Clipless not for me

[palinurus]

Efficiency gains are generally consumed by going faster, so it's not easier.

 

[John90]

Efficiency gains are generally consumed by going faster, so it's not easier.

You go faster for the same effort and so travel the same distance with less energy used. I realise that if you travel for a certain time rather than a certain distance, there will be no difference because you will have travelled further.

 

[MacB]

Have a good hard think and don't be swayed by those that attribute astronomical differences for clipless over the other options, coz it aint so. If you were to try a decent grippy shoe and flat pedal with pins, you may be surprised.

I know, it's a road bike and that's what the pros use and everyone keeps saying it's like night and day and you'd never want to go back and you can't be a proper cyclist without them....blah....blah.....blah

Just ask for some real life evidence of the difference clipless makes, try and pin anyone down on speed, energy inputs, etc....and good luck

 

[AhThisFeckinThing]

I just cannot get used to clipless at all. Within half an hour I get terrible pains in my knees. I have had two types of bike and changed the seat height on numerous occasions. I have found no knee pain as soon as I have the old strap going across my foot. Bizarre, I just don't get it. I have a Specialized Tricross now and have had to put the original pedals back on due to the pain. What do you know, no pain and I can totally whack the legs if need be, with the straps.

What is annoying is I haven't had any embarrassing moments of falling over in them, in some ways I feel left out

 

[Brandane]

Clipless doesnt suit everyone.if its detracting from the pleasure of your riding then bin them.

I packed in clipless for a while after several "moments" to be honest at my level of cycling it probably didnt make much difference to performance.

Since then I have started on clipless again and getting on ok with it now (touch wood) I like the feeling of the foot locked in as if part of the bike. Occasionally I ride on the flats but will probably stay clipless now.

good Luck

+1... apart from the "I like the feeling of the foot locked in" bit.

I have tried clipless on and off, but find that the disadvantages outweigh any possible gain in pedal efficiency I MIGHT be getting, which at my level is probably negligible. I have only ever had one minor clipless moment, so that's not the problem, and I use double sided pedals so I can switch between flats and clipless whenever I want.

I don't like the feeling of having my foot welded to the same position on the pedal no matter whether you are climbing, descending or on the level. I get cramp in my left foot after a while with clipless, and pain in both knees despite experimenting with different cleat positions.

As an added bonus, I can walk normally when I leave the bike wherever I happen to be going.

If you intend to do competitive cycling, by all means try and stick with them, otherwise why bother?

 

[Nordog]

Third moment today in as many weeks. I put this one down to fatigue The legs were feeling pretty lead like and numb after all ready doing a few good hills. I then turned left onto a single lane climb and let my speed drop to an idle while I got my self sorted mentally before cracking on. I then noticed a van coming down so had no choice but to stop where I was but I was going so slow I only got one foot out. The wrong one so fell into the road. This was the most embarrassing one so far because I couldn't get my foot lose so lay there squirming around in the road for what felt like hours
The chap stuck his head out and asked if I was ok then said it must have been a speed wobble which had me laughing all the way home.
Hills all ways seem to my weakness with these peddles and they do distract from the enjoyment of a good climb because I am constantly thinking what if I need to stop quickly.
On the plus side I at least have matching scratches on both gear levers now

Perhaps you have them to tight slacken them a little bit test them out by leaning against your garage/house or gate and practise unclipping and re-clipping them one foot at a time until you have them firm enough for job there intended but ease enough to unclip.

My worse time a few years ago was the day I felt in them did a twenty miler. Then came the turn into my very short driveway. We have a nice soft yellow bush on the corner left as I cycle in, I just brushed the bush it slowed me down and I had forgotten that I had my clips on so I just stopped and fell over smack on my right side. You should have seen the speed I did to get under the shower for cold water down my right side to stop the bruising.

I do find them a big help in getting up most hills around here and there is some good ones. But like I have told many new riders a short rest or walk up a hill is better than staying in doors watching the telly and smoking your self to death.

The next time you hit that hill you will get a bit further or in a higher gear or a bit faster or even have the feel great factor. And I'm 66 yrs.

 

[Nordog]

I just cannot get used to clipless at all. Within half an hour I get terrible pains in my knees. I have had two types of bike and changed the seat height on numerous occasions. I have found no knee pain as soon as I have the old strap going across my foot. Bizarre, I just don't get it. I have a Specialized Tricross now and have had to put the original pedals back on due to the pain. What do you know, no pain and I can totally whack the legs if need be, with the straps.

What is annoying is I haven't had any embarrassing moments of falling over in them, in some ways I feel left out

Have you got your saddle at the right height? and the bars the right distance from your saddle or the hight of the bars, all can make a difference to your comfort.

 

[AhThisFeckinThing]

Have you got your saddle at the right height? and the bars the right distance from your saddle or the hight of the bars, all can make a difference to your comfort.

I have tried all kinds. What made me think they just don't agree is that I had the exact same pain with two different types of bike, hybrid/cyclocross. Maybe I have the cleats in the wrong position in the shoe.....

I just keep getting this pain on the top inside of the knee

 

[Willo]

Despite others reassuring me it would become second nature in no time it took me ages to get used to, and confident, riding clipped in. I done a fair bit of cycling on hols recently and was just thinking how much I now enjoyed being clipped in, something I couldn't have foreseen a couple of year's back, and that I hadn't had a moment for yonks. Right on cue 5 mins later I nearly came unstuck (or not!) at a roundabout. Fortunately, my random and panicked leg spasms managed to release my foot in time! As I mix commuting with weekend riding, I use SPDs on my road bike with the compromise being a rigid soled MTB shoe that is, in effect, a road type shoe with some minimal grip to make the cleats recessed and easier to walk in. I found that multi-direction SPD cleats made it much easier for me to get used to riding clipless with no detrimental effect in terms of accidentally clipping out.

 

[Norm]

Have a good hard think and don't be swayed by those that attribute astronomical differences for clipless over the other options, coz it aint so. If you were to try a decent grippy shoe and flat pedal with pins, you may be surprised.

I know, it's a road bike and that's what the pros use and everyone keeps saying it's like night and day and you'd never want to go back and you can't be a proper cyclist without them....blah....blah.....blah

Just ask for some real life evidence of the difference clipless makes, try and pin anyone down on speed, energy inputs, etc....and good luck

Firstly, I agree with everything Mac says, except for the last paragraph. I use clipless on one bike, flats on another and both on double sided pedals on a third bike.

That said, my first ride with clipless was 2 minutes faster on a 44 minute loop than my fastest time with straps. Was it a placebo thing? Was I working harder because I was trying out the clips? Does the fact that about 65% of the route is off road make any difference? Is 5% faster enough to make up for the (IMO) increased danger from the clips?

Who knows, for sure, but one thing I will say is that, if you don't like them, there is no point in beating yourself up over it. Have fun, whatever you rest your feet upon.

 

[Wades]

I put clipless pedals on my MTB back in April and couldn't get on with them. Fell off loads of times and was genuinely worried I was going to do myself permanent damage so switched back to some Wellgo studded flats which are great.

Weird thing is when I got the road bike I put the clipless pedals on it as it didn't come with any pedals and haven't come off it once. It's almost as if it's so completely different to the old MTB that I've never been used to just stepping down without unclipping in the first place and so don;t have the complacent forgetfulness that used to cause me to come off so much.

 

[Dave W]

I love and loathe clipless at the same time.

They are great for security on the bike, I do red routes on the MTB with spd's and have never fallen due to the pedals. In fact they have helped more than once when the bike tried to go one way and my body the other.

Commuting is good too and has increased my efficiency. The reason I hate them is that you look like such a twat when you fall off.

3 times for me and counting. (Twice along the canal and once on the road).

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I've clips and straps on my fixed and clipless on my geared bike, I prefer the clips and straps.

 

[captainhastings]

Well after writing this post the flats went on and I has having instant joy apart from missing the feeling of being attached and every peddle stroke my foot being in a different position. So they went back on a couple of days ago only this time I slackened them right off before putting on the bike. I was quit surprised to see according too the red bit of plastic on them they were at least half tightened so I slacked off until the red nearly disappeared and now my feet nearly fall out with the slightest sideways movement. I have since took on some lights and junctions with no fear knowing I can now get out with ease. So looks like the fault was mine

. Once the peddles are on it is hard too see the red plastic and I was worried of over slackening because apparently if you unscrew it too far it will never go back in ?

 

[Andy500]

Something similar happened to me last year. Normally quite good at balancing my bike whilst just about stood still. So was trying this at a pedestrian crossing waiting for an old lady to cross when I just suddenly lost it, couldn't get my feet unclipped and fell over onto the curb. As if this wasn't embarrassing enough with everybody watching, the first person to approach to see if I was ok was the old lady hobbling along with a walking stick. It was one of those moments when I just wanted the ground to open up so I could just disappear.

Nothing damaged apart from my pride.

2nd time was a couple of weeks ago when I was doing the C2C from St Bees to Whitby, the 1st day took us over Hardknott pass followed by Wrynose and then Kirkstone pass. I was doing really well up Hardknott (30% incline), just approaching the top completely shattered, breath gone, legs dead, I was trying to turn the last hairpin bend hardly moving when with the crank at vertical I found I just hadn't got enough power left to keep the crank turning and couldn't get another rotation. I then started to roll backwards (down a 30% incline

), I didn't snatch the brakes on quickly enough and couldn't get my feet off the peddles. I then fell sideways and ended up on my back, head downhill bike still clipped to my feet with the bike hanging above me up the hill. Luckily enough no damage done again to me or more importantly the bike.

But I was pleased as when I eventually got myself sorted I managed to get the bike going again on the 30% incline stretch and made it to the top. Followed this up with going straight up Wrynose and Kirkstone passes both I think 25% incline.