Help learning to use clip-in shoes

Do you have some knee pads and heavy gloves you can wear while getting the hang
of clipping in/out?

As others have suggested and you've probably thought, stand with the bike and
clip one foot in and out ten times before your next attempt actually riding.
This "immediacy" might help your foot "remember" the motion.

I'm a (not particularly strong) woman who bloodied both knees once or twice
before I got it (over a decade ago, coming out of the driveway, too). Now of
course I love my clip-in pedals and think they improve my efficiency.

Good luck.

"Zelda" wrote
snip
Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my
bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my driveway. The
second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this
learning curve without breaking any bones? Any web pages with good
instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but didn't see
anything specifically about this.

"Arthur Harris" wrote in message
et...

"Zelda" wrote:
I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was
finally ready to get rid of the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals
that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals, and they
put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and
out. That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my
bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my driveway. The
second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Your post caught my eye I because I just installed SPDs on my wife's bike
last week. So far, she has only ridden them on the trainer, but we may get
out on the road today.

Were your falls caused by difficulty clipping in? or out? Since you were
still on your driveway, it sounds like you weren't yet clipped in.

A couple of suggestions:

-Set the release tension low.

-Have the bike in a low enough gear that you can accelerate quickly.

-Clip in one foot, move that foot to the 12 O'Clock position, push down on
the pedal, and get the bike moving fast enough be stable. (If necessary,
use
the other foot [unclipped] as well for a turn or two until the bike is
moving fast enough.)

-Learn to clip in the second foot without weaving or taking your eyes off
the road. (practice on a trainer or a quiet street)

-Once clipped in, be prepared to unclip as you approach intersections,
traffic lights, etc. Unclip one foot *before* you come to a stop. This
will
become second nature. You might want to shift down a gear or two as you
slow
for a stop to make starting up again easier.

-Don't pull up when trying to unclip. Twist your foot outward and slightly
downward.

-Check the tightness of the cleat bolts after the first couple of rides.
If
they loosen, you won't be able to unclip.

-Consider switching to dual release cleats; these will allow you to unclip
easier.

It's really not as hard as it sounds. As with learning to ride a bike,
practice makes perfect.

Good luck,
Art Harris


Great advice. Summarizes several posters who made good suggestions.

I might add:

Develop a "preferred" side to lean to and unclick when coming to a stop.
Mine happens to be my left side. Obviously, you need to unclick to the side
you lean to!

At start up, if you have read my posts before, I sometimes have trouble
engaging by finding the upright side of the pedal. You can still pedal
softly with the unclicked side til you find the correct side.

If on a soft incline or in too low a gear at startup, you may find yourself
not having enough speed at the startup to keep balance while engaging.
After the first push with the engaged pedal, spin backwards with that foot
and push again. Do as often as needed (should be seconds) until your speed
is such that you can click in the other pedal while maintaining balance.

Kerry

I learned on two sided pedals.
SPD and flat so that I could alternate when frustrated or least get
underway.

Also I used a few tadpole trikes to learn on so that I was completely stable
and motionless when I was clipping in and out.
No need to constantly clip in and out.

Once I was well-practised in this manner- clipping in and out became second
nature on any pedals.

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
gy.com...
I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was
finally ready to get rid of the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals
that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals, and they
put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and
out. That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my
bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my driveway. The
second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

First off, I don't like introducing people to clipless pedals on a
trainer... it's so far removed from the real world, that the lessons
learned
about getting into and out of them simply aren't all that relevant.

I have to disagree with this. Trainers are an excellent way to introduce a
complete novice to the system. They can be coached and watched. Are you
suggesting that one can learn something better with added distractions or
complexities?

Best
way I've found (and helped several people with today at the shop)-

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as low
as
possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to
get
back in if removed!

#2: Stand over the bike, without sitting on the saddle (stand over the
top
tube). Engage one of the brakes (so the bike doesn't move around), rotate
the pedal you want to get into so it's at about a 7 o'clock position, and,
feeling for the front of the cleat engage with the pedal, push *forward*
until you hear it snap into place. Disengage by twisting your ankle
outward. Repeat several times until this feels relatively natural.

#2b: Try the same things with the other pedal, getting used to what it
takes to get into and out of it. More than anything, you're getting
familiar with the location of the cleat on the bottom of the shoe.

#3: Now it's time to practice while riding. Get one shoe into the pedal
and start off. Don't try getting the other one in too soon! Get up a
little bit of speed so you're stable... it's no big deal pedaling along
for
a bit with one foot not engaged. Once you're up to speed, try getting the
other foot into the pedal when it's at that same 7 o'clock position as
before. Don't let it frustrate you if engagement is difficult! Take your
time, maybe stop and practice getting that particular foot in while
stopped.


Yup. Practice is KEY. I also endorse the idea of not looking, but going by
feel and sound. It's also a tough concept for alot of people to use a soft
touch with their feet approaching the pedals. Most are pretty heavy-footed,
with little finesse.

#4: Remember you MUST unclip one of your feet well before you come to a
stop. If you're still clipped in, and you have no forward momentum,
you're
going down. As mentioned previously, it's not difficult pedaling while
unclipped for a bit, so plan ahead of time. No last-second stuff and
you'll
likely avoid falling.

I suspect the clue to your problems was that you couldn't even get out of
your driveway without falling. You're trying to do too much too fast.
Take
things one step at a time and I'll bet it will be easy!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Zelda" wrote in message
om...
I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was
finally ready to get rid of the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals
that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals, and they
put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and
out. That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my
bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my driveway. The
second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this
learning curve without breaking any bones? Any web pages with good
instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but didn't see
anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

Robin Hubert

"Kerry Nikolaisen" -e-t wrote in
message ink.net...
"Arthur Harris" wrote in message
et...

"Zelda" wrote:
I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was
finally ready to get rid of the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals
that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals, and they
put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and
out. That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my
bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my driveway. The
second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Your post caught my eye I because I just installed SPDs on my wife's
bike
last week. So far, she has only ridden them on the trainer, but we may
get
out on the road today.

Were your falls caused by difficulty clipping in? or out? Since you were
still on your driveway, it sounds like you weren't yet clipped in.

A couple of suggestions:

-Set the release tension low.

-Have the bike in a low enough gear that you can accelerate quickly.

-Clip in one foot, move that foot to the 12 O'Clock position, push down
on
the pedal, and get the bike moving fast enough be stable. (If necessary,
use
the other foot [unclipped] as well for a turn or two until the bike is
moving fast enough.)

-Learn to clip in the second foot without weaving or taking your eyes
off
the road. (practice on a trainer or a quiet street)

-Once clipped in, be prepared to unclip as you approach intersections,
traffic lights, etc. Unclip one foot *before* you come to a stop. This
will
become second nature. You might want to shift down a gear or two as you
slow
for a stop to make starting up again easier.

-Don't pull up when trying to unclip. Twist your foot outward and
slightly
downward.

-Check the tightness of the cleat bolts after the first couple of rides.
If
they loosen, you won't be able to unclip.

-Consider switching to dual release cleats; these will allow you to
unclip
easier.

It's really not as hard as it sounds. As with learning to ride a bike,
practice makes perfect.

Good luck,
Art Harris


Great advice. Summarizes several posters who made good suggestions.

I might add:

Develop a "preferred" side to lean to and unclick when coming to a stop.
Mine happens to be my left side. Obviously, you need to unclick to the
side
you lean to!

I think this is bad advice because a bicycle rider needs to be equally adept
at putting either foot down at any time. This will handicap the rider and
actually cause falls.


At start up, if you have read my posts before, I sometimes have trouble
engaging by finding the upright side of the pedal. You can still pedal
softly with the unclicked side til you find the correct side.

If on a soft incline or in too low a gear at startup, you may find
yourself
not having enough speed at the startup to keep balance while engaging.
After the first push with the engaged pedal, spin backwards with that foot
and push again. Do as often as needed (should be seconds) until your
speed
is such that you can click in the other pedal while maintaining balance.

Kerry


Robin Hubert

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as low
as
possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to
get
back in if removed!

Mike, is there a way to know when your at the lower limit of tension? Those
red tension indicators don't seem very precise. When setting up my wife's
M505 pedals, I went to full tension, and then backed off about four complete
turns. I want to get minimum tension without having the screws pop out. As a
Look pedal user, this is all new to me.

Art Harris

"Arthur Harris" wrote in message
et...
"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are
set as low
as
possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're
impossible to
get
back in if removed!

Mike, is there a way to know when your at the lower limit of
tension? Those
red tension indicators don't seem very precise. When setting up my
wife's
M505 pedals, I went to full tension, and then backed off about four
complete
turns. I want to get minimum tension without having the screws pop
out. As a
Look pedal user, this is all new to me.

Art Harris



On the M515s the screws have some kind of ratchet washer that clicks
as you adjust the screw. When it stops clicking you are too far out
and need to screw it in until it starts clicking again.

Robin Hubert wrote:
: I think this is bad advice because a bicycle rider needs to be equally adept
: at putting either foot down at any time. This will handicap the rider and
: actually cause falls.

i don't know that you have a choice. most people will develop a preference
whether they want one or not. in my case it's my left -- i clip out of my
left so much more often (stop lights, etc) that i wear out 2 or more cleats
on the left per right.

unclipping on the left has other advantages: cuts down on tattoos.
--
david reuteler

First off, I don't like introducing people to clipless pedals on a
trainer... it's so far removed from the real world, that the lessons
learned
about getting into and out of them simply aren't all that relevant.

I have to disagree with this. Trainers are an excellent way to introduce
a
complete novice to the system. They can be coached and watched. Are you
suggesting that one can learn something better with added distractions or
complexities?

Yep, we'll disagree! Trainers are such an unrealistic environment that I
just don't find them all that useful. The first time they (many, not all)
try to get into and out of the pedals off the trainer can be very, very
scary. But if you have them try it the way I described it (perhaps holding
onto a fence or something else to steady themselves if needed), it goes a
lot easier than you'd think.

Regarding "complete novices", do keep in mind that's mostly what I deal
with, every single day. Part of my job. "Complete novices" are simply not
given the credit due, and when you give them the idea that it's a scary
thing and they've got to first try it out on a trainer, you reinforce the
idea that it's going to be difficult and... things have a way of living up
to expectations.

Distractions? Not sure what you mean. I'm not talking about having
somebody practice first getting into and out of the cleats on a "live" road.
A parking lot, school playground, that sort of thing works very well.

One point I didn't make was that it's very important to try and manually
engage the cleat into the pedal system (with the shoe off the foot), just to
make sure there's nothing to prevent easy engagement and release. Sometimes
the sole of the shoe can be too tall, so it prevents the cleat from reaching
down far enough to engage.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Robin Hubert" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
gy.com...
I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was
finally ready to get rid of the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals
that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals, and they
put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and
out. That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my
bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my driveway. The
second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

First off, I don't like introducing people to clipless pedals on a
trainer... it's so far removed from the real world, that the lessons
learned
about getting into and out of them simply aren't all that relevant.

I have to disagree with this. Trainers are an excellent way to introduce
a
complete novice to the system. They can be coached and watched. Are you
suggesting that one can learn something better with added distractions or
complexities?

Best
way I've found (and helped several people with today at the shop)-

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as
low
as
possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to
get
back in if removed!

#2: Stand over the bike, without sitting on the saddle (stand over the
top
tube). Engage one of the brakes (so the bike doesn't move around),
rotate
the pedal you want to get into so it's at about a 7 o'clock position,
and,
feeling for the front of the cleat engage with the pedal, push *forward*
until you hear it snap into place. Disengage by twisting your ankle
outward. Repeat several times until this feels relatively natural.

#2b: Try the same things with the other pedal, getting used to what it
takes to get into and out of it. More than anything, you're getting
familiar with the location of the cleat on the bottom of the shoe.

#3: Now it's time to practice while riding. Get one shoe into the
pedal
and start off. Don't try getting the other one in too soon! Get up a
little bit of speed so you're stable... it's no big deal pedaling along
for
a bit with one foot not engaged. Once you're up to speed, try getting
the
other foot into the pedal when it's at that same 7 o'clock position as
before. Don't let it frustrate you if engagement is difficult! Take
your
time, maybe stop and practice getting that particular foot in while
stopped.


Yup. Practice is KEY. I also endorse the idea of not looking, but going
by
feel and sound. It's also a tough concept for alot of people to use a
soft
touch with their feet approaching the pedals. Most are pretty
heavy-footed,
with little finesse.

#4: Remember you MUST unclip one of your feet well before you come to a
stop. If you're still clipped in, and you have no forward momentum,
you're
going down. As mentioned previously, it's not difficult pedaling while
unclipped for a bit, so plan ahead of time. No last-second stuff and
you'll
likely avoid falling.

I suspect the clue to your problems was that you couldn't even get out
of
your driveway without falling. You're trying to do too much too fast.
Take
things one step at a time and I'll bet it will be easy!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Zelda" wrote in message
om...
I bought a good road bike last year, and yesterday I decided I was
finally ready to get rid of the old pedals, and get shoes and pedals
that clip in. I had the bike shop install Shimano SPD pedals, and they
put my bike in a trainer to let me practice clipping the shoes in and
out. That was fine. Today, I tried and failed to actually ride my
bike. I fell twice, hard, without getting out of my driveway. The
second time, I hit my head on the concrete (yes I was wearing my
helmet).

Could someone please give me some good suggestions to get past this
learning curve without breaking any bones? Any web pages with good
instructions? I looked on Sheldon Brown's pages, but didn't see
anything specifically about this.

Thanks for any help.

Zelda

Robin Hubert

Art: Is your pedal really a 505 or 515? I deal mostly with 515s and
520s... a 505 is probably similar Before you lose the adjustment screw
(before it comes out entirely), you get to a point where it's no longer
affecting spring tension, and there's no longer any resistance to turning.
If I want a pedal as loose as possible, I find that spot (where it loses all
tension) and then tighten up one turn. That should keep it from rattling
out, while at the same time giving minimal tension.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Arthur Harris" wrote in message
et...
"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:

#1: Make sure the tension adjustment screws on the pedals are set as
low
as
possible. Don't back them entirely out though, as they're impossible to
get
back in if removed!

Mike, is there a way to know when your at the lower limit of tension?
Those
red tension indicators don't seem very precise. When setting up my wife's
M505 pedals, I went to full tension, and then backed off about four
complete
turns. I want to get minimum tension without having the screws pop out. As
a
Look pedal user, this is all new to me.

Art Harris