Why did pedals you can ride in any shoe go out of fashion?

[freiston]

Hideous things, the worst of all worlds.

When I exclusively used SPDs, I was of the same mind and used double-sided pedals but for various reasons, I ride a lot in walking footwear now but I still like to wear SPDs for some rides. I did consider just swapping pedals but I got a pair of dual sided pedals and tbh don't find them much of a faff at all when using SPDs (or the other way round). If I'm in traffic and need to set off, on the odd occasion that I don't get the pedal right side up, I can set off regardless and flip it when convenient and safe to do so. Certainly a lot easier than toe clips with straps.

You want your right foot clipped in, left foot on proppy uppy duties.

For most folk right is the leading leg and makes for a quicker getaway. It also means that if you fall youll fall away from the traffic.

I am very much "left sided" - hands, feet and eyes, and have never been able to mount/dismount from/to the left, and feel too awkward putting my left foot down at junctions etc. I realise that safety wise, I would be better off doing it the other way round and I have tried but I really am not good enough at it to be competent or safe. Dismounting to the right, I can do it clipped in whilst still moving

 

[C R]

I am very much "left sided" - hands, feet and eyes, and have never been able to mount/dismount from/to the left, and feel too awkward putting my left foot down at junctions etc. I realise that safety wise, I would be better off doing it the other way round and I have tried but I really am not good enough at it to be competent or safe. Dismounting to the right, I can do it clipped in whilst still moving

I am the opposite, very right sided, and yet, I have never been able to start pedalling with my left foot down, and not for lack of trying.

 

[Drago]

Some folk are just wired like that. Despite my dark warnings of potential death and unpleasantness some of my students just couldn't stop leading left-side

 

[Mike_P]

Some folk are just wired like that. Despite my dark warnings of potential death and unpleasantness some of my students just couldn't stop leading left-side

I don't follow that, in the event of losing balance away from yout standing right leg there is typically going to be verge or pavement normally rather than passing traffic. Positively there may be a fence or wall which will stop the overbalance.

 

[Gwylan]

When I exclusively used SPDs, I was of the same mind and used double-sided pedals but for various reasons, I ride a lot in walking footwear now but I still like to wear SPDs for some rides. I did consider just swapping pedals but I got a pair of dual sided pedals and tbh don't find them much of a faff at all when using SPDs (or the other way round). If I'm in traffic and need to set off, on the odd occasion that I don't get the pedal right side up, I can set off regardless and flip it when convenient and safe to do so. Certainly a lot easier than toe clips with straps.

I am very much "left sided" - hands, feet and eyes, and have never been able to mount/dismount from/to the left, and feel too awkward putting my left foot down at junctions etc. I realise that safety wise, I would be better off doing it the other way round and I have tried but I really am not good enough at it to be competent or safe. Dismounting to the right, I can do it clipped in whilst still moving

Never thought about it until now.

I walk my bike on my left hand side. Mount and dismount from my left hand side.
There's two possible reasons for that.
I'm left handed and it feels natural .
But I really got into cycling when I lived in Europe. There it's the safe side to avoid dismounting into traffic.

Thinking back, 60+ years, when cycling to school you had to dismount from the right.
That was so you could raise your cap to the master on gate duty and guide your bike.
My things have changed

 

[Drago]

I don't follow that, in the event of losing balance away from yout standard right leg there is typically going to be verge or pavement normally rather than passing traffic. Positively there may be a fence or wall which will stop the overbalance.

In UK traffic if you're left foot down, right on the pedal, youre leaning away from the traffic flow. If you fall you will go in the direction you are leaning - physics makes it very difficult to do otherwise - and you will land on the verge/footway/sleeping hobo (delete as applicable).

If youre right foot down in the UK youre leaning towards the carriageway. If you fall you will will fall into the road, which isn't a good thing.

Most people lead from the right leg and I've often wondered how that factored in countries where folk drive on the left as it would mean starting from the weaker leg for the majority of riders. I only ever taught advanced road skills in the UK so never got the answer to that one. I am still an IPMBA member so could probably find out if anyone is really interested.

Never thought about it until now.

I walk my bike on my left hand side. Mount and dismount from my left hand side.
There's two possible reasons for that.
I'm left handed and it feels natural .
But I really got into cycling when I lived in Europe. There it's the safe side to avoid dismounting into traffic.

Thinking back, 60+ years, when cycling to school you had to dismount from the right.
That was so you could raise your cap to the master on gate duty and guide your bike.
My things have changed

Where possible when pushing keep the bike between you and the traffic. Again, if you fall it makes it less likely youll end up having your head run over.

If youre not alongside the road then push from the left, the UK nearside. If you fall or drop the bike theres less chance of becoming entangled in the drive train, which had been known to cause very serious injury for the unlucky.

As I mentioned above, some of my students were wired up in such a way that they struggled with this sort of thing. I didn't used to get hung up on it. It's best practice and not the ten commandments. Just so long as riders are aware of the consequences, and thus thinking carefully as they go, its not such a big deal.

 

[Mike_P]

Never fallen to the right when stopped. To the left yes.

 

[Drago]

Ive never broken a leg. Doesn't mean I never will if it goes wrong for me.

This is nothing more than best practice. Both syllabussesses (syllabi?) that I'm qualified to teach arrived ay almost identical conclusions despite being developed in isolation on different sides of the Atlantic. The common factor being they're each written in the blood of those that went before them and got it wrong.

You carry on doing whatever you fancy, but I can guarantee you one thing - Next time you stop in traffic youll be thinking about all this. That alone will have made your a better road user through the mere act of engaging brain.

 

[Mike_P]

Unlikely. My arthritic left knee is not one to rely on.

 

[Webbo2]

Left foot on the ground and push on right pedal. The option for those of us who are more mobile is leap on to the saddle feet on pedals and away you go. Then for stoping as you slow down un clip your right foot swing your leg over and as you come to halt place right foot on floor whilst also unclipping your left foot.
See MVP, Wout or Tom Pidcock for a masterclass in this.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I am quite happy stopping with either foot down
and starting with either foot and pedal up

just depend on which is more convenient
normally that would be left foot on kerb at a junction or whatever
but right foot is fine

What I cannot do is mount from the right
I realised a while ago when I had too much free time and tried it a few times

basically my brain reckons it is impossible and refuses!!!