Clipless pedals question(s)

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4-way entry is SOOOOO convenient that whatever the disadvantages of eggbeaters, this one plus makes it the perfect city pedal.

Mark C, Sunday, 4 October 2009 20:49 (fifteen years ago) link

4-way + bi-directional (forwards & backwards). love it.

this must be what FAIL is really like (ledge), Sunday, 4 October 2009 20:53 (fifteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Thanks for all the advice, didn't get a chance to post when there was all the discussion happening. Decided to ignore everyone and bought some Shimano PD-M520s, because they were cheap. After a trying session trying to fit them (managed to shear the cleat from the Lidl shoe and get the cleat stuck in the pedal without the shoe), I finally rode in on them today. Two moments of having to grab a parked car/bollard, and one moment of 'oh shit I'm actually going over oh wait my foot's there', and I'm starting to think I should've listened to whoever questioned whether it's actually worth it on a 3 mile commute. Maybe I'll get used to it but at the moment I'm actually fearing the ride home. Tonight I'll either adjust the tension on the springs and look for some better shoes or swap the pedals back.

j.o.n.a, Monday, 19 October 2009 13:59 (fifteen years ago) link

Ah you'll get used to it. Didn't you feel the POWER increase?

surfing on hokusine waves (ledge), Monday, 19 October 2009 14:11 (fifteen years ago) link

Not particularly, although I took it a lot easier than usual, and noticed I hardly got out of the saddle at all when riding, and it took no longer to get here, so there probably is something happening there. Maybe just really tightening up the cleats on the shoes would make me feel more confident that it's not going to stay in place again when I turn my ankle to release it.

j.o.n.a, Monday, 19 October 2009 14:29 (fifteen years ago) link

Oh it's totally worth it. It becomes 2nd nature, it's way more comfy* and predictable.

*assuming you have the cleats in the right position, which can involve trial and error. Look up cleat positioning on google if you want advice.

Mark C, Monday, 19 October 2009 14:56 (fifteen years ago) link

Thanks for that. Getting home was fine, no wobbly moments at least. Haven't quite worked out how to come to an elegant stop yet, or how to go about scooting. Also I have a feeling that these Lidl shoes are actually crap. Messed about with the cleat positioning now, and will take allen keys with me tomorrow to allow further fiddling.

j.o.n.a, Monday, 19 October 2009 18:32 (fifteen years ago) link

"Check to make sure the toes are even (thus making sure the cleats are positioned equally)."

You would think this would be sensible but I definitely feel better with my left cleat a few mills behind the right.

surfing on hokusine waves (ledge), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 09:43 (fifteen years ago) link

Yeah, unless your feet are exactly the same size, shape and angle why would the cleats be?

On the subject of pedals, I just need to brag for a second. Last night I did some PROPER fettling. I took apart my new MKS Sylvan track pedals (which, brand new, felt a bit grindy - as others did in the shop when I checked them yesterday), greased the bearings, and sealed, as best I could, the unsealed area with grease. It took FOUR spanners/wrenches, and some tricky and tough effort, but I managed it and now both pedals are much smoother and hopefully less open to the elements!

Mark C, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 10:04 (fifteen years ago) link

WHY ARE THEY CALLED CLIPLESS WHEN YOU ARE CLIPPED IN I AM SO CONFUSED

still need to get a pair of these, might go w/the ones j.o.n.a. plumped for as well

coz (webinar), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 10:28 (fifteen years ago) link

Because clips = toe clips.

Mark C, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 11:28 (fifteen years ago) link

- the main mechanism of which is A STRAP. not A CLIP. it's madness.

surfing on hokusine waves (ledge), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 11:35 (fifteen years ago) link

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/19/shimano-clipless-pedals
Noticed this yesterday while I was explaining to my girlfriend that nearly falling off 3 times isn't that dangerous really, then spent ages looking at the pedal museum pages. Cycling this morning I thought about the Cinelli ones mentioned in that post with levers, and decided I was actually doing alright. Loosening the tension on the pedal helped a lot this morning. It'd be so much easier if you could adjust the cleat position while your actually on the pedal though.

coz, they're less than £20 at SJS Cycles at the moment.

j.o.n.a, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 12:39 (fifteen years ago) link

the clip is what the strap goes into, man

cutty, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 13:53 (fifteen years ago) link

some people used to ride with clips, no straps

cutty, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 13:53 (fifteen years ago) link

Even that's hardly a clip, in the sense of "a device that grips and holds tightly." It's more of a housing. A socket. A sheath. Well anyway "clipless" is still fucking stupid GOD IT MAKES ME ANGRY

surfing on hokusine waves (ledge), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 14:16 (fifteen years ago) link

are you still confused?

cutty, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 14:21 (fifteen years ago) link

i was never confused. JUST ANGRY.

surfing on hokusine waves (ledge), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 14:23 (fifteen years ago) link

considering clips+straps for the lolpollo. hold off on clipless until get proper road bike, i reckon.

lad: "et tu, lady?" (haitch), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 14:45 (fifteen years ago) link

Fwiw, clipless is a lot easier to use than toeclips/straps, if that's a concern.

Mark C, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:07 (fifteen years ago) link

^ Yep. The only benefit to using toeclips and 'traditional' pedals is that you can still ride the bike without wearing cycling shoes.

Teh Movable Object (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 17:47 (fifteen years ago) link

I am going to dissent and say that they're both about equally easy to use, I'm not particularly troubled by either. I don't know why folks are insinuating that toeclips are that difficult?

♪♫(●̲̲̅̅̅̅=̲̲̅̅̅̅●̲̅̅)♪♫ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 17:55 (fifteen years ago) link

the only thing fussy about clips and straps is actually cinching the strap once you're underway. actually flipping the pedal over is muscle memory thing that takes zero time to master

how rad bandit (gbx), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:03 (fifteen years ago) link

imo

how rad bandit (gbx), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:03 (fifteen years ago) link

btw has anyone used feetbelt style nu school straps that all those pesky hipster children are using? seem like a cheap alternative to GTX clipless boots in the winter

how rad bandit (gbx), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:05 (fifteen years ago) link

i never cinch the strap fwiw, it's kinda like shoes with laces that you just slip on/off.

♪♫(●̲̲̅̅̅̅=̲̲̅̅̅̅●̲̅̅)♪♫ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:07 (fifteen years ago) link

is that a partial bashguard for trials type stuff?

honesty is not ordinary to the height of the bunny hop (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:10 (fifteen years ago) link

i think it's for grinding rails and stuff, actually! it's partial, i assume, because fixie grinds are always gonna have their crank arms in the same position

how rad bandit (gbx), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:12 (fifteen years ago) link

i want lake winter boots so bad :(

how rad bandit (gbx), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:13 (fifteen years ago) link

I'm w shasta, never cinch the straps on my clips unless my shoes are a lot larger/smaller than the ones I wore last time. Set them once per ride, leave them alone.

I would feel confident if I dated her because I am older than (Laurel), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:15 (fifteen years ago) link

^kind of how i'm imaging it - this is more so i don't have to don bike shoes just to go up the shops or to the pub or whatever! i have no problem with clipless for impending purchase of serious bike, tho.

lad: "et tu, lady?" (haitch), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 23:40 (fifteen years ago) link

yeah this^^^

for city/leisurely biking = clips
for RIDING = clipless

♪♫(●̲̲̅̅̅̅=̲̲̅̅̅̅●̲̅̅)♪♫ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 October 2009 00:02 (fifteen years ago) link

three years pass...

Lidl shoes mentioned upthread have finally given up, culminating in a frantic 'I'm turning my ankle, why aren't I unclipping oh shi-' moment. I have to cycle home later, and I won't have a chance to buy new shoes. Bike has these pedals http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=3759
Do I:
wear my work shoes and try not to slip off the pedals
take the cleats out of my SPD shoes, and try not to slip off the pedals/get the pedal stuck in the cleat-recess area
pretend what happened this morning didn't really happen
?

Map Ref 52°N 6°W (useless chamber), Tuesday, 23 October 2012 14:52 (twelve years ago) link

a). I had to ride home with normal shoes on my fixie with eggbeaters recently. One worrying moment at the beginning where my feet flew off the pedals at speed, but after i slowed down a bit it was easy enough.

ledge, Tuesday, 23 October 2012 15:47 (twelve years ago) link

Yeah, I'm not even riding fixed anymore, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem. I overthink things.

Map Ref 52°N 6°W (useless chamber), Tuesday, 23 October 2012 15:49 (twelve years ago) link


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