spds or flats?

[Andy in Sig]

A way for me to go yet. Took a day off after the 34 mile ride, and legs needed it

Won't be doing much this week, given the high winds forecast, but hope to be up to 50 plus miles by next month.

BTW- Going up hills, I do find I use pull strokes a lot, as well as when accelerating. Just seems the right thing to do? Without clips, you must lose so much, and make the push stroke much harder in comparison, surely?

Without a doubt going up a slope unckipped - and I had enough slopes yesterday - is pure push work. I find the trick is to get down the gears and to do slow, powerful pushes as opposed to tearing away at it. I suppose I'll really feel the benefit when I can be bothered to start clipping in.

 

[wafflycat]

I do see how clips are better, the logic is flawless...but I'm not sure it's me. We'll see. One day...

I was a reluctant convert to clipless pedals. I'd cycled as a kid and an adult using normal pedals. They suited me fine, thank you and I could see no need to even try clipless of any type.

Now I would not willingly go back to using 'normal' or flat pedals.

Basically, I was given a pair of Look road shoes for free. So Mr Wafflycat biught me a set of Look pedals. Yes, I had a clipless moment practising using clipless. But clipping in and out rapidly becomes second-nature and is done swiftly and easily - even in traffic.

The difference using clipless makes is *noticeable* basically they make your pedalling much more efficient, as you are pulling the pedal up as well as pushing it down. So you push less for the same speed as when you are on 'normal' flat pedals. Where it's really noticable is on any kind of uphill - clipless makes getting uphill easier.

Also - when I was using flat pedals, be they with or without toeclips (and I could never get toeclips strapped tightly), I had a permanent pain in my shins - due to the pushing action in pedalling. Switched to clipless and this ache disappeared overnight. Literally overnight.

I was in my mid-forties when I changed to clipless and I'd never willingly go back to using 'normal' pedals ever again.

 

[Cathryn]

Hmmm....see, I'd take the advice from Waffles cuz she's a girl as well...sexist? Me? Never.

Maybe one day

 

[snorri]

My new Dawes had toe clips with straps, after a few thousand miles one of the straps wore through. After a while the other strap broke, but I just carried on without the straps finding the toe clips adequate. I am not too bothered about performance and after over 15K on the Dawes find the convenience of being able to cycle with whichever shoes I happen to be wearing at the time makes the clips the best option for me.
Maybe I'm just too casual to be a real cyclist.

 

[HJ]

I was in my mid-forties ...

but you don't look a day over 30...

 

[wafflycat]

but you don't look a day over 30...

Why thank you!