Road pedals - clipping in issues!

Frannybobs

Hi all

I'm not new to clipless pedals as I've had SPDs on my hybrid bike for over a year now, and had them on my road bike until a couple of months ago when I decided to get "real" road bike pedals!!

I invested in some Look Keo pedals and cleats, and was fine on the turbo with them, not an issue, clipping in felt easy and a more positive action.

Fast forward to this morning, my road bike now off the turbo and on its own two wheels!! Disco shoes donned, I waddle out of the door in that weird road shoe walk, and clipped in my right foot, left foot on the pavement, set off, went to clip in my left food, nope slipped off and I wobbled. Back to start position (thankfully I live on a quietish road) same again. Hmmm, strange. Pedal hangs weird, not in the way you would clip in but almost upside down - so I had to do a flip/clip action. Was a bit hit and miss. More miss than hit, so was a bit scary at some busy junctions, but managed okay in the end.

My question is - is this normal - or have I just got crap pedals (Look Keo Plus) ??

Any tips or tricks or advice greatly appreciated - as ever!!

Cheers,
Fran

Kupe

I would say normal, I still fight with my clip in from a stop. As the pedals are weighted, the heavier side will always hang lower and sometimes upside down. You kind of have to slide your toe under the pedal and then a long until your foot slides into the catch and then push down to clip in.

It does take practice and doesn't always work,specially when you need to get across an intersection quickly. That's when you look like something is wrong with you when you are trying to jam your foot into the pedal and accelerate at the same time. Smacked myself in the shin with the pedal a few weeks ago doing exactly that.

Lots of luck

jacksonpt

I'm not sure I completely follow you... maybe you could post a pic of how the pedal hangs? Did you have road SPDs or mountain SPD prior to the looks? IME, both the road SPDs and the KEOs function pretty similarly, and both hang more or less vertical so entry is also similar.

Regardless, I've had great luck with both SPDs and Looks. Perhaps you just need some time to get used to the new pedal, especially if it's position is slightly different?

Frannybobs

I would say normal, I still fight with my clip in from a stop. As the pedals are weighted, the heavier side will always hang lower and sometimes upside down. You kind of have to slide your toe under the pedal and then a long until your foot slides into the catch and then push down to clip in.

It does take practice and doesn't always work,specially when you need to get across an intersection quickly. That's when you look like something is wrong with you when you are trying to jam your foot into the pedal and accelerate at the same time. Smacked myself in the shin with the pedal a few weeks ago doing exactly that.

Lots of luck

Thanks for that - at least I know it's not just these pedals! I will get used to it, if I missed with the SPD (MTB ones) then I could still ride along with my foot on the pedal until it caught as the cleats were recessed - not so much with the road Look ones!! I'll practise on the quiet roads near me and get the hang of it, or else I'm sure it will get easier the more I cycle anyway.

Frannybobs

I'm not sure I completely follow you... maybe you could post a pic of how the pedal hangs? Did you have road SPDs or mountain SPD prior to the looks? IME, both the road SPDs and the KEOs function pretty similarly, and both hang more or less vertical so entry is also similar.

Regardless, I've had great luck with both SPDs and Looks. Perhaps you just need some time to get used to the new pedal, especially if it's position is slightly different?

It was the MTB SPDs not the road SPD-SL's which I had on the hybrid and the road bike previously. Dual sided pedals on the hybrid at first so I could keep pedalling if it didn't clip in first time. On the road, just the SPD pedals but could still get away on top of the pedal until clipped in - but if yI missed with road shoes this morning foot flies off. It hangs kind of upside down...but as long as I know that's the norm and they don't all hang conveniently so you can just clip in nicely - I'll just keep practising!

jacksonpt

Gotcha... yep, sounds pretty normal. I think we've all done that before - missed the clip and had our foot slide/fly off the pedal.

TheBigYin

the Keo's like most road pedals (shimano's / times) tend to hang "tail downwards" by default - basically, it's just a slightly different action of pushing forwards and down whereas with the SPD's its more of a straight downwards action.

I'd say it's pretty much normal to have a few "transitional moments" at first until you get used to them - and it IS a different thing clipping in on the Turbo, because the bike's stationery - ok the crank may move (or may not, if you're already cllipped in on the other side and you hold it in place). Best advice I can give is give a good shove with the clipped in side and get moving at a stable speed THEN pick up the other pedal right at the top of the rotation. Press Down and forwards and it should "just click".

Frannybobs

the Keo's like most road pedals (shimano's / times) tend to hang "tail downwards" by default - basically, it's just a slightly different action of pushing forwards and down whereas with the SPD's its more of a straight downwards action.

I'd say it's pretty much normal to have a few "transitional moments" at first until you get used to them - and it IS a different thing clipping in on the Turbo, because the bike's stationery - ok the crank may move (or may not, if you're already cllipped in on the other side and you hold it in place). Best advice I can give is give a good shove with the clipped in side and get moving at a stable speed THEN pick up the other pedal right at the top of the rotation. Press Down and forwards and it should "just click".

I think what was weird is that *I think* (although this morning seems an age ago so my memory might not serve me correctly) that the tail hung downwards but facing the wrong way, so backwards. So I had to flip the pedal over onto the correct side before pushing down and in. I know I put the correct side pedal in each side, so I'm thinking I'm just going to have to get used to it, or buy more expensive better weighted pedals - if there is such a thing as a better behaved pedal?

I'll just suck it and see for a few rides, probably just teething problems!

sijomial

Same experience for me - SPD's with a MTB shoe easy as anything to clip in and even when you "miss" you can still pedal reasonably well. SPD SL's with a flat bottomed road show are a pain, pedal seems to hang at a really awkward and/or inconsistent angle which is easy to miss and when you do it's always when you want to accelerate sharply and my foot just flies off the pedal.

Once they are in I really like them but I live on the edge of an urban area and have lots of stops/starts to negotiate before I get to more open roads.

sillygoosie

I have the same KEO pedals and it's a normal flip and clip. I promise you'll get used to it. I can't remember how many times while I was learning them that I racked myself on the seat when my foot slipped off.

Yesterday was my first ride outside in a long time and it still took getting used to.

TheBigYin

...I live on the edge of an urban area and have lots of stops/starts to negotiate before I get to more open roads.

Learn to Trackstand :laugh:

sijomial

...I live on the edge of an urban area and have lots of stops/starts to negotiate before I get to more open roads.

Learn to Trackstand :laugh:

As an old man in lycra I already look stupid enough!
Old man in lycra toppling over at 0mph is a step too far for me......

jacksonpt

...I live on the edge of an urban area and have lots of stops/starts to negotiate before I get to more open roads.

Learn to Trackstand :laugh:

As an old man in lycra I already look stupid enough!
Old man in lycra toppling over at 0mph is a step too far for me......

lol. I've tried it a few times. On the road is NOT the place to practice it. Definitely a skill that you only use once you have it mastered.

Frannybobs

I have the same KEO pedals and it's a normal flip and clip. I promise you'll get used to it. I can't remember how many times while I was learning them that I racked myself on the seat when my foot slipped off.

Yesterday was my first ride outside in a long time and it still took getting used to.

That's great to know - thanks! I will persevere but am sure I will have my first clipless moment before too long whilst getting the knack, as quite a few stops and junctions on my commute!! Should amuse a few fed up commuters in tin boxes, if nothing else :laugh:

CentralCaliCycling

Pretty much normal until your muscles get used to knowing what goes where. I use Shimano SPD-SL's which is pretty much like your Look Keo and even now on occasion I miss the clip.

DeliriumCanBeFun

I am very happy with my Keo's. But I'm not going to lie, I fell standing at a stop sign when I was first riding AND in a parking lot. I still occasionally fumble with cipping back in when I'm trying to take off at an intersection quickly. Curious if you're left handed. I'm not and I always clip my right shoe is first, but my husband is and he clips his left one in first.

Frannybobs

Cheers all, good to know it's not just me!

I think the learning curve is going to be steeper than I thought as during my commute home last night I don't think I had one clean "clip in", was about 15 seconds of fumbling after taking off slowly each time.

I'm right handed and tend to unclip my left foot, but depends on the junction, there are a couple I go right footed - neither seemed any easier than the other.

Going to take the bike to the bottom of my road where no traffic goes and just keep doing it till I can at least get a clean clipping in motion more often than not.

See you all in 2015 then :laugh:

sufferlandrian

I switched from one style of Look pedals to another and the newer pedals definitely flip more than the older pedals. I spend more time at starts dragging my toe across the pedal to get it flipped the right way. The more you practice, the more it becomes second nature. That is until you think about it, which is usually when you needed the most to make the move seamless, like in beside the school bus full of kids. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

chelso0o

+1 for falling over at a stop sign when I first started running look pedals. Plus I got a nasty chain ring scar when I tried to pedal through my planted leg and took a dive in a parking lot.... standing still.

BTW, which cleats do you have? I've noticed that the gray cleats are the sweet spot, and the reds feel really unstable. Black is just, no. Not enough float in those.

Frannybobs

I switched from one style of Look pedals to another and the newer pedals definitely flip more than the older pedals. I spend more time at starts dragging my toe across the pedal to get it flipped the right way. The more you practice, the more it becomes second nature. That is until you think about it, which is usually when you needed the most to make the move seamless, like in beside the school bus full of kids. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Yeah - that's when it's worse - when you know you'll look an idiot at a busy junction !!! I'm getting the impression that practice makes perfect....well...by the sounds of it, not quite perfect!!

Frannybobs

+1 for falling over at a stop sign when I first started running look pedals. Plus I got a nasty chain ring scar when I tried to pedal through my planted leg and took a dive in a parking lot.... standing still.

BTW, which cleats do you have? I've noticed that the gray cleats are the sweet spot, and the reds feel really unstable. Black is just, no. Not enough float in those.

It's the grey cleats. They've already started to show wear after only one outing! I'm bound to have a comedy clipless moment then by the sounds of it...great!!