Clipless pedals

[Old clicker]

I recently bought a stand so I can ride my bike inside for the winter. The sales person said I should get clipless pedals ( the shoes attach to the pedals) She said I would get better exercise with less work, because instead of just riding along on the way up my leg could pull up on the pedal. This all makes sense to me, and sounds like a good idea. I would like to know however, how does one train the leg to lift on the way up when its used to getting a free ride?

 

[MarkAlan]

Clipless is definetly the way to go. But I don't think it will be any easier just more efficient. Instead of just pushing down with your legs you pedal in circles. Once you get the "float" adjusted they are much more comfortable and your knees will love them. They will however be an investment. Pedals cleats and shoes will cost a few bucks but it's worth it if you are going to be riding as your main sorce of exercise.

Mark

 

[AlonnolA]

I haven't invested in clipless pedals yet, but Mark, maybe you know - do they still sell the pedals with the baskets, and are those cheaper? Maybe that's the way to go.

 

[Dennis S]

Clipless pedals:

Clipless pedals:

Clipless pedals can be great for riding on the road. I think they are a waste when riding a stationery bike. Remember that buying clipless pedals requires buying new shoes as well. The do make shoes for clipless pedals that are easy to walk in, and I would strongly recomend them.

 

[kodi]

I've been using clipless pedals for many years and they are great. Like mentioned in the other posts they can be costly and the shoes certainly are, but worth it. To answer your question on how to train the leg to lift; there are two ways that I know of. One would be to concentrate on pulling up as you are pedaling rather than pushing down. The other would be to only use one leg at a time by taking your other foot off the pedal. In order to do this is a little more difficult because you have to figure out what to do with that foot. You can place it on a box beside the pedal or even place it on the bike frame itself. You just have to make sure it doesn't interfer with the pedal stroke. Of course, both of these things are much easier to do when riding a trainer than when you are actually out on the streets.

 

[MarkAlan]

AlonnalA, I asume you're talking about the old clips and straps when you refer to a basket. I think they still make them but I would not recomend them for any riding.

Dennis, I would'nt say they are useless on a trainer unless you're just spinning. If you are "trainnig", doing 2 to 3 hours on the bike and doing hard intervals you need to be locked in. Once you put these on your bike you have to wear the shoes with cleats anyway and I would never use different shoes and pedals whether my bike is on the road or on my trainer.

It all depends on what type of riding you do.

Mark

 

[Steph]

I only ride inside, (husband is afraid I will be road kill if I go out)! I have a Lamond spin bike at home, and teach spinning at a local club. I spend, on average, 90 minutes a day on a bike and would NOT be able to live without clips. I love them, and I really feel that you get a much more efficient pedal stroke with the clips. I also know that when I do not have them my toes fall asleep with the straps.

Steph

 

[Old clicker]

Thanks Everyone. I think I will get them, At least if I get them this time of year I will have a lot of practice in before it is time to try outside.

 

[kodi]

Here are a couple of online biking sites. When the home page displays enter pedals in the search screen and you'll see bunches of them. If you are fortunate enough to have a good bike shop close by, you can go there and get a good look at them and ask questions. The top of the line, or at least the latest are call speedplay and are easier to get out of than the ones with cleats. Mine are LOOK and I've had them for probably 20 years.



http://www.performancebike.com/?PID=1729934
www.nashbar.com

 

[Jas0n]

allow me to chime in and add a slightly different take on the situation. most importantly, DO NOT BUY the shoes or pedals online!! i wont start a support your lbs rant, but suffice to say that the cleats must be percisely to avoid any possibility of knee strain. a shop shoud not just slap on the cleats; they ought to mark your metatarcial (sp?) and watch the way you walk, adjusting both the fore and aft placement, as well as the angle of the cleats.

one thing to avoid when learning to pedal in circles is to realize that you are trying to get rid of the squarish motion of pedalling wherein one pushes at the top of the stroke, alternating force with each leg. instead, you should always be pushing and "pulling" with both legs. in reality, the motion of "pulling" up on the pedals resembles a motion you would undertake if you were trying to scrape gum off the bottom of your shoe. btw, this action will work your hamstrings, getting rid of teh muscle imbalance - or at least lessening - prevelent with most cyclists.

be sure to adjust your seat height after the new pedals/shoes. assuming your seat height is correct to begin with, you will need to raise your saddle 5mm for an average set up. correct saddle height is important, so i would bring the bike with you when you get the shoes.

 

[Sir Reel]

I think clipless pedals are excellent. I have Speedplay and really like them. Like the others, I recommend you find a good bike shop to get them fit right and properly adjusted. It is well worth having good shoes with stiff soles. I have Sidis, but you may not want to get that kind of money in for indoor riding.

Be careful when you start riding outdoors with them. Many (most??) people coast up to a stop and then have trouble unclipping and fall over.

 

[PJmomrunner]

What a Coincidence This Thread is...

What a Coincidence This Thread is...

I bought my husband Sidi Max cycling shoes for Christmas. He asked for shoes to use with his spinner. I researched them a bit and bought the ones I did mainly because they were the only ones I found that were wide and my husband wears a EEE. I have a question for those experienced riders: Will he need something beside the shoe? Spikes perhaps? What's the deal with those? (I know very nearly nothing, so all remarks welcome.)

 

[Oslo73]

pedals

pedals

I bought my husband Sidi Max cycling shoes for Christmas. He asked for shoes to use with his spinner. I researched them a bit and bought the ones I did mainly because they were the only ones I found that were wide and my husband wears a EEE. I have a question for those experienced riders: Will he need something beside the shoe? Spikes perhaps? What's the deal with those? (I know very nearly nothing, so all remarks welcome.)

Besides the shoes you will need pedals. There are several different clipless systems out there, so make sure you get shoes that works together with the pedals. Just ask the staff in your local bike shop, and you can`t go wrong.
There is something that needs to be screwed onto the shoe before they work. It can be a little difficult to get it right. It`s important to get it right though because the knees of the person using the shoes can be affected if not done properly. Some systems have a lot of play sideways and some don`t. It is a matter of taste witch one is better.

 

[BillCobit]

Will he need something beside the shoe? Spikes perhaps? What's the deal with those? (I know very nearly nothing, so all remarks welcome.)

Hi PJ

Sounds like Hank is doing much better after that awful accident. Glad to hear he is on the spinner.

Some (not all) spinners come equipped with double-sided pedals: one side flat platform pedal, the other to accommodate a cycling shoe cleat. If that's the case, and assuming he wants to continue to use of those pedals, you'll need to get a shoe cleat that is compatible w/ the pedal. Probably the best way to make sure you get the right hardware is to remove one of the pedals and take it to the bike shop. Word of caution about the left pedal though - that one has reverse threads - counter-clockwise to tighten and clockwise to loosen. If you don't pay attention you can damage the spindle &/or crank threads by cross-threading. OR....rather than bother with all of that, just recruit John to sort it out for you


Best holiday wishes to you and your family.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Excellent! The pedals accommodate Look and SPD cleats, so I'm off to the local bike shop. Thanks, Oslo and Bill. (John probably will get a call given the knee issue Oslo mentions!)

 

[MarkU]

I think clipless pedals are excellent. I have Speedplay and really like them. Like the others, I recommend you find a good bike shop to get them fit right and properly adjusted. It is well worth having good shoes with stiff soles. I have Sidis, but you may not want to get that kind of money in for indoor riding.

Be careful when you start riding outdoors with them. Many (most??) people coast up to a stop and then have trouble unclipping and fall over.

I've got Shimano SPD-SL's on my bike and like them a lot. I like the way the larger cleat spreads out the pressure on the bottom of my feet. I started out with regular SPD cleats and found I would get uncomfortable "hot spots" on the bottom of my feet because of the small size of the cleat.

I second the need for proper fitting to protect your knees.

FWIW, I've had two bike crashes in the past year and each time my cleats popped right out of the pedals without me having to think about it. That has helped to dispell my fear that my feet would get tangled up in the bike if I went down. (Not that I recommend trying it on your own...)

MarkU