The Chainlink

Clip-ins vs. Not... Advice?

What are the advantages/disadvantages of using clip-ins from people who use them? Thinking about switching to a two sided pedal, one block or flat, the other clipped. What say ya'll?

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Permalink Reply by Homebuilt on September 10, 2008 at 5:24pm
Yes. Clips technically refer to clips-and-straps that root recommends, so then when they came up with a different system it was clip-LESS. Which doesn't make much sense, granted.
Bicycle terms all talk about what we're NOT doing.

In response to the getting caught in them fear: I find clips w/straps much more prone to that, because you have to reach down to loosen the straps, whereas w/clipless, you just have to remember to turn your foot. You can also adjust the pedals so it's not too tight, which i do on my commuter.

Dana said:
Clipless / Clip-in? Same thing?
Permalink Reply by Tommie on September 10, 2008 at 6:01pm
Naaah, most spin bikes have toe straps on one side. On the other they are either flat (for people afraid of getting too CRAAAAAZZZYYYYY) or are SPD compatible (for those that want to bunny hop their spin bike to the front of the class.)

Dana said:
Do you know if spin classes require the clipped shoes?

Permalink Reply by Sam S on September 10, 2008 at 9:36pm
Thinking about switching to a two sided pedal, one block or flat, the other clipped.

I did this for a while using a Shimano SPD pedal with cleats on one side and a cage (for street shoes) on the other. Worked great for an intro to clipless. Ended up not being able to find comfortable cycling-specific shoes, so I gave up and ride with sneakers/dress shoes/boots all the time now. I don't miss being clipped in except in really wet conditions where the pedal can become slippery.
Permalink Reply by vxla on September 11, 2008 at 6:57pm
elle said:
Yea, I just made the big purchase. A pair on the cheaper end; clip in on one side and 'normal pedal' on the other for a normal shoe because I don't want to have to 'suit up' every time I 'saddle in' either...and...

I'm seeing stars. Think i'm falling in love. Never thought it would have happened just like that either. Takes a little getting used to but OH SO NICE.

Nice :-) It is sometimes a love-hate relationship. Start with the tension as low as possible and increase it a little bit each day.
Permalink Reply by vxla on September 11, 2008 at 7:25pm
Video_Drome said:
Do u guys ride fixies with clip ins? I just think thats asking to get ur ankles broken at some point.

like snowboarding, ur strapped to that thing, so if u wreck ur basically fucked right?
I've ridden for years with clipless and cages/straps. During most falls, my feet come out quicker when wearing clipless. All you need is about 7+ degrees of ankle movement to pull your foot.

As far as snowboard bindings, once in a while I'll fall where my board will twist, but it doesn't happen much as the back of the binding is pressed against your calf and not your ankle (which kinda sucks when you have big calves).
Permalink Reply by root on September 11, 2008 at 7:33pm
i'm a huge fan of being securely attached to my fixed
Permalink Reply by Dana on September 12, 2008 at 8:30am
Sounds good to me. I think you've convinced me. Where did you buy from?

elle said:
Yea, I just made the big purchase. A pair on the cheaper end; clip in on one side and 'normal pedal' on the other for a normal shoe because I don't want to have to 'suit up' every time I 'saddle in' either...and...

I'm seeing stars. Think i'm falling in love. Never thought it would have happened just like that either. Takes a little getting used to but OH SO NICE.
Permalink Reply by justJason on September 12, 2008 at 10:17am
I've never fucked anything up by falling (can count one one hand the times I've fallen due to clipless), but have experienced lasting, lingering, agonizing pain from having my cleats misaligned. Like if they start to creep and point outward(effectively pointing my feet inward), my ankles and sides will ache and swell horribly.

But once when I was about 13, I borrowed a too-small bike. I was going pretty fast, then decided to stand to pedal. But my leg shot past the pedal and hit the pavement, causing me to immediately face plant right into the street. Ouch! I had a wicked black eye for weeks, along with some pretty boss road rash all over my face.
Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on September 12, 2008 at 11:52am
I love riding with clipless. I like being able to pull my pedal up when i stop so I can get a good start at stoplights. I'm also a fan of knowing that my foot isn't going to slip out of place.

When I approach an area where I know I might have to stop, I unclip one foot, but keep pedaling and it works very well. The times I have fallen have been when I have one foot unclipped, but the pavement was a little uneven and I should have unclipped both or the other foot. I've never been hurt more than a bruise on my butt when that happened as it's a slow fall and you can at least cushion it...even if you can't stop it.

As for being in an accident with the clipless....unclipping generally becomes second nature. I had a car graze me a couple of weeks ago and I braked hard. I was able to stop and unclip without falling, and i wasn't hurt at all. I left a big scratch on the side of the car from my rack. But the clipless pedals didn't make me get hurt.

One thing that you do need to be careful of is to make sure that you screw the cleats in well. When I first got my pedals, I once had a screw come out of my shoe. The other was still in there, so my cleat was able to rotate when I turned my foot and keep me clipped in.

I could still unclip the other foot and was able to get home okay, but it was definitely scary. Now I make sure I check the cleats from time to time.

Also, I wouldn't recommend buying the cheap clipless pedals from Bike Nashbar. They are super cheap (on sale they can be $15), but I've bought them and had them break very quickly.

I'm thinking about getting some one sided ones so I don't always have to wear my shoes...and for winter so i can wear boots while riding.
Permalink Reply by Warren on September 13, 2008 at 4:38pm
So it seems best to have the two sided ones in the city in case you don't have time to clip in and can just use the platform side to get through traffic?
Can anyone suggest some good ones? Are the speedplay zeros any good? I would assume that the shimanos, looks are out b/c they are one sided?
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 13, 2008 at 9:03pm
I have been toying with the idea of clipless. Does anyone know where I can find some in a children's size? I'd love to try them on at a store first.
Permalink Reply by vxla on September 14, 2008 at 10:51pm
Julie Hochstadter said:
I have been toying with the idea of clipless. Does anyone know where I can find some in a children's size? I'd love to try them on at a store first.
Cleats are pretty much universal in size. For shoes, check Turin or the great world wide web.

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