First Time Out With Clipless Pedals...

[TJYeti]

what advantages are there in using clipless?

The biggest initial advantage of going clipless is that the rider is also usually making the switch from sneakers to a stiff soled cycling shoe.This is where the increased power to the cranks comes from - not from the clipless pedals themselves.Try riding a bike w/clipless or flat pedals wearing sneakers and then switch to a good cycling shoe and the difference in flex will be immed
diatly apparent.That flex is LOST POWER!
Spin is the next advantage - but - spin (or more correctaly - the even application of power around the entire pedal stroke)must be learned with practice(and clipless pedals only, you cannot "spin",or pull up on a pedal your foot is'nt clipped to).This is most easily practiced by riding on flat ground and alternatly pedaling with only one foot on the pedals and feeling the difference in how you use your leg muscles.Then, using both feet in,try to get those muscles to work together.When you are actually pulling up with the rear foot while pushing down with the front you will feel the muscles working and notice the increase in power.It takes alot of practice,but it's worth it.
Wow,that got long..Next time class,we'll talk about how spin can help your f/s riding experience and regain us some ground on those hardtailers!

 

[hardtale70]

I will say that i use spd compatible shoes. The harder insole is a must. Regular Vans will just wrap right around the pedal.

 

[ebineezer]

so far i have only used my clip less pedals on the streets...kinda nervous to use them on the trails haha

 

[mtnbiker5]

Clipless

Pretty funny (and I can relate) story. Heres a tip, try clicking in and out on some flat grass. Break the pedal in, adjust it so you're comfortable with it. Once you get the hang of it you'll never go back to not having clipless. As for the benefits, my God where do I begin. You really become one with the bike, especially when your hammering. Bunny hopping, log jumping, power effeciency, list goes on and on. You just gotta get more comfortable and confident with clipless pedals. Nice job with the recovery though. lol.

 

[mtbjeff]

We al went thru the same initiation, but you know what they say "no pain no gain". Concerning speed and power, just look at any cross country starting grid. See any flat pedals? Control? The 4 cross and pro down hill guys all go with flat pedals.
Locally if you check out the real world free riders at parking lot C in Ringwood everyone is cliped. Top of Skyline drive on the Cannonball most are as well...just more opinion

 

[SpiffyMcMountainBike]

Haha. It's nice to know I'm not the only one. I must say that after using them for only about an hour I did start to feel comfortable but let's see if I still feel the same way once I hit the trails lol j/k. Like most of you have said, I'll get the hang of it so I'm lookin forward to gettin some practice in. I definitely see where you're coming from with all of their benefits.

 

[hardtale70]

If you can't bunnyhop w/o them you can't do it w/ them. I hate seeing that dead sailor style when people just yank straight up and think they're hopping. I'm going to tryto get some gift certificates for S&M pedals to hand out to everyone i ride over this season:getsome::rofl:

 

[ChrisG]

If you can't bunnyhop w/o them you can't do it w/ them. I hate seeing that dead sailor style when people just yank straight up and think they're hopping.

I am worthless on flat pedals and have always thought it to be a weakness in my riding. Watching a good trials/bmx/DJ rider do their thing on flat pedals is a real demonstration of being dialed in with how to handle a bike.

However, I'm a pure XC geek who can't really invest the time (or blood) to learn the techniques at this stage of the game, and for what I do, clipless is still the weapon of choice, particularly on the SS.

 

[stb222]

you would be surprised how easily you adapt to flats..i rode flats for years on bmx and last year I was riding trials alot and I adapted back to the flats really quick. Unless you are jumping/pure downhill or riding urban, clipless are the way to go

 

[clarkenstein]

i had some funny tip overs/stupid crashes on my clipless when i first put them on, but when i put them on my wife's bike, the 'break-in time' was tough.

she was doing a tri, and she wanted clipless for the road bike - so we go them. once she had the clipless on the road bike, i convinced her to throw them on the mountain bike. well, we go to lewis morris (mind you, she had already tipped over on the road bike a couple times) to get the first ride in clipless in... that first tip over sucked. she was real upset with me. but once she dropped the hammer on the first climb - she was glad she did it.

i have flats on my DJ bike and i am still getting used to the flats again. i'm starting to be able to bunnyhop again decently (i still can't manual tho... ), but i don't think i will trade the clipless in on the x/c bike ever.

 

[MMuller]

Was having real hard time getting out of my Time's when I first got. Just figured it took time to get used to even though I'd been using for at least a month. But then, after falling under a truck at an intersection in Montreal and getting my head up just before back tire ran me over, I took them off and figured "forget it"! But while in Montana visiting my brother I tried his 2 sets of Times and it was night and day! Got in and out no problem. Turned out mine were defective. Jensen took them back and sent me a new pair and indeed, this time they worked great. Now, I don't feel like I'm really riding unless clipped in. It feels like you're part of the bike. I'm just XC and can imagine freeride, BMX, etc you'd want flats.

 

[pooriggy]

Did clipless peddles for years on roadbike, when I switched over to mountain it seemed intimidating to traverse rough trails locked into the bike. Conclusion, you want to be locked into the bike on rough trails. locked in you keep a positive connection with drive train at all times.
Hardtale you would be even stronger with clipless

 

[hardtale70]

Screennames duly noted

ATTENTION!! Flatty McFlatus and the BMX brigade are teaming up w/ the Goatrider and his Horde for THE "Take off yer tap shoes cause we ain't dancin'" summer '08 mtb tour.We'll be cruising the tri state area bringin pain suffering and humiliation to many and otherwise havin a ball.See ya out there:rofl:

 

[MMuller]

Go get em, cowboy. :getsome: