Should I go clipless?

Another thread got me thinking about this again. I just have standard
pedals on my bike (commuter hybrid Trek 7100) but keep thinking about
going clipless. My feet never slip off the pedals so I guess that the
whole idea is just so that I can pull up as well as push down? That
involves a whole new set of muscles I would think.

Is this a good idea when much of my biking is in Manhattan? I suppose
I'll practice in a deserted parking lot for a while first.

On Wed, 25 May 2005 12:53:47 -0400, dgk
wrote in message
:

Another thread got me thinking about this again. I just have standard
pedals on my bike (commuter hybrid Trek 7100) but keep thinking about
going clipless. My feet never slip off the pedals so I guess that the
whole idea is just so that I can pull up as well as push down? That
involves a whole new set of muscles I would think.

Yes you should - try it at least. Don't pull up, though, but it does
help you to a much smoother pedalling style because you can power
through more of the crank rotation, and it helps you maintain good
cadence without risk of slipping off.

Not everyone gets on with clipless, but most do.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

I understand the notion. I went to clipless years ago and would feel
odd being "unattached" to the bike these days. I put old fashioned toe
clip pedals on in the winter so I can ride without freezing my feet but
they come off as soon as the temperature gets back into the 40's.

I think the question really is a stop and go issue. If you are stopping
in traffic frequently, the comfort and efficiency is diminished quite a
bit. Another thing to consider is theft. A clipless bike always looks
more expensive. In NYC that might be a bother. I lived there and used a
heat gun to remove decals, strategic duct taping, added klutzy, rusty
fenders to hide the wheels. In short, a stealth bike. Worked.

Will

dgk wrote:
:: Another thread got me thinking about this again. I just have standard
:: pedals on my bike (commuter hybrid Trek 7100) but keep thinking about
:: going clipless. My feet never slip off the pedals so I guess that the
:: whole idea is just so that I can pull up as well as push down? That
:: involves a whole new set of muscles I would think.

Yeah....more efficient transfer of power to pedals.

:: Is this a good idea when much of my biking is in Manhattan?

Seems scary to me....

I suppose
:: I'll practice in a deserted parking lot for a while first.

Yes. Good luck.

"dgk" wrote in message
...
Another thread got me thinking about this again. I just have standard
pedals on my bike (commuter hybrid Trek 7100) but keep thinking about
going clipless. My feet never slip off the pedals so I guess that the
whole idea is just so that I can pull up as well as push down? That
involves a whole new set of muscles I would think.

Is this a good idea when much of my biking is in Manhattan? I suppose
I'll practice in a deserted parking lot for a while first.

I've never regretted going clipless, even though I had the obligatory spill
by forgetting to unclip before stoppng ;-)

Once I got used to clipping in and out, which happened quicker than I
thought it would, it beame second nature. I have no problem clipping in and
out as necessary in traffic. The advantages? Well I too never used to slip
off pedals when I used ordinary platform pedals, but clipless gives the same
speed for less effort - as you are effectively pulling on the upstroke as
well as pushing on the down stroke - and my knees were much appreciative of
the change to clipless. Aching knees disappeared overnight for me.

I find clipless make it easier to cycle up any sort of incline - it's just
more efficient & effective pedalling.

I would not willingly go back to platform pedals.

I use Look pedals, by the way.

Cheers, helen s

"dgk" wrote in message
...
Another thread got me thinking about this again. I just have standard
pedals on my bike (commuter hybrid Trek 7100) but keep thinking about
going clipless. My feet never slip off the pedals so I guess that the
whole idea is just so that I can pull up as well as push down? That
involves a whole new set of muscles I would think.

Is this a good idea when much of my biking is in Manhattan? I suppose
I'll practice in a deserted parking lot for a while first.

Just so you know ... it's not about pushing down and/or pulling up. It's
about spinning circles (or as close to it as possible). That's the most
efficient way to pedal. Remember the old locomotive engines that had a
large wheel turned by the steam engine and the large wheel was attached by
steel rods that drove smaller wheels out in front of it. Well, think of
your hip as the large driving wheel. A good, efficient spin comes from the
hip.

Pedaling through Manhattan. Hmmm. There are some strap devices that
mountain bikers who didn't want to be clipped in have used. You might
consider something like this that would attach to your existing pedal. That
way you could get a feel for being attached to the pedals without the larger
investment. I don't recall who made them, but they attached diagonally
across the pedal.
--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

dgk wrote:
Another thread got me thinking about this again. I just have standard
pedals on my bike (commuter hybrid Trek 7100) but keep thinking about
going clipless. My feet never slip off the pedals so I guess that the
whole idea is just so that I can pull up as well as push down? That
involves a whole new set of muscles I would think.

Not the source of efficiency with clipless pedals, you don't want to
"pull up", it doesn't help anything, it just puts you at greater risk of
a pull out.

The beauty of clipless pedals is that you don't have to expend any
energy or concentration to keep your feet on, and aligned to, the
pedals. That's not a lot of effort for low speed cycling, so the benefit
really increases with intensity. If you pedal hard and fast you should
have some sort of foot retention, clipless is, for most people, easier
and more comfortable than clips and straps.


Is this a good idea when much of my biking is in Manhattan? I suppose
I'll practice in a deserted parking lot for a while first.

Practice is a good idea, and some types of pedals are better for stop &
go urban riding and the inevitable walking. SPD (Shimano or clone) is a
good start.

You can always go "clipless" the Rivendell-way:

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/pedal...aps/14020.html

On 25 May 2005 11:27:11 -0700, "bfd" wrote:

You can always go "clipless" the Rivendell-way:

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/pedal...aps/14020.html

How do those work?

On 25 May 2005 10:25:49 -0700, "Will"
wrote:


I understand the notion. I went to clipless years ago and would feel
odd being "unattached" to the bike these days. I put old fashioned toe
clip pedals on in the winter so I can ride without freezing my feet but
they come off as soon as the temperature gets back into the 40's.

I think the question really is a stop and go issue. If you are stopping
in traffic frequently, the comfort and efficiency is diminished quite a
bit. Another thing to consider is theft. A clipless bike always looks
more expensive. In NYC that might be a bother. I lived there and used a
heat gun to remove decals, strategic duct taping, added klutzy, rusty
fenders to hide the wheels. In short, a stealth bike. Worked.

Will

Theft is a problem but I anchor the bike pretty well and almost always
in one place with guards nearby.

I have a bike that had the cages once. I couldn't get my foot out when
I had to and by the time I did get it out it was just in time to break
my ankle. Then again, it isn't likely that I'll be in a 6 inch mud
puddle on 3rd Avenue. The surgeon suggested that I find somewhere else
to bike that doesn't have big mud puddles. Smart man.