Clipping in and not killing myself

randombar · 02-07-2024 10:08pm #1

Hi Lads,

Doing a bit of cycling and I reckon I might go a bit better if I was clipped in.

Last time I gave that a go I found it hard to unclip and nearly killed myself a few times.

Any advice on clips and pedals to get?

Those reversible clip/pedal yokes seem ok.

Decathalon sell a few shoes and pedals, seems like I can get something for 100 notes or so.

Any advice appreciated.

magicbastarder · 02-07-2024 10:45pm

first question i'd ask is what system you're using? SPD?

SPD pedals can generally be adjusted to make unclipping easier; they might be set too tight?

morana · 02-07-2024 10:52pm

you will get used to it.

I clip in first right foot and then left and when clipping out I go left first. Just practice it on grass and you will be fine. I think when you try to unclip and nothing happens the panic sets in. I notice a good few riders will clip out well in advance of stopping and that might help as well.

anyway good luck with it

Calahonda52 · 02-07-2024 11:02pm

As above, practice the twisting motion or whatever movement it is with bike stationary.

where it can get tricky is if you have to stop suddenly and your focus is on braking and once the momentum stops it can be tricky as you need to decide which side you want to drop the leg

Alkers · 03-07-2024 12:12am

It becomes second nature I can involuntarily unclip when off round if I lose traction and the bike start to lean over. Foot out and down before thinking about it

beggars_bush · 03-07-2024 7:45am

Lots of practice at junctions in a housing estate or on paths in a park. Keo pedals/cleats are cheap and widely available

randombar · 03-07-2024 9:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122332904#Comment_122332904

Not using anything at the moment, just standard pedals.

randombar · 03-07-2024 9:11am

Last time I used them too was on a long enough cycle, I think part of the issue was I was so wrecked by the end.

nicksnikita · 03-07-2024 9:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058358174/clipping-in-and-not-killing-myself

The common double-sided ones are generally for mountain bikes but they’re fine for road bikes also. My Mrs uses them on the road bike as she finds them easy to clip in and out of.

As suggested above, the Look Keo pedals are good road pedals. Whichever type you go for, you’ll need to get the cleats, shoes and pedals that suit eachother (eg Look pedals and cleats and road shoes or mtb pedals and cleats and Mtb shoes)

Ideal if you go to a shop as they will guide you in the right direction.
You could ask for the tension to be wound to the minimum on the pedals also which makes it easier to clip in and out when starting..

lissard · 03-07-2024 9:53am

For what it's worth I would suggest you try dual sided mountain bike pedals with multirelease SPD cleats. Dual sided pedals means it's pretty much always possible to clip in easily and the multirelease cleats are much easier to unclip. MTB shoes typically have recessed cleats so you can also walk around more easily. Sure for really long spins SPD-SL and Look pedals are more comfortable but as a star I reckon you can't go wrong with the MTB ones. He're what I am talking about:

The pedals: https://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=97320

The cleats: https://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4248

Paddigol · 03-07-2024 10:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122333692#Comment_122333692

Yeah, they also have the benefit of being able to buy pedals with one side flat and the other side SPD, for addedd flexibility at the start if you don't want to be stuck going clipless at all times. The SPD system also has a much wider range of shoes - from top end MTB/ CX, to more comfortable Gravel and then the types that almost just look like shoes if you're not into the whole lycra get up. All of them are a lot easier to walk in than the Look system.

Tell me how · 03-07-2024 10:19am

I try to unclip my standing foot as I approach a stop if I can, like 2-3 wheel rotations away.

I'm a left leg unclip first rider which works fine in Ireland as you'll generally fall towards the verge but I live in a drive/ride on right hand side country at the moment and I always tell myself I should try to change.

You will fall occasionally, either through being distracted, or equipment malfunction or something. In the US a couple years ago, the screws of my cleat came loose and I only had one left holding it to the shoe, so what happened then was the cleat rotated as I turned my foot and so over I went. That was while in traffic, stopped at lights and so I fell in to traffic in front of a car. There were a few blown horns but thankfully nothing more serious happened, but it did scare me how helpless I felt when I realized I could not get the foot out.

Podge_irl · 03-07-2024 10:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122333796#Comment_122333796

I'm a left leg unclip first rider which works fine in Ireland as you'll generally fall towards the verge but I live in a drive/ride on right hand side country at the moment and I always tell myself I should try to change.

Ha, I have the exact same problem. But I feel I'll definitely spend a few weeks falling if I try and change it.

magicbastarder · 03-07-2024 11:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122333796#Comment_122333796

similar happened me, the cleat came loose on one foot, but i managed to get the other one out just before the pratfall happened. must have looked strange to the driver behind me.

Tell me how · 03-07-2024 11:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334044#Comment_122334044

When that happened to me, I was 15Km from home with no multi-tool to resolve issue. So I had loosen the shoe completely on my foot and when I wanted to stop, I took my foot out of the shoe. That must have looked weird! I just didn't trust shifting to right foot unclip first.

magicbastarder · 03-07-2024 12:29pm

I don't think I've any issue unclipping from either foot thankfully.

Paddigol · 03-07-2024 1:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334386#Comment_122334386

Yeah, its muscle memory at this stage. My default is right-side clip out… the idea of falling into traffic and not being able to unclip in time freaked me out at the very begining so I made sure that was my 'strong side'. In traffic, if I think I may need to put the foot down I 'just about' unclip without taking the foot out of the pedal so that (a) if I need to put the foot down there's no technique involved, but (b) if I don't need to then all I've to do to clip back in is put a bit of force back down on the pedal - again, no technique needed and no faffing around trying to line it up right.

Basically, there's no real skill it all comes down to pure habit and repetition… the more you use them the quicker they'll become second nature.

MojoMaker · 03-07-2024 2:02pm

Been using SPD-SL red cleats for years as I love the almost complete absence of float. Never had an issue unclipping, however a new set on for the last few weeks and I'm noticing both feet noticeably harder to unclip now. Nothing changed on the pedals, is there a setting on the cleat itself?

magicbastarder · 03-07-2024 2:05pm

Your old set had probably worn a bit I suspect, so the new ones are ever so slightly larger. The adjustment would be done on the pedal.

MojoMaker · 03-07-2024 2:07pm

Change 'em every 3-6 months so this is maybe the 10th set in a row and the first time I've had any sense of an issue. Might be an ever so small design flaw perhaps.

magicbastarder · 03-07-2024 2:09pm

Wow. I'm still using 20 year old SPD cleats!

Seth Brundle · 03-07-2024 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334924#Comment_122334924

I bring these when I know I'll be moving about on a hard surface quite a bit…

https://www.decathlon.ie/p/998834338-249632-cleat-covers-spd-sl.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ie_t-perf_ct-pmax_n-pmax-exp_ts-gen_f-cv_o-conv_&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7ZO0BhDYARIsAFttkChvLQMUc03yoyl_vynmougOSgrBtyoHCTUabJrnxPraoPvWT3vF0YYaAlFYEALw_wcB

MojoMaker · 03-07-2024 2:47pm

Yup, that might help!

CramCycle · 03-07-2024 3:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122334933#Comment_122334933

100%, my current SPD cleats are a couple of years old, my SPD-SL, minimum once a year change, often twice.

JMcL · 26-08-2024 2:49pm

Didn't spot this at the time but will belatedly throw in my 2c in case it's of benefit to the OP.

Go with SPDs not road pedals. IMHO anybody not racing doesn't need them - you can't walk in the shoes and as the last few posts have highlighted, the cleats have the durability of butter (I did try SPD-SLs for about a year, but hated them and went back to SPDs)
If you want to be able to just use the bike casually as well, SPD pedals with a flat side are a great idea and can be had for not a lot of money. I fitted a pair of Boardman SPD/flat pedals to my non-road bike which were about €40 in Halfords (can't find a link to them at the minute), but Shimano and others do similar
To get used to (un)clipping - position yourself in a door and hang onto the frame (better again is a turbo trainer, but I'm guessing the OP probably doesn't have one - otherwise it's probably best to keep one hand on the bars and break unless you can wedge the front wheel) and practice clipping and unclipping until it become muscle memory.
Anticipating clipping out coming up to a junction is good advice

o1s1n · 26-08-2024 3:00pm

Any time I see folks commuting through Dublin city clipped in it always looks like far too much effort in traffic. A bit like folks are using them for the sake of using them from a gearhead perspective rather than using them because they're functional in a city.

I'm sure they're fantastic for long spins, particularly out of cities, but are they not more hassle than it's worth working your way through city commutes and traffic? I find a lot of the time I'm far quicker getting moving again from stationary and have to overtake said cyclists while they're getting clipped back in.

Squidgy Black · 26-08-2024 4:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122546318#Comment_122546318

If you have a dedicated commuter bike, and all of your commute is heavy traffic and lights sure, but otherwise it's more of a hassle to swap out the pedals, and it takes a couple of seconds at most to clip in and clip out, it becomes second nature.

Seth Brundle · 26-08-2024 4:25pm

SPD might be better in the city than SPD-SL but to be honest I've not had an issue really. Plus the clip-in pedals come into their own once you get past the city centre

magicbastarder · 26-08-2024 7:00pm

my commuter bike was also my winter bike for longer spins - i have SPD on it and it was such second nature it was no extra hassle at all.

Colonel Panic · 26-08-2024 7:09pm

I use SPDs on my bike when commuting, mostly out of habit, but the pedals have a flat side too.

Of course I've had some wobbly moments, but it totally becomes second nature. On my cargo bike, I tend to do the unclip motion subconsciously even though it has flats! 😂

cletus · 26-08-2024 8:33pm

When I'm on one of my flat pedalled bikes, it actually annoys me when I have to put my toe under the pedal to pull it into position when I'm stopped, because I'm so used to just lifting the foot that's still clipped in on the spds

Clipping in and not killing myself

Comments