New shoes and pedals

[vickster]

I think I'd rather fall over with people around, lots of people to help if I hurt myself!

You're unlikely to hurt yourself other than your pride (you're unlikely to end up with even less than from your recent off if that's feasible )...that said my knee bears a scar from where I caught myself on a mudguard stay I think

If you come off in the middle of a junction due to a failed trackstand, I suppose there's an outside chance you might get run over

 

[mjr]

Just brought my first pair of bike shoes and clipless pedals. Wish me luck! Nervous as heck, convinced that I will fall off at some point!

Good luck, but what's motivated this change? I don't see the point any more unless racing.

 

[Welsh wheels]

You're unlikely to hurt yourself other than your pride (you're unlikely to end up with even less than from your recent off if that's feasible )...that said my knee bears a scar from where I caught myself on a mudguard stay I think

If you come off in the middle of a junction due to a failed trackstand, I suppose there's an outside chance you might get run over

Haha thanks

 

[Welsh wheels]

Good luck, but what's motivated this change? I don't see the point any more unless racing.

The desire to try the only thing about cycling I have no experience with and also I reckon they could be safer. I slipped off my flats the other day sustaining the horrific/very minor injury to my leg which has been the subject of much forum amusement. If I really dont get on with them, I can always just use my flats.

 

[cosmicbike]

I think I'd rather fall over with people around, lots of people to help if I hurt myself!

Just laugh it off.
Fall 1 was whilst I slowed to watch a bird of prey hovering at WGP, I came to a standstill and gracefully collapsed onto the tarmac. No harm doen other than torn leggings.
Fall 2, into a bush whilst dropping off something to SWMBO at school. Chuckled to myself, thankfully it was not drop off or pick up time.
Fall 3, nearly meeting @vickster requirements, whilst moving slowly in traffic and waiting to turn right. Leant the wrong way and met the tarmac again. Chaon off but no damage to me, and a couple of drivers stopped to make sure I was OK which was nice.

I think the trick is not to put your hand out, but let the shoulder take the hit....

 

[mick1836]

I went clipless several months ago now and have 'fallen off' three times each time was because I left un-clipping too late and once when I got the first puncture in my new bike I was thinking about the puncture and forgot I was clipped in?

As I have previously stated when approaching junctions or arrival destinations it's easy to remember to un clip, its the unexpected stop that can catch you unawares.

 

[mjr]

The desire to try the only thing about cycling I have no experience with and also I reckon they could be safer. I slipped off my flats the other day sustaining the horrific/very minor injury to my leg which has been the subject of much forum amusement. If I really dont get on with them, I can always just use my flats.

If you go back to flats, as I think I opined in the other thread - get better flat pedals that are harder to slip off and less vicious if you do:

 

[Racing roadkill]

Powwwahhhh = Cadence x Torque. You won't ever be able to get high enough Cadence to be cycling most efficiently, for your exert able torque, if your feet aren't clipped in. Plus the fact you won't look as pro without clipless pedals.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Just laugh it off.
Fall 1 was whilst I slowed to watch a bird of prey hovering at WGP, I came to a standstill and gracefully collapsed onto the tarmac. No harm doen other than torn leggings.
Fall 2, into a bush whilst dropping off something to SWMBO at school. Chuckled to myself, thankfully it was not drop off or pick up time.
Fall 3, nearly meeting @vickster requirements, whilst moving slowly in traffic and waiting to turn right. Leant the wrong way and met the tarmac again. Chaon off but no damage to me, and a couple of drivers stopped to make sure I was OK which was nice.

I think the trick is not to put your hand out, but let the shoulder take the hit....

I uncliped as I joined a queue of traffic at a set of lights, when the lights changed and we started off I clipped back in, a driver in the queue then stalled and we all came to a rapid stop, to rapid I couldn't unclip fast enough and ended up laying on the pavement.

 

[mjr]

Powwwahhhh = Cadence x Torque. You won't ever be able to get high enough Cadence to be cycling most efficiently, for your exert able torque, if your feet aren't clipped in. Plus the fact you won't look as pro without clipless pedals.

Clips allow higher effectiveness not efficiency (but I've discussed this before so let's not repeat it) and I can spin a gear out unclipped - you may be able to too one day if you practice

I'm reminded of @mickle's repost to the clipless FAQ... https://www.cyclechat.net/posts/2039863 "the 360-degrees-of-power argument is just as weak. In studies where efficient, pro pedal-ers and lousy rookie pedalers have been hooked up to machines that measure muscle activity during pedaling, the machines tell us that nobody pulls up on the backstroke. The most efficient pedalers just push down less on the upward moving pedal than the rookies do."

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Clips allow higher effectiveness not efficiency (but I've discussed this before so let's not repeat it) and I can spin a gear out unclipped - you may be able to too one day if you practice

I'm reminded of @mickle's repost to the clipless FAQ... https://www.cyclechat.net/posts/2039863 "the 360-degrees-of-power argument is just as weak. In studies where efficient, pro pedal-ers and lousy rookie pedalers have been hooked up to machines that measure muscle activity during pedaling, the machines tell us that nobody pulls up on the backstroke. The most efficient pedalers just push down less on the upward moving pedal than the rookies do."

Having looked at my own pedalling I would say that yes I pull up, but through most of my cadence all it does is unweight the upward pedal, and I suspect not by a great deal, at a very high cadence I don't even do that because I can't keep up with the moving pedal, the only time it might have any effect is at very low cadence, when pulling away from stationary for example.

 

[youngoldbloke]

After over 50 years of using first clips and straps, with shoeplates, and then clipless - both Look and SPD - I just don't get on with flat pedals anymore. Case of 'old dog, new tricks' - but each to their own .........

 

[Alan O]

Having looked at my own pedalling I would say that yes I pull up.

I was quite sure I did too, after a couple of decades of riding with clips and straps, and I was convinced I couldn't ride with flat pedals. But when I got my MTB last year with flats (and pins) I was really quite amazed to find I could ride just as well with them. (I'm not a racer or competitive in any way, so not at the extremes of anything, and I imagine it's different for those who are).

 

[mjr]

Having looked at my own pedalling I would say that yes I pull up,

What are you using to measure it?

 

[mickle]

Watching a woman with one leg today try to get to grips with pedalling a super low gear fixed wheel trike with a regular toe clip and strap I was reminded that the amount of effort we are able to put into the pedal varies enormously between different points of the circle. Two o'clock and eight o'clock are poles apart.