Rookie needs help!

[KQuinn]

Thanks so much for all the answers, you are all very nice!!

My pedals are prowheel ounce shimano, and I wear road force shoes.
To be fair now, I did go on a little ride after the fall, and was really scared.
I fell in the most ridiculous way too, trying to get going the first time without holding on to something. I practiced before. One foot was clipped in, the other one wasn't, lost momentum, fell on the clipped wheel side. I actually had time to yelp "f**k"! Let me just say I think cycling is a spectators sport, my neighbors had great time watching the scene. Freak show live in tyrone!!

I think I will swap to flats for a little bit.
Thank you again everyone!!!

 

[paul04]

Welcome to the website

 

[Dayvo]

If you have the opportunity, you should try and use your shoes on a spinning bike. There you can clip in/out to your heart's content without any risk of falling off.

It WILL become second nature to you.

Keep at it.

And welcome the forum.

 

[andrew_rc46]

HI AND WELCOME,
A girl at my work did just the same, now she refuses to wear them and only rides flat pedals.
I would say ride with what ever you're comfortable in

 

[Berk on a Bike]

I replied to your post on a different thread without reading the background first. I think if you're an absolute beginner, flat platform pedals are the order of the day. I rode using the flat pedals my bike came with for the first 9 months or so; getting used to riding in traffic and navigating the streets was paramount. When I eventually went clipless I chose SPD as mentioned by other posters. I use the double sided type and still have them on the easiest setting to twist out of. I stacked three times - including once in front of my wife and kids (they stopped laughing eventually) - because it seems no matter how much you practice it will happen more likely than not. At one point I switched back to flats because of, quite simply, nerves and a sheer distrust in my own ability. But the key is perseverance. The SPDs are back on and using them is now second nature. So I'd suggest build up confidence as a road user first (I doubt you'll need 9 months) then finesse your riding with the clipless.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The big problem with flats, starts when you get into the reasonable mileage. Because clipless pedals allow you to actively pull up and push down, you don't waste energy, and allow your leg muscles to switch off on the up stroke. It's just a whole lot nicer on a long ride to have the option of clipless pedals. Also, because the pedalling is more efficient, you can go faster, and for longer, without a refuel stop.

 

[KQuinn]

Welcome to the website

Thanks Paul!

 

[KQuinn]

I replied to your post on a different thread without reading the background first. I think if you're an absolute beginner, flat platform pedals are the order of the day. I rode using the flat pedals my bike came with for the first 9 months or so; getting used to riding in traffic and navigating the streets was paramount. When I eventually went clipless I chose SPD as mentioned by other posters. I use the double sided type and still have them on the easiest setting to twist out of. I stacked three times - including once in front of my wife and kids (they stopped laughing eventually) - because it seems no matter how much you practice it will happen more likely than not. At one point I switched back to flats because of, quite simply, nerves and a sheer distrust in my own ability. But the key is perseverance. The SPDs are back on and using them is now second nature. So I'd suggest build up confidence as a road user first (I doubt you'll need 9 months) then finesse your riding with the clipless.

Thanks, I think this is just what I will do!

 

[KQuinn]

The big problem with flats, starts when you get into the reasonable mileage. Because clipless pedals allow you to actively pull up and push down, you don't waste energy, and allow your leg muscles to switch off on the up stroke. It's just a whole lot nicer on a long ride to have the option of clipless pedals. Also, because the pedalling is more efficient, you can go faster, and for longer, without a refuel stop.

Hi Roadkill (good name lol), thanks for the explanation, every little snippet of info is welcome!

 

[rd83]

From a beginners point of view, start with flats but don't bin the SPDs just yet! I went straight to SPDSL on my road bike as I'd already ridden other bikes. I found getting going the hardest bit, make sure the bike is in a low enough gear, clip one foot in, drag it back to 12 o'clock position and push off. You should have enough momentum to then get your other foot clipped in. No dramas un-cliping yet, just practice against before going out. It soon becomes natural. Always unclip the same foot first, get a routine - I always unclip left first - this also means I 'm not leaning into traffic. As others have said the real advantage is the efficiency of always having your foot in the right place and being able to lift when the other leg is pushing.

 

[burndust]

Go with whats more comfortable...clipless does make a lot of difference though as mentioned already....dont worry about falling off it happens to everyone sooner or later

 

[mjr]

The big problem with flats, starts when you get into the reasonable mileage. Because clipless pedals allow you to actively pull up and push down, you don't waste energy, and allow your leg muscles to switch off on the up stroke. It's just a whole lot nicer on a long ride to have the option of clipless pedals. Also, because the pedalling is more efficient, you can go faster, and for longer, without a refuel stop.

The "more efficient" thing is a myth, isn't it? The best study I've seen so far says that clips allow you more peak power at the cost of a little efficiency. Probably worthwhile for racers, but in ordinary pedalling, there's no signficant difference.

Meanwhile, the injury risk from falling over if you fail to unclip is real. A lot of people who criticise flat pedals seem to do so on the basis of the cheap plastic junk that comes "free" on lots of bikes - and I suspect sometimes a bit of justifying their own purchases.

I've been riding for decades and I have ridden with clips, but I'm no racer, so I've used flat pedals for most of the time. Most non-racing riders would be better off with grippy flat pedals and sprung saddles, but there's no way I'll persuade many people of that on here ;-)

 

[rd83]

In my case the efficiency thing comes more from having my foot in the right place, also less chance of me sticking a size 12 into my front tyre or chain stays!

Would be interested to see the study btw, I like things like that.

 

[jonny jeez]

Hi KQuinn and welcome.

You're not a real cyclist until you have suffered a clipless moment, so you are way ahead of the curve there, well played!

As most have said, if riding is totally new to you then take some time out on flats for a while, then migrate to clipless. When you do, adjust the springs on the pedals to loosen then to the lightest setting.

I've been riding clipless for a good long time (like 15 years) and still have my pedals at the lowest setting.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The efficiency thing is certainly not a myth. I did a 220 mile round trip two times last year. On the second time I broke an SPDSL axel about 5 miles into the ride. I did the whole ride on a decent set of flats, which I had in my bag. My legs felt like they didn't belong to my body after doing it on the flats, versus the clipless. The amount of time and effort expended by constantly having to reposition your feet, every time you hit the many many pot holes you will encounter along the way, over that sort of distance, together with the extra muscle switching really does kill your legs in double quick time. And I'd really like to see someone get a decent cadence with flats, it's just not going to happen. I've crushed my nuts on the crossbar by slipping off of flats, in the wet, a couple of times. I'd rather fall over in a clipless moment every day of the week to be fair.