Clipless adventure

[Shorinjidude]

Hi all,

Started cycling this summer and loving it! I've been a motorcyclist for many years so it's nice to see the other side. Anyway, i had the boys from Halfords in the city fit the clipless peddles on the bike yesterday, I had time to practice I thought - and as always work comes up So at half eight last night I put on my new Shimanoes and off I go - what an adventure! Getting out is tricky but fear and desperation carried me through till Hyde Park corner where I thought I'd leave the foot on and just lean on the post, completely mis-judging the post distance - oops. I had anticipated the problem getting out I wasn't prepared for not being able to get in! Spent a considerable time last night and this morning precariously balanced on the top of the pedal!

I presume I'll get the knack but can I ask whats the best way out? It seems easier for me to twist inward to release but I can catch my ankle on the frame, should I just practice the outward 'twist'?

Cheers

 

[ianrauk]

Yep, practice make perfect as they say. Keep at it and it soons comes natural.
(But then again, for some they find that clipless is not for them)

Welcome to the forum btw.

 

[swee'pea99]

Have you tried adjusting the tension? If not, look for a wee Allen key screw - it's used to set how tightly the pedal grips the shoe. Slacken it off and you can get in/out more easily. Spend 20 minutes this weekend tightening/slackening till you get it right for you - it'll make life a lot easier from there on in.

Oh, and welcome!

 

[Shorinjidude]

Thanks guys, the shop said they would make them loose but I'll check and perhaps practice tomorrow.

 

[Shorinjidude]

Still can't clip in without looking, grrr, getting embarrasing!

 

[marooncat]

I changed over to clipless about a month ago and sometime still have problems clipping in, normally the times I am doing it in front of people. I can not offer any advice, apart from i found that by moving the position of the cleats on my shoes it made it alot easier so that might be something to try???

 

[aJohnson]

Don't worry it'll come with time. I'm fairly decent at clipping in/out now, but still have some issues sometimes.

 

[Randochap]

Twist outward with heel.

 

[BalkanExpress]

Practice makes perfect, and as others have said try and slacken off the tension until you are confident you can get out......

also remember that clipless moments always happen at the most embarrasing monemt possible. usually at the bus stop with the long queue at which the attractive blokegirl you have been admiring from afar is standing

 

[Shorinjidude]

Thanks everyone, I have to say twisting outward to unclip is really difficult.
It seems to require a lot more movement than to twist in. Having now practised
I can unclip by twisting in perfectly every time and now never
bump the frame as my timing is good. Maybe if they were tighter I would have
less movement and so the twist out would be easier? Is there any benifit
either way?

You guys are right, it's when it's busy with plenty of people around that the problems
really occur. My route from Hammersmith to the city through the parks are busy with
cyclists - always someone to watch you slip on the flat side of the pedal and mess your
shin up

 

[2Loose]

or following a nice rump through the 'chicane' on the way into the supermarket carpark....or while attempting a trackstand behind a bus beside a lovely lady on a Spesh roadbike...

Been using them three months, 4 moments so far, 3 of them while not paying attention, fortunately only 1 on road.

 

[fossyant]

One question...... are you male or female........?

Clipping out is more of a problem with ladies - I worked with a crazy outdoor/MTB lass that couldn't unclip from SPD's..... and I've heard the same from other ladies..... SORRY if you are a fella....

Practice.... and some more.

TBH I'm often ripping my left foot out of my SPD's in a sprint...time for a new cleat as it's a bit hilarious 'bobbing' on one leg on the fixed.......

Try some Carbon Looks - stiff as whatsits....but the BANG you get when you click in and out......

 

[Cubist]

Absolutely priceless moment the other day. Guy on a roadie all the gear etc etc, pulls up on left hand side of road and leans with the intention of putting his hand on a roadsign pillar. Bike rolls forward just as he is about to connect, and as the pillar was already two or three feet away from the kerb he slowly rolled into an untidy heap.

Is it just me, or wouldn't it simply be better to learn to unclip and clip back in? n the MTB I suppose you tend to get more practice, but I can't imagine trying to do a whole route to work without unclipping at some time or another!

 

[Ian H]

The excessive movement to unclip is possibly because you have cleats with 'float' (clipped in your foot still has some sideways play) rather than the kind that holds the shoe rigid. You might be able to adjust the cleats so that the centre point of the float movement is where your foot naturally sits, or perhaps slightly inwards so that there's less of a twist to disengage. Most cleats need adjusting to start with.

 

[adscrim]

Still can't clip in without looking, grrr, getting embarrasing!

If it makes you feel any better, I moved to clipless nearly 18 years ago and I still have problems sometimes. Not very often and on my road bike (single sided) rather than my mtb (spd). As with anything where you have to shove something small into a specifically designed hole - practice may not achieve perfection but you'll certainly get better!