New pedals - Shimano SPD's

[stevepratt48]

Once tried, you'll never go back!
Take plenty of time getting the cleats aligned, take an allen key with you, think about how you feel, every couple o hundred yards!
It's well worth the effort, sore knees are the alternative....
As to starting, convert ONE shoe, until you feel comfortable with starting & stopping.
Enjoy!

 

[TheCyclingRooster]

Hi to you all,I am an old fashioned sod.I ride Marcel Berthet Lyotard Platform Pedals with Christophe Toe Clips & Leather QR Straps.It strikes me that all of you newbies to cycling and some of you older (attempting to convert to SPD type) are really on a SH*T or BUST mission with SPD's.You can't ride them without the cleats,set them up wrong and endure pain in your knees and ankles,you are scared sh*tless at the thought of being captive and ending up with a bike around your neck lying on your back doing an impersonation of Cav without the glory.All of that rushing through your heads before you have engaged with the tiny target,which if you are on fixed wheel is on the move(FUN, I DON'T THINK)Traditional Pedals with Toe Clips & Straps allow confidence to build,first by riding Toe Clips only,then with the straps fitted and then finally with the plates fitted to the sole of the shoes.They are a larger and easy target for your feet and you can ride without special footwear at Mega Expense whilst you are getting your heads around all of the notion of going for a cycle ride.The need to create float with plates is easily achieved by making the groove wider in the plate(I now have about 9 to 11 degrees with mine).Happy & Safe Riding to You All.

 

[bigjim]

The whole point is that it's more efficient to be clipped into the pedals.

Oh. Thats a controversial statement.

 

[gavintc]

Oh. Thats a controversial statement.

Why? Or do you also think that the earth being round is a controversial statement.

 

[bigjim]

Why? Or do you also think that the earth being round is a controversial statement.

Hmm. So you think it's the same thing. Interesting.

 

[Herlihy]

I'm not sure why controversial. My mate bought a wattbike. It has the polar view which shows cycling efficiency. He's been clipped in for years. He rides the Wattbike clipped in. The computer shows he rides like a peanut. By which I mean he exerts little power pulling up. I tried it . Clipped in. The same. Gobsmacked.It is really hard to cycle with power throughout full the circle. I thought I'd got good at it great at it. But no. Lot's of practice and no doubt we'll get there but I'd lay odds that alot of people cycling clipped in , thinking they are more efficient would find they are not. What the Wattbike showed is clipping in by itself does nothing. You have to really work at turning the pedals efficiently and the polar view showed that the simple advice , 'think about pedalling in a constant circle' is not enough.The amount of advice on the Wattbike site about how to get a good cycling action by itself shows it is not easy

What I do find when I think about it is that I'm not cycling more efficiently when clipped in, but that my cadence is greater. I feel faster, and pedal faster. But the Wattbike showed I wasn't anymore efficient. If you believe you are look at the wattbike website and have a go on one. It's a bit of an eye opener.

 

[bigjim]

Its controversial because there is a lot of controversy about the efficiency of being clipped in. Just as you have stated.

 

[Hacienda71]

I find that clipped in you can't slip off the pedal and so in an agressive hill climb situation or trying to put the power down on the flat you don't have to think about it. Not clipped in I have slipped off a couple of times and it has hurt.

 

[AndyCarolan]

I find that clipped in you can't slip off the pedal and so in an agressive hill climb situation or trying to put the power down on the flat you don't have to think about it. Not clipped in I have slipped off a couple of times and it has hurt.

The slipping off is the reason I want to go clipped in... Not so much with the efficiency

 

[guitarpete247]

I ride Marcel Berthet Lyotard Platform Pedals with Christophe Toe Clips & Leather QR Straps

Traditional Pedals with Toe Clips & Straps allow confidence to build,first by riding Toe Clips only,then with the straps fitted and then finally with the plates fitted to the sole of the shoes.

I started with Toe clips and Leather straps for my road bikes and just toe cups on the MTB. I never had a problem getting out of the straps you just have to plan your move ahead of time. The same with spuds. Plan ahead and you have a much firmer and secure ride than with clips and straps.

I have never felt afraid or concerned or sh*tless as you put it. Just comfortable and secure in the knowledge that my feet are attached to the pedals until I decide otherwise.

 

[bigjim]

Because of knee problems I have just returned to flat pedals. Now no knee pain. I never slip off them! I use MTB type cheap rubber pedals at the moment and wear trainers. No toeclips but plenty of grip. Not noticed any slower and I feel I am better on hills.

 

[Rob3rt]

I dont see how anyone can logically dispute the fact that being clipped in can increase efficiency in certain situations if you use it to your advantage. But the shoes wont do the work for you.

I ride flats most of the time, and when going hell for leather when accelerating or up a hill I can quite clearly identify the point at which being clipped in would benefit, i.e. when downward power is so maximal that little to no weight is on the rising pedal (to the point its barely contacting) and hence if clipped in not only would it reduce the chance of this foot lifting off causing a dangerous situation but also allow me to pull up further accelerating.

In addition the stiffness of the cycling shoe increases efficiency by some small metric by virtue.


I prefer toe straps to clipless pedals personally and will happily accept some loss of efficiency to ride with straps and normal shoes.


If you use them properly, your efficiency should increase. If it doesnt, its you not the pedals/shoes.

 

[bigjim]

I think it also depends on the person and build etc. I weigh 14 stone with large legs. I imagine that I can exert quite a strong downward force on a large flat pedal. I concede that on SPDs you can increase pressure using an upward pulling motion, but for how long and is the opposite leg decreasing efficiency on each stroke. Do we equate efficiency with a faster sustained speed or more power? I don't know. At the moment the flat pedal is working for me as my knees are not suffering on long hard rides. I do notice that my thighs are aching slightly after such rides but that is fine as these big muscles will not be damaged. I at my age are more concerned at looking after my knee joints. I also notice my feet moving into different positions according to the situation. So my feet knees, hips are placing themselves where they want to be not where Mr Shimano would like them to be. Course I could be wrong!

 

[Fiona N]

..It strikes me that all of you newbies to cycling and some of you older (attempting to convert to SPD type) are really on a SH*T or BUST mission with SPD's.You can't ride them without the cleats,set them up wrong and endure pain in your knees and ankles,you are scared sh*tless at the thought of being captive and ending up with a bike around your neck lying on your back ...

I'm assuming you're either a fool or being gratuitously provocative (i.e. a troll)

I used to ride with toeclips and leather straps back in the day - both on the road (racing and touring) and the track (pursuit and scratch mostly) - and like anyone who has, knows there's nothing like the helplessness of needing to control the bike - i.e. hand on the bars - while a situation develops which means you've got to get a foot down - but you can't risk a hand off the bars so you know you're going to hit the deck because the straps are too tight to get your foot out which means, incidentally, you're also likely going to damage ankle or knee if you twist the leg as you go down.

Contrast with clipless - well, no comparison is it? Clipless means you don't have to start messing around undoing the straps every time you want to unclip. And all this dross about adjusting the cleats - I know at least as many riders who used to get the old style cleats wrong, whereas now, if it's critical, just use pedals with free float. No messing around cutting bigger slots in the cleats - FFS

And you can ride spd pedals without cleats - I successfully rode a mtb (red) course recently on my sister's bike while wearing a pair of Teva sandals. I somehow don't think the guys I overtook noticed I didn't have clips on them. I wouldn't attempt the black course - big air might be a bit problematic - but then I wouldn't ride a black course in toe clips and straps (loose or not) either.

Toe clips and straps have their place - if you're doing the whole retro bit.

But otherwise, you're trying to round up a long bolted horse, I'm afraid. Learning to safely use spds is quicker and easier than clips and straps unless you're one of those for whom the straps are decorative because you're never going to have the guts to do them up as you know you'll not manage to get them undone in time even for traffic lights you can see are about to change.

And clipless pedals don't pick up stuff off the road when you're riding with them 'upside down' because you haven't got your foot in - I saw a nasty accident which would never have happened if the guy hadn't had clips on his pedals.

I guess there's always one who equates being different with being right when the rest of the world has simply moved on...

 

[bigjim]

I guess there's always one who equates being different with being right when the rest of the world has simply moved on

Surely that is far too simplistic. Maybe you are the one being different. So that makes you hypocritical. Does moving on mean following the herd and being influenced by the marketing people? There is a lot of money tied up in selling you the newest and percieved best. Not everybody wants to be the next TDF rider. You should be happy to be whoever you are without being criticised for your choices. Just because it was made yesterday does not always mean it is better. I think if you would actually include most of the real world you will find they are happily cycling away on flat pedalled bikes.