a very heavy bike vs. a very light bike
#51
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Almost every argument in cycling fora:
1. Only the pros need to worry about that. Are you a pro?
2. The best riders are the best because of what they do so just imitate them.
3. Things I don't care about, can't see, or can't measure aren't important.
4. Things I think are important are important, so you should care about them.
5. If I don't know how to do something, it's too complicated for anyone to know how to do.
I think your post falls under #3.
1. Only the pros need to worry about that. Are you a pro?
2. The best riders are the best because of what they do so just imitate them.
3. Things I don't care about, can't see, or can't measure aren't important.
4. Things I think are important are important, so you should care about them.
5. If I don't know how to do something, it's too complicated for anyone to know how to do.
I think your post falls under #3.
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#52
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A very important consideration when deciding whether or not to spend the extra cash on a lighter-weight bike is how often/when you'll have to carry it. Something a lot of people don't think about until it's too late and they're hauling it up multiple flights of stairs AGAIN because their building board doesn't let them repair bikes in the garage or transport bikes in the elevator (sorry, slightly bitter memories there).
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Exactly. You are drafting someone else at least 90% of the time, so aero is not as important. But on the climbs and punchy accelerations out of corners, light weight absolutely rules. You need to hang onto the wheel in front of you or you are done for the day. Perhaps you can execute a superhuman effort to reattach to the group, but then you've expended so much energy that you'll pay for it later on. If you've done any kind of hard group riding you know the desperate panic of being close to shed off of the back. You may be in this situation several times per ride/race, and 200 grams of wheel weight may make the difference. Rotating mass is critical, so carbon tubulars for the win. No discs of course.
However, suppose you are racing and want to finish on the podium, you need to do something other than follow the wheel in front, and if you are not in a hill climb race, aero will help a slight bit at the end even if survival to that position is harder.
Sure, for just surviving the race, lightweight might be slightly better, but if I'm just surviving (and that's me, at this point) then it doesn't matter that much. I'm an optimist and cling to hope of staying with the first group for the first fifteen minutes of every race 🤣
At the end of the day, an aero bike looks better (subjective, I know), is faster for my solo riding shenanigans which I'm fond of, and a bit under one kilogram of extra weight penalty means a bit less than 1% difference in climb speed and acceleration for an advantage on the gentle climbs, flats and downhills.
Tubulars create more rolling resistance than modern tubeless, offsetting any weight advantages, though.
Last edited by Branko D; 07-25-22 at 11:31 AM.
#54
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No, I would not enjoy going faster on a bicycle because of an equipment upgrade, I will enjoy going faster by getting in better shape or improving riding position or technique though. Just as I enjoy being able to leave drivers of fast expensive automobiles far, far behind on twisty roads with my 130-horsepower Toyota Camry sedan because I am highly skilled at driving fast around sharp turns with all four wheels drifting a bit. And i feel sorry for those people too, who believed that buying that expensive fast car would make them the person depicted in the marketing for it. You have never heard, it is much more fun to drive a slow car fast, than to drive a fast car slow. Thank-you for your time and thoughtful reply to what I typed though.
Last edited by beng1; 07-25-22 at 09:10 PM.
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Equipment does not matter as long as you have fun, and equipment does not make much of a difference in speed compared to training and your aero body position. I ride, train and race a 35-pound Huffy road-bike, but since I weigh 200 pounds, it is a small percentage of the total bike/rider weight. If you are a small person riding in a hilly area, then I can see taking some trouble to acquire a light bike, but for a heavy rider, or for Anyone riding in an area without serious hills, having a light bike might give you a feeling you enjoy but it will not make you faster as much as it will make you poorer in the wallet.
A few days ago I happen to be riding on the same route a local "cycling club" was riding. From the bikes these guys were on, and the outfits they were wearing, you would think you were watching a pro road-race. There was about 20 of them I caught up to right at the base of a very long and steep hill, and I could not believe how I blew by all of these guys and got to the top of the hill quite a ways ahead of them. I would have had to have a 50-pound or more weight pack on my back to go as slow as they were. One of them had a titanium Merckx I noticed, and the rest of the bikes and gear were similar. What a colossal waste of money for those guys. I paid $3 for my Huffy, and I was wearing cut-off jeans and a white cotton T-shirt. A 29-pound E-bike ??? That sounds like it was a small fortune too.
A few days ago I happen to be riding on the same route a local "cycling club" was riding. From the bikes these guys were on, and the outfits they were wearing, you would think you were watching a pro road-race. There was about 20 of them I caught up to right at the base of a very long and steep hill, and I could not believe how I blew by all of these guys and got to the top of the hill quite a ways ahead of them. I would have had to have a 50-pound or more weight pack on my back to go as slow as they were. One of them had a titanium Merckx I noticed, and the rest of the bikes and gear were similar. What a colossal waste of money for those guys. I paid $3 for my Huffy, and I was wearing cut-off jeans and a white cotton T-shirt. A 29-pound E-bike ??? That sounds like it was a small fortune too.
No, I would not enjoy going faster on a bicycle because of an equipment upgrade, I will enjoy going faster by getting in better shape or improving riding position or technique though. Just as I enjoy being able to leave drivers of fast expensive automobiles far, far behind on twisty roads with my 130-horsepower Toyota Camry sedan because I am highly skilled at driving fast around sharp turns with all four wheels drifting a bit. And i feel sorry for those people too, who believed that buying that expensive fast car would make them the person depicted in the marketing for it. You have never heard, it is much more fun to drive a slow car fast, than to drive a fast car slow. Thank-you for your time and thoughtful reply to what I typed though.
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No, I would not enjoy going faster on a bicycle because of an equipment upgrade, I will enjoy going faster by getting in better shape or improving riding position or technique though. Just as I enjoy being able to leave drivers of fast expensive automobiles far, far behind on twisty roads with my 130-horsepower Toyota Camry sedan because I am highly skilled at driving fast around sharp turns with all four wheels drifting a bit. And i feel sorry for those people too, who believed that buying that expensive fast car would make them the person depicted in the marketing for it. You have never heard, it is much more fun to drive a slow car fast, than to drive a fast car slow. Thank-you for your time and thoughtful reply to what I typed though.
I agree with your view re cars.
I used to get more enjoyment from lower power engines too. I don't drive fast per se, I'm not a racing driver, it isn't my thing so I've never really spent time trying to learn how to track a car properly, I've just done a few weekends for fun with work colleagues some years ago. I had a small 170hp car. Awesome little car. I liked chucking it around corners etc.
Later, I 'upgraded' to the top-of-the-range version, all 340hp of it. While I liked it a lot, I never had the skill to drive it like I could drive the slower car and, as a result, I actually tracked it slower overall. I was faster in my 170hp! So, yeah, I get it. I missed my slower car. But, I still went through a phase of buying even more powerful cars that I couldn't drive fast because I didn't have the skill. Reason? I just liked how they looked, sounded, felt. It was an 'occasion' for me just to drive them, even slowly. I think the same is true for many who buy expensive bikes; they like how they look, feel etc. even if they don't or can't ride them fast. As long as we are all happy, it's all good
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Equipment does not matter as long as you have fun, and equipment does not make much of a difference in speed compared to training and your aero body position. I ride, train and race a 35-pound Huffy road-bike, but since I weigh 200 pounds, it is a small percentage of the total bike/rider weight. If you are a small person riding in a hilly area, then I can see taking some trouble to acquire a light bike, but for a heavy rider, or for Anyone riding in an area without serious hills, having a light bike might give you a feeling you enjoy but it will not make you faster as much as it will make you poorer in the wallet.
A few days ago I happen to be riding on the same route a local "cycling club" was riding. From the bikes these guys were on, and the outfits they were wearing, you would think you were watching a pro road-race. There was about 20 of them I caught up to right at the base of a very long and steep hill, and I could not believe how I blew by all of these guys and got to the top of the hill quite a ways ahead of them. I would have had to have a 50-pound or more weight pack on my back to go as slow as they were. One of them had a titanium Merckx I noticed, and the rest of the bikes and gear were similar. What a colossal waste of money for those guys. I paid $3 for my Huffy, and I was wearing cut-off jeans and a white cotton T-shirt. A 29-pound E-bike ??? That sounds like it was a small fortune too.
A few days ago I happen to be riding on the same route a local "cycling club" was riding. From the bikes these guys were on, and the outfits they were wearing, you would think you were watching a pro road-race. There was about 20 of them I caught up to right at the base of a very long and steep hill, and I could not believe how I blew by all of these guys and got to the top of the hill quite a ways ahead of them. I would have had to have a 50-pound or more weight pack on my back to go as slow as they were. One of them had a titanium Merckx I noticed, and the rest of the bikes and gear were similar. What a colossal waste of money for those guys. I paid $3 for my Huffy, and I was wearing cut-off jeans and a white cotton T-shirt. A 29-pound E-bike ??? That sounds like it was a small fortune too.
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No, I would not enjoy going faster on a bicycle because of an equipment upgrade, I will enjoy going faster by getting in better shape or improving riding position or technique though. Just as I enjoy being able to leave drivers of fast expensive automobiles far, far behind on twisty roads with my 130-horsepower Toyota Camry sedan because I am highly skilled at driving fast around sharp turns with all four wheels drifting a bit. And i feel sorry for those people too, who believed that buying that expensive fast car would make them the person depicted in the marketing for it. You have never heard, it is much more fun to drive a slow car fast, than to drive a fast car slow. Thank-you for your time and thoughtful reply to what I typed though.
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For me it is fun to ride the bikes like I rode in the 1970s, and if it shows someone they have options other than mimicking pro riders in their choice of equipment, that is a bonus for them and society.
#60
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You and others are interpreting backwards. I could care less what others spend, I do care if they lose money by being taken advantage of or being duped. The science says that in most riding clipless pedals offer no advantage in power over flat pedals, but that is not what those marketing clipless pedals will tell you, or those who have fallen for that marketing will tell their peers.
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You and others are interpreting backwards. I could care less what others spend, I do care if they lose money by being taken advantage of or being duped. The science says that in most riding clipless pedals offer no advantage in power over flat pedals, but that is not what those marketing clipless pedals will tell you, or those who have fallen for that marketing will tell their peers.
For me it is fun to ride the bikes like I rode in the 1970s, and if it shows someone they have options other than mimicking pro riders in their choice of equipment, that is a bonus for them and society.
For me it is fun to ride the bikes like I rode in the 1970s, and if it shows someone they have options other than mimicking pro riders in their choice of equipment, that is a bonus for them and society.
Many of us recall the bikes we had in the past and so we can directly compare them with newer bikes. I loved my bikes in the 80's but would not like to ride them now for anything other than nostalgia - because I prefer the ride my newer bikes provide. It has nothing to do with copying anyone. It has nothing to do with marketing. It has everything to do with riding the bike I prefer to ride.
Just looking at your sentence I've highlighted in bold: yeah, clipless pedals alone won't give you any power advantage on lovely smooth, flat roads with no gradient and a steady pedalling motion. If that's your riding, yep, stick to flats.
One of the main advantages of clipless for me though, it is the ability to put down as much power as you have without your feet slipping off the pedal. When I was a kid, I used serrated flats on my BMX. 99% of the time, I could sprint with no probs but once in a while those nasty pedals cut my heel when my foot slipped. Plus it stopped my sprint. I do MTB racing now and run clipless on that because I like the foot security; I can transfer all my power and not have to worry about my foot coming off the pedal when I don't want it to. It's the same on my road bike, greater foot security.
Great for sprinting. Great for power-climbing where a good upstroke can help.
I can also control my bike with my feet more - hops n' such. Sure, I can do the technical stuff on flats too but it is easier with clipless.
But there is more: the shoes that are designed for clipless pedals with their ultra-stiff carbon soles don't see energy/watts dissipating nearly as much as soft soles. The Science has shown that stiff soles allow a greater transfer of energy. Stiff-soled shoes + clipless pedals = greater transfer of energy vs soft soles and flats. Naturally, if you use softer soles on clipless then you are getting less advantage from doing so from a power transfer perspective.
Pro's earn their livelihoods from cycling. They are very fussy about their equipment and some will use stuff they aren't supposed to and tape it up to hide branding if their own sponsors are unhappy with it. They use clipless because it is a more efficient delivery of their power and they save watts - energy. However, it isn't only Pro's who can have that benefit, anyone can. It works at all levels.
The only question is: are clipless and stiff soled-shoes worth it for your type of riding? For many, no. For many others, yes. We each make our choices. No marketing. No copying. Just what works best for us individually. You think people are being duped by companies selling expensive stuff but the vast majority really, really aren't. They have tried different things and bought what they prefer. Simple as that.
If some folks want to ride old bikes, that's up to them and great that they enjoy doing so.
Not all of us do though and you seem to not want to accept this fact. This isn't about someone buying a new bike, then riding an old one from the 70's/80's/90's and going "Dangnabbit! I can't tell the difference! Why'd I spend all that $$$ in a new bike?" No, that 'revelation' doesn't happen in the real World, only in the minds of some who want it to be true. What really happens is they realise how much nicer to ride their new bike is compared to what we had back in the old days.
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You and others are interpreting backwards. I could care less what others spend, I do care if they lose money by being taken advantage of or being duped. The science says that in most riding clipless pedals offer no advantage in power over flat pedals, but that is not what those marketing clipless pedals will tell you, or those who have fallen for that marketing will tell their peers.
For me it is fun to ride the bikes like I rode in the 1970s, and if it shows someone they have options other than mimicking pro riders in their choice of equipment, that is a bonus for them and society.
For me it is fun to ride the bikes like I rode in the 1970s, and if it shows someone they have options other than mimicking pro riders in their choice of equipment, that is a bonus for them and society.
I can't imagine anyone who would consider spending $100 or $200 on a pair of peddles being so stupid that they cannot make an informed decision as to whether they should do so or not.
Under your argument, anyone who is not doing what you are doing is being duped. That kind of thinking just reeks of jealousy.
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We each make our choices. No marketing. No copying. Just what works best for us individually. You think people are being duped by companies selling expensive stuff but the vast majority really, really aren't. They have tried different things and bought what they prefer. Simple as that.
If some folks want to ride old bikes, that's up to them and great that they enjoy doing so.
Not all of us do though and you seem to not want to accept this fact. This isn't about someone buying a new bike, then riding an old one from the 70's/80's/90's and going "Dangnabbit! I can't tell the difference! Why'd I spend all that $$$ in a new bike?" No, that 'revelation' doesn't happen in the real World, only in the minds of some who want it to be true. What really happens is they realise how much nicer to ride their new bike is compared to what we had back in the old days.
If some folks want to ride old bikes, that's up to them and great that they enjoy doing so.
Not all of us do though and you seem to not want to accept this fact. This isn't about someone buying a new bike, then riding an old one from the 70's/80's/90's and going "Dangnabbit! I can't tell the difference! Why'd I spend all that $$$ in a new bike?" No, that 'revelation' doesn't happen in the real World, only in the minds of some who want it to be true. What really happens is they realise how much nicer to ride their new bike is compared to what we had back in the old days.
#64
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This type of test must really be done on the same day with the same weather conditions on the same road segment back-to-back using a power meter and adopting the exact same riding position wearing the exact same clothing. A stronger headwind, tailwind, lateral wind etc will all make a significant difference so these need to be managed.
The fitness and condition of the rider can be removed from the equation if holding watts that the rider is comfortable with on the day. So 200W on each bike, no variation - strictly 200W, not 225W on one, 195W on the other. To find any gains from one bike to another, a power meter at specific watts used correctly will highlight these vs time taken.
The test should also be done on different gradient segments, at different power levels too. Not just a 200W test and then expect those results to be conclusive. The test should be done at easy, medium and hard watts for the rider to ascertain where lightness vs aero shows real gains for each on various gradients.
Re your sentence I have put in bold, if you don't have a power meter, then a heavier bike for training can make you fitter, stronger, faster if you go by 'feel' alone and judge effort - it's what we did before.
Heavy trainer, lighter racing. Nothing wrong with this at all.
What power meters do, is negate the need for a heavier training bike since 250W is 250W regardless of what bike you are on. So the exercise will be equal. The heavier bike's greater resistance means you have to do 250W, for example, to match the 225W, for example, on the lighter/aero bike to get the same speed/time so that means more effort on the heavier, less aero bike, but, all you need to do is 250W on the lighter/aero bike to make things equal in training terms. Therefore, the heavier bike is not offering any training benefit when you can match power levels.
PM's make training more scientific, but there is nothing wrong with going simple and just riding a heavy bike and then racing a lighter, more aero one. I know someone, for example, who trains mostly on his 29'er MTB on the road for this very reason. Naturally, someone with a PM can get the same effort from finding their threshold watts on the MTB and matching those to the road bike when training. Feel vs accurate measurement of power expenditure.
It's just a matter of preference.
Re PM's, it gets complicated when using different types, brands etc since they read differently, in my experience. A pedal PM will be different to crank, different brands will vary according to different algorithms and all need to be calibrated before every ride, ideally. So when performing tests like the aforementioned, the PM needs to be the exact same one, swopped between bikes. Or, you need to know the exact watt differences between 2 PM's at all measures.
The fitness and condition of the rider can be removed from the equation if holding watts that the rider is comfortable with on the day. So 200W on each bike, no variation - strictly 200W, not 225W on one, 195W on the other. To find any gains from one bike to another, a power meter at specific watts used correctly will highlight these vs time taken.
The test should also be done on different gradient segments, at different power levels too. Not just a 200W test and then expect those results to be conclusive. The test should be done at easy, medium and hard watts for the rider to ascertain where lightness vs aero shows real gains for each on various gradients.
Re your sentence I have put in bold, if you don't have a power meter, then a heavier bike for training can make you fitter, stronger, faster if you go by 'feel' alone and judge effort - it's what we did before.
Heavy trainer, lighter racing. Nothing wrong with this at all.
What power meters do, is negate the need for a heavier training bike since 250W is 250W regardless of what bike you are on. So the exercise will be equal. The heavier bike's greater resistance means you have to do 250W, for example, to match the 225W, for example, on the lighter/aero bike to get the same speed/time so that means more effort on the heavier, less aero bike, but, all you need to do is 250W on the lighter/aero bike to make things equal in training terms. Therefore, the heavier bike is not offering any training benefit when you can match power levels.
PM's make training more scientific, but there is nothing wrong with going simple and just riding a heavy bike and then racing a lighter, more aero one. I know someone, for example, who trains mostly on his 29'er MTB on the road for this very reason. Naturally, someone with a PM can get the same effort from finding their threshold watts on the MTB and matching those to the road bike when training. Feel vs accurate measurement of power expenditure.
It's just a matter of preference.
Re PM's, it gets complicated when using different types, brands etc since they read differently, in my experience. A pedal PM will be different to crank, different brands will vary according to different algorithms and all need to be calibrated before every ride, ideally. So when performing tests like the aforementioned, the PM needs to be the exact same one, swopped between bikes. Or, you need to know the exact watt differences between 2 PM's at all measures.
#65
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What do you do with your money? Is it just for survival and nothing more? And "empty wallet"? Maybe you don't understand that there are many people for whom a new bike is a minor expense?
On an enthusiast's forum you can expect people to spend some of their disposable income on the thing they are enthusiastic about. People on bike forums buy stuff. Bikes, clothes, power meters, new wheels, etc. Apparently you hate that but you are not going to convince them they are wrong or wasting their money or that new bikes are no good.
Maybe your whole purpose here is just to troll. In that case, you got me. I fell for it and thought you were serious.
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If you can't afford a modern bike without impoverishing yourself, by all means, ride what you have. There's nothing wrong with it. Preaching to people how their choices are wrong, they're wasting their money and that modernity sucks is just ridiculous, though.
Virtually everyone who has ridden with a power meter, or clipless pedals or a modern, light race bike wouldn't go back deliberately to the inferior option even though they work. A lighter bike will make you about 1% faster per kg, uphill. Not a huge difference, but the difference of a couple of kilos will be obvious on times up bigger climbs.
Once you get a power meter and then try to sprint in clipless and on flat pedals, your error of assuming clipless don't do anything for power will be immediately obvious with numbers in front of you (as it happens, I have a power meter both on my road bike with clipless and my gravel / commute bike with flat pedals).
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But as I've explained to you before, you don't need to be jealous of others. Enjoy what you have and make the most of it.
My home is literally surrounded by houses worth multi-millions of $$. The folks who own them have yachts, Lamborghini's, Ferraris, Porsches etc. Mega-wealthy. The most expensive rental villa nearby is over $100k per week including special security for billionaires and celebrities. My neighbours bikes are top-of-the-range and he never rides them. But he's a lovely guy and earned his money - he can do as he pleases with it and I'm happy for him and I don't obsess about the wealth around me. Why can't you move past not being able to afford what others have? You are projecting and inventing reasons to justify to yourself that others are living beyond their means but that just isn't true. - just live and let live.
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That being said, I wonder if things like chain skipping or pedal strikes can be more dangerous with clipless pedals. Ive talked to multiple people who have crashed when sprinting out of the saddle and had a chain skip, and ive had my foot fall off the pedal during a chain skip. Was happy that I wasn't attached to the bike. Beyond the obvious falling at stop signs, aren't there some safety disadvantages with clipless pedals, especially if one isn't used to them? Im afraid of them because im very used to crashing with flat pedals and due to a neck injury im really not allowed to crash for another year or so.
Last edited by LarrySellerz; 07-30-22 at 09:15 AM.
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That being said, I wonder if things like chain skipping or pedal strikes can be more dangerous with clipless pedals. Ive talked to multiple people who have crashed when sprinting out of the saddle and had a chain skip, and ive had my foot fall off the pedal during a chain skip. Was happy that I wasn't attached to the bike. Beyond the obvious falling at stop signs, aren't there some safety disadvantages with clipless pedals, especially if one isn't used to them? Im afraid of them because im very used to crashing with flat pedals and due to a neck injury im really not allowed to crash for another year or so.
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That being said, I wonder if things like chain skipping can be more dangerous with clipless pedals. Ive talked to multiple people who have crashed when sprinting out of the saddle and had a chain skip, and ive had my foot fall off the pedal during a chain skip. Was happy that I wasn't attached to the bike. Beyond the obvious falling at stop signs, aren't there some safety disadvantages with clipless pedals, especially if one isn't used to them? Im afraid of them because im very used to crashing with flat pedals and due to a neck injury im really not allowed to crash for another year or so.
Falling at stop signs is something someone should only be doing once before learning how to unclip quickly - it really isn't a thing generally. I've not had a problem with clipless in 30 years. I had the original Time clipless pedals decades ago and I've preferred the system ever since. There is obviously a learning curve to overcome vs flats but it's an easy one. Easier than learning to ride a bike. Cleats/pedals can be adjusted to make it easier during the leaning process.
I've had my share of crashes and not once was I attached to the bike at the end of it. Without even thinking about it my feet unclipped simply from the motion of the fall. I really don't see clipless as being dangerous - quite the opposite, in fact. Chain skipping will happen regardless of pedal system used since it is largely due to a rough, bouncy surface and/or worn stretched chain.
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Clipless does seem daunting at first but it is an easily learned system.
Falling at stop signs is something someone should only be doing once before learning how to unclip quickly - it really isn't a thing generally. I've not had a problem with clipless in 30 years. I had the original Time clipless pedals decades ago and I've preferred the system ever since. There is obviously a learning curve to overcome vs flats but it's an easy one. Easier than learning to ride a bike. Cleats/pedals can be adjusted to make it easier during the leaning process.
I've had my share of crashes and not once was I attached to the bike at the end of it. Without even thinking about it my feet unclipped simply from the motion of the fall. I really don't see clipless as being dangerous - quite the opposite, in fact. Chain skipping will happen regardless of pedal system used since it is largely due to a rough, bouncy surface and/or worn stretched chain.
Falling at stop signs is something someone should only be doing once before learning how to unclip quickly - it really isn't a thing generally. I've not had a problem with clipless in 30 years. I had the original Time clipless pedals decades ago and I've preferred the system ever since. There is obviously a learning curve to overcome vs flats but it's an easy one. Easier than learning to ride a bike. Cleats/pedals can be adjusted to make it easier during the leaning process.
I've had my share of crashes and not once was I attached to the bike at the end of it. Without even thinking about it my feet unclipped simply from the motion of the fall. I really don't see clipless as being dangerous - quite the opposite, in fact. Chain skipping will happen regardless of pedal system used since it is largely due to a rough, bouncy surface and/or worn stretched chain.
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Just upgraded last from a 2020 Giant Defy Advanced 2 to a 2020 Tarmac SL6 expert Di2. Saw improvement IMMEDIATELY. Average speed went up 2mph…and shaved 2-3min off my daily 15mile ride
I’m sure it wasn’t just weight. Aerodynamics I’m sure played a part.
I’m sure it wasn’t just weight. Aerodynamics I’m sure played a part.
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That being said, I wonder if things like chain skipping or pedal strikes can be more dangerous with clipless pedals. Ive talked to multiple people who have crashed when sprinting out of the saddle and had a chain skip, and ive had my foot fall off the pedal during a chain skip. Was happy that I wasn't attached to the bike. Beyond the obvious falling at stop signs, aren't there some safety disadvantages with clipless pedals, especially if one isn't used to them? Im afraid of them because im very used to crashing with flat pedals and due to a neck injury im really not allowed to crash for another year or so.
I did fall trying to learn how to ride them; practiced on the trainer so I wouldn't have to fall outside, on my parking lot unclipped right foot and tipped over my left side in a slow motion crash. Then I repeated this just before a race in front of about a hundred other cyclists. The only damage was to my ego 🤣
I crashed due to pedal strike once on flat pedals, never on clipless, so I couldn't tell the difference. I hit the deck so fast, anyway.
The only time I feel safer on flat pedals is offroad because I pretty much suck at it, but on the road I strongly prefer them. For commuting flats are just practical, though.
Last edited by Branko D; 07-30-22 at 12:45 PM.
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I never experience what you are describing on my road bikes so the closest would be on my MTB over undulating, rocky terrain where the pedals and frame can hit something and the chain jumps a lot.
Chain skips, feet remain planted. Force is still applied as normal. No accident. Figure out instantly if there is an issue that requires a stop to fix.
Chain jumps off, unclip, get off, fix it.
Chain jumps off, causes an accident, feet unclip naturally and you aren't attached to the bike.
If you mean you are happy no force was applied after a chain skip because your foot was off the pedal, I'd not be overly concerned about that. Skipping doesn't mean an accident will happen regardless of continued pedal stroke. I've only ever had one accident caused by my chain coming off and that was the result of a stretched chain being bounced over very rough ground beyond normal and my standing in a sprint. If I had been seated, no accident would have happened. The pedal system had literally nothing to do with it nor would it have made any difference at all in terms of avoidance.
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Don't forget the placebo effect of a new bike!