cyclecannon

Hello, I am new to cycling and bought my first road bike a couple months ago. It came with a cheap plastic flat pedal(No straps or clips or anything of the sort). With that pedal my foot was placed basically in the middle of the pedal. I recently aquired a new set of pedals and purchased a pair of cage like devices that the front of your toes fit into. I hope you can picture what I'm trying to describe. Basically after the purchase of the new pedals my foot is placed to where the pedal is under the front part of my foot(Ball of the foot?) I have been told this is how it is supposed to be placed. Here is the issue:

With my old pedals (Different foot placement with the pedal further back on the foot) I was doing really well and did a couple 20+ mile rides. Since the purchase of the new pedals my legs have been getting a lot more tired especially the muscles closer to the knee. Is this just something that I have to get used to as I'm using a different set of muscles that need to be developed? Any advice for foot placement on the pedal / etc would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

If I didnt' clarify something well enough, please let me know. It was kindof hard for me to describe this lol.

flatlander_48

Previously you were pedalling essentially with your thight and butt muscles. Now you have added your calf muscles. In time they will develop also. Stand on your toes for a moment. The muscles that hold you up are the ones that will be strengthened as you continue to ride. Ultimately you will be using most of your leg muscles.

Those cage-like devices are called Toe Clips. The pedals that do not have a Toe Clip and require that a cleat be attached to the bottom of a riding shoe are called Clipless pedals.

ColinL

If your knees are feeling it, check 2 things:

- saddle height. too low will kill your knees. many new cyclists sit too low because they want to be able to reach the ground or they stop frequently.

- make sure you're in the right gear. yes, you can pedal with a lot of force in a tall gear. it will fatigue your muscles faster and puts a lot of strain on your knees. downshift and take advantage of gearing. there are a lot of discussions on cadence (pedaling revolutions per minute) here on BF, just look around or search.

oldbobcat

Toeclips come in sizes, small, medium, large, and extra large. The appropriate size depends on the length of your foot and the bulk of the shoe your ride in. Hopefully your bike dealer selected the right size for you.