no cleats for me.

[Jezston]

I use flat wooden pedals and hammer two nails through each foot into the wood before every ride. There is no better clipless system than this.

 

[barongreenback]

I use flat wooden pedals and hammer two nails through each foot into the wood before every ride. There is no better clipless system than this.

Just 2? You wuss. Real men use a nail gun and hammer at least 5 for maximum pedal to foot contact.

 

[oldfatfool]

Due to an old leg break I am left having to pedal with foot angled with my toe out at about 7 mins past in order for my knee to be bending in a vertical plane with no horizontal movement. I am worried that spd cleats will not allow me this degree of angle from 90o on the pedal, or will they??

 

[jdtate101]

Due to an old leg break I am left having to pedal with foot angled with my toe out at about 7 mins past in order for my knee to be bending in a vertical plane with no horizontal movement. I am worried that spd cleats will not allow me this degree of angle from 90o on the pedal, or will they??

Most shoes allow you to adjust the position and angle of the cleat, so this should not be an issue (within reason). I'd say go down to your LBS and ask them to try you with a pair, best way to find out.

 

[Norm]

I use flat wooden pedals and hammer two nails through each foot into the wood before every ride. There is no better clipless system than this.

Wood? Pah. Straight into the bones.

 

[Hip Priest]

I use flat wooden pedals and hammer two nails through each foot into the wood before every ride. There is no better clipless system than this.

Wuss!! I've actually had my feet surgically attached to the cranks.

 

[Davidc]

I've used clipless, toe-clips and straps, and plain flat pedals.

The benefit of clipless over toe-clips done up tight enough to hold the foot firmly but not stop it being pulled out for stops is IME minimal if not zero. In my circles years ago the very tight strapping youngoldbloke advocates was frowned on, firm strapping was always what was used, and to suggest that that was ineffective is just wrong.

The benefit of either over plain flat pedals is considerable.

I've used clps and straps for so long, and have adapted to clipless well enough that the time to engage either is minimal, and I find no difference in the anticipation process for removal. I last had a 'moment' decades ago, with straps and clips.

I find clipless hard on the knees and am still wondering if their use was part of a problem earlier in the year. I'm planning to change back to clips and straps next month for the winter and will reconsider next year.

I have no strap plastic toe clips on my round town bike. They have no performanc benefit but are good for keeping toes and tyres apart.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Due to an old leg break I am left having to pedal with foot angled with my toe out at about 7 mins past in order for my knee to be bending in a vertical plane with no horizontal movement. I am worried that spd cleats will not allow me this degree of angle from 90o on the pedal, or will they??

Unless I'm having a brainwave, 7 minutes past is 21 degrees off the straight. I don't think you'll find any off the shelf SPD cleats to accommodate that amount. What I don't quite get is how you manage not to hit the chainstay at that angle. You must have to have the arch of your foot on the pedal to avoid that.

 

[Orange]

I use toe clips and have nver tried the modern stuff with cleats. Many people write about problems with knees using these. Why is this? What causes it? How do you prevent it? How prevalent is it?

Would like to know the downsides before considering if the financial outlay is worth the risks.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm running clips and straps on my fixed, I do the straps up only just enough to hold my feet, but not that tight that I can't get my feet out when I want, I only adjust the straps about once a month, they work loose over a period of time. I do most of my fixed riding in steel toe capped boots or trainers. I have clipless on my geared bike, Time Freerides. With clipless I'm restricted to cycle shoes only and the geared bike is used for Sunday rides only. my experience is that the clipless pedals gives me no advantage over toeclips.

 

[bigjim]

I note with amusement the comments on here of those that find it incomprehensible that not everybody wants to follow the latest and so called greatest thing that is on offer for their latest, fastest, lightest bike. The fact that it may not suit their riding style or may actually cause damage to their knees is evidently of no consequence at all. If the pros wear it/fit it/use it then they must follow suit. A marketing mans dream.

 

[pepecat]

Nah, I don't like clipless. Tried it, and i was so twitchy about it I didn't want to go out on my bike. Which kinda defeats the whole purpose really, so I put the toeclips back on. MUCH happier with them, and have no trouble getting my feet in and out.

 

[MacB]

I note with amusement the comments on here of those that find it incomprehensible that not everybody wants to follow the latest and so called greatest thing that is on offer for their latest, fastest, lightest bike. The fact that it may not suit their riding style or may actually cause damage to their knees is evidently of no consequence at all. If the pros wear it/fit it/use it then they must follow suit. A marketing mans dream.

Marketing mumbo jumbo writ large Appreciated your previous reply and had a read of your blog link, my own experience wasn't a million miles away. Though I gave the clipless pedals a lot less time, one fall with no injury, and not enough perceived benefit, was enough to turn me off them. However I don't disagree with those that will cite the benefit when climbing out of the saddle or sprinting hard. But I only ever sprint for my own amusement and never flat out like a proper sprinter would. I don't race, will never race and can climb well enough for my needs as it is. Anything clipless could give me, climbing wise, would be dwarfed by the benefit losing 4 stone would give me

But, being a pedantic type, I do take issue with some of the claims, or almost religious mantras, trotted out by clipless disciples:-

you will fall but it's just funny not dangerous and the only thing hurt is your pride - this, as your own tale evidences, is absolute bollocks, but there does seem to be almost an 'omerta' around admissions of this nature. It's also perfectly feasible to speculate around the really unlucky ones that don't survive to relate their tale of a 'clipless moment'.

the performance difference is like night and day - let's see the evidence then, Norm on here gave some detail as to how much faster he felt he was on clipless for a given ride. But most resort to ridiculous hyperbole which the, admittedly small amount of, available data would indicate just cannot be accurate. I would also question exactly what flat pedals and shoes they have ridden in for their comparative purposes. I use pinned platforms and, with grippy soled MTB trainers, they allow for a very secure ride.

an end to feet slipping off pedals and poor foot positioning - again what do they compare this to and how poor could their ability be around putting a foot on a pedal? I've not suffered from any foot slippage issues and I enjoy the fact that I can reposition my foot in motion and choose a different position for the sort of pedalling I'm currently doing. For example I would tend to pedal nearer the front of my foot when pushing hard but for pootling, or a long climb, then the pedal will be more central to my foot.

discomfort with clipless - hotfoot, cramps, knee pain and other related issues - these all get dismissed as just being a setup thing and what you really need is to spend more money on inserts/fitting/shoes/pedals to resolve it. What's often ignored in this is your own personal fitness levels and riding posture. The same as with bike setup, you can get it all spot on for you when you're pedalling well and feel good. As you tire, and your posture slumps, then injuries can occur, being unable to reposition your feet can make this worse.


All that aside I've always been a big fan of the latest gadgets and I'll buy into things just to be able to eliminate anything external I could possibly blame for not reaching a standard. For golf I have custom made clubs and only ever use the same high quality golf balls. But that's mainly vanity and I know that any performance gain is probably mental over physical. I play to a decent mid single figures handicap and I could do this with any reasonable OTP set of clubs and cheapish golf balls. But when I was a higher handicap I was convinced that the equipment played a far bigger part than it does in comparison to the physical. Pros in every sport know this and also know that it's only at a high level that top end equipment gives the biggest returns or that miniscule gains matter. But you don't have to travel that far down the food chain from pro level before the returns are too small to be noticed.

For clipless pedals that means that if you don't race, sprint regularly or climb agressively then you're just another fish on a marketing hook. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, ride however you want in whatever kit you like, but there's no need to try and do the marketing job for the industry.

 

[Norm]

Norm on here gave some detail as to how much faster he felt he was on clipless for a given ride. But most resort to ridiculous hyperbole which the, admittedly small amount of, available data would indicate just cannot be accurate. I would also question exactly what flat pedals and shoes they have ridden in for their comparative purposes. I use pinned platforms and, with grippy soled MTB trainers, they allow for a very secure ride.

I did indeed. My first clipless ride was 2 minutes quicker over a 45 minute route than my previous fastest over the same route with toe clips or with flats. I acknowledge that there might be some other factors at play (different weather, working harder etc) but the route was a regular training ride of mine and I'd done it dozens of times, so I feel that first clipless run being about 5% faster than my previous best was significant.

I do still believe that I am faster over any set distance with clipless because they are more efficient and I don't tire as quickly and easily.

an end to feet slipping off pedals and poor foot positioning - again what do they compare this to and how poor could their ability be around putting a foot on a pedal? I've not suffered from any foot slippage issues and I enjoy the fact that I can reposition my foot in motion and choose a different position for the sort of pedalling I'm currently doing. For example I would tend to pedal nearer the front of my foot when pushing hard but for pootling, or a long climb, then the pedal will be more central to my foot.

My son, and many inexperienced cyclists, rides with his instep over the pedal axle. Clipless (or toeclips) will address that and will get him used to correct placement.

However, I agree with your summary, MacB. Even if I do believe there is an advantage on the first point above, is a 5% performance advantage enough to put myself at risk from a "clipless moment" which so many dismiss as being inevitable and all part of the fun. At my age and size, I can't imagine that, when it happens (and I've come close a couple of times) that I will find it in any way amusing to be laid out on the tarmac.

 

[Jezston]

I use clipless pedals because I require foot retention for riding fixed or using a coaster brake. The benefits there are undeniable and essential.