I was pretty solid and problem free for the first few weeks I was in clipless pedals, actually -- it wasn't until I got more comfortable and confident that I had a few red light topple-overs. Those are the worst; embarrasing and mysteriously rough on the legs. The few times I've done that I've come away with chunks missings from my knees and blood down to my socks.

Also, fairly early on, I started bonking on a climb and couldn't get a leg out quick enough once my forward velocity dribbled to zero. Pretty dopey looking.

Well, it's been quite some time (knock on carbon fiber) since I've had a mishap...

Rode 50 miles down a very busy main road the day i bought my first racing bike with clipless pedals. No problems. Felt strange at first but i soon got used to it. Never fallen off though i've had a few very close calls!
Always try to anticipate when i have to release my foot from the pedal. This gives me the time to safely disengage.

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Fausto Coppi after being asked the quickest way to improve fitness: Ride your bike!!, Ride your bike!!, Ride your bike!!

The damage always come when in a panic stop or when we're drain, most other time we're prepared.

Yep, compacency sets in I guess....

One problem I've had on my first two rides with my new Clipless is that as I'm approaching a Traffic Light, or any other place where I anticipate I'm gonna have to stop is that I'm concentrating so much on making sure I get out of the Pedal I forget to change down gears before I stop so I can take off again, I had to get off my Bike twice at the Lights, change to an easier Gear, get back on, then wait for the NEXT Green light...

I just casually check other stuff on my Bike to make any casual spectators think I'm making an adjustment or something...

Yeah, downshifting is a good strategy (especially while you're still getting comfortable with clipless pedals), and training your brain to instinctively think of gears, feet, and traffic lights in one breath can take a little time.

It all becomes second nature after a short while, though. Just keep acting like you know what you're doing in public (making an adjustment -- LoL) until the whole operation is smooth.



What pedals are you using, anyways? Not to get back on the Speedplay soapbox, but easy dual-sided entry flattens the learning curve considerably...

I haven't quite gone clipless yet - I ordered the pedals and the shoes off the net last week and the pedals have arrived but not the shoes yet. I've gone for Shimano PD-R535 pedals, basically because they were cheap. Now having read this thread I'm beginning to wonder if the cheap pedal might end up costing me more in scrapes and bruises...

If I don't let you know how I get on, assume I didn't live to tell the tale...

Made my first journey last week as well. Had a hell of a time getting clipped in, particualrly right foot. Finally had to take off shoe, clip it in, get on bihke, slip shoe on and push off from the wall! Rode 8 miles w/ no problem (loved 'em.... only 8 miles cuz it was 37degrees and windy!). Got all the way home and nearly crashed at my garage door. Decided to unclip left foot first and lean on it to then remove right. When I unclipped left, it threw my balance to the right and I started going over.... only shear panic allowed me to twist right foot out (new bike and did not want to go down on cement!). Tips for next time? How do I reduce tension on right foot (wellgo RAM 4's)??
-Jeff

I don't think there's anything wrong with the R535s. You should be fine with them. Dual-sided entry is a nice feature of some road pedal makes, and many mountain pedals, but it's far from an industry standard. Many of the best and most popular road pedals and pedal types are single-sided only -- pretty much every road-specific model from Time, Look, and Shimano, to name the big ones.

There are likely to be minor performance issues with the R535s as opposed to pricier models, but they shouldn't keep you from learning the basics and enjoying the benefits of clipless riding. Fancier models might offer smoother entry or exit, or more float options; they're also likely lighter in the gram department. Nothing that makes your selection junk by comparison -- just a little less refined.

Good luck! Clipless is the way to go!

What pedals are you using, anyways? Not to get back on the Speedplay soapbox, but easy dual-sided entry flattens the learning curve considerably... [/B][/QUOTE]

Don't laugh, I ride a Road Bike (Felt) and have dual sided MTB Pedals, I already had the Shimano Shoes so the cleats fitted..my LBS Guy said it would be good to use double entry first, then when I get used to Clipless put them on my MTB and Buy new shoes/pedals for my Road Bike...

Does this make sense?

That's totally common... common enough, I'd even say, that it's not even a real faux pas among fanatics. Many cyclists do it simply because most MTB cleat systems and shoes are less clunky to walk around on; others find it the cheapest and easiest way to have dual-sided pedals, particularly if you'd like to have one set of shoes/cleats for use on multiple bikes (cross, road, mtb, commuter, spinning, whatever).

I know plenty of riders and racers that don't pay too much attention to mtb or road designations on pedal systems.

I know plenty of riders and racers that don't pay too much attention to mtb or road designations on pedal systems. [/B][/QUOTE]

Thanx for the reply...

I don't know whether you read my first post on this that originated this thread, but the Shimano VP helped me with my Pedals/Cleats/Shoes etc, and he said almost what you did... "Road shoes are for riding only"

I've never worn Road shoes with Cleats, so I can't compare, but my Shimano MTB shoes sure are comfy to walk in...

Well, I just got back from my first clipless ride - the shoes only arrived this morning after the first pair having to go back because they were too small. Anyone buying Shimano shoes take note - buy a size or two bigger than you normally take. I guess this probably isn't an issue for those who have access to a decent LBS (mine is rubbish so I have to rely on mail order).

Anyway, what can I say about clipless riding....

WOO! YAY! I love it!

It's really weird at first. I wasn't sure if I'd even got the cleats in until I tried to lift my foot away and the pedal came with it. The cleats that came with the PDR pedals are quite narrow so it feels like there's quite a lot of 'float' - it feels a bit like ice skating but I can see why it might be a good thing to have a bit of float.

I went round the block a few times and managed not to fall off. Nearly went for a tumble first time I tried to dismount but fortunately there was a parked car to lean on. And I had a bit of difficulty at a set of lights where I got one foot down but almost lost my balance so had to release my other foot, then when the lights went green I couldn't get my cleats back in and made a mess of getting away.

At one point I came to a busy junction and had to queue, so I released one foot and used it to stabilise myself while using the other foot to pedal. Felt a bit smug after pulling that one off.

The best thing is that it really does feel like you are getting more out of your pedalling without actually having to put more effort in. And it seems to make a big difference to going up hills too. I can't wait to get out on my bike again for a proper ride...

There really should be a warning on this thread: Do not eat or drink while reading. LOL

I had been getting used to pedal cages in spinning class a year ago. When I got my Haro in July, it had them as well so I figured "why not?". I always start out with my right foot and then would have a difficult time getting my left foot in, so probably 50% of the time I'd have a free left foot.

Then my SO bought new pedals for his mtn bike and I put his old ones on mine. I had gotten a great deal on mtb shoes at our LBS and had been wearing them anyway. Let's just say I was only giggling while reading this because I have BTDT!

Luckily no stop light tumbles yet (but that will come with the new road bike I'm sure!) but I am the master of taking one foot out and tipping over on the other side. There can be nothing worse than knowing you have one foot free and it's the wrong one! Can't tell you how many times I've caught up to DH and I get this look with "why are you all dirty?"

Now, so you can giggle at me as much as I have you: my first moutain biking excursion. With my trusty little Huffy (laugh if you must but I could go down hills better in that than my Haro for the simple reason that front and rear brakes on full were the perfect speed. I have to be really careful of braking on the better bike!). anyway we're at the local reserviour and going up one of the dikes. One of the guys is pretty slow up hills and I bump his rear wheel with my front and then can't keep my balance going that slow, so I stop and straddle the bike. *I have both feet on the ground!* I adjust my feet a little and because I'm on the edge of the dike, my left foot goes down way futher and I lose my balance and tumble down the hill with the bike. I did one full head over heels with the bike still in my hands. I also remember thinking "this is going to blow if I fall all the way down, it's a long walk back up!". The bike and I finally parted company and I did a couple more tumbles before stopping. My friends just looked at me with their jaws dropped, especially the ones in the back that had seen me stop and rest with both feet on the ground.

Hey, all I gotta say is - it was the most graceful fall of the day!


Diane

Spent two months practiceing on the cycletrainer during the winter : scared myself half to death first time in traffic when some moron backed out of a side road without looking .
At Indy they say there are two types of driver : those that have hit the wall and those that are going to .
Same thing , hands up everybody thats´ had an " idiot " fall when they couldn´t unclip ?

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' too old to rock 'n' roll : too young to die '

I've had my share of falls on clipless pedals. I started out with SPDs and have gotten used to them. I can click in and out fairly quickly in an emergency. I purchased a set of SPD SLs late last year sometime and love them for the fact that it has a wider platform for really putting power to the pedals and they clip in and don't release until you really want them to. Unfortunately, because they are single sided, I am still getting used to getting into them esp. going up a slight upgrade. I need to look down to see where the pedals are oriented so I can clip in whereas with my SPDs, I can feel my way into them. On many ocassions, I had to pedal with my right foot only a couple of revolutions before I can get my left foot clipped in at stop lights or when starting up an incline. Hopefully I will get better in clipping in as time progresses. Double sided entry definitely is easier to clip in if you are just starting out with clipless.