUT quickly which I believe is a bigger problem
Gege-Bubu is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 10:09 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NorCal
Posts: 2,457

Bikes: Cervelo R3 (Force)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I've always felt like im hooking the cleat into the pedal then locking it in with one motion. not a problem here.
Val23708 is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 04:01 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 265
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 4 Times in 1 Post
Thanks for the advice. I was looking for a strategy and I'll concentrate on that over the next few weeks. I rode about 50mi with the club today and it really wasn't a big deal. There weren't that many intersections and nobody was really sprinting off of them. It's more of a big deal when I'm on a short, quick ride near my home and I've got 10 stop lights in about as many miles. Thanks again.
dellwilson is offline  
Old 07-17-10, 07:37 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Yellowbeard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 855
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by dellwilson
Thanks for the advice. I was looking for a strategy and I'll concentrate on that over the next few weeks. I rode about 50mi with the club today and it really wasn't a big deal. There weren't that many intersections and nobody was really sprinting off of them. It's more of a big deal when I'm on a short, quick ride near my home and I've got 10 stop lights in about as many miles. Thanks again.
On the bright side, if you do stick with them, all those lights will get you used to it in no time.
Yellowbeard is offline  
Old 07-18-10, 12:33 AM
  #15  
Early riser
 
davida's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 198
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
HI

I flick the pedal with my toe to get it up the right way and then clip in. Only took about 5000km to get it right without looking.

davida
davida is offline  
Old 07-18-10, 06:13 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
WhyFi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,505

Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo

Mentioned: 353 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20791 Post(s)
Liked 9,436 Times in 4,663 Posts
Originally Posted by Carbon Unit
Look style pedals didn't work for me either. Maybe because I was new to clippless. I sold them on Ebay and bought Speedplay pedals. I have never had a problem clipping in or out since.
Originally Posted by RoboCheme
I gave up on Looks and went with Speedplays, too. With Looks I spent too much time looking down at the pedals while going through the intersections. Not a safe situation.
Originally Posted by Solorouleur
I think I used my Looks twice or three times on the road before I switched to Speedplays...they were just not for me.
+ 1 - I ride to work just about every day, and I need to come to a stop 6-10 times a ride. Even if I continued to practice with the SPD-SL pedals, I'd still be fumble****ing with the pedals a couple times per ride - that's simply too much, given the traffic that I need to negotiate. The first ride on the Speedplays was smoother than the 12th ride on the SPD-SLs.
WhyFi is offline  
Old 07-18-10, 06:36 AM
  #17  
stole your bike
 
roadiejorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: North Bergen, NJ
Posts: 6,907

Bikes: Orbea Orca, Ridley Compact

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4201 Post(s)
Liked 27 Times in 18 Posts
As others have suggested, it's just a matter of flipping the pedal up with the front part of your shoe then sliding until you feel the cleat catching the pedal then just apply the pressure forward until you hear the click. I use Look pedals and really like them even when I use them to commute to and from work which requires unclipping often; it's just a matter of getting used to the clipping in.
__________________
I like pie
roadiejorge is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
claudred
Adaptive Cycling: Handcycles, Amputee Adaptation, Visual Impairment, and Other Needs
4
09-17-17 08:20 PM
plowmanjoe
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
7
05-06-14 04:40 AM
sportridertex
General Cycling Discussion
7
07-14-12 12:27 PM
Inertianinja
Road Cycling
17
12-13-09 11:05 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.