Gone Clipless

Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I invested in a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model but clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

These were put onto my Fuji Touring today and I rode my heart out with these
things and am convinced that i shoulda done this ages ago.......not exactly
a cheap investment but a good one none the less.

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do they call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have thought the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!

Adam at the CMBS told me to first go home and slip in/out at least 20 times
with both feet to get the feeling of it, but i was in too much of a hurry to
try out this new/strange system and went riding with my feet fixed nicely to
the pedals and noticing a major difference in the transfer of power to the
pedals than before with just my joggers, i couldn't beleive there was such a
major difference and feel but it was all good and didn't feel that it was
too peculiar and already i have no problem clipping and unclipping although
just getting used to clipping in without actually looking down i know will
take some time....but hey.....i think i can adapt to this very well....i
guess only time will tell or the first emergency stop hehehe.....


Cheers
Dave J.

"DJ" wrote in message
...
Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I invested in
a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model but clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

These were put onto my Fuji Touring today and I rode my heart out with
these
things and am convinced that i shoulda done this ages ago.......not
exactly
a cheap investment but a good one none the less.

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do they
call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have thought
the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!


CLIPLESS - As in "not a toe "clip"... :-)

DJ Wrote:
Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I investe
in a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model bu
clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

These were put onto my Fuji Touring today and I rode my heart out wit
these
things and am convinced that i shoulda done this ages ago.......no
exactly
a cheap investment but a good one none the less.

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do the
call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your sho
that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have though
the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!

Adam at the CMBS told me to first go home and slip in/out at least 2
times
with both feet to get the feeling of it, but i was in too much of
hurry to
try out this new/strange system and went riding with my feet fixe
nicely to
the pedals and noticing a major difference in the transfer of power t
the
pedals than before with just my joggers, i couldn't beleive there wa
such a
major difference and feel but it was all good and didn't feel that i
was
too peculiar and already i have no problem clipping and unclippin
although
just getting used to clipping in without actually looking down i kno
will
take some time....but hey.....i think i can adapt to this ver
well....i
guess only time will tell or the first emergency stop hehehe.....


Cheers
Dave J.

Welcome to the land of the enlightened. :

--
jazmo

"jazmo" wrote in message
...

DJ Wrote:
Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I invested
in a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model but
clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

These were put onto my Fuji Touring today and I rode my heart out with
these
things and am convinced that i shoulda done this ages ago.......not
exactly
a cheap investment but a good one none the less.

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do they
call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe
that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have thought
the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!

Adam at the CMBS told me to first go home and slip in/out at least 20
times
with both feet to get the feeling of it, but i was in too much of a
hurry to
try out this new/strange system and went riding with my feet fixed
nicely to
the pedals and noticing a major difference in the transfer of power to
the
pedals than before with just my joggers, i couldn't beleive there was
such a
major difference and feel but it was all good and didn't feel that it
was
too peculiar and already i have no problem clipping and unclipping
although
just getting used to clipping in without actually looking down i know
will
take some time....but hey.....i think i can adapt to this very
well....i
guess only time will tell or the first emergency stop hehehe.....


Cheers
Dave J.

Welcome to the land of the enlightened.


--
jazmo


SPD's are a great pedal, too. I use them on both my roadie and mountain
bike. They're really easy to clip into on the mtb...but it's definitely an
art form on the roadie. Once I clip in THAT'S IT! I don't unclip for
anything! ANYTHING!

"DJ" writes:

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do they call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have thought the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!

It's mainly to confuse people new to the sport. Probably makes perfect
sense to the vets.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ca-m.html#clipless

Adam at the CMBS told me to first go home and slip in/out at least 20 times
with both feet to get the feeling of it, but i was in too much of a hurry to
try out this new/strange system and went riding with my feet fixed nicely to
the pedals and noticing a major difference in the transfer of power to the
pedals than before with just my joggers, i couldn't beleive there was such a
major difference and feel but it was all good and didn't feel that it was
too peculiar and already i have no problem clipping and unclipping although
just getting used to clipping in without actually looking down i know will
take some time....but hey.....i think i can adapt to this very well....i
guess only time will tell or the first emergency stop hehehe.....

My new bike came with clipless pedals, so far I haven't fallen, but I
have forgotten about them a few times. Once when my flasher hit the
deck, stopped quick and tried to jump off without remembering to
unclip, no fall, thankfully. The other time I tried to get too cute
trying to avoid unclipping by riding as slow as I could. I didn't feel
confident, so I unclipped my left foot while crawling along, this
cause me to start falling to the right, I managed to unclip the right
foot just in time. Apparently this is a common occurrence since I was
warned about it by the LBS. I think what I do now if I need to unclip
while going slow is to is steer to the right a little as I unclip my
left foot.

DJ wrote:

Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I invested in a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model but clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

snip

someone sounds very, very excited. i found myself reading faster and
faster...

T

DJ Wrote:
Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I invested
in a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model but
clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

These were put onto my Fuji Touring today and I rode my heart out with
these
things and am convinced that i shoulda done this ages ago.......not
exactly
a cheap investment but a good one none the less.

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do they
call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe
that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have thought
the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!

Adam at the CMBS told me to first go home and slip in/out at least 20
times
with both feet to get the feeling of it, but i was in too much of a
hurry to
try out this new/strange system and went riding with my feet fixed
nicely to
the pedals and noticing a major difference in the transfer of power to
the
pedals than before with just my joggers, i couldn't beleive there was
such a
major difference and feel but it was all good and didn't feel that it
was
too peculiar and already i have no problem clipping and unclipping
although
just getting used to clipping in without actually looking down i know
will
take some time....but hey.....i think i can adapt to this very
well....i
guess only time will tell or the first emergency stop hehehe.....


Cheers
Dave J.

Something you could try to help your confidence with the new pedals.
Go to a quiet park with lots of nice soft grass & ride around in
circles or figure 8's while clipping in & out of your pedals.
If you fall it won't hurt much. You can even practice falling if you
like. Once you have fallen (on nice soft grass preferably) you've done
it & don't have to worry about doing it again. Like on the road, in
traffic, in front of plenty of witnesses.....


--
Bikesoiler

Something you could try to help your confidence with the new pedals.
Go to a quiet park with lots of nice soft grass & ride around in
circles or figure 8's while clipping in & out of your pedals.
If you fall it won't hurt much. You can even practice falling if you
like. Once you have fallen (on nice soft grass preferably) you've done
it & don't have to worry about doing it again. Like on the road, in
traffic, in front of plenty of witnesses.....


--
Bikesoiler

Yeah, I've done that on a previous repco racer with those stupid clip pedals
(straps) and was taking a shortcut through a highschool, I went to jump a
path and steer onto in but the bloody front wheel got stuck in a rut at the
side of the path and down i went like a bag of you know what, on my left
side, still strapped into the pedals trying to work myself loose, I had skin
off my leg and elbow and lost some money I had in my top shirt pocket
(bugger, that was for a bottle of gatorade later).

It wouldn't have been too bad if i was on my own but it happened right in
front of a group of giggly schoolgirls who actually did ask if i was
ok...."yeah yeah, i think I'm ok, just my pride is injured that's all"!!
How embarrassing!!

Dave J.

On 2004-11-11, DJ wrote:
Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I invested in a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model but clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

*applauds*

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do they call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have thought the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!

Probably more of an explanation than you want, but anyway. :-)

The base level is to just have the pedal, nothing else. Nothing special
to keep your foot on the pedal, let alone in the best position for
pedalling. It does the job, but you lose out on the upstroke.

The next level up is to have toe clips, which hold your foot in place.
It gives you a bit more power on the upstroke than not having anything
on the pedal (well, _any_ power on the upstroke is more than your bog
standard pedal will give you :-), but it's still a little sub-optimal.

The final level is "clipless" pedals -- so called because you don't have
any toe clips. They'll give you more power than anything else you're
likely to find, because your feet are locked into place; the only way
they're moving out of position is if you pull them out of the shoe.

take some time....but hey.....i think i can adapt to this very well....i
guess only time will tell or the first emergency stop hehehe.....

I still remember the first time I had to stop suddenly after I got my
clipless pedals. Trying to get my foot to the side to brace myself, and
it just wouldn't move. There I sat, with a rather dumbfounded look on my
face, as I slowly and gracefully slid down to the left side...

Fortunately, I didn't suffer anything worse than bruises and damaged
pride. :-)

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet".

Unregistered wrote:
"jazmo" wrote in message
...

DJ Wrote:

Today I went Clipless for the first time....yep folks.......I invested
in a
nice Shimano SPD set of shoes and pedals .....dunno the model but
clipless
one side ordinary pedal on the other side.

These were put onto my Fuji Touring today and I rode my heart out with
these
things and am convinced that i shoulda done this ages ago.......not
exactly
a cheap investment but a good one none the less.

One things I'd like to ask the more cluey people here is, why do they
call
the set-up where you have a metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe
that
clips into a locked set-up on the pedal, CLIPLESS? I would have thought
the
opposite, it makes sense to me that you clip it in and you are
locked/clipped onto the pedal yet they call it clipless......mmmmmm!!

Adam at the CMBS told me to first go home and slip in/out at least 20
times
with both feet to get the feeling of it, but i was in too much of a
hurry to
try out this new/strange system and went riding with my feet fixed
nicely to
the pedals and noticing a major difference in the transfer of power to
the
pedals than before with just my joggers, i couldn't beleive there was
such a
major difference and feel but it was all good and didn't feel that it
was
too peculiar and already i have no problem clipping and unclipping
although
just getting used to clipping in without actually looking down i know
will
take some time....but hey.....i think i can adapt to this very
well....i
guess only time will tell or the first emergency stop hehehe.....


Cheers
Dave J.

Welcome to the land of the enlightened.


--
jazmo



SPD's are a great pedal, too. I use them on both my roadie and mountain
bike. They're really easy to clip into on the mtb...but it's definitely an
art form on the roadie. Once I clip in THAT'S IT! I don't unclip for
anything! ANYTHING!



I find Look cleats are much easier to get in and out of than SPDs.

--
Nick