Andrew.Pourak

Hey all,

First, let me apologize if I posted this in the wrong forum. I bought my first road bike about 3 weeks ago after a long hiatus from any form of exercise....ergo, i'm fat. I have been riding consistently since I bought the bike using regular shoes up until today. There has definitely been relatively steady improvement in cardio and leg strength from one ride to the next.

Today, I purchased and wore my first clipless shoes and it felt like I had the legs of a paraplegic. My thighs burned with lactic acid from start to finish on a 10-mile ride. Is this typical for using clipless shoes for the first time? The good news is that I managed not to eat any asphalt which amazed me, probably because I refused to stop pedaling in fear of not being able to clip out. Thanks for any advice/information some of you veterans are able to give.

Andrew

koolerb

Just keep riding, you'll get used to them. But if you start to feel pain go back to the bike shop and them check for fit.

SirHustlerEsq

Don't worry, you'll forget about your feet when you're stopped so it won't really hurt. Just wear gloves for now. Try not to fall into curbs and scratch the bike.

mprelaw

Were you mashing a high gear at a low cadence? That's very common with new cyclists. Lactic acid buildup is a burning sensation in muscles, not sharp joint pain. It goes away. Pain that lingers after a ride is a much bigger concern.

caloso

Kick your heel out as you coast to a stop. It takes practice, but you'll get it.

Andrew.Pourak

It's definitely lactic acid build-up. I just had an ignorant expectation that the shoes would somehow decrease difficulty.

kingsqueak

The clipless setup didn't do that, it had to be something else. If anything it would make things a slight bit easier really.

Maybe you just were a bit off in recovery from your last ride, dehydrated, diet off etc.

Keep pedaling, take it easy at the start. In July I could barely do a 5 mile ride and had discomfort of all kinds. I only get to ride once or maybe twice a week and I'm doing 20mi rides now relatively easily and a lot of my fit and comfort issues are going away as I build endurance and gain more understanding of cycling technique.

Allow recovery days after rides where you push yourself, you'll build up better for it. If anything just do a higher cadence much lower effort short spin for a couple miles the day after a harder effort. Just enough to get warmed up a bit and loosen up and stop.

1nterceptor

Just give it more time, you'll get used to them after a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-rQNEdkJQk

MingusDew

As a new clipless rider myself I'll add that I am not sure if the shoes/pedals make riding easier in the sense that you're hoping. It does help in the sense that your feet never slip off, and in general you'll feel more connected with the bike. You can also use your hamstrings more when pedaling, and when standing up and really getting on it (400w droping the hammer 41 style and all that) or going up hills the clipless system really shines. Good luck, and stick with it!

dangerd

Like mprelaw mentioned - try riding with higher cadence in an easier gear that will help.

Long Tom

Yeah, this. And start trying to understand what it means to "pedal circles". Clipless is a gold mine of efficiency but it can be subtle.

Also- if your seat height was perfect without cleats, you'll need to raise it a bit wearing cleats. But let's be realistic here. 3 weeks in, your seat height is almost certainly too low regardless, unless you were professionally fit.

Low cadence and low seat height will make muscles burn, and likely lead to other issues as you continue to increase mileage. To get a feel for ballpark proper seat height, do the "leg extended w/ heel on pedal" method wearing regular shoes. Note your leg angle while pedaling the full stroke. Then put on your cleats, and adjust the seat to approximate that leg angle while clipped in. You'll have to move the seat higher to compensate for cleat/pedal stack up.

Keep it up! The payoff is huge.

Up North

Tip for stopping, get used to unclipping one foot as you approach intersection, get clip back on pedal in correct position. If all is clear all you need to do is push down to clip and go. This is much easier I find than always touching down. Mind you, I ride in rural environment not the city. Good luck.

thump55

Clipless pedals are not magic, but here is what happens:

- You will not notice improvement right away, but you will get used to them and your muscles and stroke will adapt and you will get stronger/faster.

- You may not think that clipless made much of a difference in your riding, then one day, several years later, for one reason or another, you will ride with platforms again, and you will exclaim in a loud voice for all the world to hear, "Holy crap. Now, I see the difference. Clipless is much, much better."

topflightpro

Two things that could be a factor here:

1. As LongTom mentioned, your saddle height is now probably off. The stack height - the distance from the middle of the pedal spindle to the bottom of your foot - likely has changed. You may need to raise or lower your saddle.

2. Your foot position on the pedal likely has changed. Many people without clipless pedals tend to place the pedal in the middle of the foot and clipless is more likely to put the pedal under the balls of your feet. You may need to move your saddle forward or backward as a result.

These changes can result in you relying on your quads more than you have. Also, are you pedaling with your toes down? Pedaling with the toes pointed down incorporates more quads. Pedaling with the heel down will better incorporate your glutes. Getting your saddle height/position correct also can result in increased use of the glutes.

merlinextraligh

^
This. Your position has changed, and you're using different muscles.

It would be worthwhile having someone who knows what they're doing look at how the cleats are set, and your postion on the bike.

Jiggle

So true. I won't ride without clipless. I even put a set of eggbeaters on my cruiser bike and fitted cleats to my hiking boots.

mprelaw

Same with me. I'll unclip but keep my foot resting lightly on the pedal, ready to touch down if I have to come to a complete stop. If it's clear, just push down and go. Not the best move in urban areas, though.