chinnyhill10 wrote:
Malabar Front wrote:
Okay, being clipped in is weird, but I like it. Only tried it on the road, mind. I suspect offroad will be entirely different.
What happens if you slip or fall off? Not sure I'd like it.
To release from clipless pedals, you twist your foot outwards (or inwards). in the event of falling off, you tend to twist your feet that way anyway. After a while, it becomes second nature to twist your foot around as you slow down, I do it even when I've got flat pedals on.
The release tension (how much force you need to put into the twist of your foot) is set by a spring, which is adjustable, when I first had mine, they were set very loose, but I gradually increased the tension to avoid accidentally unclipping. The amount of control you have over the bike increases dramatically, and your pedaling efficiency is also greatly increased (arguably, you could say it's almost doubled, as you can pull up as well as pushing down). I think they are the best upgrade one can make to a bike, and wouldn't live without them.
Although, the first few times, you can have comedy moments like pulling up at a set of traffic lights outside the girls' school, and forgetting you are clipped in and falling gracefully sideways, but once you've gotten used to it, it doesn't happen.