With flat pedals, you can ride a bike with just about any kind of shoe. This is convenient, but sometimes your feet will slip, whether because its wet or if you change gears and the pressure needed to push down on your pedal changes. The first solution to this problem was to add toe clips and straps to the pedals, this helped keep the foot on the pedal, but there was a better solution out there.
Clipless pedals are called clipless because they no longer have the straps and clips that cage your foot to the pedal. Instead, you use a special cycling shoe that has cleats (metal hooks on the bottom of the shoe) that clip into the pedals.
There are some disadvantages to clipless pedals:
-When you first use them they can feel awkward.
-Every time you choose to bike, you have to put on you cycling shoes, which may be inconvenient when you aren't going very far.
-To get you foot off the pedal you have to twist your foot, while learning to get use to this action, you may fall a few times.
The advantages to clipless pedals definitely outweigh the disadvantages:
-Your foot is anchored securely to the pedal, so no energy is wasted trying to keep your foot on the pedal.
-Because you foot is anchored to the pedal you not only push down on the pedal, but also pull up on the pedal, giving you more power.
-They also give you more control over your bike.
Although clipless shoes may be hard to get use to, once you do get use to them they will help you become a more efficient biker.
First of all I have to say, that I am not a bike person at all! I am a runner, and biking is to hard for me. We use different muscles, and I am really not good at biking or mountain biking. I sometimes go with my dad, and he kills me!
ReplyDeleteMy dad is a street biker for fun. He also uses clipless pedals. I also tried it, and I have no problems with them. But my sister tried in front of our house to get used to them, and I remember she tried it so many times. She finally gave up, because she just fell over, like in a comic or so. I thought that was so funny, and she was just crying, because she was so embarrassed and mad.
So you better make sure you are used to them when you hit the road.
I'm a mountain biker and have tried to use clipless pedels and let me just say. I'm terrified of using them again. They are fantastic for avid street and uphill climers but can come with negative consequences when going downhill. I'd never ride a street bike without them but as for mountain biking, I'd personally take a few hits in the shin.
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