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Pirate Mentors / Mentorees 2011
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Parklife - it sounds as though got two separate sets of things going on - riding around on the MTB to get stuff done, and riding on your road bike to practice your technique and build confidence. Try to stick with the pedals - you won't ever get used to them if they're in a box somewhere! How about aiming for three road bike sessions per week for the next 2 weeks - minimum 30 mins per session (loops of your local cul de sac are allowed).
have you had the spring tension on the pedals checked? they should be adjustable and until you become comfortable with using clipless, you really should ride with the tension as low as you can get away with without pulling out - that way it really should be no deal unclipping.
and rather than go on the road with them, find a nice big empty space - car park maybe - where you can practice without traffic to worry about - maybe even a large grassy area so if you do fall, it will be more "comfortable".
as Waff says, if the pedals stay in the box you'll never improve and everyone - and I mean everyone - goes through a learning curve with clipless. I fell off 3 times on my 1st trip mainly 'cos I forgot I was clipped in and it was too late to unclip by the time I'd stopped and fallen over. You soon learn to unclip BEFORE you think you need to until it becomes 2nd nature and you can do it standing still.
Hi Waff
Stick with the pedals?
Hopefully not when I'm trying to get off.
I'm actually really nervous of getting back out there. Sounds stupid I know but I only had one sesh on a flat track and I'm worried about not being able to clip out before stopping, esp at the bottom of a steep hill with a junction of which there are quite a few in my neck of the woods. Maybe I'll try v early on Sunday morning - 06:00am .. ish.
I've asked my mentor this (but I didn't understand the answer) and I know it's a stupid question, but do you clip out turning the foot outwards or inwards? Neither feels particularly natural and I can't remember what I did on the 20-miler I've already done with clips. Outwards I imagine ... ?
and the trick is to keep the foot level as you twist - don't try and pull up at the same time as that could cause the cleat to snag.
In theory outwards, but I'll confess to being an inwards unclipper. As FB says, check the tension as this affects the effort needed to twist the foot sufficiently to unclip. Get on the bike against a wall and practice clipping & unclipping, it really does become second nature, honest.
And yes, everyone falls over still clipped in at some point. The only thing that varies is the degree of embarrassment - in front of a couple of coachloads of tourists isn't so good.
Thanks everyone - it does feel stiff and I've been practicing at home a bit. Maybe as FB says, I'm not keeping the foot level and that's what's making it difficult. They are adjusted to be 'easy' oh and they're SPDs which means I can also have a good old click around at the start of my spin class tonight.
This is bringing back memories. I remember having to learn the feeling of twisting the foot rather than yanking up as a reflex. Also doing loops of the local sports field and carpark clipping in and out - after a while I was so bored I just had to get out on the road and go for it. I did end up in my neighbour's flower bed a few times - but she was very nice about it.
Cake, I'm in Surrey.
The cleaty thing is definitely practice. The flower bed is a nice place to land Waff unless it's full of roses, ouch!
Parky - I've just text you.
Feeling like I've let you down on this but promise to make it up to you. I've suggested a couple of dates for us to catch up.
Unfortunately though, once you get the hang of what you have to do on a quiet street or car park, it is a case of practicing. It took me a long time, lots of very cut and sore knees, tears and nearly getting hit by cars. I used to have to drive to club sessions as I couldn't get out of either end of my road as I couldn't unclip on a downhill.
You WILL get there, it will come.
Let's see if we can meet and have a one-to-one practice.
(As an aside, I don't think the Bristol/Bath cycle path is a help - I used to think it was great, no cars, less fear. Yes, no cars but lots of dogs, people walking, kids on scooters etc etc, all of which are not moving in one direction and, I think, more hazardous.)
Happychap Your near a few folks sure someone good will pop up soon matey.
Cake
I broke my cycling clip falling off virginity in Tooting. Twice. In the same bit of road. One after another. Same bloke picked me up both times
I wish it was just embarrassment. I couldn't make work on the Monday because I couldn't put weight on the injured leg and that was coming off at hardly any speed on to gravel.
Anyway I've had lots of good tips, shared experiences and offers of help which I'm taking up, so thanks everyone. I feel a bit better about it now.
Mouse raised an issue I'm not sure about too - is it more difficult to unclip on downs and ups? I suppose this is where you need to remember to make the foot flat ... ?
My 'best' fall off was just this weekend where I'd stopped just before a small upflat. I didn't have enough power to get going and landed on my side with my leg taking the brunt of me and the bike (a fair weight x 2). The lumps and bruises on my leg prompted a lady in the pool today to quietly ask me if everything was okay at home.
Mind you, my falling off the turbo bruise wasn't too bad either.
LN. LOL! And Meldy has a kindred spirit
I have fallen off my bike more times than I can remember .... at no point in any of these incidemces was I ever moving (apart from in a down towards the ground style)
Parky -I tend not to unclip going downhill as I know I am not going to loose speed.
On uphills, I tend to unclip once or twice at the bottom so that I know I can do it. Then I slog uphill, praying to The God Of Cleats that all will be well by the time I get to the top.
Parky - I found this in the Bala 2010 thread. Thought I would post it here so that you can see how bad I was when I first started and that you know it does get better......
The main lesson from Schumks there is to make sure your cleats are tightly screwed on. More of a problem on two-bolt cleats like SPDs when a single loose bolt could mean being unable to unclip as the cleat just stays put as you twist your foot to get it out. Good news is that if they're done up properly in the first place cleat bolts don't have a habit of loosening of their own accord.
Unlike chainset bolts which once led to my chainrings falling off mid-ride. Not my fault at all, oh no...
Parky - when I first went clipless I spent quite some time on my bike, using a wall for balance, just clipping in and out while stationary before venturing out onto the roads. Next step was to cycle up and down my quiet residential road, just practicing clipping in and out on the move without stopping. Then moved on to stopping and starting again.
Practicing whilst stationary helps get the actual movement required engrained in your brain/legs.
As for worrying about stopping at the bottom of a hill, since you don't need to pedal to keep moving, you have plenty of time to unclip early.