Bike shoes,cleats and traffic - advise please???



Status
Not open for further replies.
O

One Step Beyond

Guest
Hello,

I am newish to cycling shoes and the cleats engaging with the pedals. On my ride this morning I kept
running into road works - I am still a bit scared about engaging and disengaging the shoes and
pedals - especially with a queue of traffic behind me and trying to pull off uphill. Any others have
this "fear" or is it to be expected when getting used to them? When I am on my own I always seem to
engage them immediatly - but with traffic at a junction I always have to fiddle around !!!!

Is my method outlined below correct???? I have found that the best method is when coming up to a
junction, start to slow down then disengage the left foot about five yards from where I'll stop.
Then, when I am about to stop, lean my weight slightly to the left, put my foot on the floor then
get out of the saddle at the same time - leaving the right foot still engaged with the pedal. I then
turn the right crank so that the pedal is at the top and then push off with the right leg, I then
have to fiddle for about five seconds getting the left foot engaged with the pedal. I have had the
thought that since the right pedal is still engaged then when I push off I can keep my momentum
going my cycling with just the right leg and pulling up as well as pressing down to keep going so
that I am moving whilst engaging the left pedal.

I had an accuident nearly when starting out with cycling shoes when I pushed off as above but
couldn't engage the left pedal and my momentum went - I fell on my side and a car nearly hit me.
That scared me a lot and I am still a bit weary about pulling off again

On a similar note, do most cyclists plan there cycling runs to avoid certain junctons becuase of
this very issue? Do you plan your rides so that most of your turns are left, merging into the
traffic as opposed to having to turn right?

Thanks for reading

OSB
 
One Step Beyond wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am newish to cycling shoes and the cleats engaging with the pedals. On my ride this morning I
> kept running into road works - I am still a bit scared about engaging and disengaging the shoes
> and pedals - especially with a queue of traffic behind me and trying to pull off uphill. Any
> others have this "fear" or is it to be expected when getting used to them? When I am on my own I
> always seem to engage them immediatly - but with traffic at a junction I always have to fiddle
> around !!!!
>
> Is my method outlined below correct????

*Method*?

Don't sweat it. Within a few weeks it's as automatic as putting one foot in front of the other!
You'll be able to release in a millisecond in emergencies.

Nige
 
In message <[email protected]>, One Step Beyond
<[email protected]> writes
>Hello,
>
>I am newish to cycling shoes and the cleats engaging with the pedals. On my ride this morning I
>kept running into road works - I am still a bit scared about engaging and disengaging Any others
>have this "fear" or is it to be expected when getting used to them?
>
I think it's just about getting used to them. i've been riding clipless (SPD) for at least 8 years,
I don't notice them at all

>Is my method outlined below correct????

Snip>

Dunno about the precise details, - as I said I don't even think about it anymore, but yes that's the
general thing - if it works for you then it is 'correct; I think I probably wait now until I am at
the point of putting the foot down to disengage.

>I had an accuident nearly when starting out with cycling shoes when I pushed off as above but
>couldn't engage the left pedal and my momentum went - I fell on my side and a car nearly hit me.
>That scared me a lot and I am still a bit weary about pulling off again
>

If the other foot doesn't engage properly at first, I find I can keep, the pressure on with that
foot anyway and keep pedalling, then worry about engaging when I can. IMO it's better to keep moving
rather than worry about engaging. You soon get used to giving the foot a little wiggle to get it in
the right place.

Adjusting the tension on the pedals to make engaging/disengaing easier may help as well.

The above is with basic 2 sided SPD pedals, no outer cage etc.

>On a similar note, do most cyclists plan there cycling runs to avoid certain junctons becuase of
>this very issue?

No, as I said, it becomes a non- issue once you are used to it.

> Do you plan your rides so that most of your turns are left, merging into the traffic as opposed to
> having to turn right?

No.
--
Chris French, Leeds
 
One Step Beyond wrote:
>
> Is my method outlined below correct???? I have found that the best method is when coming up to a
> junction, start to slow down then disengage the left foot about five yards from where I'll stop.
> Then, when I am about to stop, lean my weight slightly to the left, put my foot on the floor then
> get out of the saddle at the same time - leaving the right foot still engaged with the pedal. I
> then turn the right crank so that the pedal is at the top and then push off with the right leg, I
> then have to fiddle for about five seconds getting the left foot engaged with the pedal. I have
> had the thought that since the right pedal is still engaged then when I push off I can keep my
> momentum going my cycling with just the right leg and pulling up as well as pressing down to keep
> going so that I am moving whilst engaging the left pedal.
>

Until you get confident unclipping you can always unclip early, put the instep of your shoe on the
pedal and ride it like a normal pedal until you stop and put your foot down. Equally starting off,
pedal on your instep until you have enough momentum to relax and clip in. It is a surprising secure
way to pedal on SPDs. Eventually you will build up the confidence to be able to unclip at the last
minute and clip in first time without thinking.

For stopping you might be better to stand on the right pedal coming to a halt rather than sit on the
saddle. You can then keep in a higher gear so when you start off you stand on the pedal and hike
yourself onto the saddle - you get a bit more power for moving off and if your saddle is the right
height it will probably be a bit of a stretch to reach the ground if you are sitting down.

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain
 
One Step Beyond wrote:
> Is my method outlined below correct???? I have found that the best method is when coming up to a
> junction, start to slow down then disengage the left foot about five yards from where I'll stop.
> Then, when I am about to stop, lean my weight slightly to the left, put my foot on the floor then
> get out of the saddle at the same time - leaving the right foot still engaged with the pedal. I
> then turn the right crank so that the pedal is at the top and then push off with the right leg, I
> then have to fiddle for about five seconds getting the left foot engaged with the pedal. I have
> had the thought that since the right pedal is still engaged then when I push off I can keep my
> momentum going my cycling with just the right leg and pulling up as well as pressing down to keep
> going so that I am moving whilst engaging the left pedal.

That's a good method. I often do exactly that except I often find I still stay sitting on the saddle
if I can rest left foot on kerb or even just put tiptoe down if stop is just a very brief one.

To build up confidence, though, (don't do this normally but as an excerise) practice leaving it
later and later before unclipping. Eventually, if you can, stop and balance for a second or two THEN
unclip! You'll certainly be alright in an emergency stop once you've mastered that.

> I had an accuident nearly when starting out with cycling shoes when I pushed off as above but
> couldn't engage the left pedal and my momentum went - I fell on my side and a car nearly hit me.
> That scared me a lot and I am still a bit weary about pulling off again

That will be forgotten once you've fully got the hang of the things.

What type, make & model pedals? Some are easier to manage than others.

> On a similar note, do most cyclists plan there cycling runs to avoid certain junctons becuase of
> this very issue? Do you plan your rides so that most of your turns are left, merging into the
> traffic as opposed to having to turn right?

I don't think so. I certainly don't.

~PB
 
"One Step Beyond" <[email protected]> writes:

> Hello,
>
> I am newish to cycling shoes and the cleats engaging with the pedals. On my ride this morning I
> kept running into road works - I am still a bit scared about engaging and disengaging the shoes
> and pedals - especially with a queue of traffic behind me and trying to pull off uphill. Any
> others have this "fear" or is it to be expected when getting used to them? When I am on my own I
> always seem to engage them immediatly - but with traffic at a junction I always have to fiddle
> around !!!!

Young people these days don't know they're born, do they? When I was first using cleated shoes there
was none of this quick release stuff. If you got stopped at traffic lights there were three options:

1) balance (diffidult);
2) put a hand on the roof or gutter of the nearest stopped car (easy, but got you dirty looks);
3) put a hand on the upright of the traffic light itself, or a convenient lamp-post or road-sign
(easy, but not always possible especially when turning right).

When you actually did want to get off the technique was to lean down and release the strap on the
pedal while still in motion, then pull your foot out. If you waited until you'd stopped it was too
late and falling off was the only option.

> Is my method outlined below correct???? I have found that the best method is when coming up to a
> junction, start to slow down then disengage the left foot about five yards from where I'll stop.
> Then, when I am about to stop, lean my weight slightly to the left, put my foot on the floor then
> get out of the saddle at the same time - leaving the right foot still engaged with the pedal. I
> then turn the right crank so that the pedal is at the top and then push off with the right leg, I
> then have to fiddle for about five seconds getting the left foot engaged with the pedal.

With cleated shoes you can pedal the bike with just one leg. So you can uncleat early, secure in the
knowledge that if you don't have enough momentum to get to where you wanted to stop you can put a
bit more energy in. Also, with pedals which only have cleat fittings on one side (most road pedals,
some hill bike pedals) you can just flip the pedal upside down and pedal on with the uncleated foot
secure in the knowledge that it won't recleat itself. So if you're nervous, uncleat early.

It's also worth getting into a low gear before you stop, but I'm sure you've already
worked that out.

You shouldn't need to get out of the saddle at all, unless your bottom bracket is very high. You
should be able to get a tippy-toe on the road, and that's all you need.

> I have had the thought that since the right pedal is still engaged then when I push off I can
> keep my momentum going my cycling with just the right leg and pulling up as well as pressing down
> to keep going so that I am moving whilst engaging the left pedal.

You can do this, but also you can pedal perfectly safely with one of the pedals upside down until
you have the momentum and time to flip it over and cleat in properly. I don't bother to get cleated
until I'm up to cruising speed.

> On a similar note, do most cyclists plan there cycling runs to avoid certain junctons becuase of
> this very issue? Do you plan your rides so that most of your turns are left, merging into the
> traffic as opposed to having to turn right?

No, I don't. I didn't even in the old fashioned firmly-strapped-on days. You will get used to cleats
very quickly and will no longer worry about them.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Women are from Venus. Men are from Mars. Lusers are from Uranus.
 
Simon Brooke wrote:
> You shouldn't need to get out of the saddle at all, unless your bottom bracket is very high. You
> should be able to get a tippy-toe on the road, and that's all you need.

1. A lot of bikes do have high BBs: eg. MTBs

2. Although I do do it a lot, tippy-toeing is not very comfortable or safe and it does knacker
Look cleats*!

* That's where mine wear most: front tip of left cleat.

~PB
 
One Step Beyond wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am newish to cycling shoes and the cleats engaging with the pedals. On my ride this morning I
> kept running into road works - I am still a bit scared about engaging and disengaging the shoes
> and pedals - especially with a queue of traffic behind me and trying to pull off uphill. Any
> others have this "fear" or is it to be expected when getting used to them? When I am on my own I
> always seem to engage them immediatly - but with traffic at a junction I always have to fiddle
> around !!!!
>
> Is my method outlined below correct???? I have found that the best method is when coming up to a
> junction, start to slow down then disengage the left foot about five yards from where I'll stop.
> Then, when I am about to stop, lean my weight slightly to the left, put my foot on the floor then
> get out of the saddle at the same time - leaving the right foot still engaged with the pedal. I
> then turn the right crank so that the pedal is at the top and then push off with the right leg, I
> then have to fiddle for about five seconds getting the left foot engaged with the pedal. I have
> had the thought that since the right pedal is still engaged then when I push off I can keep my
> momentum going my cycling with just the right leg and pulling up as well as pressing down to keep
> going so that I am moving whilst engaging the left pedal.
>
> I had an accuident nearly when starting out with cycling shoes when I pushed off as above but
> couldn't engage the left pedal and my momentum went - I fell on my side and a car nearly hit me.
> That scared me a lot and I am still a bit weary about pulling off again
>
> On a similar note, do most cyclists plan there cycling runs to avoid certain junctons becuase of
> this very issue? Do you plan your rides so that most of your turns are left, merging into the
> traffic as opposed to having to turn right?

Have you tried disengaging your *dominant* foot instead? I'm right footed so this is the one that
comes out - it's easier to get it back in.
 
you can just flip
> the pedal upside down and pedal on with the uncleated foot secure in the knowledge that it won't
> recleat itself.

Look pedals & cleats give hardly any purchase on the wrong side of the pedal. Pushing down & forward
(i.e. a circular pedalling motion) on the wrong side nearly always causes my foot to slip forward
which is not very safe.
 
"One Step Beyond" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello,

Hello!

<snip>

I only started with SPD pedals about a couple of months ago, and did the same as you - *really*
think the whole time I was cycling, looking for when I was about to stop and then getting my foot
out in plenty of time. Never really concentrated on what side I was leaning - I stay in the saddle
with a very pointed leg ;)

(as an aside, nearly fouled that up after a week of hard cycling, on the way to Tesco's, middle of
busy road waiting for a chance to turn right, got a nasty cramp in the leg on the floor. Nearly went
for a nasty tumble or two)

Anyways, suddenly I found myself unclipping without thinking about it. It certainly wasn't a
concious effort to try and see how long I could wait until clipping out - suddenly it just came to
me. However, this is for my right foot - the left one's a bit more clumsy. Oh and, strangely enough,
I always find myself standing out of the saddle when the left foot's unclipped. Strange.

Give it time, you'll be fine :)

Thomas.
 
Oh, and don't be afraid to fall off a couple of times - you'll probably be expecting it when it
happens, and it won't hurt :)

(says he, still shuddering at falling over from stationary after having stood at the traffic lights
for a good few minutes. Opposite several London buses waiting to unload passengers.)

Thomas.
 
Thomas must be edykated coz e writed:

> Oh, and don't be afraid to fall off a couple of times - you'll probably be expecting it when it
> happens, and it won't hurt :)
>
> (says he, still shuddering at falling over from stationary after having stood at the traffic
> lights for a good few minutes. Opposite several London buses waiting to unload passengers.)
>
> Thomas.
>
>
Yet another good reason to buy a trike.

--
Ian

http://www.catrike.co.uk
 
"Ian" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB927B17.112BC%[email protected]...
> Thomas must be edykated coz e writed:
>
> > Oh, and don't be afraid to fall off a couple of times - you'll probably
be
> > expecting it when it happens, and it won't hurt :)
> >
> > (says he, still shuddering at falling over from stationary after having stood at the traffic
> > lights for a good few minutes. Opposite several
London
> > buses waiting to unload passengers.)
> >
> > Thomas.
> >
> >
> Yet another good reason to buy a trike.

Disagree - I'd never realised how friendly a place London was until that moment. The amount of
passengers who, after "that" fall, responded to my wave...

Thomas.
 
One Step Beyond <[email protected]> wrote: The cleats ? You get used to them and this is from
someone that hurt his knee ( 6 weeks of riding)on his first "round the block " ride .

> On a similar note, do most cyclists plan there cycling runs to avoid certain junctons becuase of
> this very issue?
No, I plan my cycling runs to avoid certain junctions because I get fed up of being held up by cars!

Concentrate on the 99% of your ride ( Hrs ?) that you enjoy , not the seconds that give you a
problem You hold a car up for 3 seconds, who cares , it's only 3 seconds less he has to wait at the
next junction/lights/pinch point/traffic turning right, it's less time than the traffic flow would
lose behind a lorry or bus, and they probably notice it less than you do.
 
Thanks for all the advise guys. It seems from all your remarks that I am doing nothing untoward and
that plenty of practise is what builds confidence.

Thanks again for taking the time.

OSB

"One Step Beyond" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello,
>
> I am newish to cycling shoes and the cleats engaging with the pedals. On
my
> ride this morning I kept running into road works - I am still a bit scared about engaging and
> disengaging the shoes and pedals - especially with a queue of traffic behind me and trying to
> pull off uphill. Any others have this "fear" or is it to be expected when getting used to them?
> When I am
on
> my own I always seem to engage them immediatly - but with traffic at a junction I always have to
> fiddle around !!!!
>
> Is my method outlined below correct???? I have found that the best method is when coming up to a
> junction, start
to
> slow down then disengage the left foot about five yards from where I'll stop. Then, when I am
> about to stop, lean my weight slightly to the left, put my foot on the floor then get out of the
> saddle at the same time - leaving the right foot still engaged with the pedal. I then turn the
right
> crank so that the pedal is at the top and then push off with the right
leg,
> I then have to fiddle for about five seconds getting the left foot engaged with the pedal. I have
> had the thought that since the right pedal is
still
> engaged then when I push off I can keep my momentum going my cycling with just the right leg and
> pulling up as well as pressing down to keep going
so
> that I am moving whilst engaging the left pedal.
>
> I had an accuident nearly when starting out with cycling shoes when I
pushed
> off as above but couldn't engage the left pedal and my momentum went - I fell on my side and a car
> nearly hit me. That scared me a lot and I am still a bit weary about pulling off again
>
> On a similar note, do most cyclists plan there cycling runs to avoid
certain
> junctons becuase of this very issue? Do you plan your rides so that most
of
> your turns are left, merging into the traffic as opposed to having to turn right?
>
> Thanks for reading
>
> OSB
 
"Pete Biggs" <pbiggmelons2000{remove fruit}@onetel.net.uk> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>> 2. Although I do do it a lot, tippy-toeing is not very comfortable or
safe
> and it does knacker Look cleats*!
>
It can induce cramp too.
 
Ian wrote:

> Yet another good reason to buy a trike.

What would be really cool is if trikes could have a reverse gear...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads