youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
Yes, maybe, but your ankles are safe!
Aren't your toes a bit cold and vulnerable in one of those though?
Norm, that reply is too sensible and balanced for this threadI had my first ride on the clipless bike for a few months today. I thoroughly enjoyed commuting on a road bike rather than the 20 year old MTB but I laughed my ass off at the first junction when I couldn't figure out why I couldn't move my feet. Luckily, I'd given myself enough space for me to look down and the brain to kick in, but that could have been "fun" (used ironically, just for MacB).
The thought of falling off because of a clipless moment frankly scares the pants off me. The first time it happens may well be the last as I'll probably junk the things.
I only tried them because someone on here was selling a second hand pair last June. I wouldn't pay new prices for something that I wasn't confident would work for me... and that price factor may well be the sort of "emperor's new clothes" that cause so many to rave about them which raises the hackles of the unclean non-believers.
I've got bikes with flats, toe clips and clipless. I think that clipless are faster, they certainly were the one time I've done the two options on a measured route. However, whilst I like the extra security of having clips or clipless, I also dislike having to wear specific shoes for a pedal-system.
I've ridden exclusively clipless for the past few months and the world continued turning. If my timed-comparison was right and there is a 5% difference between flats and clipless, what am I going to do with that time anyway? Saving 2-3 minutes on my commute isn't something that I'd notice. Reducing the time for my "just going for a ride" 10-miler doesn't show I've improved my level of fitness. Is that enough to offset the risk of falling off in the middle of a junction because of a clipless moment of non-concentration.
IMO, toe clips are a good compromise for most people on most bikes and for most uses but there's nothing wrong
I only tried them because someone on here was selling a second hand pair last June. I wouldn't pay new prices for something that I wasn't confident would work for me... and that price factor may well be the sort of "emperor's new clothes" that cause so many to rave about them which raises the hackles of the unclean non-believers.
It's ok, tyred, I've posted similar in a clipless thread in the past.Norm, that reply is too sensible and balanced for this thread
Sorry but I'd rather get decent shoes and pedals second hand than get cheap shoes and pedals which wouldn't have allowed me a fair test of SPDs. Buy cheap, buy twice, if I was going to test them, I'd test a set which allowed me to figure out whether I liked the system rather than test how cheap you can get crappy bearings.
My shoes would have been close to £100 new, the pedals £25 and, if I had paid £125, that might have influenced my decision about them - would I have been happy junking something which was that expensive or would I have persuaded myself that they were marvellous. As it was, I got the lot for around 1/3 the price and they were, to my eye, unused so I could give them a fair test without any conscious or unconscious concerns about the price.
Your mileage may, of course, vary but I bet there are some who, having blown £100+, wouldn't want to admit they were unsure of the benefits.
I don't really accept this - OK you can buy flat pedals for 2.99 - but how good are they? Toe clips and straps come at a price too,
In general quality does cost money, but money does not necessarily buy quality, because quality means different things to different people. The latest, super-lightweight carbon-titanium pedal that costs £200 and lasts one season might be considered quality to a race enthusiast, but would be regarded with suspicion by a commuter or touring cyclist, who is looking for toughness and a proven track record of durability, which is commonly found for less than £50.You're quite right. Not getting back into why strap and clip works, a half decent set is about £150, and thats for a clapped out old fogie like me.
It doesn't matter what you're getting as pedals, clipless, clips, flat, or anything else, the most crucial part is the bearings and the quality of the spindle. if that's wrong the pedals will be uncomfortable and inefficient. Quality costs money. ALL of your muscle power has to go through the pedals to get to the wheels so they're as important as any other transmission component, wheel, spoke, tyre or bearing. (Or so we were taught at the club I belonged to 50 years ago and every club after that).
Your mileage may, of course, vary but I bet there are some who, having blown £100+, wouldn't want to admit they were unsure of the benefits.
How tightly should I do up the strap on my helmet?
just keep going til you pass out
You'll be fine. You have a helmet!but wouldn't that make me fall off my bike?