Cyclists, ? on clip-in shoes/pedals, JayC?

[KEVINS]

I am doing a lot of riding lately and may try some races but I don't have the gear or the clip-in shoes which I think would be a big accident waiting to happen for me. But I think I may try them and see what happens. I have tried them once for about 1 mile and didn't like them mainly b/c I couldn't move my feet around on the pedals plus they weren't adjusted for me.
Currently when my legs start cramping a bit I can move my feet about 1/4" to 1/2" on the pedals which helps my muscles stretch a tad. With clip-ins this won't be possible. Will my muscles get used to being in one spot all the time if so how long does it take?

Can you give me details on if you had this problem?

tia.
ks

 

[JayC]

Well.. Ive run the gambit with pedals. Here's the best advice I can give you.

For starters, buy shoes that fit your feet. If youre riding in sneakers now, you're dealing with a lot of flexing from the sole. Cycling shoes don't flex much.. the better shoes don't flex at all. If you have a wide foot, buy wide shoes. Sidi makes a Mega which is a wide shoe and Shimano's R300 comes in wide as well, I personally ride the Shimanos although I have a pair of Megas at home I bought a few years ago. The R300s have a carbon sole while the Megas have a composite sole. I think the R300s are stiffer than the Megas.

Pedals are kind of a personal thing also. I've ridden Speedplay X's, Look Keo's, Time RXS's, Shimano Ultegra SL's and now Im riding Speedplay Lite Action. The Speedplay are easy in and easy out and won't unclip if you're in a sprint.

If they're adjusted for you, you shouldnt have a problem but cleat placement is critical so make sure someone sets them up for you that knows what theyre doing.

 

[JayC]

I prolly shoulda put this in my other post.. if youre scared about being able to clip in and out easily, look at mountain bike pedals. They are super easy to get in and out of. I just dont think they're quite as secure as you need to be for road biking but a lot of people with disagree with that.

Personally, Id go with a stiff carbon shoe and Speedplay Light Actions if you think you can deal with the pedal float. You get used to it quick tho.

 

[KEVINS]

Thanks Jay.
What about the muscles/joints getting used to being in one spot all the time while riding? Currenlty I ride about 15-25 miles a day and every few miles my muscles around my knees get cramped and moving my feet on the pedals a 1/2" or so helps with this. Will this eventually go away, is this typical if someone isn't used to clip-ins? I don't want to spend the $$ on pedals and shoes if this doesn't sound normal.

Is there anything in particular I should look for when getting pedals/shoes, like the "make sure you get this" feature?

ks

 

[gunslinger]

Are you a roadie or a worm?

What kind of riding are you doing? Are you riding the paved trails in town or are you riding the Mopac and Wilderness trails? Lincoln has a great trail system, and I miss it a lot. I used to live at 27th and Hwy 2. I could get anywhere in the city on my bike. It was great!

I ride my mountain bike on all terrains and have considered going clipless, but have stuck to platforms because if I have to hike through New England muck, the cleats get filled up in no time, and don't work again until I wash them out. Plus I sometimes find myself on trails I have no right being on, and have had to bail off of my bike a few times. If my feet were locked in, I'd have been in trouble. The trails around here go from nice rolling single track to log crossings and baby heads just by going around a corner.

Now if you're a roadie, clipless is the only way to go. Being clipped into the pedals allows you to have a much more efficient stroke. If everything is adjusted correctly, cramping shouldn't be a problem. You can move around in the saddle to change muscle groups being used.

 

[KEVINS]

Hey Eric, I actually ride out towards Denton then back home. The usual ride is 15-18 miles and I try to average 18 mph over that trip but I don't quite get to Denton. The long ride for me that I just started this week is 22 miles. I live on West A so I head South to Denton Road then ride West to Denton then head north to O street then back home. That loop is 22 miles and was a friggen killer for the first ride of the year.. That was a dumb mistake..lol.

I may try the HWY 77 and 14th street loop out to Saltillo Rd then back into town. That's pretty flat but gets more wind.

ks

 

[The Blob]

What about the muscles/joints getting used to being in one spot all the time while riding?

I can only speak for Look pedals/cleats (most people I know use Looks) but they offer some float... which means that you can rotate your foot maybe 15 deg either way... so you are not locked into the exact same spot all the time. That keeps the knees and ankles happy.

Clip-in shoes and pedals take a little getting used to but there is a reason why every even semi-serious cyclist uses them. Having your foot attached to the pedal is way more efficient as you can use not only your pushing muscles but also the pulling ones and your hip muscles as well. Riding with platform pedals is like driving around with two plug wires disconnected.

There is something of a learning curve, though, so practice getting into and out of the pedals in an isolated area... preferably on grass... and just accept the fact that at some point you will be unable to unclip and will tip over. It happens to everybody. Before long, though, they will become second nature and you will never be able to ride without them again.

 

[JayC]

Look pedals allow anywhere up to 9 degrees of float I believe depending on what cleats you use with them. The downside to Looks are that the cleats are garbage. Ive broken them and pulled out of them in sprints. They're slick to walk in and they did add rubber pads to them this season but that made them even more junk.

Here's the bottom line on clipless. Either go Speedplay or go Shimano. Everything else sucks. If you go Speedplay, either go with the Zeros or the Light Action. I recommend the Light Action but the Zeros, you can adjust the float. The Shimano Ultegra pedals are good also. They have a wide platform for power transfer and the cleats can actually be walked in.

Also, the Speedplay cleats have way more float than anything else so theyre going to be kinder to your knees. The downside is you have to learn to deal with the "riding on ice" feeling you get from having all that float. A ride or two and you'll be used to it tho.

 

[JOHNDEEREGN]

Hey Eric, I actually ride out towards Denton then back home. The usual ride is 15-18 miles and I try to average 18 mph over that trip but I don't quite get to Denton. The long ride for me that I just started this week is 22 miles. I live on West A so I head South to Denton Road then ride West to Denton then head north to O street then back home. That loop is 22 miles and was a friggen killer for the first ride of the year.. That was a dumb mistake..lol.

I may try the HWY 77 and 14th street loop out to Saltillo Rd then back into town. That's pretty flat but gets more wind.

ks

If you see a green Town and Country Limited with Kansas plates on 77 and need a breather flag me down.:biggrin: I am on there 3 weeks a month

Ty

 

[UNGN]

Once you get a set of clipless pedals, you will never want to go back to toe clips.

Shimano SPD's were great back in 1991 and I still would recommend them today.

They are heavier than the lightweight titanium stuff I've had, but clip in is smooth and positive and there is enough float your knees will thank you.

...And the only times I couldn't unclip fast enough were when my feet were over my head, anyway.

They will help you have an efficient round, smooth stroke and you will go further, easier. On a mountain bike, they make you feel a part of the bike and actually make technical trails easier and not harder (which is the fear a lot of people who have never tried them have)

 

[Pablo]

Once you go clipless you won't go back.

I started on SPDs back in the mid 90s, went to campagnolo pro fits and now I'm riding shimano ultegras. I have the SIDI genius Mega shoes that jay mentioned since I have wide feet and they fit me very well.

Bike positioning, cleat setup etc are of extreme importance. Your feet aren't "locked" into place on clipless pedals like others have said, depending on the pedal type you have some "float".

Mountain bike pedals do indeed tend to have more float and are much easier to get in and out of but don't waste your time on them on a road bike.

Clipless pedals are not hard to master. It might take you a week of riding if that till you feel completely comfortable in them. You'll wonder how you ever rode without them.

I say skip just going clipless, get yourself a trackbike with track pedals, strap em tight and ride that around. :biggrin: , it'll make regular clipless on a road bike seem like a breeze

 

[JayC]

The Ultegra pedals are good stuff. My only complaint with them was that they didnt seem to have enough float for me. The oversize platform is awesome and the cleat construction is good, plus they can be bought cheap from ProBikeKit.Com.

Im still really enjoying the Speedplay Light Action pedals tho. They clip in and out SUPER easy, like SPD easy (I have SPDs on my 29'er so Im familiar with both ) but they wont pull out and they have plenty of float. They also come in a wide variety of colors so you can match them to your bike, which any roadie will tell you, is mega important.

 

[gunslinger]

Sorry, but there's no way in hell, I'm going to be attached to my bike while riding these trails!

This is where I like to go at least once a year.

 

[UNGN]

Sorry, but there's no way in hell, I'm going to be attached to my bike while riding these trails!

This is where I like to go at least once a year.

I never raced BMX as a kid or mastered unclipped trials riding, so I wouldn't ride down any of those trails without being securely bolted to the bike.

 

[6APPEAL]

Look's on my road bike, Shimano's on the mountain bike. Like mentioned above, once you go clipless, you will not go back.
John

 

[ttypewhite]

You guys using clip ins on mountain bikes in the trails, how practical is that? and how safe is that? I have had to bail out off of my bike quite a few times from hitting jumps and turns wrong. How fast can you get out of these pedals when the OH SH_T factor comes into play? Some times I half to walk the bike up some steep dirt hills in the trails where you can't pedal up. How easy is it to clip back into your pedals with dirt/mud in the soles of your shoe?

 

[JayC]

You can get out of mountain bike pedals quick.

 

[6APPEAL]

If you're that concerned, get some nice pedals with tension adjustment. You'll spend more money, but it will give you a greater range of adjustment. Also get a multi-release cleat. You could sneeze and get out of them.
John

 

[mjdwyer23]

I'm all about speedplays after having ridden SPD, LOOK, etc.