Training effect of clips/baskets

[Dave Cutter]

Originally Posted by alienator .


And that's a good thing. If he leans just far enough the forum will no longer have to be polluted by what oozes out of his pie hole, and some lucky driver passing by might get to have a rusting front quarter panel replaced on an insurance claim. Win-win.

Well so much for you ever making a post about being concerned about cyclist safety! I added this gem to my favorites. Wishing another cyclist harm.... don't you know that will come back to you? It's like your wishing an accident on yourself.

Sorry you didn't know how to mount a bicycle.... hope you take the time to learn.

 

[qdc15]

Originally Posted by alienator .


There isn't a functional advantage. Release on which ever side is easiest/most comfortable for you.

After I wore out a left pedal, I started trying to switch it up a bit. For most of us the right foot is the power foot and the left is the stance foot (think about kicking a ball). So we often develop strength in the right leg and balance in the left. Putting the left stance foot down and leaving the right power foot on the pedal to make the first stroke is natural for most of us, but I don't think it's necessarily advantageous.

On second thought, I think you do get better acceleration. I can't picture myself lining up at a race with my left in and right out. If getting the hole shot in traffic is your goal, you should go with your natural instinct (people who've developed left power, right stance, goofyfoot snowboarders, for example would want to use left foot for first pedal stroke).

 

[davereo]

I unclip right foot first and clip in left foot first. When I first started using Look pedals I was living in a town that the house's were stack up every 100' and every intersection had traffic buzzing in all four directions. I had to get through six of them coming and going on every ride. I found out early on that I was a lot quicker getting into my second pedal taking off using my right foot. So thats the way I trained myself.

 

[alienator]

I unclip right foot first and clip in left foot first. When I first started using Look pedals I was living in a town that the house's were stack up every 100' and every intersection had traffic buzzing in all four directions. I had to get through six of them coming and going on every ride. I found out early on that I was a lot quicker getting into my second pedal taking off using my right foot. So thats the way I trained myself.

It's a personal preference thing and may be related to handedness/side dominance, i.e. righty vs. lefty. It may even account for a lot of pedal related tip-overs, as in someone tipping left but not being used to unclipping left side first. No matter, I think it's about as important as which glove you put on first. For the record, I always put on my left glove first. It feels wrong to put the right glove on first. Unfortunately, we were never able to see the original planned cover for Spinal Tap's "Smell the Glove" album, so we'll never know if the glove on the cover was a right or a lefty.

 

[Dave Cutter]

Interesting.... I am sure we all believe the ways we were taught [and maybe the way we have used for decades] are correct [or at least not wrong].

So far we seem to have consensus that both cages and clipless adds confidence... but additional efficiency?... not so much.
Everyone seems to prefer the way they personally clip-in and out.

I wonder if there are other non-fit related [because we all know there are a bunch of fit guidelines] "should do's" or maybe "never do's" that we may have been taught or picked up.

I assume that everyone has seen "The rules" .... good humor IMHO.

 

[gudujarlson]

I'm not in the consensus that both cages and clipless add confidence. It's the exact opposite for me.

As far as which side I clip out on; I alternate left and right so as to be comfortable on both sides in the hopes that I will be able to clip out in an emergency.

 

[Dave Cutter]

Originally Posted by gudujarlson .

I'm not in the consensus that both cages and clipless add confidence. It's the exact opposite for me.

As far as which side I clip out on; I alternate left and right so as to be comfortable on both sides in the hopes that I will be able to clip out in an emergency.

Oops. Sorry I was mistaken. I guess maybe attaching ones self to the bicycle isn't for everyone. Doesn't mean you can't still enjoy the sport as much as anyone else though.