Clipped pedals - Have they made a difference to you...?

[musa]

In terma of recorded speed no but the body may feel it. Why. You can get tendinitis from toe clips so muscle fatigue essentially

 

[AndyxBennett]

Actually. You requested GPS data to prove there was a difference. You loaded the question and tried to shift the burden of proof.

Didn't work

My question was;
Can those who have made the transition from unclipped to clipped 'prove' (eg via gps based data) that there has been a step change to your average speed or climbing ability that can only be associated too and at the point where you made the transition...?

The question was not loaded in any direction, it was merely canvassing to seeking quantifiable proof from those who have gone down the unclipped ==> clipped pedal route, that an instant change had taken place in terms of average speed or climbing ability which could only be attributed to the change.

The claims of an instant improvement is one being made to me by a number of individuals, and I am somewhat sceptical, hence the question.

I suspect what happens (IMHO) is people make the change, they can then set up their foot position to become more consistent & possibly more comfortable, potential which then lends itself to an improved pedalling technique (pulling up on the pedals, etc, etc), which if capitalised upon could provide the aforementioned improvements, plus they tend to get that bit fitter in the process...

Andy

 

[Rob3rt]

I could go out and test with and without clipless pedals and come back with power data saying which system allowed me to get the most power out over say a 3 minute climb, however, I won't do it for the simple reason, I cba to waste a hill rep on such a futile exercise.

Additionally, the data still wouldn't really prove/disprove the "instant" or "step change" claims, since I am very much used to riding clipped in and have developed a pulling technique, someone who just changed over wouldn't do this.

 

[mrcunning]

Well i have the best of both worlds, flat one sided and clipped the other..no difference noticed yet,but will give more details in july when i ride to skegness 85 miles..
The flats i use mainly for sneaking about towns and nottingham city centre..

 

[BrynCP]

When I installed my clipless pedals I did notice a small gain on my ride data, perhaps up to 1mph. However, I did this during the time I was always improving anyway.

What did it for me though, was no longer having my feet slip off the pedals; it only happened now and then, but when it did, I pretty much lost control and the ability to get my feet back on without slowing down suddenly or getting a whack in the back of the foot.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I have toe clips on one bike and spd peddles on the other. There's no difference in recorded speed, but the toe clips are a pain when i'm setting off on steep slopes as flipping them upright to get my foot in is sometimes difficult. Traffic light on hills are bad as trying to flip the peddle upright while someone behind is revving and getting impatient can be a bit stressful.

 

[nickyboy]

In the past 3 years I've ridden toeclips, spd and "look keo" type pedals.

Whilst I have no empirical evidence to support my opinion, my opinion is:

1) SPD and Look Keo-type pedals give a more consistent positioning of the foot on the pedal. I know that when I clip in, my feet are in the perfect position

2) On most parts of a ride, I don't get a better speed using clip-in systems

3) Putting in high-effort on shorter steep hills I do get a benefit. It is only then that I pull "up" hard (evidenced by occasionally pulling out of the clip system). This feels more so with Look Keo-type rather than SPDs

 

[tadpole]

I went clipless in March, and did notice a change in my over all speed, I think it is not down to feet position or any advantage given to me by the new shoes (Mtb style) I put it down to "feeling" more confident on the bike, and that confidence makes me able to keep "pedaling harder" over bumpy bits of my ride home rather than worrying about my foot slipping off the pedals.
So using cleats, to me, the benefit I get is just a placebo, they are faster/safer because I feel faster/faster. And even knowing that is the only benefit I get from them is mostly in my mind does not take away from the benefit I get.

 

[gersin008]

I switched in January and to be honest expected a difference in speed but it wasn't the case. However, I wouldn't switch back as it feels more comfortable and I am quicker clipping in with cleats than I was with toe clips

 

[John the Monkey]

No idea - any such measurement would be confounded by increasing fitness (going clipless coincided with riding more, in my case).

For me, the benefits were more in my feet being more secure on the pedals in the wet, &c.

 

[Roscoe]

Don't know about a performance advantage, but, I am garbage at starting off uphill with them. Practice makes perfect I suppose.

 

[Bike_Me]

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread, hopefully what I'm about to ask is somewhat relevant and contributes. It's interesting to read everyone's experiences regarding clipped and clipless pedals, as I'm at a crossroad as to whether I should invest in some decent cycling shoes and clipped/clipless pedals as I prepare for my first 100miler.

I've been cycling the past year with a pair of Nike Lunars and FWE ATB Pedals (which came stock with my bike), and the two seem to work perfectly - secure, no slippage and comfortable. I recently completed my first 70km ride last weekend, and had absolutely no issue. So that being said, if you have a pair of decent shoes and pedals that work perfectly well together, is it worth moving onto proper cycling shoes/pedals?

 

[Rob3rt]

Depends on your needs.

Quite frankly, I think a good pair of cycling shoes and specific pedals will be better for most people. Even as simply as in comfort terms.

 

[fossyant]

It's mainly the shoes, stiffer soles support the foot better. Even my son is moving to clipless, and he is 13

 

[DWiggy]

Going clipless made a massive difference to my riding, my average went up, mainly due to going up hills faster and when you're out of the saddle you can generate much more power from pulling and pushing.