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To clip in or not?
Hi all,
I've got clip in cleats for my MTB (Giant Yukon) which I've had for a while now but my experience isn't outstanding as a MTBer..I've done Manly Dam about 10 times or more in my MTBing life and I was just wondering who of you out there were advocates for clip in type systems? I've found that if/when I panic and try to clip out, I simply fall over to the side, which is a) embarrassing and b) sometimes painful.
Having said all this I am definitely improving around the Dam, but just wondering what others thought?
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Cleats are the only way to go. i fell over a lot to begin with and im sure everyone is the same. shimano spd's are adjustable so you can have the tension quite loose. practice getting in and out before you need to.
Ive even spent a weekend downhilling Thredbo with SPD's. no dramas at all.
What Darren said... you will hate them at first but persevere. They are the only way to go for several reasons, the main ones being more power, and locking you in the over rough stuff. Even downhillers and 4X riders use them.
You will certainly be falling over around the dam using spuds for the first few times, it's quite a technical track. Using them you also forces you to commit to sections where before you would have been a little more blase about it. Another good thing.
The more you use them the less you fall off and the more you will appreciate what they do for you .........we wont laugh at you when you have a slow sideways off .....
Probably good to loosen them off at least initially though - practice lots and I'm sure you'll be fine. And I reckon it's worth wearing pads - hence I'm still waiting for my knee to heal properly.
Starting with them right from the outset is far easier than learning on flats and then trying to make the change.
Stick with them.
If you panic when braking you are likely to go over the bars but you wouldn't use that as a reason not to run brakes... Just try and relax, ride within you limits and get use to them. Unclip before you stop so there is less chance of the panic. Practice track standing. If you know you can balance for even just a short while there's less chance of panicing and toppling over
The early stages of learning are always scary and somewhat painful. But once you're past it you won't look back. In fact, I think I'd now feel nervous going out without clips especially on the more technical tracks. I've not had a single pedal hit me in the shins since I switched over.
Thanks everyone! That's great news. I was hoping not to take them off, and I am perservering, just quite a few offs! Today I rode from Freshwater to Darlinghurst (on road) and it was fine
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I'll be doing the Dam in the morning (28.09.09)...again with the clips
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+1 for pads while learning with clipless pedals. For me, it was elbow/forearm guards specifically.
Prior to getting them I had losts of offs, some very painful. Weirdly, once I got the pads I stopped having offs, except for the very occasional silly slow-speed clipstack into the bushes. I suspect once I got the pads I stopped worrying so much about the obstacles and just rode. You know, what you look at is where you ride kind of thing.
Reducing the fear of painful consequences helped me ride better. Doing my homework and practicing and getting used to obstacles on a smaller scale in the meantime helped as well.