clipless pedals

got to try my new clipless pedals today(first time ever on clipless), and what an experience, took a while to remember that you have to click out before you stop, my girlfriend laughed more than once as I fell over sideways, but all in all, I don't think I'd ever go back as the pedal power I can acheieve now is greatly increased with the same amount of muscle effort

[Quo Fan]

Pretty soon, clicking in and out will become second nature. Also, you can pull up on the pedal without your foot comming off.

[Shigma]

I got them at the end of last year, and I ran them very loose until I could unclip really fast. Since then I've tightened them up little by little, haha I still have OH **** moments... haha I feel like a retard after!

[jerseygirl]

No worries, Dirtrider. I haven't met one person who didn't encounter the same experience when first using clipless (including me). Once you're used to them you'll wonder how you ever got along without them. If you ever take a spin class at the gym, make sure you bring them. They greatly improve your workout.

[Quo Fan]

Every person I've talked to about clpiless pedals says that they spent the first day laying on the ground because they couldn't get out of the pedals. Once they learned how to use them, they can't ride without them.

[bike187]

i have a set of time clipless pedals that came with the i-drive back in 2002, still unmounted. last year i got a pair of real nice specialized clipless shoes, still yet to be worn. been having too much fun putzing around with my flats. this year, i'll use em. use them on the i-drive, then when i get the enduro, put em on that. also seriously thinking about getting a roadbike this year too, so yet another bike to use clipless on. the thing that worried me, is that when i do drops, i like having the pedal more toward the center of my foot. i have a size 14 foot, so having the axle under the ball of my foot is like a huge lever. it'll take some getting used to. probably not gonna be running clipless on my bighit or city bike though, or bmx, well maybe bmx

[peterdbikes]

I ride with the Time ATAC and will NEVER go back to flats!

I'm getting it now, wish it wasn't pouring out so I could go ride, this weather is such a downer, and to boot, I can't even work on the bike as I have nowhere to do it

[CriticalBill]

Long time lurker....first time poster :)

A few years ago I was on my second ride with clipless at the Fells when I came upon three mountain bikers who had stopped to rest. They were lined up side-by-side, about a foot apart. I pulled up alongside the first biker to chat....and couldn't clip out! It was like watching domino's. I fell into the first person, who knocked over the next person, etc.. It was the funniest thing you've ever seen!

[truckboy]

I hope they laughed too!


Hey Yeti,

I have eggbeater mallets. Nice big platform to unclip and slide forward on, and to get going on hill starts. Not as wide as flats or as grippy when unclipped but a good compromise.

[Quo Fan]

Funniest thing I ever saw, was my buddy's wife and I were riding, and she did a slow roll over sideways onto her back, holding onto the handlebars and still clipped in. She didn't realize how funny it was until she saw her husband do the exact same thing.

I'm definitely a little bit nervous about getting into some rougher terrain with them, but I guess you don't learn unless you do it, righ? I'll trade some sore bones now for better rides in the future

[Jisch]

You'll be fine. At first (5 years ago) I would "wimp out" and walk stuff I knew I could make because I was afraid I couldn't get out of my pedals. That phase lasted only a few rides though.

The best clipless moment I saw was my brother on his first ride with clipless (Onza HOs!). He fell over in a mud puddle on a cold night ride. He's laying on his side arm out and in the water, he can't clip out without letting go and going completely under... A few seconds of hilarity until he made the decision.

John

[bike187]

alright, finally mounted my clipless pedals on my i-drive. they're some old time atac with specialized bg pro shoes. it feels odd that i have to twist my foot that much to unclip. right now i have it in the first timer/ recreational setting with the cleats with stars on them on the left shoe as per directions and the pedals are stock set-up. i think i might want to try to make it so i can unclip without twisting my leg and foot so much. any opnions on this? i still ahven't used em off road, just around the block, and on the baseball field and hill. bunny hopping on em feels different....i think i can bunnyhop higher on my flats right now cause i can bunnyhop over 18" logs copsistently. any further advvice for setup? oh and i also realized that i can move the cleasts to be further abck behind the ball of my foot then i htought, so i might put em on a trail bike for drops. we'll see. even though right now i'm riding my bighit as my trailbike, which is very fun. the trailmaintenace ride at bluehills last week, i was keeping up with the xc people, and i was on flats. a lauhg goes out to the guy with clipless that was fascinated with me bunnyhopping my bighit over big logs. ;D (and no i wasn't cheating with a messed up shock setup, it was properly setup for trailriding, it was not a pogo stick (though when i was first assembling the bike and didn't set up the shock properly yet, with lgiht spring and fast rebound i could bunnyhop about 3 feet high, it was like a massive pogo stick!))

jeez, that got a little off topic...oh well.

[Sharon1958]

got to try my new clipless pedals today(first time ever on clipless), and what an experience, took a while to remember that you have to click out before you stop...
I'm brand new to MB. I rode my new bike w/clipless pedals for the first time last Sunday on the trails at Callahan.

I'd never been on clipless before, so the whole time I had to keep telling myself to clip out when I slowed down or stopped. Whenever I fell, it was because I forgot to clip out.

But I noticed it definitely helps with the climbs, provided you don't slow down!