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Bicycling 101 - Learning How To Use Clipless Pedals
By Liz SandsLet’s start right out with this. When you get clipless pedals for the first time, it is very likely that at some point you will roll up to a stop sign, forget that you need to pull your foot out, compound the error by leaning toward the side that you don’t normally clip out on – and you will tip over. Just like that character on Laugh-in on his tricycle (for those of you under age 45 or so, ignore that reference). You will feel stupid and embarrassed. But, most likely only your pride will be hurt, and this has happened to almost everybody... so try not to feel embarrassed for very long.
Here’s a few things you can do to at least reduce the number of times that this happens to you.
* When you buy your clipless pedals and shoes, work with the bike shop to make sure that the cleat is properly placed on your bike shoe, and the release tension on the pedals is set at an appropriate level (if the pedals are adjustable). You don’t want to start out having the tension at its very tightest, which will make it more difficult to twist your foot out of the pedal.
* Ask if you can be set up on a stationary bike trainer in the bike shop, so you can make sure you understand how to get clipped into the pedals and how to release out of them. If you have a stationary bike trainer at home, it might not hurt to practice a bit more once you get home. If you don’t have a stationary trainer, sit on your bike next to a wall that you can lean up against, and practice clipping in and out.
* For the first few rides with the new pedals, try to think ahead as you’re rolling up to a stop sign or stop light. Remember that you will want to lean slightly toward the side that you clip out on. It’s a good idea to clip out before you actually have to come to a full stop – you will still be able to pedal with your foot lightly on the pedal, the cleat not engaged. It might be best if your first few rides are by yourself, just so you don’t get distracted by other riders and forget to think about when you need to clip out.
I’ll share my own story of clipless pedal embarrassment. I was riding on the Root River Trail outside of Lanesboro. It was very flat, so I had the bike in a hard gear and was cruising along. All of a sudden I turned a corner and there was a steep little hill in front of me. I thought, “Oh, I’ll just power up without shifting into an easier gear.” Halfway up the hill I realized I was running out of momentum fast (and this was on an old bike with downtube shifters, where it was not so easy to do a panic shift into a lower gear). Using my old non-clipless pedal thinking, I thought, “Oh, I’ll just hop off and walk my bike”. I didn’t realize that it is almost impossible to clip out when you have no momentum to coast while clipping out. I tipped over and luckily, fell on the soft ground alongside the trail. My friend came back down the hill and offered me a hand to help me up. Then he looked on the ground where I fell and said, “Liz! You killed a mouse!” Upon closer inspection we decided the mouse had already been dead for some time, but it did add to the hilarity of the moment. And, it provides one last clipless pedal tip – be sure you are in a low enough gear to get up a steep hill, because by the time you “stall out” it may be too late to get your foot out!
(Originally published in the TCBC Activity News: July 2005)
© 2005 Liz Sands. All rights reserved.YouTube video on How to Use Clipless Pedals by Schwinn:
