Originally Posted by
Rick
Joe average does not even know what clipless is. It is obvious that most of the people on this forum are not average. I used bicycle shoes with the nail in cleats and toe clips and they were an improvement. over flat pedals with or without toe clips. I never considered them a problem. Clipless is an improvement over all other systems. They have different needs! I do not believe they use clipless pedals because they have different needs. Retension of the feet on the pedals prevents injury and loss of control that can happen under certain conditions. Having your foot in the same position over the pedal allows you to waste less energy. Everybody or most can benefit from this not, just Tour De France riders. I am not saying it is not complicated. I am saying it is not that complicated. Anxiety can play into this and create problems. I was on a group ride on a Sunday morning and there were several cattle guards on the route. One of the riders had just put some new clipless pedals on at the start point. When we approached and stopped and dismounted just before the cattle guard he fell over. Once he was on the ground he managed to disengage his feet from the pedals. This continued to happen at one intersection and a couple more cattle guards. Although suggestions had been made so he wouldn't repeat the problem he just couldn't seem to disengage from the pedals, when ever he came to a stop. The ride leader decided to make our next stop a parking lot so we could help him out. Yes we were ready with a controlled landing. two of us were ahead of him and dismounted and kept him upright when he stopped. We held him up while he practiced in and out. He actually got one foot out at the next intersection even though it was a little to late. No harm though the other riders gave him plenty of room at stops lest he fall on them. Again: this is not that complicated. Practice before you embarrass or Inger yourself. Disclaimer I am not most people I have a big head, short wide feet and am Bo legged. So one size fits most does not do it for me.
Some people aren't very prone to those injuries, perhaps because that sort of injury is rare, perhaps even rarer among those who don't ride hard. Anxiety is real, and it can be enough of a reason not to use something whose value is low.
I ride clipless virtually all the time. I prefer it strongly. I've never been injured from riding clipless, not even in a minor way. But I can't say others need it. My wife tried it. She fell and cracked her elbow. Her ankle isn't strong enough to twist out reliably. I am not going to tell her to try again.