Clipless Tips

[bonj2]

Bonj, left foot out is just the most useful... I'm a very right handed person, but always unclick with the left foot - maybe that's it ? You left handed ?

no, i'm right handed, but I think my way is most natural being right footed - i.e. it's my right foot that's doing the work (i.e. performing the task of uncipping) and my left (non-dominant) foot just sits there on the pedal. that's what feels most natural. although I think i am in the minority, most cyclists with clipless that I see seem to unclip with their left foot.

There is no right and wrong - but it has to be how 'you' feel most comfortable with it.

that's true, agree there.

 

[Dave5N]

Joe,

Don't know if you'll find this useful, but...

When my son first got looks last spring, I got him to keep practising indoors in and out of the clips until he could do it without thought.

He sat on the bike in the doorway to to the front room, so he could hold himself up in the frame, and just kept clipping in and out over and over, watching telly.

Took about an hour, and never a problem since (apart from a spectacular crash when he pulled a foot out.)

Not saying it will work for you, but sometimes isolating and practising a particular technique helps you to master it without all the other distractions.

 

[4F]

I usually always unclip the right and stayed clipped in on the left. Its what feels most natural.

 

[Tynan]

thinking, I unclip left from the years with toe clips and stuff and wanting to put a foot on the curb, I hear the topple argument, I might try that

 

[Joe24]

I went on the club ride today, and it went pretty well. I didnt forget to unclip. Then i got the bit where you come up to junctions and need to clip back in. Sometimes i got it first time, sometimes i spent a while trying to find the pedal and clipping in.
I did spent about 10mins in the house clipping in and unclipping, and i spent about 5 mins this morning doing it aswell, but i think i'm going to bring the bike in after school, and lean agaisnt the wall and just clip and unclip.
I always take my left foot out, i always have, it just feels natural. I can see the thinking behind using the right foot to stop though.
Cheers for the help.

 

[Dave5N]

I went on the club ride today, and it went pretty well. I didnt forget to unclip. Then i got the bit where you come up to junctions and need to clip back in. Sometimes i got it first time, sometimes i spent a while trying to find the pedal and clipping in.
I did spent about 10mins in the house clipping in and unclipping, and i spent about 5 mins this morning doing it aswell, but i think i'm going to bring the bike in after school, and lean agaisnt the wall and just clip and unclip.
I always take my left foot out, i always have, it just feels natural. I can see the thinking behind using the right foot to stop though.
Cheers for the help.

Good luck, I'm sure it will do the trick. Did for a namesake of yours, anyway.

 

[RedBike]

I've also got Look keo's on my road bike. Great set of pedals. Compared to SPDs your much less unlikely to unclip accidentally, the wider contact patch makes them more comfortable on longer rides and slightly more efficient. The big(?) disadvantage is that you can't walk in the shoes which is why they're useless for MTBing.

I wouldn't attempt to scoot along the road with one foot clipped in. Look cleats can be very slippy/fragile.

I just clip one foot in and pedal one legged until I get chance to get the second one clipped in. I find look Keos very easy to clip into. The pedals will naturally hang with the front slightly higher than the back. You just slide your shoe over the pedal until you feel the front catch; then push down to clip in.

 

[MartinC]

Clipping in to Look pedals goes wrong when you try and do it too fast i.e. when you're under pressure not when you're practicing. What happens (for most people who start with the right foot clipped in) is that you push down with the right, the left crank rotates to top dead centre, the pedal is weighted at the bottom so the momentum rotates the pedal a little turning it a little way upside down. If you're too quick you'll try to engage with the bottom of the pedal. If you wait a fraction of a second you give the pedal time to right itself before you clip in.

 

[HLaB]

When I first got road pedals (SPD-SL) I found clipping in a pain and was dismayed it wasn't getting better with time. Then I noticed my seat post was slipping and when I corrected this it was a lot easier.