[chaco24]

I just put shimano PD A-520 SPD clipless pedals on my bike and now I am having a tough time getting clipped back i after stopping a light or stop sign. The pedal tends to turn over on me and it is aggravating and dangerous to be trying to flip the pedal over as I am pedaling through an intersection, can anyone tell me how to overcome this problem WITHOUT having to change pedals?

 

[photosbymark]

Some of this is just practice. I remember my first time in cleats. To answer your question is yes. Yes I did what they call in sprint car racing a Tommy Tipover. Ticked me off more than it hurt anything. Now I am just using the simple campus pedals. One side platform and the other side cleated. Personally I unclip on one side approaching a stop. Then I get going before I worry about clipping back in. Before long it will be second nature

 

[chaco24]

I'm only unclipping on one side when I have to stop, the problem is that I'm having to "hunt" to clip back into the pedal when I get moving again, I am riding in traffic while doing this and its spooky as hell having only one foot attached to the pedal pedaling while the other foot is trying to re-attach itself to the other pedal.

 

[Engyo]

Hi Chaco -

It gets easier with practice. Are your pedals single-sided or two sided? If they are platforms on the other side, just use the platform for a few pedal strokes until you can clip in. Even if they are double-sided, just keep pushing with the unclipped foot until you are past the intersection and stable rolling, and then worry about clipping in.

The other part of it is that the pedals will break in after a few rides and you won't have to work so hard to get them to engage. The more you do it the easier it gets; and your muscle memory will kick in as well - your feet/legs will remember the right positions and you won't have to think about it so much.

Everybody does an Artie Johnson when going clipless - the goal is not to do it too many times, or in front of too large an audience.

 

[hophead]

Learn to trackstand.

 

[chaco24]

what the heck is a trackstand and how do you do it?

 

[hophead]

what the heck is a trackstand and how do you do it?

A track stand is where you balance your bike while stopped so you do not have to get unclipped from your pedals.

 

[chaco24]

ok, so how do you accomplish that?

 

[retromike3]

track stand later

A track stand is when a rider has the ability to remain upright and at the same time to rock back and forth less than a few inches allowing your bike to essentially act like a unicycle by keeping you weight balanced between falling over one side or another. I would not try it with clipless pedals until you have mastered it with platforms or standard ones first.

Something you might do is to find a parking lot that has a good open space and practice just clipping and unclipping. I think you need to set up a "mussel memory" so that your not thinking about unclipping you just are. When I got my first pair of clipless I pulled up to the stoplight and automatically reached down to loosen my toe strap and it wasn't there. I panicked and three seconds later I was on the ground feeling very stupid. I still have a pair of clipless pedals but since a do most of riding in my cross shoes I use my old Campy track pedals for my commuter and Sun-tour Mtn pedals for my road bike.

Mike

 

[chaco24]

thanks for the clearer explanation Mike.

 

[Zelda_K]

i have the same problem and i decided to get mountainbike pedals.