First time in clips

[kurtis1984]

Hi all, just a quick question. I've been riding flat pedals on mtb for years, and as I've just started to commute from work I am considering moving to clips. I've heard horror stories about people injuring their knees from poorly fitted/aligned clips. Any truth to these stories? Should I get a professional to fit them for me? Or is it really more about 'plug and play'?
Cheers.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

There are lots and lots and lots of threads on this topic. Just go and buy some Click'R pedals and be done with it. http://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/03/shim ... ng-pedals/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[isabella24]

+1. For commuting, Click R's are da bomb. Easy enough to clip in and out of at lights with enough float to be easy on the knees.

[ValleyForge]

For the commute and MTB purposes, CrankBrothers would make sense. When I'm out on my MTB, the eggbeaters are "old skool". But they are great on the commuter as well. And my trainer.

[eeksll]

Hi all, just a quick question. I've been riding flat pedals on mtb for years, and as I've just started to commute from work I am considering moving to clips. I've heard horror stories about people injuring their knees from poorly fitted/aligned clips. Any truth to these stories? Should I get a professional to fit them for me? Or is it really more about 'plug and play'?
Cheers.

with a bit of anal retentiveness you should be able to install the cleat straight and in the right spot. Put the cleat where the ball of your foot is align it straight, clip the shoe in the pedal on the bike and it will be pretty clear if its not straight. Thats for the "normal" person if your feet are not normally straight then a professional might be in order.

I am sure if you try to install them backwards and try to ride with your foot backwards you will get knee problems.

Then just ride and monitor your knees.

[gorilla monsoon]

There are lots and lots and lots of threads on this topic. Just go and buy some Click'R pedals and be done with it. http://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/03/shim ... ng-pedals/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What he said.

[Lizzy]

There are lots and lots and lots of threads on this topic. Just go and buy some Click'R pedals and be done with it. http://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/03/shim ... ng-pedals/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What he said.

Testify. I have historical tendencies toward dicky knees, but no issues arising from Click'R.

[foo on patrol]

Testify. I have historical tendencies toward dicky knees, but no issues arising from Click'R.

So ya related to Dicky Knees, are you? Sorry it's the heat that made me do it.

Foo

[singlespeedscott]

For the commute and MTB purposes, CrankBrothers would make sense. When I'm out on my MTB, the eggbeaters are "old skool". But they are great on the commuter as well. And my trainer.

I was an early eggbeater adopter, back in '00 or so. I love their minimalist design but after 4 years of persistence I gave up due to their rubbish bearings. I went back to Shimano's which I had been using since '94.

Shimano SPD's are, IMO the best clipless design.

[wombatK]

There are lots and lots and lots of threads on this topic...

And there's lots and lots of riders wearing standard cleats (e.g. SPD, SPD-SL, Crank Bros, Speedplays etc)
and has been for a long time. If these things were damaging a significant proportion of riders knees, they'd have
never captured the market like they have.

Give them a go ... but just be careful to avoid cleats with no float (e.g. SPD-SL red cleats).

[skcycle]

Long before there's a chance of injuring your knees your pride will be destroyed as you fall (in slow motion) at traffic lights with hundreds of people watching....

Just clip in and ride...

[yugyug]

Yeah or you could just HTFU and keep using flats. Clips and cleats are over-rated and only in our weird sports obsessed country do so many think they are necessary for commuting.

[singlespeedscott]

I couldn't commute without then. 66km round trip averaging around 30kmh. Not something I would like to do with flats. Clip less allows you to put the power down more efficiently as well as spin the pedals with less effort.

[rodneycc]

I actually think the muscles in your feet and ankle change when going from flats to clipless or something definitely changes. Before I went clipless I use to ride 35kms in flats daily (by the end of the week yes the feet were a little sore). I only really went clipless for something new to try. I think the pedal stroke changes too because after about 6 months or maybe a year, I tried flat pedals again on the same 35km for a week before giving them up quick smart. Really sore feet and ankles and felt really uncoordinated in the pedal stroke. A really weird feeling since I knew I use to do it this way! So I think its mainly whatever your body gets use to. But for me back to clipless and haven't looked back for about a year now since that little experiment.


Edit: +1 for a clip stack at the lights in your first few rides. Happened to me in peak hour in Melbourne.

[RonK]

I can't fathom this morbid fear of going clipless. Fear-mongering stories are little more than feeble attempts to cover up. Nearly everybody falls of their bike at sometime, at the speed clip stacks occur the risk of injury or damage is very small.

Clipless pedals were widely adopted because unlike the earlier toe clips and straps they don't damage the knees.

Make sure you start with cleats with the maximum of float angle. These will give plenty of latitude so that cleat alignment is not critical.
Install the cleats as far back on the shoe as they can go as the default position.

You can fine tune the alignment and position from there once you get over the newness.

It's not a big deal - don't fuss over it.