Clipless pedals

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DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
Santa has paid an early visit to our house and left a Giant Defy 3 Composite, so I decided it was time to get some proper cycling shoes and a pair of Look Keo classics, now the problem isn't forgetting to unclip, yet, but actually clipping back in once I set off again. I ended up having to pedal one legged, while the other flails about trying to get the cleat in the right place, now ever since I learned to ride a bike I have put my left foot down when I stop, but this morning after struggling to clip in yet again, I decided to put my right foot down instead and more or less every time from then on I managed to get clipped in on the second attempt, has anyone else had this happen and what tips do you have for getting clipped in smoothly the first time, I suppose practice makes perfect.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
Your last line says it all.
 

BrynCP

Über Member
Location
Hull
I use SPDs and one sided pedals. Would rarely clip in first attempt, I'd miss it or pedal would be wrong side up, I would have to pull away slowly, try flip the pedal with my toes and look down etc.

These days, clip in straight away no problems. Purely just practice and never fell off once either.
 

mrbikerboy73

Über Member
Location
Worthing, UK
^^ it's defo practise. I still struggle at times after 5 years of being clipless. I find this to be the best method. Clip in your best foot first (so to speak) usually right foot before you move off. Power down and get the bike rolling. Clip in your second foot as soon as the opposite pedal is in the 12 o'clock position. You may need to flip the pedal once or twice but it's the best way I've found. Once those cranks are spinning, it's a lot harder to get clipped in.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
What fixed it for me many years ago was, putting them on the bike on a Saturday and doing a cross race the next day. That was over 20 years ago but I have not had a problem since.

Bit like being chucked in the deep end of a pool when you cannot swim, not quite as life threatening, but certainly focuses the mind.
 
U

User33236

Guest
I have Look Keo Classic on one bike and Look Keo Max on another. My success rate at clipping in first time is significantly higher on the Max as the pedal turn seems to naturally fall at a better angle.
 
OP
OP
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DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
That's another thing, they do seem to hang a little too far back, but it just seems silly that my usual foot to put down is absolutely useless, yet the other seems to manage to clip in so much easier, only thing is practice, practice, practice another excuse to get out for a ride.
 

Levo-Lon

Guru
As said practice,after a while its second nature..still a bloody pain when starting on a hill tho,
Unless its down
 

Turbo Rider

Just can't reMember
Yadda, yadda, yadda, practice, practice, practice, yadda, yadda. Don't know if you're looking at the pedal when you try to clip into it, but I found that looking at it often made it worse, so if you are, try not looking at it and if you're not, try looking at it. Sooner or later, you'll just clip nicely and then you won't know what to do. At some other point, you'll change your worn out cleats and you'll be all over the place again though. Yadda, yadda, yadda, practice, practice, practice, yadda, yadda.
 
I try to steady the pedal into which I'm going to be clipping as I'm pedalling away from the stop. Also, I find that pulling away in a slightly higher gear, and making the first pedal stroke hard, buys me more time, if I hit a bump, or drain, or any other sort of road crappery, which inevitably causes the pedal to swing out of position.
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
Definitely a sort of mindfulness exercise, esp Look style cleats. My area not as friendly to racing cleats, (road surface, traffic, etc) so I went to SPD after years riding in flats. A good bit friendlier.
 
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