Having been badgered by Alistair for several months, last Friday I finally succumbed and bought myself a pair of clipless pedals and new bike shoes to match. Clipless pedals (also clip-in or step-in) require a special cycling shoe with a cleat fitted to the sole, which locks into a mechanism in the pedal, thus holding the shoe firmly to the pedal. Most clipless pedals lock onto the cleat when stepped on firmly and unlock when the heel is twisted outward. Clipless refers to the toe clip (cage) having been replaced by a locking mechanism and not to platform pedals which would normally not have toe clips.
Confused?.....I was too, but let me explain.
The term 'clipless pedals' is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, your pedals are minus the toe-cages seen on some racing bikes, but your pedals are by no means clipless, in fact that's the whole point of them, to have your feet clipped in.
Clipless pedals have a built in cleat into which you clip your shoes, (see photo above). Your specialist shoes will also have a metal insert fixed to the sole, (see photo below), which locates into the pedal cleat, keeping your foot secured to the bike until released by twisting your foot in the cleat to release.
Clipless pedals give you several clear advantages, mainly....
01 Better power transfer, as you can pull up as well as push down on your pedals, particularly handy for getting up a bit of speed or when struggling up hills
02 Keeping your feet firmly planted on the pedals, which is very handy in the wet ( when my feet have been liable to slip about a bit on the pedals), and a bit of a revelation when you try them out for the first time. They also keep your feet nice and straight, avoiding any twisting of the knees etc, particularly important if you are cycling long distances, you can really forget about them until you have to stop.
03 No more faffing about getting your pedals in the right position when you take off from a standing start.
My reluctance to use clipless pedals was grounded in past experience, not of having used them myself, but having seen Al's first attempt several years ago. He bought them and duly fitted to his bike we set off on a wee trip through the West end and out to Dawsholme Park.
All was going well until we came to a junction, whereupon I stopped rather suddenly to have a think about which direction to take, not realising that Al was right up my tail! He had to slam on his brakes, and couldn't unclip in time so keeled over rather unceremoniously with feet still attached to his pedals. A bruised ego was the least of his worries as he had badly twisted his foot, and for a while didn't think he could walk let alone cycle home. The moral of this tale is, don't have your feet clipped in so tight that you can't release them quickly, but it really gave me a scare and put me off trying them myself, until now.
So, this morning, adrenalin pumping through my veins (yes, really.....my brain was already preparing me for falling off instantly!), we practised clipping in and out while Al held my bike steady. He had already set the clips to the loosest setting to ensure that they would come out pretty easily, until I got used to the whole process. Having mastered this quite quickly we took the bikes downstairs and had a go round the car park, this time practising stopping and starting on both sides and getting used to the feeling of being clipped into the pedals round corners etc. I must admit I was really surprised how easy it was, as I had had visions of it being really difficult, and worried I'd simply not master it at all. Confidence at a high, we set off for Glasgow Green where we could practise some more on hills and at junctions etc.
The basic technique is to clip in one foot, pull your pedal up to allow you to push off, push off and cycle until you can locate your other foot in the clip and push to engage the shoe in the pedal. Engaging the shoe cleat in the pedal takes a bit of practice, but really you can still cycle along while you are doing this ( the beauty of clipless being that you can cycle and keep up momentum with one leg ). Once you have both feet clipped in you can cycle to your heart's content until you either have to negotiate an obstacle or stop!
To release your foot from the clip you simply push your heel outwards or inwards, and the cleat is disengaged. Personally I found pushing my heel in towards the bike easier but I suppose it's a matter of preference. Then you can simply put your foot down as normal, until you push off again and re-engage your foot in the clip once again.
If you are looking ahead and can see a section where you might want to put your foot down, you can temporarily release one clip, until the danger/obstacle has passed and simply clip back in again giving you that added security until you get more confident. Personally I found myself doing this less and less as the time went by.
All sounds really easy, and it is. All you have to do is anticipate the stops and be prepared for clipping out!
My downfall came just as we approached a set of traffic lights on the way home. My brain was so busy looking at Al and the cars in the queue ahead of me, that when it came to thinking about which foot I was going to clip out, it took too long and decided on neither. Once you lose momentum and come to a stop, the laws of physics ( or mechanics, or even simple gravity ) state that you have to put a foot out or you'll fall over. As I crumpled onto the road the face of the chap in the car behind me was apparently a picture! I'll take Al's word for it as I was too busy trying to untangle shoes from pedals and get back on my feet, feeling a bit red-faced about having failed so miserably in public! A few bruises, and a bit of embarrassment was really all I suffered, however, and it certainly hasn't put me off.
Being a cycling softie, only now getting a bit more practised on her bike, I can't recommend that you get these kinds of pedals. Maybe in a few months time, with a bit more practice, I'll be able to say more, but I have since managed to cycle the 27 miles from Glasgow to see my sister in Greenock with only one minor incident ( again at a standstill at a pedestrian crossing, where I toppled over as I simply lost my balance forgetting I still had a foot clipped in! )
They say practice makes perfect......watch this space!
c
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