What's a clipless pedal?

Jack Ouzzi said:

(Vince) said:

Simon Brooke said:

Pedals are required by law to have a reflector on the front and a reflector on the back.

I may be wrong (unlikely but possible) but my understanding is that the law only says that new
bikes must be sold with these reflectors, and that it says nothing about keeping these refectors
in place afterwards.

Mind you I am an old fart, and of the view that these things ARE a bit of a rip off as you need to
buy the shoes to go with the pedals ...........

I'm an old fart, too, but I can't agree with you. You really need special shoes with toe-clips, too,
and you can't comfortably walk in them. At least it's possible to walk in most SPD shoes.
Furthermore, you need to reach down to each pedal (separately) to release toe-straps, something it's
not easy to do when you've suddenly and unexpectedly made contact with a ton of metal.

So I'll stick with my SPDs, thank you ever so.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; Life would be much easier if I had the source code.

Pete Biggs said:

Just zis Guy said:

Jack Ouzzi said:

I can't 'clip on' when I want to go training, or once I do get 'clipped on' after about 10 miles
I can't clip off again

Eh? Straps require manually fastening and unfastening.

Not necessarily. They're still useful when left loose enough to just to get in and out of without
adjusting straps.

Still, I don't know what Jack is on about.

It's just that I have road raced, audaxed, time trialled, and toured many thousands of miles with
toe straps, and could probably get my feet out quicker that you can twist ..............

I now have a set of clipless pedals which I just can't seem to get my feet fastened too (fixed
wheel) for the first 26 revs ............ Just not used to them I suppose ........... again just a
'gentle twist' does not seem to work that well ........... more like a 45 degree wrench, then they
will come out. I have adjusted till I'm blue in the face, makes no difference ....... Sidi Shoes but
not sure what 'system' of pedal they are .............. maybe I am an old old fart!!

Jack Ouzzi said:

It's just that I have road raced, audaxed, time trialled, and toured many thousands of miles with
toe straps, and could probably get my feet out quicker that you can twist ..............

Maybe, but I seriously doubt it. I don't have a problem with people using straps because they are
comfortable with them. But I was massively happier when I moved to clipless.

Quoted message said:

I now have a set of clipless pedals which I just can't seem to get my feet fastened too (fixed
wheel) for the first 26 revs ............ Just not used to them I suppose ........... again just a
'gentle twist' does not seem to work that well

That sounds like they are adjusted wrongly, or maybe even the cleats are incorrectly mounted
(mounting SPD cleats [censored]-about-face induces similar problems). Most clipless systems have a tension
adjuster, which "newbies" are advised to slack right of to sart with. And most benefit from the
application of a small amount of lubricant to the pivots, and IME some hard wax (as used for drawer
runners) on the clip faces also helps.

That said, everybody falls off at least once when they switch to clipless. Just as they used to fall
off at least once when they started tightening the straps up ;-)

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
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Jack Ouzzi said:

It's just that I have road raced, audaxed, time trialled, and toured many thousands of miles with
toe straps, and could probably get my feet out quicker that you can twist ..............

That's possibly true as long as you don't have to loosen the strap first. However, I can still
release my feet as fast as I need to - even when making unexpected emergency stops.

Quoted message said:

I now have a set of clipless pedals which I just can't seem to get my feet fastened too (fixed
wheel) for the first 26 revs ............

I've not tried them on a fixie. Different kettle of spuds.

Quoted message said:

Just not used to them I suppose ........... again just a 'gentle twist' does not seem to work that
well ........... more like a 45 degree wrench, then they will come out. I have adjusted till I'm
blue in the face, makes no difference ....... Sidi Shoes but not sure what 'system' of pedal they
are .............. maybe I am an old old fart!!

Different systems, pedals and setting will work better than others. Most of them only a few degrees
of rotation to release.

~PB

Jack Ouzzi said:

Pete Biggs said:

Just zis Guy said:

On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 12:16:53 +0000, Jack Ouzzi wrote:

> I can't 'clip on' when I want to go training, or once I do get 'clipped on' after about 10
> miles I can't clip off again

Eh? Straps require manually fastening and unfastening.

Not necessarily. They're still useful when left loose enough to just to get in and out of without
adjusting straps.

Still, I don't know what Jack is on about.

It's just that I have road raced, audaxed, time trialled, and toured many thousands of miles with
toe straps, and could probably get my feet out quicker that you can twist ..............

I now have a set of clipless pedals which I just can't seem to get my feet fastened too (fixed
wheel) for the first 26 revs ............ Just not used to them I suppose ........... again just a
'gentle twist' does not seem to work that well ........... more like a 45 degree wrench, then they
will come out.

Then you've got the release spring waaaaaayyyyyyy too tight. Loosen it off to minimum, and then
tighten it a quarter turn at a time, testing between each tighten, until it feels OK.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗ ;; gif ye hes forget our auld
plane Scottis quhilk your mother lerit you, ;; in tymes cuming I sall wryte to you my mind in Latin,
for I am nocht ;; acquyntit with your Southeron ;; Letter frae Ninian Winyet tae John Knox datit 27t
October 1563

Pete Biggs said:

Jack Ouzzi said:

I now have a set of clipless pedals which I just can't seem to get my feet fastened too (fixed
wheel) for the first 26 revs ............

I've not tried them on a fixie. Different kettle of spuds.

If you are used to SPDs they are much easier than clips to get into on a fixie. Push off and catch
the other pedal as it goes over the top. No flipping a rotating pedal and sliding your foot in which
is a move requiring much more coordination. If you are not used to SPDs I can see you might have
trouble as getting a first time clip in takes a bit of practice.

Tony

you know? said:

On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 17:40:00 +0000, Jack Ouzzi <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

That sounds like they are adjusted wrongly, or maybe even the cleats are incorrectly mounted
(mounting SPD cleats [censored]-about-face induces similar problems). Most clipless systems have a
tension adjuster, which "newbies" are advised to slack right of to sart with. And most benefit from
the application of a small amount of lubricant to the pivots, and IME some hard wax (as used for
drawer runners) on the clip faces also helps.

Hmm, sounds like I need to get a few tools and lube out and have another bash ............

If not perhaps go down the SPD route

Quoted message said:

That said, everybody falls off at least once when they switch to clipless. Just as they used to
fall off at least once when they started tightening the straps up ;-)

Ooh not yet (Jack touches head) but now that I have publicly stated thus :-|

Thnaks for all the replies ...............

In article <[email hidden]>,

Just zis Guy said:

Doh! Actually the law requires that you have these reflectors on any bike made after ?October
1985, if used on the road after dark. You are allowed to remove spoke reflectors and white front
reflectors, but not pedal reflectors (unless you only ride during the day).

Is this why some makers sell bikes without pedals? But some bikes are sold pre-fitted with SPD
pedals: how does it play with them? I'm seriously interested, as I am collecting such a bike at the
end of the week.

ian

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pete Biggs said:

Ian G Batten said:

Quoted message said:

Doh! Actually the law requires that you have these reflectors on any bike made after ?October
1985, if used on the road after dark. You are allowed to remove spoke reflectors and white
front reflectors, but not pedal reflectors (unless you only ride during the day).

Is this why some makers sell bikes without pedals?

They do that with more serious (expensive) bikes because they know you'll already have a favourite
pedal system and it saves them a few quid.

That's what I assumed (although it's not a universal thing: the more expensive Marins comes with SPD-
only pedals).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

But some bikes are sold pre-fitted with SPD pedals: how does it play with them?

Some spuds have clip-on reflectors that are so poor that you wouldn't want to use them for a
minute, other times: the law is ignored.

Interesting. So, given the theory that a shyster lawyer could try to mitigate a damages claim
against someone who hit a cyclist with a ``but you didn't have pedal reflectors'', how would the
``but it didn't when I bought it'' defence rebound around?

ian

Ian G Batten said:

Quoted message said:

Doh! Actually the law requires that you have these reflectors on any bike made after ?October
1985, if used on the road after dark. You are allowed to remove spoke reflectors and white front
reflectors, but not pedal reflectors (unless you only ride during the day).

Is this why some makers sell bikes without pedals?

They do that with more serious (expensive) bikes because they know you'll already have a favourite
pedal system and it saves them a few quid. Pedals are almost as personal as saddles. They
could/should do that with saddles as well but they're cheaper and handling a seatpost and bike
without a saddle is awkward.

Quoted message said:

But some bikes are sold pre-fitted with SPD pedals: how does it play with them?

Some spuds have clip-on reflectors that are so poor that you wouldn't want to use them for a minute,
other times: the law is ignored.

~PB

"Ian G Batten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this why some makers sell bikes without pedals?

I have a distant memory that this was to avoid some regulation regarding the supply of
complete bikes.

Quoted message said:

But some bikes are sold pre-fitted with SPD pedals: how does it play with them?

Perfectly legal, as long as you don't ride at night.

I don't know anyone who's ever been pulled for it, mind, but you can bet your life that when Joe
Numpty decides it's your turn to decorate the front of his mobile death greenhouse, the weasel
lawyers will try to assert contributiry negligence on your part if you don't have them.

<url:http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/Web/public.nsf/documents/rvlr>

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

Ian G Batten said:

Interesting. So, given the theory that a shyster lawyer could try to mitigate a damages claim
against someone who hit a cyclist with a ``but you didn't have pedal reflectors'', how would the

Quoted message said:

``but it didn't when I bought it'' defence rebound around?

....But I was wrapped in about 53 metres of 3M reflective, conspicuity tape, AND High intensity
bright yellow covering material ........ maybe the 5mm pedal refectors did not matter.

OT BUT I always remember driving a Fire Engine to an emergency call, automatic flashing headlights,
high intensity blue flashing lights front and back, rather like a mobile xmas tree .......... a
person (diplomacy and equal ops here!!) drove onto the roundabout I was already on and collided with
the front end ............

Quote ' Oh Sorry I didn't see you ..........................' is there any hope ???

Jack Ouzzi <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quote ' Oh Sorry I didn't see you ..........................' is there any hope ???

Apparently not. :-(

--
Dave...