# Clipless?



## lulubel (13 Oct 2012)

Some people will probably laugh (or roll their eyes) at this question after the comments I've posted before regarding the evilness of clipless pedals. So, get that out of the way, if you need to, before you read on 

I've been practicing some of the techniques in Lee and Brian's "bible", and have managed to get the front wheel off the ground a bit (being a girl, I wasn't doing wheelies as a kid, so this is new to me). But I'm very nervous about loading and unloading the rear wheel to lift it because I'm not confident that my feet will still be in the best position on my flat pedals afterwards - or even on the pedals at all. After some considerable time today spent daydreaming about riding my new bike (yes, I will be able to keep that up every day until it arrives), which I've bought in a suitably small and chuckable size, I wonder if I should go clipless.

My reasons for not wanting to go clipless on my road bike (and the reasons why they don't apply on the MTB) are:

I like to move my feet around on the roadie - would rather they don't keep moving around on the MTB

I'm nervous about the lack of grip between hard, plastic sole and slippy tarmac - there's no slippy tarmac up the mountains

I like wearing sandals on the roadie in summer - I prefer closed shoes for off-road because my sandals get full of grit and dust (yep, I've tried it)

I don't want to forget to unclip, fall off and hurt myself/look like an idiot - I already have a tendency to fall off the MTB, and if I'm clipless I can at least use forgetting to unclip as an excuse

It seems pretty mixed around here. Some people ride clipless, others ride flats.

What do you prefer?


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## Drago (13 Oct 2012)

Clipless all year round, on and off road, popping to the shops or touring Iceland.


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## GrumpyGregry (13 Oct 2012)

clipless. and I use mtb clipless pedals/shoes on road bikes. as do thousands of others (who like walking) and I'll wager that once you try them on mtb you'll want them on road too.

but.... PLEASE don't try to learn nu skillz using clipless. Some stuff you need to learn using flats and some other stuff is just plain dangerous to learn if you aren't used to unclipping.

some of the shimano DX all-mountain style pedals are a good compromise, they have a decent platform surrounding the spd mechanism and the mechanism pivots out of the way if you wear normal shoes to ride.


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## lulubel (13 Oct 2012)

GregCollins said:


> but.... PLEASE don't try to learn nu skillz using clipless. Some stuff you need to learn using flats and some other stuff is just plain dangerous to learn if you aren't used to unclipping.


 
I can see the point there, but if I'm going to fall off anyway, I can also see a good argument for the pedals being attached to the bottom of my feet rather than whacking me in the shins! (My right shin is still rather tender from where I fell off and hit it on the pedal 8 weeks ago.)

The weird thing is, I've actually bunny hopped on the road bike without thinking about it. I was on a descent and I forgot about the speed bump near the bottom until it was too late, so I shifted back and lifted the front wheel over it (easy to do because I was on the drops), then unweighted the back wheel to give it an easier ride over it, and I must have unweighted it enthusiastically enough that it came off the ground and cleared the speed bump. I've tried it again since because I thought it was a fluke. Same speed bump, same result. I don't bother slowing down for it now. But the moment I start thinking about technique, I get nervous.

Maybe I should stop worrying about it and find some speed bumps to practice bunny hopping over. Then I can move on to bigger things!


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## Motozulu (13 Oct 2012)

I set out on spd's and won't change now...then again maybe that's why I'm sat here with a split open kneecap that has just bloody well opened up again today after 15 miles on a Cannock blue route..nothing technical just a couple of fire road ascents...damn.


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## GrumpyGregry (13 Oct 2012)

lulubel said:


> I can see the point there, but if I'm going to fall off anyway, I can also see a good argument for the pedals being attached to the bottom of my feet rather than whacking me in the shins! (My right shin is still rather tender from where I fell off and hit it on the pedal 8 weeks ago.)



This is true but for instance when learning to manual and wheelie stepping off the back is easier (possible) when not clipped in. Learning to bunny hop properly without using spds is well worth it from a bike control point of view, and trackstanding for beginners when clipped it can be a bruising experience especially if you're learning how to use clipless, and avoid those nasty spd moments, at6 the same time.


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## Deleted member 23692 (13 Oct 2012)

I'm clipless on both road and MTB... It just seems odd not being attached

As for wearing sandals, well Shimano have thought of that too...


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## lulubel (13 Oct 2012)

GregCollins said:


> This is true but for instance when learning to manual and wheelie stepping off the back is easier (possible) when not clipped in. Learning to bunny hop properly without using spds is well worth it from a bike control point of view, and trackstanding for beginners when clipped it can be a bruising experience especially if you're learning how to use clipless, and avoid those nasty spd moments, at6 the same time.


 
Yes, I totally get that. I wouldn't want to go over backwards. Although, when I say I've managed to lift the front wheel, we're talking about a couple of inches here. I'm not going to be riding down the road with the front wheel stuck up in the air any time soon!



Ffoeg said:


> As for wearing sandals, well Shimano have thought of that too...


 
I've seen them before. If you ever find a woman who agrees that those are sandals, enroll her in a fashion school really fast


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## GrumpyGregry (14 Oct 2012)

lulubel said:


> Yes, I totally get that. I wouldn't want to go over backwards. Although, when I say I've managed to lift the front wheel, we're talking about a couple of inches here. I'm not going to be riding down the road with the front wheel stuck up in the air any time soon!


you should have mastetered it by Xtmas


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## lulubel (14 Oct 2012)

GregCollins said:


> you should have mastetered it by Xtmas


 
Only if I stop being such a wuss, and get my weight off the back of the bike a bit more!


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## 02GF74 (14 Oct 2012)

I ride clipless and becasue oif that, aren;t too great at whjeelies for hte reason you mentioned - I reckong that if you haven't mastered the wheelie by age 12, you are never gonna do it - going over backwards whilst still being clipped in does not inspire me with much confidence. (I once snapped the alloy spider on XT cassette trying wheelies)


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## VamP (14 Oct 2012)

Clipless. SPD-SL on road, Eggbeaters off-road. Eggbeaters are awesomely easy to unclip and make a great first clipless pedal. They do however have a reputation for being a little fragile, although that has not been my experience.

I have a couple of test hill sprints that I occasionally take my cross bike (eggbeaters) out on, and have not found them a liability compared to SPD-SL, although those do have a more secure attachment feel in general. In terms of flat out speeds my road and cross bikes match up evenly.

I occasionally take my Rockhopper (rigid and generally pub bike) off road. This is equipped with DMR V8 and I have to say I always end up backing off on technical stuff, but then this is a combo of the rigid fork, and the lack of confidence the pedals give me. Perhaps if I rode platform all the time, that would not be an issue.


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## Peteaud (14 Oct 2012)

DMR V8 pedals on my MTB


I dont get on with clipless at the best of times let alone wizzing about the woods


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## billflat12 (14 Oct 2012)

clippless shimano m520 road/cyclocross
duel shimano m324 hybrid/tourer
flats dmr,s with fivetens for both Mtb,s

thankfully never had a clippless moment.


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## Motozulu (14 Oct 2012)

right noob question time - I have spd's..how many different versions are there? Are clipless the same as just not wearing spd's?

Confused of Staffs


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## lulubel (14 Oct 2012)

Motozulu said:


> right noob question time - I have spd's..how many different versions are there? Are clipless the same as just not wearing spd's?
> 
> Confused of Staffs


 
Clipless (just to be confusing) is a general term for any pedals that you clip into. I think it came into use to describe the new pedals that you attached your shoes to rather than using toe clips - hence the term clipless. So, you have toe clips, which are fairly self-explanatory, clipless, which covers the whole range of SPD, SPD-SL, eggbeaters and similar, and flats, which are pedals that you just put your feet on.

So your SPDs that you clip into are actually clipless


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## Motozulu (15 Oct 2012)

Thanks Lulubel - no-wonder I was confused


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## GrumpyGregry (15 Oct 2012)

02GF74 said:


> I ride clipless and becasue oif that, aren;t too great at whjeelies for hte reason you mentioned - *I reckong that if you haven't mastered the wheelie by age 12, you are never gonna do i*t - going over backwards whilst still being clipped in does not inspire me with much confidence. (I once snapped the alloy spider on XT cassette trying wheelies)


Nonsense. I learned to wheelie and manual in my 40's!


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