Going Clipless And Cleatless

[LivingInThePast]

I'm wondering if there's been any discussion of the merits of forgoing being lashed into your road bike. This video from GCN news convinces me that unless you're doing all out sprints there's little to be gained and possibly even something to be lost by using anything other than the old-fashioned flat platform pedal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNedIJBZpgM&list=PLUdAMlZtaV11LAqXNLDr38oTXh9RuyiRY&index=3

I would think having the ability for ones foot to float on the pedal to its most natural angle throughout the stroke might offer benefits of less repetitive motion injury and, as the video shows, there seems to be no loss in efficiency.

 

[DancingLady]

I'm not a competitive cyclist, or even a long distance cyclist so I have a different perspective than some, but I definitely agree. I would not want my foot stuck to the pedals. That just seems dangerous to me, if something happened where I had to stop very suddenly and couldn't get a foot free in time, that could make a minor incident turn into a very painful one.

 

[ABNPFDR]

The test was bogus

Scientific research shows that cleats or "clipping in" add only 20% to the complete pedal stroke. You can not "pull up". Cleats only allow the foot to start adding power slightly before the downstroke and then extend it slightly after. This helps cover the dead areas at the top and bottom.

If you watch the video the cyclist is still wearing cycling shoes and actually has a block of some sort, so effectively, when on the "flat" pedals he's actually still gaining much of the benefit from the cleats.

If you really wanted a comparison, he should have been wearing conventional footwear. Much of the benefit of clip less pedals is the shoe and the long term benefits they provide in terms of comfort.

Plus, the test did not simulate any real world cycling scenarios. No accelerations, no attacks, no 50 mph descents.

Lifetime I have well over 100,000 miles ridden on a bike "clipped in" they are simple to get In and out of and I have never fallen because I could not get a foot out in time. I first tried them in 1987 and they we're such an improvement over my old cycling shoes with pedals and toe clips.

 

[kana_marie]

Well, it will definitely be a while, if at all, before I even think a out clipping. It makes me nervous, anyway. I need more control than that.

 

[maydog]

Having your feet free is not more safe than being clipped in while moving. If anything, trying to put a foot down or out when travelling above a walking speed is more likely to get you into trouble; think loss of control, broken legs, hips, etc.

It is better to keep your feet on the pedals as long as possible and use every last opportunity to brake and maneuver before abandoning ship. When you do go down, ejecting the bike is more or less automatic.

I've laid down the bike at speed a few times over the past few years being clipped in. I don't imagine I would have fared any better riding on platforms or toe clips.

 

[ABNPFDR]

I was thinking again about this today and it continued to bother me. One of the points was that a flat pedal offers unlimited float. In order to do that with a conventional flat pedal and a sneaker the sneaker has to break traction with the pedal, which would result in a loss of some power. The old cycling shoes I used to use with pedals and do clips had a sort of wedge in the back to keep the shoe from sliding back while the toe clip and strap took care of the rest. This offered zero float.

We're taught to look for this while doing fittings, but a persons foot yaw (toe in and toe out) is often times dynamic during the pedal stroke. My feet are toe out when relaxed and the toe moves in slightly when applying downforce, hence why we have float. Allowing that dynamic movement helps save the knees. What I love most about Speedplay pedals is being able to tailor that float exactly how needed.

Dr. Pruitt and George Lee would have to get together and tell me that clip less pedals were worthless before I'd even consider giving them up.

 

[dhk2]

I also can't imagine going back to the old toe clips or nothing, except maybe on a beach cruiser pedaling 10 mph at low cadence. It takes way to much effort to keep the feet on flat pedals, particularly at high cadence. And agree that it's dangerous down hill or on bumpy roads to have feet bouncing freeof the pedals...

Speedplay Zeros allow all the free-float anyone could need. I've been on mine for 11 years now. My 1975 Gran Sport has the old-school toe clips, and for me there is no comparison. No wonder toe clips became obsolete so quickly.

 

[Viking55803]

The clip-less pedal (with cleats) was one of the major advances in cycling for me in the modern era. I used to ride (and race) with toe-clips and cleats. I would not consider riding without cleats at this point. Every time you get out of the saddle to sprint up a hill the cleats hold you securely in place. I've never fallen due to having my foot attached - at a stoplight I do a track stand (which takes a bit of practice I suppose) and getting out the cleats is as simple as turning your heel outward. As the previous poster implied, my normal cadence is 90 rpm and I routinely spin up to 110 rpm and I can't imagine doing that on flat pedals!