Why be efficient?

[onlyhuman]

I'm cycling for exercise, to get fit. I understand that clipping your feet to the pedals is supposed to increase your efficiency. But doesn't that mean you will have to ride further to get the same amount of exercise?

If you are cycling non-competitively, is there any good reason for pedal clips?

 

[Dayvo]

Welcome to the CC forum, onlyhuman!

Watch this for a concise explanation of the benefits of going clipless.

http://www.ehow.com/video_2358284_cycling-shoes-clips.html

Enjoy the forum!

 

[onlyhuman]

Hi Dayvo,

There's some terminological confusion here. The guy in your video about going clipless spends most of his time talking about clips!

For the sake of clarity, my question is about the reason for using any kind of attachment between the foot and the pedal. I don't use any kind of clip. The guy in the video talks about how clips will increase your efficiency. My question is, why would I want to increase my efficiency, if my goal is exercise?

 

[Sittingduck]

So you can go faster and further for added enjoyment and benefit?

 

[Dayvo]

You get a smoother pedaling action; your foot is fixed at a comfortable spot on the pedal eliminating the risk of your foot slipping off the pedal on downhills or concerted efforts going uphill.

More effort goes into the pedal, as opposed being 'lost' in the soft sole of a shoe/training shoe.

The cycling shoe (whichever your chosen preference for cycling is) is made for that purpose, as opposed to a trainer that is not supportive, and will get very wet in wet conditions.

Confusingly, the clipless pedal is called so as it refers to the lack of an external toe clip (cage), but not to be confused with platform pedals without toe clips.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[palinurus]

If your goal is fitness cycling then clipless pedals make a lot of sense.

For shopping and other utility riding around town etc. they are unnecessary.

If you become more efficient you can still get the same amount of exercise in a given time by going faster.

In the UK they are called clipless pedals- since they replaced traditional toe clips and cleats. Americans call them clip-in pedals, which makes a bit more sense to me.

 

[fido]

I cycled clipless for years but these days just wear sturdy trainers with flatties. Admittedly the main reason for this is the fact that most of my riding is commuting/ general transport and it was a pain in the arse carrying spare shoes.There's a point here somewhere...Oh yeah - My daily commute is a 26 mile round trip and I honestly prefer my flat pedals these days to riding clipless. So I guess I'm saying there's probably no need to go clipless unless you wanted to.

 

[Jim_Noir]

I prefer flats and my running shoes to cycle in, that said I have never tried the clipless ones. I know a guy who broke his shin bone coming of his bike with clipless, so it puts me off a bit.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

Harking back to your original post, the benefits are that you can use more muscle groups going clipless.

Without clips your cycling relies largely on your quads, straightening your leg as you push down on the pedal. With clips you can also use hamstrings and glutes as you "pedal in circles" and get benefit from actively contracting your leg.

So, go clipless, get a more complete workout.

 

[onlyhuman]

You get a smoother pedaling action; your foot is fixed at a comfortable spot on the pedal eliminating the risk of your foot slipping off the pedal on downhills or concerted efforts going uphill.

More effort goes into the pedal, as opposed being 'lost' in the soft sole of a shoe/training shoe.

The cycling shoe (whichever your chosen preference for cycling is) is made for that purpose, as opposed to a trainer that is not supportive, and will get very wet in wet conditions.

Confusingly, the clipless pedal is called so as it refers to the lack of an external toe clip (cage), but not to be confused with platform pedals without toe clips.

Hope that helps a bit.

Thanks Dayvo,

I have been reading a bit about clips, and I see people talking about "if your knee hurts here, move the clip this way" and so on. But my feet and knees are already comfortable. I ride on disused railways and across country, I'm not sure I want to be fastened onto the bike. My feet don't fly off the pedals very often!

If some effort is lost in the soles of my trainers, and in all the other ways I am inefficient, then I am getting more exercise.

I'm not convinced yet.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

Then you need to feel the difference you get when, as you go up a hill, you start to drive your knees towards the handlebars and get that extra spurt of pace. You become more economic because of the range of muscle groups involved and because you spread the work over the full pedal cycle and not just a "chop" stroke - not because you eliminate trainer sole compression.

To be honest though, if you want to maximise your benefit from being on a bike, then you need to think about what you are doing when you rde. Do you chuck in short bursts of really high effort? Research on High Intensity Training suggests this can work wonders (and it's easier clipless). If you do intervals, going clipless will probablu help the quality. Low intensity recovery rides or long slow rides to recruit muscle fibres? Efficient is better.

 

[Dan B]

If you are cycling non-competitively, is there any good reason for pedal clips?

Because they're more fun. If you're cycling to get fit and you don't enjoy it, really, you might as well take up running instead.

 

[Banjo]

Thanks Dayvo,

I have been reading a bit about clips, and I see people talking about "if your knee hurts here, move the clip this way" and so on. But my feet and knees are already comfortable. I ride on disused railways and across country, I'm not sure I want to be fastened onto the bike. My feet don't fly off the pedals very often!

If some effort is lost in the soles of my trainers, and in all the other ways I am inefficient, then I am getting more exercise.

I'm not convinced yet.

I have had similar thoughts to this concerning choice of bike. My bike is a fairly heavy hybrid with flat pedals panniers and other junk attatched an hours riding on this must burn more calories than an hours riding on a lightweight flier?

 

[Joe]

Light fast bikes with clipless are more fun, fact.
They also generally have gears which you can use to magically make things harder, negating any extra workout you'd be getting from your tank and at the same time making you faster. Did I mention it's more fun?

 

[tyred]

I don't think they're absolutely necessary. I do ride with toe clips on straps on my SS road bike and I feel they do offer an advantage as I can pedal a very fast cadence in my relatively low gear and keep my feet on the pedals. On my geared bikes, I don't see the need as my normal pedalling style is a relatively low cadence in the higher gears and I have no trouble keeping my feet on the pedals. It also allows you to position the feet wherever you find comfortable and you can ride in any footwear, even wellingtons! I have no imtemtions of changing to clipless.

Have a look at this: http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse