Going clipless tomorrow...

[Paul Boyd]

....so wish me luck! For those who didn't follow the Mars bar thread, I
have sort of been encouraged to forsake my trusty clips and straps for
these new-fangled clipless thingies. (Shimano M-520)

So far, I haven't fallen off, but I have only shuffled backwards and
forwards 6ft in my kitchen getting the hang of getting in and out, using
the fridge and oven for support! From a standing start, I can be
clipped in within a yard 50% of the time, which I reckon is a pretty
good start. By the second yard, I'm danger of riding through the
kitchen cupboards!

I am using "trainer" multi-release clips for now, and already I can see
their disadvantages, but they have the huge benefit that I can escape
easily! I'll need to get more confident before going to single-release
and tightening it all up.

So, tomorrow could be an interesting commute.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Pete Biggs]

Paul Boyd wrote:
> ...so wish me luck! For those who didn't follow the Mars bar thread,
> I have sort of been encouraged to forsake my trusty clips and straps
> for these new-fangled clipless thingies. (Shimano M-520)
>
> So far, I haven't fallen off, but I have only shuffled backwards and
> forwards 6ft in my kitchen getting the hang of getting in and out,
> using the fridge and oven for support! From a standing start, I can
> be clipped in within a yard 50% of the time, which I reckon is a
> pretty good start. By the second yard, I'm danger of riding through
> the kitchen cupboards!
>
> I am using "trainer" multi-release clips for now, and already I can
> see their disadvantages, but they have the huge benefit that I can
> escape easily! I'll need to get more confident before going to
> single-release and tightening it all up.
>
> So, tomorrow could be an interesting commute.

Well done Paul. The pedals will feel better out on the road than they do
at home. Good luck... and don't forget to "TWIST"!

Regarding cleat positioning and angle, it's worth trying at least two or
three slight variations to find what's most comfortable, so take your
allen key and stop on the way home to experiment, is my advice.

~PB

 

[elyob]

"Paul Boyd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ...so wish me luck! For those who didn't follow the Mars bar thread, I
> have sort of been encouraged to forsake my trusty clips and straps for
> these new-fangled clipless thingies. (Shimano M-520)
>
> So far, I haven't fallen off, but I have only shuffled backwards and
> forwards 6ft in my kitchen getting the hang of getting in and out, using
> the fridge and oven for support! From a standing start, I can be clipped
> in within a yard 50% of the time, which I reckon is a pretty good start.
> By the second yard, I'm danger of riding through the kitchen cupboards!
>
> I am using "trainer" multi-release clips for now, and already I can see
> their disadvantages, but they have the huge benefit that I can escape
> easily! I'll need to get more confident before going to single-release
> and tightening it all up.
>
> So, tomorrow could be an interesting commute.

Just do what we all do. If you miss the clip in, use the small of your foot
until ready to clip in again.

It's no fail, you don't have to be clipped in to cycle.

You do, however, have to get your feet out when you stop. I look forward to
*that* update.

 

[Phil Clarke]

Pete Biggs wrote:

> Good luck... and don't forget to "TWIST"!

or roll. I once had a SPD cleat move from repeated twisting, only a
few mm but enough to twist my knee a little. So now I roll my feet
sideways out of my 520's and 324's.

> Regarding cleat positioning and angle, it's worth trying at least two or
> three slight variations to find what's most comfortable, so take your
> allen key and stop on the way home to experiment, is my advice.

I'd agree, but I'd do it once per journey. If your cleats arent done up
solidly then they may move when you unclip.

Phil

 

[David Martin]

Phil Clarke wrote:

> I'd agree, but I'd do it once per journey. If your cleats arent done up
> solidly then they may move when you unclip.

ITYM 'try to unclip, fail and fall over' if my experience of not
tightly done up cleates is anything to go by.

...d

 

[wafflycat]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> You do, however, have to get your feet out when you stop. I look forward
> to *that* update.
>

When I first moved to clipless, people would know I was coming, as I had a
retinue of two cyclists accompanying me with one of them, my teenage
offspring, yelling "Unclip! Unclip!" as I approached any situation which had
a potential unclipping requirement. I felt a bit like a leper from Ye Dayes
Of Yore... But it was effective help. Thankfully, cliping in and out swiftly
became second nature.

Cheers, helen s

 

[Paul Boyd]

wafflycat said the following on 21/04/2006 09:34:

> When I first moved to clipless, people would know I was coming, as I had
> a retinue of two cyclists accompanying me with one of them, my teenage
> offspring, yelling "Unclip! Unclip!" as I approached any situation which
> had a potential unclipping requirement. I felt a bit like a leper from
> Ye Dayes Of Yore... But it was effective help. Thankfully, cliping in
> and out swiftly became second nature.

Well, I made it in OK, without even any scary moments! It does feel
strange compared to clips, and I think I need to tweak the cleats
slightly, but I'll get used to it! My feet seem to have more freedom of
movement, and I was expecting less.

I've read all the dire warnings about cleats not being tight enough, and
found out what happens first hand when trying it all out with a pedal in
one hand and a shoe in the other - the cleat was a bit loose and it
wouldn't come out!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Paul Boyd]

elyob said the following on 21/04/2006 00:13:

> You do, however, have to get your feet out when you stop. I look forward to
> *that* update.

I'm not

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Andrew Chadwick]

On 2006-04-21 08:34 +0000, wafflycat wrote:
>
> my teenage offspring, yelling "Unclip! Unclip!" as I approached
> any situation which had a potential unclipping requirement. [...]
> Thankfully, cliping in and out swiftly became second nature.

It's said around these parts that you'll probably fall off once at low
speed while learning. Sod's Law dictatates that it will happen in front
of a group of at least twenty proper cyclists and/or bemused locals; the
embarassment factor helps the learning process, apparently [1].

Failing to clip in properly on a fixed gear and not realising can be
entertaining for spectators too.


[1] in my case, there was a nice soft bus to break my fall, and the old
dear I'd stopped for plus the entire town centre of Oxford at rush
hour to help things sink in. That helped.

--
Andrew Chadwick

 

[Pete Biggs]

Phil Clarke wrote:

>> Good luck... and don't forget to "TWIST"!
>
> or roll. I once had a SPD cleat move from repeated twisting, only
> a few mm but enough to twist my knee a little. So now I roll my feet
> sideways out of my 520's and 324's.

I know there's a danger of stripping threads and rounding heads if you go
too far, but SPD cleats (on my shoes at least) can actually be done up
tight enough for that never to be a problem. Grease /helps/, as do soles
soft or rubbery enough for the cleat to dig into a bit. Be brave and
tighten those screws then you can twist as much as you like, as violently
as you like.

Same applies to Look pedals on road shoes, except that a very good
screwdriver is needed with a blade that fits well and a T handle, or use a
wrench with screwdriver bit. IME, the plastic cleats crack before the
screws fail.

>> Regarding cleat positioning and angle, it's worth trying at least
>> two or three slight variations to find what's most comfortable, so
>> take your allen key and stop on the way home to experiment, is my
>> advice.
>
> I'd agree, but I'd do it once per journey. If your cleats arent done
> up solidly then they may move when you unclip.

Advantage with doing it several times on your journey is that you can
easily remember what each setting feels like. I'd advise tightening the
cleats solidly enough not to move with normal moderate use and save the
full welly until quite happy with the position. All this is possible by
the roadside.

~PB

 

[David Martin]

Pete Biggs wrote:
> I know there's a danger of stripping threads and rounding heads if you go
> too far, but SPD cleats (on my shoes at least) can actually be done up
> tight enough for that never to be a problem. Grease /helps/, as do soles
> soft or rubbery enough for the cleat to dig into a bit. Be brave and
> tighten those screws then you can twist as much as you like, as violently
> as you like.
>


> Same applies to Look pedals on road shoes, except that a very good
> screwdriver is needed with a blade that fits well and a T handle, or use a
> wrench with screwdriver bit. IME, the plastic cleats crack before the
> screws fail.
>

The thing to check first is that you have enough thread in the socket
in the shoe, especially thin SPD plates which have been made by
stretching the plate to give a socket deep enough to thread.

If you tighten these up to an appropriate torque and have not got more
than a turn or two of thread in they have a strong tendency to fail in
a 'BANG! Oh Bugger!' sort of way.

Fortunately they tend to have two cleat positions available..

...d

 

[Pinky]

"Andrew Chadwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2006-04-21 08:34 +0000, wafflycat wrote:
>>
>> my teenage offspring, yelling "Unclip! Unclip!" as I approached
>> any situation which had a potential unclipping requirement. [...]
>> Thankfully, cliping in and out swiftly became second nature.
>
> It's said around these parts that you'll probably fall off once at low
> speed while learning. Sod's Law dictatates that it will happen in front
> of a group of at least twenty proper cyclists and/or bemused locals; the
> embarassment factor helps the learning process, apparently [1].
>
> Failing to clip in properly on a fixed gear and not realising can be
> entertaining for spectators too.
>
>
> [1] in my case, there was a nice soft bus to break my fall, and the old
> dear I'd stopped for plus the entire town centre of Oxford at rush
> hour to help things sink in. That helped.
>
> --
> Andrew Chadwick

When I converted about 20 months ago -- on day 2 -- when I reckoned I had
got used to them -- I coasted gently up to some traffic lights - with a
truck coming up alongside and with a gaggle of youths on the pavement.
Quite simply I forgot all about unclipping until I came to a halt and
toppled elegantly ( NOT) on my left side. The youths howled ( naturally),
the driver of the truck asked if I was OK and I cowered in embarrassment
spluttering something about "new pedals" and moved off as quickly as I
could!
I didn't forget again!
Trevor A Panther
Departing for the Rhein on 20 May 2006

 

[Paul Boyd]

On 21/04/2006 16:53, Pinky said,

> When I converted about 20 months ago -- on day 2 -- when I reckoned I had
> got used to them -- I coasted gently up to some traffic lights - with a
> truck coming up alongside and with a gaggle of youths on the pavement.
> Quite simply I forgot all about unclipping until I came to a halt and
> toppled elegantly ( NOT) on my left side. The youths howled ( naturally),
> the driver of the truck asked if I was OK and I cowered in embarrassment
> spluttering something about "new pedals" and moved off as quickly as I
> could!

I got home safely as well on my first clipless day, but I must admit
that it is exactly the stage you describe that worries me. Used to
them, but not quite second nature yet!

Incidentally, I have discovered that I need to move my foot back on the
pedal slightly when unclipped, to stop it accidentally clipping back in
again when I thought I was free

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Phil Cook]

Paul Boyd wrote:

>On 21/04/2006 16:53, Pinky said,
>
>> When I converted about 20 months ago -- on day 2 -- when I reckoned I had
>> got used to them -- I coasted gently up to some traffic lights - with a
>> truck coming up alongside and with a gaggle of youths on the pavement.
>> Quite simply I forgot all about unclipping until I came to a halt and
>> toppled elegantly ( NOT) on my left side.

>I got home safely as well on my first clipless day, but I must admit
>that it is exactly the stage you describe that worries me. Used to
>them, but not quite second nature yet!
>
>Incidentally, I have discovered that I need to move my foot back on the
>pedal slightly when unclipped, to stop it accidentally clipping back in
>again when I thought I was free

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned that. Coming to SPDs on my new
commuter from old Time pedals on my road bike I found myself cliping
in again as I was doing a trackstand. It takes more pressure to engage
the Time cleats.

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

 

[Tony Raven]

Paul Boyd wrote:
>
> I got home safely as well on my first clipless day, but I must admit
> that it is exactly the stage you describe that worries me. Used to
> them, but not quite second nature yet!
>

Like that moment as a novice fixie when you start to relax about
remembering not to stop pedalling and then what do you go and do?

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

 

[Jon Senior]

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 19:35:54 +0100, Tony Raven wrote:
> Like that moment as a novice fixie when you start to relax about
> remembering not to stop pedalling and then what do you go and do?

IME, you hit some rough surface and try to freewheel over it so as not to
lose balance... hmm.

Jon

 

[Don Whybrow]

elyob wrote:
>
> You do, however, have to get your feet out when you stop. I look forward to
> *that* update.

Or the one about putting your usual foot out as you stop only to have
the bike fall the other way.


--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

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