Keep coming off my road bike!

[Nigelnaturist]

I use SPDs, slackened right off. Easy out but I've never unclipped by accident. I read somewhere today that there is no benefit in using clipless pedals but can't remember where. Having said that, I like clipless if only for keeping your feet in place. If you are using SPDs, have you tried multi release cleats?

I might not be much faster using them, but the biggest benefit to me is my feet don't slip no matter what the conditions are, so thats one benefit at least, hills are easier two and just general spinning three, so I guess they lied

 

[MikeW-71]

4/5 of my accidents were due to not clipping out in time.

Most of us have done it, I'm on 3 so far, luckily with only damaged pride and a scratched shifter. I now make sure to unclip well in advance of needing to stop.

However, not everyone gets on with clipless as others have said, so it may be just as well to have a break from them and go back to flat pedals. That way you can just concentrate on getting used to the bike without having to worry about it. If you want to give the clipless another try later, set the release tension to its lowest setting.

Best of luck with the 100 and enjoy the ride

 

[PaulSecteur]

Seems to me your plan needs to be...

1- get on the hybrid with flats
2- once comfortable with flats get the clip pedals on the hybrid
3- get the road bike with flats
4a - if that goes well try them on the road bike again, this time with the clip ins, the change of bike and pedal system may have been too much in one go.
4b-flats on everything if you don't like clipped in.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I might not be much faster using them, but the biggest benefit to me is my feet don't slip no matter what the conditions are, so thats one benefit at least, hills are easier two and just general spinning three, so I guess they lied

That's exactly it. There was a complete load of old borlax 'experiment' carried out by an SPD refusenik cycle journo type, doing the rounds a while back. The advantages of SPD on the actual road, are obvious. If there was no difference, the Pro teams wouldn't bother using SPDs. They do, you do the maths.

 

[vickster]

It's all about marginal gains for pros.

I doubt the OP would see much difference in reality over 7 hours on ride 100

 

[Nigelnaturist]

It's all about marginal gains for pros.

I doubt the OP would see much difference in reality over 7 hours on ride 100

But its not all about speed gains, the gains to me are more than speed really, more a security thing, with feet in contact with the pedal and not slipping, I hate that.

 

[S.Giles]

If I'd fallen off my bike five times and damaged various body-parts as a result of using some piece of equipment that offered questionable 'performance benefits', I'm afraid that piece of equipment would be residing in the bin!

 

[vickster]

But its not all about speed gains, the gains to me are more than speed really, more a security thing, with feet in contact with the pedal and not slipping, I hate that.

Well it's not giving the OP much security

 

[mjr]

That's exactly it. There was a complete load of old borlax 'experiment' carried out by an SPD refusenik cycle journo type, doing the rounds a while back. The advantages of SPD on the actual road, are obvious. If there was no difference, the Pro teams wouldn't bother using SPDs. They do, you do the maths.

Yes, working for those well-known cycling publications, the Universities of Freiburg and Saint Etienne! https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2008-1038374

In light of that, pro teams using clips and trading some efficiency for extra peak power makes a bit of extra sense: racing's all about anything you can do to go faster, never mind that it's less efficient and slightly riskier. And don't most road racers use other sorts of clipless attachments rather than SPDs anyway?

For ordinary riders, why worry about clipless unless you really like the idea? Don't do stuff you don't like just because you think you should. Cycling should be fun, too.

 

[Moe]

I came off on my first try of clip in pedals... I saw my Mum, shouted of her and stopped.... Down I went right in front of a car so I guess I was lucky just to get away with just a massive bruise on my hip and a bruised ego! My Mum just kept on walking!! Charming!! That was on my Hybrid and now I have those same pedals on my road bike, they are the ones that are flat on one side and spd on the other but I am considering going spd on both sides real soon as I am having more problems having to flip the pedal over than I am clipping out now.... I would say for you like most have already said, stay with flat pedals until you get your confidence back!
Best of luck for the Ride London! I'd love to enter that one year but I am in the North of England so it's a long way for me to go!

 

[MichaelW2]

How much cycling experience do you need before you can be safe and secure on SPDs ?
For many club riders, they have a lifetime of riding experience, starting at 4 or 5 and riding until they are in their mid-teens before transitioning to SPD.
The OP has one year of riding, which, as an adult is not a lot. Experienced riders have developed an autopilot to cope with all manner of conditions, slippery paint, wet leaves, camber, potholes, pneumatic hose, car doors, cars nosing out, and all the usual dangers. This leaves more of the brain's limitted attention to focus on transitioning to SPD. When fairly new riders try the same, they get overwhelmed by hazard recognition and forget to unclip appropriately.
You can improve security on platform pedals using mini clips, which don't affect dismounts.
Toe clips are still a valid option for everyday riding, but don't use "performance mode", ie tight straps. Keep the straps lose and your feet just slip out with no action.
SPD are best for performance riding if you can work them under stress.

 

[BSRU]

Coming off so many times using SPD's "could" be a sign of poor planning/observation or poor riding style.
I quickly moved to SPD's because it means my feet are always in the correct position(assuming set up correctly) and no more worries about slipping of when wet/icy.

 

[vickster]

Could be so. When coming to a red light, I unclip pretty much as soon as I start to brake, similarly if there are brake lights ahead in traffic. I also unclip when filtering on ltne right and pedal with one foot in. Loosest tension and SH56 multi release cleats if using two bolt SPDs also helpful

I've never had a clipless moment myself in many hours of riding, often in traffic

@PaulSecteur has offered very sensible advice

 

[coachcruise]

Clipless pedals do take some getting use to. I think we all remember riding with them for the first few time and dreading traffic lights, roundabouts and junctions. I personally feel that the advantages of using them outweigh the practice.

When I first started using them I would clip myself in and lean up against a wall and just practice clipping in and out and in and out over and over again. I'm also a fan of the look pedals rather than spds as they seem easier for me to clip into.

If you've got a turbo then spend some time running drills clipping in and out until you get the 'knack' for it.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well it's not giving the OP much security

But like a lot of things its just practice and familiarity, the more you do something the better (generally) you become at it, its like me the biggest blooper I made being clipped in was when I had to stop on a steep hill (10%+) and I just couldn't rotate the crank so over I went, last time I came off I caught a kerb at speed and if its ever happened to you its so difficult to get away under control, so over I went, would being on flats saved the day I don't think so, also I wasn't attached to the bike when I stopped rolling, this could have been quite nasty but has fortune had it, I had a soft landing.
Coming of a bike can be a occupational hazard, in 18,000 miles I had a few moments when I was getting used to the clip-ins, and the mentioned incident.