Pedal Toe Cages advice needed

shorerider

My pedals with toe cages came today!!

It was so funny! My hubby was taking the old pedals off. He got one off but was in the garage complaining he couldn't get the other pedal off. I told him to try turning the wrench the other way, so he said "I KNOW which way to turn it and it's not turning." I finally talked him into trying it the other way just to see, and it came right off!! :laugh:

Anyway---does anyone out there use pedal toe cages? Is there anything special I need to know--pedaling technique, etc. ? I know they help by allowing you to "lift" as well as "push down" but is there a secret to doing it??

Thanks!

shorerider

My pedals with toe cages came today!!

It was so funny! My hubby was taking the old pedals off. He got one off but was in the garage complaining he couldn't get the other pedal off. I told him to try turning the wrench the other way, so he said "I KNOW which way to turn it and it's not turning." I finally talked him into trying it the other way just to see, and it came right off!! :laugh:

Anyway---does anyone out there use pedal toe cages? Is there anything special I need to know--pedaling technique, etc. ? I know they help by allowing you to "lift" as well as "push down" but is there a secret to doing it??

Thanks!

frankp

You can do a search on pedaling technique, you'll find better info than I can give. My info is from talking with a friend who is an ironman (qualified and competed in The Ironman in Hawaii several times)

I use clip ons as do serious riders but it is the same idea. Pedal in circles is what I've been told, not up and down but in circles which adds the pushing forward and pulling backward at the top and bottom of the stroke.

To practice and get the idea try pedaling with one foot on a flat surface (let the other foot just coast along for the ride, some specialized pedal/cranks for very serious riders enable the rider to disengage one of the cranks to facilitate this excercise).

To do all this it is best to get bike shoes that have hard soles and slits built into the bottoms that really lock into your pedal when you pull tight on the strap. Most riders that start this or start with clip-ons end up eventually falling at least once when coming to a stop. Clip ons are actually simplier to get out of quickly than strap-ons :laugh: . Practice getting in and out of them to try to avoid the embarassing stop sign fall (I've had that fall a few times myself).

shorerider

I looked at clip ons and right now, there's no way I can afford the pedals, cleat, and shoes. Plus, I have a Hybrid right now, so clip-ons would be kind of like putting lipstick on a pig. Right now for me, the cages will help me get more from my effort and only cost $25.