I've been riding with SPD or Eggbeaters for six or eight years now. Clipping and unclipping has become second nature, like some of the other folks said.bura wrote:Hi all,
Cycling from Camberwell to the city (and back), hopefully four days a week. I've just bought Shimano shoes and am getting used to clipping in and out. Love the feeling while powering along but it also feels dangerous, particularly when a car swings out of a parking space, blocking everything but the tram lines etc..
Notice very few people using clipped in cycling shoes - wondering if it is worth it safety-wise? How many people here commute clipping in and out at every set of lights?
Any advice for someone starting out?
I really like the sound you hear when you first clip in to start a ride. That signals to me that good times are going to start. Like the old proverb, "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."
Stuff I learned along the way:
1. Decide which foot your going to unclip and stay with it. I live the U.S., so I unclip my right foot.
2. To make SURE I got in the habit of unclipping for stops signs and lights, would unclip and hold my right leg out at about a 45-degree angle when I slowed down. It looked funny, but made me more conscious of what I was doing. It also had the side effect of signaling to motorists at the intersection that I was going to stop. I don't swing out as far as I once did, but I've kept the exaggerated move.
3. Don't worry about staying attached to the bike if you go down. The one endo I did proved that you and the bike WILL come apart.
4. I've taught several folks how to get used to them. We go out on a road without much traffic and I'll holler, "STOP!" or "UNCLIP" from time to time until they get the hang of it.
