Cleats/pedals - least scary!

[ChippyTea16]

Hello all, I will be doing a long (5 day) cycle in May and have been advised to switch my normal pedals for cleats.

Does anyone have any they recommend that you can easily clip in and out of? I’ve never used them and will need to get some soon to practice but I’m scared... not sure why, just feel panicky at the thought of stopping and not being able to unclip!

Any advice would be much appreciated! I know I just need to get on with it and get out and practice...

That's hilarious @MrsAvocet.
Although I'm a bit alarmed that this can still happen to experts.

yes, when I fell over it must have looked like a cartoon. Woman cycling bike but flat on the ground. A nice chap came over and kindly untangled me from the bike. luckily no one else was around.

You have my sympathy, I've still not got my bike back out.

My neighbour has suggested going to a flat playing field near here to practice so if I fall it won't hurt - but there will be kids laughing no doubt!

I just wish I had the confidence to go out and do it!

I see every other cyclist make it look so easy, so frustrating!

I think it must get easier because I can't remember last time I fell off.
Have been using SPDs about 28 years, mind.

About 60 miles/week I guess on avg... any cleat-related falls are probably about once every 7 years.

@MrsAvocet - that's a pretty high profile clipless moment - fair play to you for tackling it though; it's an immense climb. I've done a few of the big TdF monument climbs in the Alps but never felt quite confident enough to try the 'Berg.

I thought I'd just had the one but your email reminded me of the other, a couple of years ago. I was bike-packing the coast to coast ride (the Walney Island to Whitby route, which is the hilliest but prettiest) and we had to tackle the Long Causeway up to the Tan Hill Inn. It poured with rain, I got to a really steep bit and lost traction, couldn't unclip and me and a loaded bike (seatpost bag, handlebar bag, top tube bag) fell over. I had to be unclipped by a passing motorist. We then had to ride 13 miles of the worst weather I've ever ridden a bike in all the way to our beds at the Tan Hill Inn. I must have unconsciously bleached the whole of that horrific experience out of my mind.

I'd struggle with the long climbs in the Alps @SweatyBetty20 - I'm better at short sharp climbs. (Well actually at the moment I'm pretty rubbish at everything and am mainly riding my ebike as I suffered multiple injuries in a car crash a few years ago - but before that I was good at short sharp climbs!) It's the cobbles that make the bergs in Flanders so tough. If they were smooth tarmac I think they'd be very much like the many unnamed hills that you find in Yorkshire, Cumbria etc. But the cobbles add an extra dimension! It's one of those things that you get a sort of masochistic pleasure from. Riding on cobbles is horrid but you do get a great sense of achievement and its really nice when it stops! 😂
Though actually the worst cobbles I've ever encountered weren't on a Berg at all. We rode out from Brugge to Damme which is a lovely flat ride along an excellent cycle path. But the cobbles on Damme's main street are something else. I really thought I was going to be sick! Must be something to do with the size and spacing. I love Belgium though. Its the only country I've visited that I would seriously consider moving to.

I got clip in cleats about 3 years ago and I’ve never not been able to get my foot out. It still stresses me a bit however so when I go out on my bike I ride up and down my street about 5 times clipping and in clipping until I feel confident again.

Hi everyone, just thought I’d update you that I got the shimano double sided ones in the end and some Giro mountain bike shoes (manta lace ones if anyone cares, very comfortable but had to size up). Went out last weekend for the first time in them and happy that I found it very easy and didn’t fall off!

@SweatyBetty20 thank you for the tips about doing one leg at a time, that’s exactly what my husband told me to do.

We had to stop and adjust them a few times but hopefully they’ll be ok for the big ride.

@FlattestWhite oh that’s so weird, I said to my husband they should invent magnetic ones but he wasn’t sure if they’d be strong enough to pull up without unclipping - good to know they exist tho!

One thing I did notice, I was about halfway through my ride when I mentioned that I still felt like I was pushing only and my husband said ‘well, you have to actively pull up, it doesn’t happen automatically just cos you’re clipped in!’ So once I started to focus on the pull instead of the push I felt a lot better and my knees felt better too! I’m not a natural cyclist as you can probably tell...

So thank you all for your tips and advice, it really helped and I’m glad I have cleats now! Doing my first 100km today...

That’s great news! Boyfriend washed, cleaned and serviced my bikes yesterday (he’s a keeper!) so I’ll be out now the days are warming up a bit. Happy riding!!!

I thought I'd post, as a follow up.
I've just changed back from cleats to ordinary.
I had a couple a good rides with the cleats and enjoyed the extra power they gave me and the fact that they stopped my feet from wandering around.
However, I came to the conclusion that I wasn't cycling as often because I had low level anxiety when I was using them. It wasn't just about getting my feet out, but also getting them in again (were the pedals the right way up, for a start)

Shimano mtb or crank brothers candy pedals. Find a quiet place e.g. a deserted car park, a park and practice. Clip in/ out whilstvstationary (one foot on the floor) then practice riding clipping in one foot then the other. If a pedal doesnt release unclip the other, dont fixate on one foot. Dont stop whilst clipped in, unclip one foot

@MaMaLa321 I could have written a similar post about myself many years ago!

I progressed too fast to road cleats/ shoes. I bought the cheapest road pedals and shoes. They were tough to engage (despite being on loosest setting). What made it worse was that if I didn’t engage on the first pedal stroke my foot would skid out. It really impacted my confidence.

Fast forward far too many years and this wouldn’t be an issue for me.

What I’d suggest is going back a few stages, but not to beginner flatties and trainers.

Get yourself some touring pedals. They’ll have a spiky platform one side and an SPD the other side. Get yourself (probably) some touring shoes. They tend to be a bit easier to learn with than mountain bike shoes. MTB shoes will have a more rigid sole and various grips. A touring show is designed to also walk around in, so the sole is more flexible.

Once you’re set up, you’ll have no problem engaging with your lead foot (the one always pop on the pedal first). You then start peddling but you use the non-SPD platform side. It’s designed for you to pedal on. Once you feel comfortable, flip the pedal round with your toe and engage! It’s really easy and perfect for your level. Approaching any kind of obstacle where you’ll likely need to stop, disengage the one foot (the one you attached to the pedal last) 50 metres or so before and pedal on the platform non-SPD side. This way you are always totally in control. You only engage/ disengage one foot (the one that is last on the road/ first on the road when you stop) when you feel ready and safe. Make sure you loosen the SPD to the max - it’ll have a little Allen key bolt hole with an arrow pointing one way to plus the other to minus. Wind it all the way to minus.

This way you’ll get more and more confident. Before you know it you’ll be engaging immediately and disengaging at the last possible second. It’ll all be in one smooth movement. At this point you can then look at upgrading if you wish.