too old and scared to go clipless

[PpPete]

Take the plunge and go clipless, it's honestly not as scary as it sounds. I know as I'm writing it I'm setting myself up for a fall here (pun intended) but I've never had a clipless moment, I've simply found clipless pedals brilliant in all ways.

I'm with you there (even though I never tried them until well past age 50)

someone says 'tried clipless, didn't like them, going back to flats'.

Apart from the examples quote above ... my son (17) didn't like them - gone back to old school clips/straps

 

[rowan 46]

Do you use the regular pedals with the toe straps that come with some bikes? as i find them harder to get out of than clipless pedal systems unless you have the strap really loose.
If you are used to riding on flat pedals you could also look into getting some mini toe clips which will help a bit but are easy to get out of .

Clipless is not for everyone, do not worry if you do not want to use them, as long as your happy riding the bike .It took me a few goes to get used to them and longer to be able to unclip at a standstill before i fell over, untill then i would unclip a foot well in advance .

i've been using mtb clips for years. I know mechanically they are not efficient but they keep my feet on the pedals and come out easily if I need to put a foot down

 

[Poacher]

As others have said, you're never too old to start using clipless. I converted about 10 years ago ( or maybe more - at my advanced age of 58 the memory plays tricks! ), and eventually persuaded my (much) older brother to try it when he was over from Canada on holiday. He was more than half convinced anyway, as he'd already bought a suitable pair of shoes and fitted them with Wellgo cleats. Whether it was some slight incompatibility between Wellgo cleats and Shimano pedals, or more likely that he'd fitted the cleats back to front, he had a serious clipless moment while on a group ride in the northern wilds of Notts when we stopped at a level crossing. I can honestly say that I've never had a problem; certainly not when compared with using clips and straps.

Due to nervousness, I started with M324s - the ones with a flat side and an SPD side - but the uncertainty of whether I'd connect with the flat or the SPD soon made me change to double-sided (M520 or M540, depending how rich I felt), and these are now on my normal commuter and my "Sunday best" road bike, while the M324s stay on my backup commuter. The Brommy still has standard issue pedals, but these will be replaced at some point with the M520s I bought yesterday. (At a bargain £23.99, including SH51 single-release cleats. Thank you, cycle_promotions! They'll be having one-day sales not far from you, Rowan, on 15th Jan in Coventry and 18th Feb in Wolverhampton).

As Cheesney Hawks says, you may be better off getting some multi-release cleats, at least to start with. Take the plunge, find a quiet road, or better still a cycle track with grassy verges just in case, and start with the release tension set to minimum. Go for it!

 

[aberal]

Clipless moments occur when people forget they are using them, leave it too late and try and pull their feet out. As long as you remember to keep your foot flat and twist the cleat out of the pedal, you will disconnect from the pedal every single time. It's as simple as that. In short - there really is very little to worry about and the advantages of SPD pedals far outweigh any disadvantages.

 

[rowan 46]

thank you all I guess I will just have to man up. I confess it's not just the pain I dread. it's the indignity I have bought some lycra gear and only go out at night when nobody can see me but the thought of falling over every time I come to a red light is not something I look forward to. Perhaps I should jump them?

the only thing more undignified than people saying "look at that fat old geezer in lycra" is "look at that fat old geezer in lycra falling over" I guess I'll let you know from my hospital bed how I got on

 

[Fnaar]

With those magnetic ones, you'd end up cycling north all the time!

 

[baldycyclist]

thank you all I guess I will just have to man up. I confess it's not just the pain I dread. it's the indignity I have bought some lycra gear and only go out at night when nobody can see me but the thought of falling over every time I come to a red light is not something I look forward to. Perhaps I should jump them?

the only thing more undignified than people saying "look at that fat old geezer in lycra" is "look at that fat old geezer in lycra falling over" I guess I'll let you know from my hospital bed how I got on

been through the pain - i.e. fat guy in lycra falling over - the thing is that I was trying to beat the traffic in town and miss timed the lights and fell! All my fault and now totally au fait witht hem.
I do leave them quite loose one the settings though just in case I feel like making a total arse out of myself!

 

[Mozzy]

With those magnetic ones, you'd end up cycling north all the time!

I liked that.

 

[rowan 46]

I liked that.

me too but in my case It may be south as some find me rather repellant

 

[rowan 46]

In a similar vein those pedals would be no good for east europeans who ride a tandem especially if they are twins because as everybody knows. like poles repel

sorry

 

[albion]

Too gimmicky to me.A better pair of platform pedals are certainly slip free.

 

[Mozzy]

In a similar vein those pedals would be no good for east europeans who ride a tandem especially if they are twins because as everybody knows. like poles repel

sorry

Terrible but I larfed. Jeez they are getting worse

 

[derrick]

Started using clipless at the age of 59, been using them for a few months now and would never go back, looking to get some for the mtb,
What's a clipless moment, ha ha not had one yet, don't think i should have said that.

 

[wilko]

I've been going clipless now for about a year and I've just turned 60. Haven't had a "moment" yet, but that's not to say I won't. You can help yourself by planning ahead and taking a foot out of the clip in advance.

 

[dalewheeler]

Only went clipless last year, and loving it.
In fact the only scary moment I've had recently was going over a level crossing on the MTB (which has flat pedals), as my feel left the pedals momentarily. I guess if you're after an analogy, clipless is like a laced up shoe, flat pedals behave like flipflops