Using clipless pedals for the first time

[Racing roadkill]

What position can you achieve using clips that you cannot achieve with flat pedals?

even if you didn’t have to contend with jolts from the road surface this would be very difficult / nigh on impossible with flat pedals.

 

[RoadRider400]

I can’t pedal with the front of my foot (ie ball of foot just behind toes) which is where clipless positions the foot (even with cleats as far back as possible). I don’t have the required flexion to turn the pedal without excruciating pain. On flats, I can position the pedal below my arch or heel as less flexion is needed. However, that then affects other joints like hip and ankle

Sounds like a right conundrum. How are they going to resolve the flexion problem? I presume thats the root cause of all of this. I dont expect many people would do very well if they were forced into having a pedal contact point near the heel.

 

[vickster]

Sounds like a right conundrum. How are they going to resolve the flexion problem? I presume thats the root cause of all of this. I dont expect many people would do very well if they were forced into having a pedal contact point near the heel.

Indeed. Partly it’s swelling due to the arthritis, pain due to the damage to the bone surfaces in all three compartments, partly due to muscle imbalance between quad, hamstring, calf. There may not be a solution, but giving the physio a go (compex sessions and gym work)

Gained nothing in terms of bend in 6 weeks though. I did manage 5 miles clipped in however a couple of weeks ago. 4 or 5 months ago I couldn’t even turn the pedals 5 times clipped in without excruciating pain!!
If it stays dry, I’ll give it another go with the cleats at the weekend

 

[raleighnut]

View attachment 505155
even if you didn’t have to contend with jolts from the road surface this would be very difficult / nigh on impossible with flat pedals.

Chain's slack

 

[Racing roadkill]

Chain's slack

I think it’s to do with the stupid oval chainrings.

 

[boydj]

The one where you lay on the road on your side still clipped in

Done that a couple of times. The only clipless moment I've had was in queuing traffic where the car in front started off and then stopped again almost immediately, for no apparent reason. I'd just clipped in and didn't have time to clip out. The other time was when I hit a patch of ice on a roundabout and was on my ***e before I knew it, still clipped in. In both instances it took a moment or two to get untangled and get enough leverage to free a foot.

On the other hand, there have been a few occasions over the years where I've come out of the other end of an incident still upright, with one or both feet on the ground and no idea how I managed to unclip.

 

[Sharky]

What position can you achieve using clips that you cannot achieve with flat pedals?

Try cornering on a trike with your weight over the inside wheel, 1 ft away from the cross bar and the outside foot firmly attached to the pedal to stop you hitting the ground. Try that with flats.

 

[slowmotion]

I found this clip useful for setting up the cleat position.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2BXOkM-wHs

Even though I practiced for a while just leaning against a wall, I came unstuck within five minutes of going out for the first time, the bike firmly attached to my feet with my body horizontal on the tarmac. You just have to have a sense of humour while you learn to anticipate the circumstances that can cause your downfall.

Edit: Watch out for re-clipping in by mistake!

 

[Seevio]

When using clipless make sure your shoes are of sufficient quality that the clips dont move in the sole. It's not A Good Thing (tm) when you pull up, twist your foot and nothing happens. Thankfully, in my case, panic induced brute force saved me on those occasions.

That said, I prefer clipless and if I could reasonably buy spd Doctor Marten boots, I would have clipless on all my bikes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

There is of course the other kind of clipless problem when you don't do the bolts tight enough, the cleat shifts and the shoe becomes jammed. Happened to me once. I ended up walking through a railway station wearing one shoe, wheeling my bike to which the other was firmly attached.

 

[markmcloughlin1]

Update:
I did it!
Give them a test run whilst I was on the turbo trainer then went on the roads today, took me a while getting used to getting the left foot to clip in but I got there in the end, but unsteady on traffic lights still- I think it’s more of a panic. It’s a new world!

 

[12boy]

Indeed. Partly it’s swelling due to the arthritis, pain due to the damage to the bone surfaces in all three compartments, partly due to muscle imbalance between quad, hamstring, calf. There may not be a solution, but giving the physio a go (compex sessions and gym work)

Gained nothing in terms of bend in 6 weeks though. I did manage 5 miles clipped in however a couple of weeks ago. 4 or 5 months ago I couldn’t even turn the pedals 5 times clipped in without excruciating pain!!
If it stays dry, I’ll give it another go with the cleats at the weekend

Have you ever considered getting Rolfed? It is a deep massage system which looks to free movement by manipulating the tendons ad ligaments which control movement, to oversimplify. It won't repair arthritic joints, it costs a lot and it can be excruciating, but in my case, it worked to create stretch and flexibility I really needed. It might well address your muscle issues. Don't know if you this flavor of t torture available there, but it might help if you do.

 

[vickster]

Have you ever considered getting Rolfed? It is a deep massage system which looks to free movement by manipulating the tendons ad ligaments which control movement, to oversimplify. It won't repair arthritic joints, it costs a lot and it can be excruciating, but in my case, it worked to create stretch and flexibility I really needed. It might well address your muscle issues. Don't know if you this flavor of t torture available there, but it might help if you do.

Never heard of it. I have had a couple of deeply uncomfortable sports massages since starting the physio though!
The real issue unfortunately is nothing can repair extensively arthritic joints, at least not yet, only little bits and even then it's hit and miss

 

[antnee]

I can second the above reply as have ridden both clipped and flat with a bad knee for the last three years I get by when not riding by doing leg and knee strengthening exercises that the physio gave after many trips of 100+ miles one of my knees gave out. But thats another saga As to Look pedals I invested in a carbon pair last year and admittedly it took a little time to get use them but I had been used to SPD type double sided type which where easy to clip in and out of though the SPD SL clipless does take a little practice but I personally ok to pedal with though I did loosen the tension off to start with but as I got use to them tightened them up agian and wouldn't be without them now.

 

[antnee]

Well if you have arthritic joints, And of course in the knees is for a cyclist one of the worst places but you can just try and lower your sights I'm afraid as I had to after my injury as being 72 I don't seem the have energy I did even three years ago before my knee