Coach’s Corner: Getting used to click-in pedals
2 Tips for Using Click-In Pedals
Our Coach’s Corner series is your chance to have your biggest cycling questions answered. Coach Darryl MacKenzie. In these short Q&As, Coach Darryl speaks from his 35+ years of cycling and coaching experience to help you become a stronger, smarter cyclist.
Curious Cyclist:
Coach, I am considering switching to click-in pedals. Most cyclists have successfully adapted to them. What magic things have they done to make a successful switch?
Coach Darryl:
Like any new piece of cycling equipment, click-in pedals require you to make some adaptations to ensure a seamless transition. The switch to click-in pedals is difficult for riders who don’t know about these necessary changes.
First, some clarification. Although the words sound alike, there is a difference between “clip” and “click" when it comes to pedals. Clip pedals refer to the metal or strap pedal cages that surrounded the front of cyclists’ feet in the 1980s and earlier. They made for much more efficient pedaling than bare, flat pedals, but riders had to reach down to open them at every stop. Not surprisingly, falls were frequent.
Eventually, pedals were developed that cyclists “clicked” into and out of by rotating the foot outward. They were far easier to get into and out of. They were initially called “clipless” pedals to differentiate them from pedals with clips. Decades later, most cyclists have no idea what clip pedals are, and they’re understandably perplexed by the term “clipless.” After seeing confusion in the eyes of dozens of cyclists, I switched to using the term “click-in pedals” to describe this newer type of pedal.
Now, as good as these click-in pedals are, they still take some getting used to. And cyclists trying them for the first time are naturally afraid of falling. I fell once during my first week using click-in pedals over 30 years ago, but never again since!
So, how do you ensure a smooth transition? Well, cyclists usually fall while using click-in pedals for one of two reasons — both of which can be easily remedied.
- The first problem is not being able to “unclick” from the pedals when you need to stop. Panic will quickly ensue as you slow down and find you can’t detach yourself from the bike. But this is easy enough to prevent: Always unclick at the bottom of the pedaling stroke. Always. Most cyclists who come to see me for bike fits need to learn this — they come to me clicking out at the top. But at the top, your leg can only rotate at the ankle. At the bottom, with your leg fully extended, it can rotate all the way past the knee to the hip. You can see the difference for yourself right now, simply by trying to rotate your leg when standing vs. sitting.
- The second problem is unclicking on one side, say the right, and falling over on the left. There is one simple way to prevent this: After unclicking, while reaching your right leg out for the ground, turn the front wheel sharply to the left. Physics will take care of the rest, sending your body weight naturally to the right. You can test it out ahead of time at a slow speed in a parking lot, just to get a feel for it.
Adaptation is a fundamental task for any sport. As you make changes to your bike or other equipment, you must adjust. With these two simple changes, you’ll learn to use click-in pedals well. And you’ll never look back.
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