Cleats - again.

[Brandane]

OK, I may have posted previously ridiculing the use of cleats and clipless pedals.
I stand by my belief that they offer SFA performance advantage to your average cyclist, and I have never suffered from feet flying off pedals, or even slipping off flats.

However, I was suffering from very painful achilles tendons after lengthy (over 50 miles) rides. It was suggested to me that clipless with stiff soled shoes would help. It did. No more pain. I am converted, but hasten to add that I am no faster as a result!

 

[classic33]

Maybe it was just the stiff soles!

 

[S-Express]

but hasten to add that I am no faster as a result

Nor would you be. That's not what they're about.

 

[Brandane]

Maybe it was just the stiff soles!

Yes I agree. But try finding stiff soled shoes these days, other than cycle specific ones! I don't really fancy cycling in leather soled efforts as worn by my Grandad.

 

[Brandane]

Nor would you be. That's not what they're about.

What exactly ARE they about, then? Surely your average cyclist can keep their feet on the pedals without the help of a mechanical attachment?

 

[S-Express]

What exactly ARE they about, then? Surely your average cyclist can keep their feet on the pedals without the help of a mechanical attachment?

They are about giving your foot a secure connection and consistent position on the pedal. That's pretty much it. Said 'mechanical attachment' makes it significantly easier to achieve that.

 

[si_c]

What exactly ARE they about, then? Surely your average cyclist can keep their feet on the pedals without the help of a mechanical attachment?

Depends on conditions, I've had my feet slip off pedals in really wet weather, the sort I often ride through when commuting. I use SPD's for that reason

 

[Dogtrousers]

Yes I agree. But try finding stiff soled shoes these days, other than cycle specific ones! I don't really fancy cycling in leather soled efforts as worn by my Grandad.

These are my shoes

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/bontrager-ssr-shoe-review.180678/

You don't have to use cleats with them. In fact, to fit cleats you have to attack them with a Stanley knife.

They are basically stiff soled trainers that happen to have SPD fittings if you want to use them.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Agree with Dogtrousers. I've bought a few sets of stiff sole cycling shoes with proper tread and needing to remove the piece covering the SPD cleat slots. I've just left the sole intact and they've worked fine

 

[T4tomo]

And making sure your foot is correctly positioned on the pedal

 

[GuyBoden]

However, I was suffering from very painful achilles tendons after lengthy (over 50 miles) rides. It was suggested to me that clipless with stiff soled shoes would help. It did. No more pain. I am converted, but hasten to add that I am no faster as a result!

I've been using clipped in SPD's for about 4 months, I used toe clips before or just flat pedals, my feet feel better on longer rides in SPD's.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Whatever the advantages were of putting one's toes into a cagelike thing on the pedal, and then having to bend down and tighten a strap on each side ... it's that, but without the fiddling about and the risky strap-tightening thing.

I'm still on the cages, I adjust the straps at the start of a ride then leave them alone, its possible to set them to get the advantage but still be able to ease a foot out.

 

[Profpointy]

Yes, toe straps have been around for years and must therefore convey some advantage, but Brandane can't see one for any form of attaching one's feet to one's bicycle.

Don't you need them else your achiles tendons end up hurting...


..... sorry couldn't resist

 

[Brandane]

Don't you need them else your achiles tendons end up hurting...


..... sorry couldn't resist

Ho ho.... Actually, as has already been pointed out; that has probably been cured by the stiff sole of the shoes rather than the SPD's (as it prevents your foot and heel flexing as much).

As for clipless keeping your foot in the correct position on the pedal; the pro's and cons of that are open for discussion. I consider it a disadvantage to have my foot welded to one spot on the pedal, when I like to vary that position slightly depending on whether I am coasting along the flat, climbing, or descending. The one position fits all seems to me to be a bit of a compromise.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

The first thing I notice on flat pedals is that my feet tend to leave the pedals on the upstroke and slip around precariously in the wet. I feel less attached to the bike and, while I'm not going to pretend I'm actually pulling each pedal through 360 degrees, I do know that I've grown to lighten the weight on the pedal that's not driving, far more than I would with flats. I think it's fairly simple physics to say that any weight applied to the lifting/non-driving side means that the other downward pedal has to push that much harder.