clip on shoes.

[Lucasmik]

What is the benefit of having clip on shoes, as if u fall off your bike and are unable to get your feet off the pedals then you could seriously hurt yourself. I do understand that they are supposed to clip free easily, but if they do not benefit you much then what is the point of them.

 

[4F]

they enable you to pull on the upward part of the rotation of the leg movement giving a smoother movement. They are not dangerous and with practice unclipping is easy and soon becomes second nature.

 

[deanbmx]

I thought the same as you until I gave them a go. I rode some for the first time yesterday and the difference is unbelieverable. clipping in and out it fairly easy.

 

[zexel]

When you fall off you magically become unclipped anyway.

Trying to avoid a pothole at 27mph I came off, and magically my bike was 20ft down the road ahead of me.

 

[2Loose]

What is the benefit of having clip on shoes, as if u fall off your bike and are unable to get your feet off the pedals then you could seriously hurt yourself. I do understand that they are supposed to clip free easily, but if they do not benefit you much then what is the point of them.

May I suggest that you take a read of this

as it is a question that comes up quite frequently

 

[chewy]

They make you feel more connected with the bike (physically, not emotionally...that takes a while

) and you can get more power through them, especially uphill. Unclipping is easy and the pedals are adjustable, so you can make them as hard or as easy to unclip as you like.

I love them.

I've had them 10 days!

 

[ebournecyclist]

What everyone else said already

Many clipless pedals will allow you to adjust the tension to make clipping in/out easier or harder. Expect some nerves to begin with, but practice makes perfect and it soon becomes second nature. I feel far more secure and safe than i did when i started out with my feet strapped to the pedals. And the performance benefits are there to be had too in my opinon - i love climbing out of the saddle with my clipless pedals

Everyone will have a 'clipless moment' they can tell though. Mine didn't come until a good few months after I started, when I came to a slow sweeping turn to stop in a car park and didn't unclip the leg on the inside of the turn quick enough to bring me to a standing stop. Down I went in beautiful slow motion (or at least so it felt). No damage to report, just had to laugh along with the the few people who saw me. I'm pretty sure they couldn't figure out how the hell it had happened lol

Anyway, I wouldn't go back now, not ever.

 

[Night Train]

Also on a recumbent it stops feet slipping off the pedals. This is particularly bad on a tadpole trike as feet that slip off the pedals get dragged under the front axle.
It seems to make for much more relaxed pedalling as less energy is used keeping legs up on the pedals.

 

[TheDoctor]

They're modelled after releasable bindings for skiing, so they do come off in a crash.

 

[ianrauk]

They're modelled after releasable bindings for skiing, so they do come off in a crash.

That's for sure...

 

[smokeysmoo]

That's for sure...

+1

 

[Lucasmik]

Thanks for the info seems worth getting a set then.
What everyone else said already

Many clipless pedals will allow you to adjust the tension to make clipping in/out easier or harder. Expect some nerves to begin with, but practice makes perfect and it soon becomes second nature. I feel far more secure and safe than i did when i started out with my feet strapped to the pedals. And the performance benefits are there to be had too in my opinon - i love climbing out of the saddle with my clipless pedals

Everyone will have a 'clipless moment' they can tell though. Mine didn't come until a good few months after I started, when I came to a slow sweeping turn to stop in a car park and didn't unclip the leg on the inside of the turn quick enough to bring me to a standing stop. Down I went in beautiful slow motion (or at least so it felt). No damage to report, just had to laugh along with the the few people who saw me. I'm pretty sure they couldn't figure out how the hell it had happened lol

Anyway, I wouldn't go back now, not ever.
[/quote]

 

[Lucasmik]

Less energy used sounds like a good enough selling point to me lol. Thanks for the advice.


Also on a recumbent it stops feet slipping off the pedals. This is particularly bad on a tadpole trike as feet that slip off the pedals get dragged under the front axle.
It seems to make for much more relaxed pedalling as less energy is used keeping legs up on the pedals.
[/quote]

 

[Lucasmik]

Thank you all for the advice i think i will get a set. i did have the straps on my bike but thought they were definately a bit dodge so i took them off. The clip ons/offs seem a safer option.

 

[gaz]

They don't come off in every crash
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lzsSq25dQA[/media]