Clipless pedals

This is something I've considered many times. Someone will be along in a
bit to say "No! Don't do it! I know <well known unicyclist who has never
tried clipless pedals on a bike> tried it and hurt themselves." I think
it can be done, if you're careful, and wear arm padding, wrist guards
and probably a full face helmet. The thing that has made me decide
against it is the dubious value - top speed on a uni isn't limited by
the power you can put through the pedals, but the spinning speed, which
won't be helped that much by clipless pedals. The extra force for
stopping and accelerating might be handy though, and it would stop UPDs
from the foot coming off the pedal. Basically, it might be potentially
faster, but the extra caution needed to avoid injury might cancel out
any benefit. It depends on wether you're doing this for practicallity
(never mind then) or as a matter of curiosity.

I will have to try half clips at some point though.

As for the name 'clipless' I think the issue is with calling strappy
pedals 'toe-clips', because that's a silly name - should be toe straps,
surely - and cleated pedals have to make it clear that they do a similar
function without the straps (clips). It's jargon - we need some way of
knowing if the people we talk to are also in the know.

John

--
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I have always pondered the 'clipless' moniker for pedals that clip in.
Never made any sense to me.

The thought of even a moderate speed UPD while being locked in to the
unicycle scares the [censored] outa me. Maybe using an old style toe clip,
cut just a little bit short and without the strap would secure one's
foot in the most efficient position and still allow it to slide out to
the side for a quick disengagement when necessary. Still seems a little
scarey to me.

--
underdog

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I once wrote a jokey note about UPDs where I mentioned the idea of using
toe-clips.

http://tinyurl.com/dqb8c

In reality, there is no reason to use toe-clips on a uni -- too
dangerous. Instead, get really grippy pedals. Even those will present
some risk, but it's nothing compared to the clips or straps.

--
David_Stone - New York Unicycle Club

Dictator for Life,
NYUC
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Try this older thread:
http://tinyurl.com/8ourd

Personally, I think you're bonkers. Or you'll at least be making a
bonking sound if you try them.

--
entropy - life in balance
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I don't know any long-term users of toeclips/clipless pedals on their
unicycles. I do know many who have tried them. I remember George Peck
had tried some form of clipless pedals. Then we didn't hear from him for
a long, long time.

Never heard the results on the clipless, but George is okay.

I am *not* experienced with clipless on a bike, but I have tried them on
a unicycle. They were fine until I went to hop up a little curb and
forgot my feet were clipped in. That was enough for me. I would not want
to *ride fast* with my feet clipped in. There is ZERO TIME to mess
around when you UPD and want to land on your feet. For even an
experienced user of clipless, I believe this takes too much time.

I continue to wait to be proven wrong. In 25 years of riding I have yet
to hear from someone who does anything other than casual riding and
thinks being clipped in is useful. As David Stone says, a match of
grippy pedals and shoes is more than enough to pedal really fast.

--
johnfoss - More Moab Fun

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
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The reason I'm even considering clipless is nothing to do with grip or
control, but with rotating weight and directional stability.

Simple experiments show that the weight of the pedals has some effect on
acceleration and deceleration, and also on wheel-wobble at high speed.

And partly, it's just a whimsy that I'm following. We seldom choose to
ride unicycles for reasons of common sense and practicality.😎

--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

The poor lack much, the greedy, everything.
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they just offer no real advantage.

they do on bikes because you have your arms way out in front of you, and
they are the only real way to lift the back of the bike (if you can't
bunny hop)

the handle on your seat does anything clipless pedals can do

(other than lock you to your unicycle)

what advantages are you looking for?

Do you want to always have your feet in the same position on the pedal?
I use enough sideways pressure on my pedals that I would most likely
continually click out. (I was a clipless bike rider, so I know how they
work, but have no uni-clipless experience because I see no advantage at
all, and only disadvantages...no backwards falling escape mechanism,
having to wear clipless shoes, static foot placement, even with the ones
that provide float)

I bet you would fall over, and be able to get one foot unlocked, only
for it to land in manure causing the locals to guffaw mercilessly

--
Brian MacKenzie - Herc tamed him! Tamed him!

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Mikefule said:

*Simple experiments show that the weight of the pedals has some effect
on acceleration and deceleration, and also on wheel-wobble at high
speed.*

But your feet weigh an awful lot more than your pedals. So this isn't
relevant in a big way. I've tried super-light pedals, but didn't notice
a difference in wheel wobble. A narrower axle helps, but makes your
wheel weaker. Your feet and legs will always be there, and they are the
vast majority of the mass that causes your (and my) wobble.

How would being clipped in change this? Though your feet may be better
connected to the pedals, the forces would still be the same.

--
johnfoss - More Moab Fun

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

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Linked from the thread I posted above:

http://tinyurl.com/29osm

Is it just me, or does that thing only need a scythe to become
one-wheeled death? *shudder*

--
entropy - life in balance
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I rode the Mount Diablo Challenge (uphill, on road) on a 29" with
clipless pedals.

I would strongly disagree with Brian's suggestion that there is no
benefit to them. On normal unicycle pedals, you spend a lot of energy
over the course of a ride just keeping your feet on the pedals; there is
a constant tension in your feet and ankles that goes away when you're
clipped in. Your pedaling can be smoother, and you can also recover
from unexpected bumps better.

It is a bit scary riding with them, and I think that affects how useful
they can be in general use. However, the only time I actually had a
fall related to the pedals was when I was trying to stop and hold onto a
signpost for a rest; I got a little squirrely and went down sideways.

It is quite difficult freemounting into clipless pedals; that was the
biggest problem with them in use. On a bike, you can always put
pressure on the pedals at the appropriate point in the pedal stroke to
get your cleat in, while on a unicycle, the same motion will mess up
your balance. I was using SPDs; if I were going to try it again, I
would try it with pedals which are easier to get into, like Egg Beaters.

--
tholub - Kinetic Sculptor
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I just recently picked up a pair of crankbrothers egg beaters. I've only
had a chance to take them for a spin around the block. They feel
awesome. you can sit harder on the seat, less weight on the pedals, wich
seems to allow a higher rpm. Also, I've found that I can pull up on the
back pedal when going uphill. I't feels like I have so much uphill
power. The egg beaters are super easy to clip into.

I was messing around, trying to get used to the feeling before taking
them our for a spin. I tried a little still stand without ever having
unclipped before. I lost my balance, and my foot automaticly swung out
to the side enough for my shoe to unclip, and I came off with control.
it feels like if I ever fall, I should be able to unclip, and be able to
land on my feet. But I won't know till it happens.

--
onetrack - Stair Master

"People over here have a dangerous habit of adding quotes to signature
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I belive Des from Wales has been known to use clipless pedals to ride
muni on a coker.

A few other people use clipless on unis.

Don't put them on a unicycle before you've learnt to use them on a bike.
Everyone has a few weeks of forgetting to unclip before they learn to
unclip naturally. Getting that instinct on a bike, where a failure to
unclip is usually at worst embarrasing, would make much more sense than
on a uni, where not unclipping leads to crashes like the unicycle riders
who had the accidents described earlier.

Bear in mind the weight of the cleat + bolts should be added to the
stated pedal weight, plus the difference in weight of the new pair of
shoes you'd need.

Joe

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tholub said:

*I rode the Mount Diablo Challenge (uphill, on road) on a 29" with
clipless pedals.

I would strongly disagree with Brian's suggestion that there is no
benefit to them. *

Though I'm far from the skill on the uni to try attaching my feet to the
pedals, I would expect an advantage on uphill road rides from
toe-clips/clipless, as much leverage would be gained from the opposing
foot motions.

--
steveyo - Last will be first

steveyo

"I complained I need new shoes, until I met a man with no feet." -
unknown

"Do whatever steps you want if
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There was a guy who rode with us in Crossville, TN that used some kind
of toe clips on all of his unicycles. We rode some steep, rocky,
downhill MUni and I never saw him fall. At least he did not fall with
his toes still stuck to the pedals. He could slide his feet in and out
really quick.

He even used toe clips on a 6 foot giraffe and he could jump rope on the
giraffe. (That takes a long and heavy rope.)

Memphis Mud might remember his name. I think his first name was Mike and
he was from the general area. He was a clown. No, really, he was a
parttime clown. He used unicycles in his act and he could juggle real
bowling pins.

--
Wheel Rider - From the Over 50 Group

** protect the Valle Vidal **
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Proper spinning will negate any advantage over being able to 'pull up on
the other pedal'

My experience is only from biking, so I could be wrong.

My unicycling experience, on the other hand, indicates that I ride with
my feet in several different positions on the pedal, fore/aft, in/out.

You are now the test monkey...you have a loop around the tarmack that
you have taken many many times and can average a speed on it.

I would be interested in the same testing with clipless pedals.

I have a pair of speedplay frogs (at the time, they offered the most
float) Cover the shipping and a large coffee from Tim Horton's and
they're yours.

--
Brian MacKenzie - Herc tamed him! Tamed him!

'TRAINING WHEEL NOT REQUIRED DVD - NOW AVAILABLE!'
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'ps. just watched TWNR, the UW36 on the stairs broke my brain' - markf

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I've been contemplating the use of clipless pedals on my 700C for longer
touring rides. I don't fall very often while touring but I'm not immune
to UPD's. I have noticed, however, that probably 99.9% of my UPD's are
the direct result of my foot either sliding off the pedal or getting
disoriented on the pedal. (The other .1% is when I'm not paying
attention and I hit a pothole or rock in the road). In light of this,
clipless pedals would alleviate the foot/pedal slippage and prevent the
99.9% of my falls. But I've refrained from actually trying them because
of that pesky 0.1% that exists. All it takes is one UPD where you can't
escape from your pedals and your toast, especially on the larger
wheels.

I agree with Tholub. Riding uphill with clipless pedals must be awesome.
Even on the flats your cadence would be much smoother. The muscular
workload would be evenly distributed between pushing down and pulling up
which would reduce muscle fatigue, especially on those 30+ mile rides.

Having ridden thousands of miles on my road bike with clipless pedals I
have to conclude that the advantages for clipless on a touring unicycle
would be phenominal. Just don't try it without your safety gear
especially the helmet and wrist guards.

--
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I have a video on my computer called "clipless_pedal_guy_way_cool.mpg",
of somebody doing some rather crazy trials with clipless pedals. I can't
remember who it is or where the video came from (some event in the US,
by the accents of the onlookers) but if trials is possible with clipless
pedals then distance riding should be a breeze... 🙂

Phil

--
phil - ex-studenty type

Good, bad... I'm the guy with the Cattle Prod.
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This summer a member of my unicycle club rode the entire distance of
RAGBRAI on a coker with clipless pedals. He did so with I believe only
one UPD, and wasn't injured. RAGBRAI is over 500 miles, for those that
don't know.

--
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Wheel Rider said:

*There was a guy who rode with us in Crossville, TN that used some
kind of toe clips on all of his unicycles. We rode some steep, rocky,
downhill MUni and I never saw him fall. At least he did not fall with
his toes still stuck to the pedals. He could slide his feet in and
out really quick.

He even used toe clips on a 6 foot giraffe and he could jump rope on
the giraffe. (That takes a long and heavy rope.)

Memphis Mud might remember his name. I think his first name was Mike
and he was from the general area. He was a clown. No, really, he was a
parttime clown. He used unicycles in his act and he could juggle real
bowling pins. *

I was going to mention this as well. His name was indeed Mike, and he
used to post on this forum occasionally. Forgot what he posted as.

I watched him fall many times since most everyone was ahead of me when
we were riding, and he never had issues as a result of clipless pedals
staying "clipped". It really gave him an advantage when hopping.

It is true that he was a proffesional clown for some time. I think it
was acually a 7 foot Giraffe! And the rope was heavy.

Wheel Rider, who are you?

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