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Anyone Enjoy Their Clip-in Pedals?

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Anyone Enjoy Their Clip-in Pedals?

Old 12-03-20, 09:01 PM
  #1  
Moisture
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Anyone Enjoy Their Clip-in Pedals?

They've helped me pedal at a noticeably higher cadence in a lower gear far more efficiently. Im enjoying them tremendously.

They feel a little weird with Biopace at first. Seems you must be extra mindful of your timing with each pedal stroke. Which is certainly a good thing.

when I briefly tried using them with circular chainrings, it seemed easier and more natural feeling to just spin. I didn't seem to need to put much effort into the timing of each stroke.

What do you guys think of them?
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Old 12-03-20, 09:35 PM
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They work great with circular chainrings. Biopace is 90° out of phase from where it could (possibly) be useful.
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Old 12-03-20, 10:11 PM
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You certainly have a lot of time on your hands, don't you?
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Old 12-03-20, 10:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Moisture
They've helped me pedal at a noticeably higher cadence in a lower gear far more efficiently. Im enjoying them tremendously.

They feel a little weird with Biopace at first. Seems you must be extra mindful of your timing with each pedal stroke. Which is certainly a good thing.

when I briefly tried using them with circular chainrings, it seemed easier and more natural feeling to just spin. I didn't seem to need to put much effort into the timing of each stroke.

What do you guys think of them?
After ~20 years of toestraps, clipless was a revelation. I think it was the most significant* technological advance affecting how I cycle in ~45 years of riding. It fundamentally changed how I interacted with the bike and how I pedaled, for the better, IMO.
*"brifters" a close second
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Old 12-03-20, 10:31 PM
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Yes, I like clipless pedals (spd). Been using them exclusively since 2003.

Nothing to do with 'efficiency', 'power transfer', 'pulling up', or any other such nonsense.

Simply put, they keep my feet securely on the pedals when pedaling, and release instantly when necessary.
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Old 12-03-20, 11:09 PM
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Was an early adopter from rat traps (toe straps) to the early Look Deltas way back when. Quite an incredible difference compared to toe straps where you always have to anticipate and prepare your stops in advance. Getting out of the saddle for starting in a high gear, sprinting or hill climbing helps me put the power down when I need it. When the quads are spent, I can give them a rest by pulling through and up with my calves. Won’t ever go back.

If you are not into power or speed you can ignore the above, but you will still gain a sense of security after you fall a couple times, since everyone does.
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Old 12-04-20, 04:03 AM
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I can take or leave foot retention. I've used toe clips and clipless on road bikes, and prefer platform pedals on my hybrids. I've ridden my road bikes with platform pedals and there was little or no difference in my speeds over familiar routes.

Some of my fastest Strava segments and overall times are still from 2017 when I rode my old steel road bike with flat pedals for a few months before switching to clipless.

In 2019 I got a carbon fiber road bike and rode it for a week or two with platform pedals and my usual sneaker/walking shoes. Same results -- just as fast, and I still haven't bettered some of my PRs from that week.

Main reason I still use foot retention on some bikes is for the rigid soles and better arch support. Occasionally I get painful arch spasms riding at full effort just wearing sneakers or walking shoes with platform pedals.

GCN has done at least three videos with different presenters and somewhat different testing methodology and didn't find any significant differences between clipless and platform pedals. None of them looked particularly comfortable with platform pedals, yet the results were about the same.

If I don't use one or the other for awhile -- a couple of weeks or longer -- sometimes it takes a few minutes to adapt my pedaling style to suit either platforms or clipless. But it's no big deal.

I may switch my old steel road bike back to platforms since I prefer no foot retention for urban rides and casual group rides with lots of stops. I'll keep foot retention on my carbon fiber bikes, mostly for the rigid soles and better arch support.
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Old 12-04-20, 04:49 AM
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For rides I do with my wife, I use a Jamis Renegade that is the bike I use for light touring and riding on dirt/gravel roads, rail trails etc. I put-dual sided pedals on that bike, so I can ride with sneakers when we'll be doing a good deal of walking in addition to biking but use SPD cleats/shoes when I want to.

Every time I go back to flat pedals/sneakers I rediscover how much easier it is to get started from a dead stop with one foot clipped in, especially on an uphill stop. And my feet never quite feel like they are in the right spot.

I did find a set of SPD shoes that are have enough tread on the sole to keep the SPD cleat recessed and are stiff enough to be useful biking but not so bad walking in - good for touring as the only shoes I bring. But, longer walks or hikes in sneakers are way more enjoyable.
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Old 12-04-20, 05:11 AM
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I hate clipless pedals, which is why I have been using them for decades.
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Old 12-04-20, 06:44 AM
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I use them because I like the way the shoes look and how they make me walk like a penguin.....
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Old 12-04-20, 07:36 AM
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I tried them once but it didn't work out. I got clipped in just fine, but wasn't able to un-clip. The bike is in the back of my garage with shoes still attached.
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Old 12-04-20, 08:16 AM
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I like em so much, even my flat pedals click in.

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Old 12-04-20, 09:29 AM
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Originally Posted by wgscott
They work great with circular chainrings. Biopace is 90° out of phase from where it could (possibly) be useful.
I agree. I will play around with the orientation a bit first and see before probably switching back to circular chainrings.

According to the nubs on the biopace chainrings - should I orient the rings 90 degrees backwards? Or 180 degrees forwards?
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Old 12-04-20, 09:33 AM
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I guess you could say enjoy, but on a tadpole trike they are a safety feature. If you foot would fall off the pedal at a higher speed on a bump, your foot could be caught under the cross bar and cause injury.

Then there is the convenience of staying clipped in on a trike at a stop. When the light turns green, your just start pedaling again. There is no scratching around, no wobble while trying to get clipped in again. This is one reason that when riding in town a trike is the easiest way to cycle.
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Old 12-04-20, 10:13 AM
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I have been riding clipless petals since first buying the Look first petals that still are on my bike. It’s not even a thought to ride a bike with out them. Remember the days of scraped shins from missing getting it the clip petals.
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Old 12-04-20, 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by rydabent
I guess you could say enjoy, but on a tadpole trike they are a safety feature. If you foot would fall off the pedal at a higher speed on a bump, your foot could be caught under the cross bar and cause injury.

Then there is the convenience of staying clipped in on a trike at a stop. When the light turns green, your just start pedaling again. There is no scratching around, no wobble while trying to get clipped in again. This is one reason that when riding in town a trike is the easiest way to cycle.
Can you just stop already?
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Old 12-04-20, 10:14 AM
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I like Look pedals for walking down stairs or down steep slopes. Have a few beers and try that for a really good time.
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Old 12-04-20, 10:16 AM
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I have found with Biopace I get the best results using a platform pedal on the right side and an Egg beater on the left.
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Old 12-04-20, 10:43 AM
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When I was still using toe clips and straps with cleated shoes I had no problem with foot retention but in order to be most efficient the strap had to be tight enough that it would be uncomfortable on longer rides. Clipless pedals solve that problem and it didn't take long to get used to unclipping when I had to stop, much easier than having to reach down to loosen the buckle on the strap to remove my foot from the pedal. For me, the biggest benefit is foot comfort
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Old 12-04-20, 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Moisture
I agree. I will play around with the orientation a bit first and see before probably switching back to circular chainrings.

According to the nubs on the biopace chainrings - should I orient the rings 90 degrees backwards? Or 180 degrees forwards?
Remember, if it is a Fermion, you have to rotate 720° to return to its initial state. Keep in mind that the fiber bundle that describes the Hilbert Space is doubly-connected.
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Old 12-04-20, 02:05 PM
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I ditched them a couple years ago. I don't hate them, but the flat pedals gives my feet and choice of shoes more freedom. I don't ride competitively. Just commuting and for leisure.
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Old 12-04-20, 05:58 PM
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My first “10 speed” bike, a Schwinn Continental, came with “rat trap” toe clips and straps so that’s what I used. After the first time I tipped over when I came to a stop and couldn’t get out of the pedals, I learned to not keep the straps too tight. I did like that they kept my feet in a relatively proper position on the pedals. When the “Mountain bike” craze hit my Schwinn was pretty much kicked to the curb as was having my feet secured to the pedals. While in the Army, I was stationed in Italy and treated myself to a hand built Italian “road bike”. It came with Look pedals so that’s what I used. Again, I liked the way they kept my feet in proper position on the pedals. However, I disliked any amount of walking in the Look cleated shoes especially if using the rubber cleat protectors. When I learned of the SPD system I bought in and loved them. I bought shoes with a recessed area for the cleat which made walking almost normal. Shoes of that type are not often associated with road bikes but several of my “road” bikes are equipped with SPD type pedals. Fear not, the Italian road bike still has the Campagnolo branded Look style pedals and yes, I still walk “funny” when wearing the Look cleated shoes.
So, in answer to the OP’s question, I very much enjoy using clipless pedals and think that I would say that with most any style. IMHO, those that say they “hate them” haven’t given them a chance to prove their worth!
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Old 12-04-20, 07:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Moisture
...According to the nubs on the biopace chainrings - should I orient the rings 90 degrees backwards? Or 180 degrees forwards?
Try them for a couple of weeks or a month in factory standard orientation. Takes awhile to feel comfortable with Biopace.

I tried every possible orientation of both Biopace rings on a road bike double 52/42 set, and always returned to the standard orientation.

The 52 ring is barely non-round, so reorienting it won't make a big difference.

The smaller 42 Biopace ring is much more eccentric and you'll feel a noticeable difference in every possible position with a typical 5-bolt crank spider. Some of those alternative position will feel very wrong, with less felt effort on the downstroke and more "resistance" on the upstroke. When you find that position you won't want to ride it that way more than once.

The only alternative position that felt okay to me was advanced one position clockwise from standard. But I returned to the standard position after a month or two.
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Old 12-04-20, 07:30 PM
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like but seldom use

When I first retired and did a lot of group rides I used SPDs and always marveled at their improvement over my old rattraps. I actually have two regular sets and one version that is both flat and clip. I use those when traveling and not knowing what type of riding I might find and I use the others for the now rare group rides as part of my disguise as a serious cyclist and not my usual Fred the Tourist mode. I find with older knees and leg/foot problems I prefer the "float" capabilities of platforms for almost all my regular riding. (I keep six bikes, so I'm not having to switch them around!). It also provides a plausible excuse for N+1.
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Old 12-04-20, 11:07 PM
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Originally Posted by mack_turtle
obvious trolling thread. find a new hobby. this schtick is old.
I have seen the term “troll” thrown around very loosely on this site and believe I am seeing it again. Please explain how this thread meets this common definition of trolling:

In Internet slang, a troll is a person who starts flame wars or intentionally upsets people on the Internet by posting inflammatory and digressive,[1]extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses[2] and normalizing tangential discussion,[3] either for the troll's amusement, or to achieve a specific result such as disrupting a rival's online activities or manipulating a political process.

I see no examples so far of any of the above except by your baseless accusation, and personal attack “this schtick is old”.

On the contrary this thread has no name calling, personal attacks, etc that I have seen on all too many threads.


Again, how he is a troll given the above definition. Maybe your misuse of “troll” is for lack of a better term for someone you don’t care for or disagree with. Of course you could always just ignore the OP’s posts if you find them so objectionable. Just a thought.
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