Clipless Pedal Type
 

I have usually used two bolt SPD type pedals. After my left below knee amputation I have no ankle movement and cannot tilt my toes to engage the cleat. I also don't have a lot of twisting ability to get out. So far I have used an spd pedal on the right and a mini toeclip on the left. I pull my left foot out fairly often. I have a pair of eggbeaters to try and a pair of Speedplay Frogs to try out as well. I have to start out with my right foot and then try and step into or onto the left pedal. I dismount right foot first and then I will have to figure out how to get out of the left side.
Any suggestions or observations from those that have used other than SPD type pedals?

I dismount right foot first and then I will have to figure out how to get out of the left side.

Caution, a right foot first dismount can result in a nasty, chain-ring-induced incision to the right side calf muscle; so says a plastic surgeon in our riding group.

More details of how this can happen would be appreciated.

To the OP, you might try speedplay light actions. Supposed to be easy to get in and out of.
IMHO, you plastic surgeon friend is full of it. There's zero reason you're going to put you calf into the chainring by clipping out on the right. I clip out on whichever foot fits the circumstance, typically on the right to be opposite traffic, and have kept my calf intact for 40 years.

In fact, if you want to reduce the chance of falling over at stop lights, you should practice clipping out with either foot, so you don't get caught leaning the wrong way. If you always clip out left, not only will you be leaning over into traffic, there will be a day when you fall over right and can't get your foot out fast enough.

A USmnational team coach used to make the riders unclip at every stop sign, and use alternating feet, so they could practice getting quickly in and out with both feet.

I believe that the Time ATAC pedals are available with a couple different cleats with different release angles. Perhaps the one that requires less twist to release will work with your limited twisting ability. Might be worth a try.

It has been my limited experience that Mtn. pedals do not require as much of the toe-down approach for clipping in as the traditional (Look, Shimano, Campy, Time) road pedals. The looser the spring tension the easier it is to just "mash" into them.
Brent

This may be totally useless, but about twenty-five years ago a below-knee amputee rode past my wife and me. We just heard a click, click, click sound and away he went. He had fashioned some sort of prosthetic that had a hole at the end. He just slipped this over a bare pedal spindle. Getting "unclipped" would be a matter of sliding off the outside of the spindle. I'm not sure what was on the bottom of the prosthesis; he went by too quickly for me to see, but I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult to have something on the bottom that would give traction.

There are a couple brands of pedals that allow clipping in by just pressing down with no twist. Unfortunately I think they do require some twist to release.

Speedplay (not frogs) Various amounts of float
Bebop lots of float so must twist quite a bit to get out but there absolutely no resistance so might be doable if your hips and knees are up to the job.

Hips and knees ok. There is some twisting motion lost as residual limb twists inside prosthetic socket. I have posted the question in the adaptive cycling forum, but no replies yet. I may have to try and adapt to my L side spd convertible pedal.

IMHO, you plastic surgeon friend is full of it. There's zero reason you're going to put you calf into the chainring by clipping out on the right.

On the contrary. It does, and has happened in our group. The rider places a right foot to ground in front of the chain ring. The bike rolls forward, chain ring rips into right calf.

Hmm... In 45 years of riding with groups big and small I've never heard of that one. The chainring scars in the right calf are pretty common among those of us who ride cyclocross and mountain bikes, usually the result of unintended aerial maneuvers which seem to always end in some sort of ritual blood letting.
Brent

From the adaptive cycling forum I found out that Shimano makes a "multi-release" spd cleat. I went out to the garage and dug through my 20+ year old bag of asst cleats and found some "M" cleats. They engage with no canting of toe. You can step straight in and they release easily if set to low retention. I will get a chance to try them out tomorrow. I am more hopeful than I have ever been for the left foot!

Good points here :thumb: and your right about the Plastic Surgeon friend comment Lol....

Aside from that we have been useing the Crank Brother brand peddles like the Candy model but all the Crank Brother peddles work the same no matter the model. We use the cleat set at the 15 digree release instead of the 20 digree release option and find these peddles to work great on a tandem, better than any we have tried. We use a mountain bike/touring type shoe so we can walk around with ease. This way the cleat is recessed in the shoe allowing all of the sole to grip the ground. This way your foot will not slip on the cleat on the pavement when stopped with your foot down like it can when applied to a road shoe. Very easy to get in and out of and they have really good float built into them making it easy on the knee's..

You can see the peddles and the type of shoes a little in the pic below..

Ride Safe All,:)
Bill G

My wife has the Candy on the tandem. I like the step on to engage, but i cannot twist out with my prosthetic. I had to remove my leg and twist out and then remount my leg to get off.

I am not following. Are we talking about the stoker placing their right foot on the ground? Or the captain? Because I don't see how the captain gets a chainring in his right leg...

If its the stoker, in our practice the stoker does not unclip until we are dismounting.

It seems to run a chainring into your calf one is basically running putting there lower leg and foot almost in line with the tires. Not a very stable place to put it. Basically a very dumb move. If that rider didn't run into the back of his leg he probably would have fallen over sideways (especially on a tandem). Seems simply placing your foot a little farther to the outside provides ample stability and well clear of the pedal much less the chainring.

Millions of people doing anything there will always be someone who makes a dumb move. People trip over their own feet just walking down the street. Yeah I have done it but I keep walking in spite of it.

All my foot twist to release originates in my hip as the ankle can't rotate in that axis. Is it possible that as you twist your leg, the prosthetic slips and doesn't twist with it enough to release? If that's the case, it might be something a prosthetics shop/maker might be able to rectify.

I'm having trouble seeing why anyone would do that, and how you do it without falling over. For the chainring to hit your calf, you'd have to place your leg inside and in front of the crankarm, basically putting your leg where's it's going to get tangled up with the down tube. And you'd have to plant your foot while the bike was rolling forward.

Same move on the non chainring side would get your leg tangled between the down tube and the crank leading potentially to a rather awkward fall. Just put your leg to the side, not in front of the crank, and there's not a problem.