Clipless pedals - Tips for transitioning ?
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peggyd73
Posts: 906 Member
Just bought my first set of clipless pedals to help with training for a 50 mile charity bike ride later this summer. I'm excited for the benefits I've been reading out but pretty nervous about learning to clip in and out on the roads!
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If you have a trainer then that is the very best way to teach yourself how to do it. Set the bike up on the trainer, start pedaling. Every 15 seconds, do something. The pattern I follow is unclip right foot, clip right foot, unclip left foot, clip left foot. Repeat for as long as you can. After an hour or so of doing that, you're going to be pretty good.
I still run into issues when I'm facing up a hill and trying to clip in from standing still, since I haven't quite mastered the whole "get into it and move in one smooth motion" yet. The rest of the time is no problem, though.2 -
1 Slow down
2 Unclip
3 Stop
NOT
1 Slow down
2 Stop
3 Try to unclip as your bike is falling over
4 "No, I'm ok."
When you first start using them outside, try to stop (for lights or anything else) next to fences and sign posts and anything else you can lean up against if you need to.
They're actually very easy to use and become second nature quickly. But everybody falls once. And there's always a crowd to see it happen.6 -
Oh, yeah, there's always the crowd. I've fallen three times, and there were always people. The second time, though, I learned a lesson that's worth repeating: If you're only unclipping one foot, then you always unclip your downhill foot.
Second time I fell, I was coming to a stop perpendicular to a hill. To the right was uphill, to the left was downhill. I unclipped my right foot, set it down, and that's when gravity decided to laugh at me as it pulled me down to my left. Had I unclipped my left foot, I'd have been just fine. Since I unclipped my right foot, I could only struggle to unclip the left as I fell.
So, yeah, your downhill foot is *always* what you're unclipping. Don't forget that rule.2 -
I agree with what both @NorthCascades and @pedermj2002 said. The trainer exercise is *extremely* useful. What you want to do is get ingrained into your muscle memory to unlock your cleat as you step off the pedal. These days I even find myself flicking my heel outwards even when I'm riding flat pedals.
When riding outdoors, the best advice I can give is "unclip early, and unclip often." If you're in doubt, go ahead and unclip. If you know you're stopping, go ahead and unclip early so you're ready.
Pro tip:
When at a stop, unclip BOTH feet when you're learning. I can't tell you how many times I've seen beginners unclip the one foot, leave the other clipped in, then turn their head to look in the direction of something on their clipped in side. When they turn to look they inadvertently lean a little in the direction they are looking, the bike starts to tip, they can't unclip fast enough, and BOOM! down they go.3 -
Can't really offer much more in the way of advice, other than the "practice on the trainer" trick.
I never really had an issue with getting into/out of clipless pedals because i'd already been riding for probably 10 years or so, mostly with toe-clips and straps, and very often with shoes that had the "shoeplates" nailed on that basically locked your feet onto the pedals unless you loosened the straps - so, it became second nature to reach down and "flip" the strap release as you coasted to traffic lights - plus, you actually became reasonable adept at "track stands" - especially when riding a fixed gear bike - so you didn't even bother unclipping half the time.
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Trainer is the best way too start out , remember to adjust the tension on them start as loose ad you can until you feel comfortable with getting your feet connected and unconnected. Also I would start with a platform on one side and clip in on the other (MTB) style. Much easier to start out on not having too worry if you are clipped in or not.Also MTB shoes are much easier to get around in off the bike.1
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I had a tough time when I first transitioned. Here is what I did.
- I didn't have a trainer, but this worked well for me...when getting on bike, straddle, then clip in 1 foot, lean to opposite side, have clipped foot pedal up but towards the front
- Push off with clipped foot, then use middle of non-clipped foot to help get a little momentum (make sure to be in low gear)
- Gradually fumble around to clip in other foot...then good to go
- For stopping, I unclip both feet as I approached a stop (make sure to gear down as you approach your stop)
- When I get to stop, I repeat the same steps I had done for getting onto the bike
This worked really well for me and helped build my confidence quickly. I still fall once in a while from stupid things, but I think that has more to do with me being a clutz, haha.1 -
Peggyd73 How are you getting on with the clip less pedals?
I'm hoping you're finding the benefits out way the possible stumble.
Even experienced riders get caught out occasionally and yes there's alway a crowd when it happens. Bruised egos, tend to be the worse of any injury!
When's the Charity ride and what are you doing?1 -
Going pretty well! I actually feel more comfortable when clipped (my pedals can be used either flat or flipped over and clipped in).
It really helped to ride with a group the first few uses. I could watch the other riders twist their heel out when braking and it prompted me to do the same.
The one area that I still struggle with is sharp corners -- I never put my feet down on them when I wasn't clipped but my instinct is to unclip 'just in case' -- probably just a confidence / practice thing.
It's hard to tell if I'm seeing any direct benefit from them yet -- but my pace is up from last year and I'm sure the pedals are helping.
My charity ride - 50 miles for cancer research - is the first weekend in August. I did a 27 mile ride last weekend (50 for the week) and am planning to increase mileage each week in July to prep for the 50's1 -
Transition tips have been well covered by others. Even if you follow them all:
- expect to fall at least once
- assume it's not going to cause permanent damage to you or your bike
- assume it will happen at a time or place that maximises your embarrassment
On the benefits front, formal studies generally claim an efficiency or power gain of around 5 to 10% when conducted using riders who normally ride clipless. So the effect might be subtle and take some time to be fully realised.
I was a late adopter of clipless on my roadie but grew to love it. When I took up mountain biking I went back to flats. This was because I lack the skills and confidence to ride trails clipped in and because I'd spent my entire budget on a second-hand bike that had flats.
Now I've gone back to flats on my roadie and only ride clipless only on an old road bike that is permanently attached to a static trainer.
People sometimes mount passionate arguments in favour of one pedal type over another. For me, it's a question of personal preference. What sparks joy when you ride? Unless you're riding serious competition choose the gear that makes you smile when you ride.1 -
After using them for a season, you won't even have to think about it at all. It may feel weird to be disconnected from the bike if you try a flat pedal years later
But as mtb000mtb points out, it really boils down to what you like. I have to say that personally, I really like clipless for both MTB and road.
GCN has a good vid on the differences you might like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkMCYYNTWUY 0 -
