How best to clip in the shoe at up slope.

[novetan]

I’m new to cleat and fell twice. I supposed every fall is a learning cycle and know why you fall. I take it positively but doesn’t like the scratch on my new carbon bike.

My question is: If you are riding on a long uphill slope (say 15% or 20%) and inadvertently you have to stop midway and restart. I find its quite impossible to clip the other leg in time to power up with both leg. Worse still if a high gear is engaged when you stopped. To spin with the other leg may not have enough strength to gain momentum due to high slope. So how best to engage the cleat to the other leg in such situation.

I know some expert may take a split sec to clip it. But as social rider, I may take between 2 to 3 sec to “find” the slot for the other leg. And not able to clip it will see myself come to an abrupt stop again.

 

[Canrider]

Depends on your pedals, but don't clip in until you're up and moving. Just push on the pedals as if they were flat, then worry about clipping in once you're moving fast enough to balance.

 

[deanE]

I still have hairy moments. I would make sure I changed down to a lower gear before I started off again. If the road is clear enough you can always start off by going across the road rather than up it.

 

[Steve H]

Some slopes are too steep to get going on!

First engage the gear you want. Do this by putting on the front brake, lifting the back wheel and turning the pedals whilst you are stood to the side of the bike and changing the gears to what you want.

To get going - straddle the bike and clip in your strongest leg. Position the clipped in pedal in a way that will allow you to do a full downward pedal. Set off. Using the clipped in pedal make sure you are doing full circles of the pedal with this foot - ie push down and pull up with this foot. With the other foot that isn't clipped in yet, don't worry too much about it. If you can clip it in straight away then great. If not just place it on the pedal and push down. Obviously you won't be able to pull up on this pedal until you get it clipped in, but you can go a fair distance without it clipped in and still pedalling. You can the build up some speed again, before trying to clip that foot it again.

It might feel a bit strange at first, but it works fine. I still do this quite regularly having used these kinds of pedals for a couple of years now. Sometimes you get it first time, sometimes it takes a bit longer.

 

[Kies]

If safe to do so,go down hill,clip in and then start uphill again

 

[Ningishzidda]

On a 15% slope !

If you have to stop, select a gear which is low enough to proceed and high enough to give you time to clip in. This comes with experience.
Find a multistorey car park and practice.

There aren't many cyclists who can ride up a 15% single legged, on any gear.

 

[Boris Bajic]

On a 15% slope !

If you have to stop, select a gear which is low enough to proceed and high enough to give you time to clip in. This comes with experience.
Find a multistorey car park and practice.

There aren't many cyclists who can ride up a 15% single legged, on any gear.

I tried practising in a multi-storey car park.

I cost me £38.50 across twelve days before I'd learned.

Somewhere cheaper may be better.

 

[Canrider]

then giving the pedals a schamouff with one foot while tickling the gear lever.

I find a hurrrve tends to work better in that situation.

 

[gaz]

I tried practising in a multi-storey car park.

I cost me £38.50 across twelve days before I'd learned.

Somewhere cheaper may be better.

LOL don't take the car :P

 

[Diggs]

I tried practising in a multi-storey car park.

I cost me £38.50 across twelve days before I'd learned.

Somewhere cheaper may be better.

That's wrong on so many levels

 

[HLaB]

Learn to ride with one foot unclipped (imc the left) and get momentum up before clipping in.

 

[ianrauk]

That's wrong on so many levels

Agreed. It's far too short for a Boris post. For a start it doesn't mention when he used to ride a motorbike or when he was a courier in London. But at least there are the spaces between the sentences. So we know it was posted by the real Boris

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Push off with your dominant leg across the incline

 

[novetan]

Some slopes are too steep to get going on!

First engage the gear you want. Do this by putting on the front brake, lifting the back wheel and turning the pedals whilst you are stood to the side of the bike and changing the gears to what you want.
.

Tks all for reply.

A question particularly to this.

How to lift up the back wheel with one hand braking, the other hand lifting the back wheel and leaving with no hands to change gear. Did I misread you?

 

[AndyPeace]

why is your other hand lifting the back wheel? brake with one hand and push the bike forward, this will lift the wheel. may have misunderstood myself what your asking... Fair play on tackling 15 to 20% hills