Advice please: newbies and clipless pedals

Monique Y. Herman <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:EqfPa.27653$H17.8538@sccrnsc02...

Quoted message said:

Stephen Baker said:

Yup! Uh-huh! although I have upgraded from rat-traps to platforms with spikes.

Steve

Quoted message said:

Um, I'll go ahead and show my ignorance here. What are rat traps?

Flat pedals with curved 'cages', made out of flat metal, cut jagged on the edge that is in
touch with the feet - look like small half 'man-trap' type affairs - sometimes known as 'bear
trap pedals'.

Quoted message said:

Could you give me a link of "platforms with spikes"? What on earth does that mean?

Flat pedals, the foot platform cast in one piece (usually), of metal, very similar to the cheapo
plastic ones in appearance - they have sharpish metal pins protruding a few mm from the foot
platform, designed to (and do 'do'😉 grip the soles of the feet well.

Sorry, no link here!

Shaun aRe

Monique Y. Herman <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:AyfPa.26741$Ph3.2275@sccrnsc04...

Quoted message said:

Shaun Rimmer said:

Personally, I wouldn't have dreamed of suggesting you go out, onto the trails, and use clipless
pedals, all on your first ride. Sounds like a

good

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

way to put someone off MTB'ing for life, before they even really got

into

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it.

Heh. My aunt is ... ambitious, and I did want to see what "real" mountain biking (as opposed to
flat dirt roads) was like.

Aye - it was the _combination_ of 'new to' factors I was referring to. Did you have flat pedals you
could have used if you'd wanted? Just a thought.........

Quoted message said:

I think I'm a lot like my aunt -- I wasn't put off; my fall simply etched in my brain that I need
to practice, practice, practice, so that I can kick ass the next time I do that trail ... probably
next year, when I'm out there again.

Cool - doesn't work that way with many, though....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It seems most people fall when they first even change over from flats to clipless, and the
general advice given, is to practice like mad on soft grass or some such before hitting the
trails, to lessen any personal

damage.

Quoted message said:

I've been practicing about every other day since then (stupid work, getting in the way of my fun!)
on loose gravel paths, dirt, and such. There's a little dirt terrain park someone set up near the
apartment, so I've been there a bit, too, thinking about approaches.

There's apparently a wide dirt road that our friends often ride, and it has a singletrack
alongside it, so you can switch from one to the other at will. I think that's my best bet for now
-- slowly switching from "mostly road" to "mostly singletrack."

Good!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anyhow, welcome to MTB'ing - have fun and stay safe.

Thank you!

You're welcome ',;~}~

Shaun aRe -

Monique Y. Herman thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yeah, though, ski bindings handle releasing *for* you, and you don't

tip over if you stop without releasing. I'm pretty used to ski bindings, but it seems like the
similarities start and end with getting *into* them (the easy part), not getting out of them.

As an avid skier, that analogy should stop right there! Although there are paralells in MTB abd
skiing, I think you are a little new to the game to look at them.

My 2¢ is to start with a plat form and then add the clipless in once you get comfortable on your
bike. Then, keep them really loose for a while.

BTW... welcome aboard.

Penny S

--
me and my bike: www.specialtyoutdoors.com/biking.htm

Monique Y. Herman thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Ooh, I've never even heard of such a thing. Could you show me a link?

Is there anything wrong with simply using clipless and clipping out (using my arches to pedal)
during stuff I'm antsy about?

the problem with that it that is doesn't work very well

Quoted message said:

(I think this is the problem: I keep thinking there is a "right" and "wrong" way to approach this
whole topic.)

I tend toward over analysis... I congratulate you on the just do it attitude of your first ride.
IMO, the only real mistake you can make with all of this is to ride clips that are set tight so that
you have to work and think at get outing of them, instead of just releasing.

They really do help with climbs.

Penny

"Penny S." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

... only real mistake you can make with all of this is to ride clips that are set tight so that
you have to work and think at get outing of them, instead of just releasing.

They really do help with climbs.

Penny

It always supprises me that folks new to clipless who have ridden platforms for years don't see the
obvious and keep tension as light as possible with their new clipless pedals. This is easier for
some pedals than other, but most SPD type pedals have a tension adjustment.

Keep them set very loose until your skill with clipping out passes your frustration with
accidental un-clips.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado (remove .nospam. if replying)

Monique Y. Herman said:

Ooh, I've never even heard of such a thing. Could you show me a link?

Is there anything wrong with simply using clipless and clipping out (using my arches to pedal)
during stuff I'm antsy about?

(I think this is the problem: I keep thinking there is a "right" and "wrong" way to approach this
whole topic.)

No, that's what I did for a long, long time. It's just that your foot can get sucked into the clip
if you're not careful (meaning that you're clipped in when you don't want to be), and it's kind of
tiring to pedal on a very small spot or with your heels on the pedals. I've spent countless hours
unclipped and pedaling, so don't worry about it too much. If I had the choice, though, I'd have a
larger platform. It also depends on where you ride. If you ride nothing but fire roads, you might
never have to unclip (although I fell last weekend on a fire road -- I got into a sand trap, tried
to power through and slipped, then couldn't get my foot out of the clip fast enough). Where I ride,
there's a ton of roots on the uphills/downhills, and one mistake means that I walk or fall. There's
also some rock "gardens" that are a bit too challenging for me. So, I tend to be unclipped about 1/3
of my ride.

--
Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply

"Monique Y. Herman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:Xb6Pa.24330$H17.7866@sccrnsc02...

Most experienced MTB'rs always carry a supply of FM in their camelbak for those clipless pedal
excursions. FM is the ticket for clipless pedals, track stands, bunny hops, nose wheelies, two foot
drops, etc.......

Marty

Super Slinky <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Monique Y. Herman said...

Quoted message said:

Hi all!

I would like to get your opinions on mountain-biking newbies starting out on clipless pedals (or
a pointer to the appropriate FAQ, as I suspect that I am not the first to ask this question). As
far as I know, my options are: start with "normal" pedals, start with toe clips, or start with
clipless pedals.

Clipless pedals are for those who have to be the fastest, coolest bikers around. They are a racing
product that trickled down to the average consumer because of the fashion factor, like so many
others in the cycling world. They will make you a little faster and climb a little better, but at
the price of a few extra falls and lots of extra expense and annoyance.

About the only fact mixed in with this tripe is that they make you faster and help you climb. I will
even give you a few extra falls, I had about 4 when I first got started and the worst of the bunch
was a couple of bruises and a scrape. I'm not certain where the "lots of extra expense and anoyance"
comes from.

Quoted message said:

There are many situations where clipless pedals are a nuisance if not a hazard, like city riding
and slow sections of trails where it would be nice to dab a little or where falls could cause
serious injury or worse.

This is [censored], city riding in clipless is not any more hazardous than city riding on platforms.
As far as slow sections of trails where I need to dab, it just isn't an issue for me or most people
who use clipless I clip out and dab, or just learn to balance. The only ones I know of who complain
about problems with this are the people riding platforms, which apparently makes them experts on
riding with clipless.

Quoted message said:

A good pair of platform pedals that have good grip are much more versatile and less expensive to
own. Special $hoe$ are not needed.

$40 for the shoes I wear, gotta buy shoes no matter what. You also need to buy pedals no matter what
so how is it more expensive? Especially since she already has the shoes and the pedals.

Quoted message said:

No falling down bruising yourself and damaging your bike because your feet are chained in when you
need to dab a little.

This is very rare once you get used to them, if you feel your feet are "chained to your pedals you
either are trying to clip out wrong or have your pedals adjusted wrong.

Don't listen to opinionated whiners, try the clipless pedals for a while on flat rides and see how
you like them. Most people stick with them once they get used to them. For some reason the minority
who who don't stick with them like to pretend there are no advantages in clipless so they can "Use
platforms and be smug" in their own self righteous superiority. Well some of them are smug anyhow.

-- The Ogre ogrehut.netogrehut.netOpen ↗

"Super Slinky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Clipless pedals are for those who have to be the fastest, coolest bikers around. They are a racing
product that trickled down to the average consumer because of the fashion factor, like so many
others in the cycling world. They will make you a little faster and climb a little better, but at
the price of a few extra falls and lots of extra expense and annoyance. There are many situations
where clipless pedals are a nuisance if not a hazard, like city riding and slow sections of trails
where it would be nice to dab a little or where falls could cause serious injury or worse. A good
pair of platform pedals that have good grip are much more versatile and less expensive to own.
Special $hoe$ are not needed. No falling down bruising yourself and damaging your bike because
your feet are chained in when you need to dab a little.

I disagree about the alarming inury warnings, falling occurs when learning to ride with them but
unless you have very poor motor skills you will get it fairly quickly. After the learning curve I
can't imagine most people with a modicum of skills will fall due to being clipped in. I've found
clipless to be safer now that my feet never slip off the pedal. Sure she should ride what she likes
but she's not necessarily going to injure herself and her bike if she rides clipless. I tried a few
different kinds of flats and always had trouble with keeping my feet firmly planted in wet and/or
technical conditions. After banging my shins enough I switched to clipless and love them. It has
nothing to do with fashion. That's a silly argument.

Chris

I know I'm going to regret asking, but what do you mean by 'FM'?

I assume it relates to bandages, neosporin, and other such fun medical aids ...

-- monique

Marty said:

"Monique Y. Herman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:Xb6Pa.24330$H17.7866@sccrnsc02...

Most experienced MTB'rs always carry a supply of FM in their camelbak for those clipless pedal
excursions. FM is the ticket for clipless pedals, track stands, bunny hops, nose wheelies, two
foot drops, etc.......

Marty

Monique Y. Herman said...

Quoted message said:

My fiance says that he finds clipless most useful on downhills, where he says that you really
don't want to lose your grip on the pedal. Rather than getting knocked about and losing your
footing while pedaling, he says the clipless keep you where you want to be.

Any thoughts on that?

I'll be the first to admit that clipless have some advantages. I love the power that you can get
using them. Being connected to the pedals great when you want to be in the pedals, not so great when
you need your foot elsewhere. There is a performance advantage. The question is do you need that
performance advantage for your riding style and level of ability, and is it worth the hassle. They
are such a pain for me that I don't want to deal with them most of the time and just want to get on
with riding. I think the shoes are hideous and they aren't made for walking. Then there are the
little things like the incompatibility of greasy metal cleats and carpet. There are enough things to
buy, maintain and fiddle with on bikes without making it worse with clipless, but that is just my
point of view.

In part it depends on how deep you intend to dive into mountain biking. At some point you will want
to try clipless, but I wonder if the people who told you to go straight to clipless really thought
about it much. You have a lot of getting in shape to do without worrying about that.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the links!

If you like online shopping try www.jensonusa.com www.pricepoint.com www.supergo.com www.nashbar.com
And there are lots more. Also check out www.mtbr.com. Just don't believe everything you read there.

Quoted message said:

That's my gut feeling on the toe clips, too, but I haven't ever used them, so I guess I don't
really know.

Don't bother. They are passé and total kaka.

I'm not so sure I get why you wouldn't want to be attached to the pedals unless you are stopping ot
have become snarled or taken a bad line through real technical terrain.

My motto is to stay attached to the bike, as that is the point of control. Lose or switch that
control always seems like trouble to me, proven by a biking buddy that showed skull after unclipping
for a big descent when the bike left him but the big rock didn't

You are right though in that the biking style determines what to do. My first year in clipless
involved a lot of cuts, bruises and scars. The second year only a couple. The third year none.

Bear the pain :-)

Mark

"Mark Webb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm not so sure I get why you wouldn't want to be attached to the pedals unless you are stopping
ot have become snarled or taken a bad line through real technical terrain.

My motto is to stay attached to the bike, as that is the point of control. Lose or switch that
control always seems like trouble to me, proven by a biking buddy that showed skull after
unclipping for a big descent when the bike left him but the big rock didn't

You are right though in that the biking style determines what to do. My first year in clipless
involved a lot of cuts, bruises and scars. The

second

Quoted message said:

year only a couple. The third year none.

Bear the pain :-)

Mark

Hmm. Less than two hours ago I would have enjoyed not being attached to the bike. Playing about near
a river with small 18 inch high terraces, stuffed up an easy wheelie drop and slow-mo endoed. Bike
followed me over and landed on head. Nothing hurt but my pride :-) If you want to try both, I think
that the LBS should have those dinky little throw-away plastic platforms that clip into one side of
your clipless pedals. They come on some new bikes I believe. That'd do to try out before you go
buying proper platform/clipless pedals.
--
Westie

Monique Y. Herman said:

Hi all!

I would like to get your opinions on mountain-biking newbies starting out on clipless pedals (or a
pointer to the appropriate FAQ, as I suspect that I am not the first to ask this question). As far
as I know, my options are: start with "normal" pedals, start with toe clips, or start with
clipless pedals.

I'd be most interested in hearing from anyone who *started* mountain biking with clipless -- do
you think it was the right way to go?

I apologize in advance for being a total novice at both mountain biking and this group.

The specifics:

I'm a 25-year-old woman who would like to start mountain biking. I just bought a Trek Fuel 90 over
the 4th of July weekend; before that, I hadn't owned or ridden a bike in several years. My fiance
has set a goal for me of riding what is apparently a fairly technical and steep trail by this time
next year ... I don't know if that's feasible, but I'm at least going to shoot for it.

I bought the bike while visiting my aunt -- in fact, she's the one who convinced me to splurge on
full suspension, rather than buying a hardtail. She also told me to go ahead and get clipless
pedals right away, so that's what I did.

So far, I've mostly been riding wide dirt roads, getting the feel of clipping in and out. My
pedals are set pretty loosely, apparently, so clipping out isn't terribly hard -- when I remember
to do so. I do have to clip out before coming to a stop, as my balance isn't good enough yet to
keep the bike upright while stopped.

The first day on the bike, my aunt took me on a single track trail, and I apparently did fairly
well for the first bit, but after falling during a tricky part, I lost my nerve and we headed back
to the wide-open road. That seems to be the main concern with clipless -- that I'll be too scared
to try stuff. On the other hand, if I swap in normal pedals, aren't I just postponing the pain and
further ingraining bad habits?

I bought the bike in Park City, Utah, but I live in Boulder, Colorado. Both places have ample
places to ride.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

-- monique

Monique, if you live in So. Cal.,let me know.........I'll show you how to ride.

~Travis
--
travis57 at megalink dot net

travis5765.homelinux.net, Primary Administrator TF Custom Electronics, Owner/Founder/Developer
(current project: Automotive exhaust flame-thrower)

"Stephen Baker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Could you give me a link of "platforms with spikes"? What on earth does that mean?

specialized.comSBCEqProduct.jspOpen ↗
onents&JServSessionIdroot=p28r9ewy74.j27001

If that doesn't work, google "Zuzu" or Easton FatBoy.

Rat traps are the good old-fashioned "jaggy-edged" flat pedals.

Steve

hehehe that would be Easton "Flatboy", and yes they are the best flat pedal in the world. I've got
two pairs. They're great.

Steve E.

spademan o---[) * <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Monique Y. Herman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:UifPa.27621$H17.8539@sccrnsc02...

Quoted message said:

Thank you all for your input!

Sounds like there is no one One True Answer to the question of pedals

...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Okay now we've been easy on you, time to be honest - FLAT PEDALS!

Steve E.

Yup! Flat pedals, with half clips - there is but one way, and that's the one!

Shaun aRe

I think I've made my decision, at least for now -- going to go ahead and use the clipless. I already
have the pedals and the shoes, and after the first couple of days, I haven't found myself on the
ground when coming to a stop on flat, friendly terrain. I'm still skittish about stopping/going
slow, but considerably less so than when I started, and I suspect a few weeks of practice will
eliminate most of that.

If at that point I continuously find myself in a position where I want to try something and the
clipless are what stop me from trying it, I'll consider getting good platform pedals ... after this
thread, I have a pretty good idea of what to look for when getting them!

I think I questioned the clipless decision for two reasons. One, the clipless were still freaking me
out a couple of days ago (which really was only 3 or 4 hours of actual use). Two, there are a lot of
mountain bikers (geez, is there an abbreviation for mountain biking/bikers?) at work, most of whom
use clipless, and all of them were absolutely shocked at the idea of starting out on clipless ... so
I started second-guessing myself.

I'm sure that there are plenty of examples of people hurting themselves because they were clipped
in, and plenty of examples of people hurting themselves because they were on platforms -- it sounds
to me like it's a matter of choosing your pain.

If nothing else, I got a massive (one inch, can you believe it? =P) bunny hop going on the nice,
wide trail that I rode yesterday. First time ever! I don't think I could do that without
clipless ...

-- monique

Westie said:

"Mark Webb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm not so sure I get why you wouldn't want to be attached to the pedals unless you are stopping
ot have become snarled or taken a bad line through real technical terrain.

My motto is to stay attached to the bike, as that is the point of control. Lose or switch that
control always seems like trouble to me, proven by a biking buddy that showed skull after
unclipping for a big descent when the bike left him but the big rock didn't

You are right though in that the biking style determines what to do. My first year in clipless
involved a lot of cuts, bruises and scars. The

second

Quoted message said:

year only a couple. The third year none.

Bear the pain :-)

Mark

Hmm. Less than two hours ago I would have enjoyed not being attached to the bike. Playing about
near a river with small 18 inch high terraces, stuffed up an easy wheelie drop and slow-mo endoed.
Bike followed me over and landed on head. Nothing hurt but my pride :-) If you want to try both, I
think that the LBS should have those dinky little throw-away plastic platforms that clip into one
side of your clipless pedals. They come on some new bikes I believe. That'd do to try out before
you go buying proper platform/clipless pedals.
--
Westie

"Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Stephen Baker <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Shaun R says:

Quoted message said:

> Hi! <blush...>

Hiya! <waves>

[censored]!

[censored]!

Shaun aRe - Whyfor you calling me [censored]?!?!?!?

I think that he chose his words poorly. I think what he actually meant to say was 'hussy'. ;-)
--
Westie

Monique Y. Herman <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:1mwPa.33909$Ph3.2843@sccrnsc04...

Quoted message said:

Two, there are a lot of mountain bikers (geez, is there an abbreviation for mountain
biking/bikers?)

You could try 'MTB'rs' ',;~}~

Shaun aRe

Westie <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Stephen Baker <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Shaun R says:

>> Hi! <blush...>
>
>Hiya! <waves>

[censored]!

[censored]!

Shaun aRe - Whyfor you calling me [censored]?!?!?!?

I think that he chose his words poorly. I think what he actually meant to say was 'hussy'. ;-)

What, I don't even get 'brazen' tagged in front of that? What'd I do wrong?!?

Shaun aRe