killahkosha

Well I have gone on about ten rides now with my set of clipless pedals (Look PP-206 or PP-207 i think) along with my Pearl Izumi shoes that I got for a steal from REI ($30, regularly $149). The main problems that I always have are :

1. Nearly losing balance at a stop when only unclipping one foot and leaving the other clipped in, suddenly sometimes weight starts to go towards the side that i am still clipped in on and i nearly fall

2. Foot almost sliding out from under me when stopping and resting foot out from the cleat sliding on the cement and my shoe lacking much rubber at all

3. Extra cautious riding due to the fact that if something happens I wouldn't be able to clip out in time

Those are about the main three problems that I am having and after ten rides I thought things would've gotten better but the same problems still remain, how long has it taken some of you to get used to riding with clipless after coming from just platform pedals?

botto 

10 times? how long are your rides?

no reason to be. part of the reason why clipless is the shizzle is that you pop right out of them if you have a serious enough crash/fall

ranger5oh

it only took me about 2 rides to get used to mine. I actually have more trouble clicking into my Keos than unclipping them when I need to.

killahkosha

my rides are usually only like 20 miles or so in length, they honestly would be longer but I usually end up getting so annoyed by the clipless pedals that I just end up heading home

Granny

Check out this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=204905

InVisib0L

Hhaha! Clipless headaches!!

grahny

I think everyone is different... I adjusted immeditately to clipless when I first used them (last october) and I was riding off road with them. I've never falled off due to them or anything like that. They feel completely natural to be honest and I can't imagine riding without them.

I always do this... unclip my dominate leg first (right leg), well before I plan on stopping so I can plant with that one, then unclip the left side. I also adjusted the tension on my pedals to my liking so they hold tight, but not so tight that I have to dislocate my knee to get out.

Only once did I crash off road going downhill at about 18mph and could have saved myself from being launched 10 feet through the air if I wasn't clipped in (couldn't get out fast enough to get off the bike when my front wheel instantly became stuck between two pieces of broken concrete.. crashes happen too quickly)...

I used mtb clipless pedals on my road bike and also mtb shoes (recessed cleat) so you can walk in them and not slide around.

As for being overly cautious, well, I think that's something you'll get over once you're more comfortable with them.

mike9903

I was having the same problem when I first started with clipless pedals, if you know that you are going to be stopped for a longer amount of time unclip both feet and just stand there and if you are going to stay clipped in for a short period of time lean your bike over a little bit more than you would think and put your foot a little further out. Doing these two things helped me out alot and prevents me from falling over at stop lights like i have done before.

timmhaan

get used to unclipping one foot - 95% of the time i always unclip my left foot to stop. it's so ingrained in me now that i don't even think about it. my dominate foot is my right, so that stays on the pedal to support my weight. perhaps getting used to unclipping one foot over the other will help?

Hornbiker

This helped me: choose well ahead which side to unclip. Then, stop your opposite foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke---helps with balance and stability, I think. So for instance, if you're unclipping your right foot, leave your left foot at the bottom of the stroke. Unclip the right foot and lean right, slow down gradually and don't put down your foot until you've stopped almost completely so you don't slide on the pavement. Helps to practice on a grassy field, or somewhere where falling won't hurt. Loosen the tension so it's really easy to get out until you're more comfy with it. Eventually you'll get comfortable with it and you won't have to think about it anymore.

I agree it helps to always unclip on the same side, but I'd recommend practicing both sides once you're more comfortable. You need to be able to do both sides in case of emergency. I once had the cleat on my "usual" foot loosen so I couldn't unclip---uh oh---so I HAD to unclip with the other. Important to be able to do both!

Good luck!

goaliedad30

I went to Speedplays a few weeks ago and found it extremely easy. Clipping in by feel was quick to pick up ... stomp on it and go. Clipping out, I usually always clip out my right foot, unless I'm going to be stopped for more than a couple of minutes. Remember to turn the front wheel slightly toward the side still clipped in ... then you tip toward your free foot.

After just 100 miles or so on clipless, I'd never go back ...

operator

Learn how to trackstand and you'll never fall. Ever.

botto 

seeing as the OP is having problems with unclipping after 10+ rides, i think a trackstand is asking way too much of him/her

53-11_alltheway

Yeah clipless aren't all that great considering people talk about how indespensableable they are....lol.

For trips to the gym give me those fredly shimano campus style pedals (you know the ones where its SPD one side and bmx platform the other side) and I'd probably be a lot more happy.

But.....for races and such you'd be nuts not to use clipless.

AnthonyG

+1

That's realy good advice and what I do. I find clipless is easy mindyou I learn't in the days of cleats, toeclips and straps (double straps to boot). You had to think ahead to undo the straps or else there was nothing else to do but trackstand and when I was riding fixed wheel I would always trackstand. Now doing up and undoing straps when your feet have to keep turning on a fixie. Now THAT was fun!

Regards, Anthony

alanbikehouston

The number of Forum members a with current racing license could be probably be counted on the fingers of one hand. So, the obsession with using pro-style racing equipment, even while riding to the grocery store, is silly.

For most non-racing cyclists (which means about 99% of Forum members) BMX pedals are a much better choice. Your foot will not move while you are pedaling and you can lift your foot off the pedal easily when you get to a stop sign. Yeah, those six foot tall guys riding bikes with 20 inch wheels look goofy, but they do have good sense about what sort of equipment actually works in the "real" world.

Rivendell.com sells some nice BMX pedals from MKS. Even the $20 a pair MKS pedals will provide good service for many thousands of miles.

krazyderek

Sounds like someone just needs better balance.

kleng

I hope hope your not still sitting in the saddle while stopped and clipped out on one side, this would almost always unbalance you. When you unclip at a stop, get off the saddle and lean the bike over a bit further to the unclipped side and you'll never over balance.

Secondly, clipping out is always about getting extra leverage on the foot your clipping out.
I find it much easier if the pedal I'm clipping out of is forward when the pedals are horizontal, it takes less effort to clip out, try clipping out when the pedals are vertical and you'll have a tougher time.

Pb_Okole

Try this. As you stop, turn your front wheel toward the side that is still clipped in. This will cause the bike to automatically lean toward your unclipped side. If you unclip your left foot, just as you are stopping, turn your handlebars to the right a bit. The bike will want to lean to the left and you just put your foot down.

Bob Ross

...on every upstroke!

terbennett

It takes a little time to get used to, but when you do, you'll never ride without clipless pedals. I've been using them for for 17 years and I still remember trying to get out of them in the beginning. My advice: Release your foot when you begin to crawl to the stop. That way you'll get more confident in releasing the cleat without a fear of falling.

Gummee

I still have memories of one of my first rides on my D/A Look-style pedals way back when... at a stoplight, (unclipped the right foot for some reason) and fell left into the line of stopped cars. Talk about embarrasing! Leg flailing around for traction as I fell with a graceless thump onto the tarmac.

To the OP: whatcha wanna do is go to your local baseball diamond/soccer field/schoolyard and practice, practice, practice clipping in and out. Oh, and while yer there, see if you can't con a buddy into doing bumping drills too.

My $.02

M

killahkosha

Thank you so much for all of the advice everybody, I've realized that a lot of this has definitely been my fault such as staying seated in the seat while stopped at an intersection which was probably causing the instability while stopped. As for the unclipping quickly I suppose that'll come to me eventually, this just leaves me with my only real last issue and that is with my foot almost sliding out from under me whenever i come to a stop, i always stop completely and then put my foot out, i am not putting it out as i am still moving, but I still end up having the cleat almost slit down, it is a Look cleat and it really doesn't have anything to give me any traction to the cement at all so I'm not sure how I can go about this problem, thanks for all of the advice though it has been great and I will be sure to stick with my clipless pedals.

killahkosha

Another question that I had is how you guys go about an intersection that is elevated from the trail that you are currently on. My normal procedure to stop at an intersection is to unclip my right foot and pedal one footed in the easiest possible gear to pedal on but that doesn't seem like it would work out too well going uphill and then needing to stop right away upon reaching the top. Making matters even more annoying is that the cross walk button is located 20 feet downhill and to the right of where you end up

UmneyDurak

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