Easier than you think
Apr 06 '00
If you were climbing a technical route up a rock, would you secure yourself with a harness? Of course. So why wouldn't you secure yourself to your bike when climbing a difficult trail? Because most people are scared: that's why. You think that you'll never be able to get out of your pedals in a pinch. This simply isn't true. It is much easier than you might think. If you are just beginning serious mountain biking, don't even think of going to toeclips from flat pedals. No matter how you dismount your flat pedals, it always involves some twisting motion. Because of this, the most natural progression is to move to clipless pedals, where you dismount by twisting your foot. If you chose to use toeclips, you will not be able to do this. They take much longer to get used to, as you will have great difficulty remembering to slide your feet back, rather than to the left or right. On an espcially difficult trail, it is better to be able to quickly twist out and put your foot down, rather than have to pull back, then move your foot away from the pedal to put it down. This, of course is a minor point though. There are several mutal benefits to both clipless and toe clips. The main one is that you can get pedal power on the upstroke, as well as the down stroke. This is definitely helpful, as you will notice a difference in speed immediately. With stronger security, you have nearly constant "power strokes" on tough sections, allowing you to power through these sections. With your feet securly attached to the bike, you can easily bunny hop or wheelie; much easier than having to compress the entire bike, as when on flat pedals.
These pedals, of course, take some getting used to. I recommend practicing at first at slow speeds on grass. Get a professional to install the pedals, and make sure you have good ones. You don't have to spend $300 on a pair, but don't get a crappy $40 pair either. Around $120 will get you a quality pair of pedals, plus another hundred or so for the shoes. I highly recommend getting clipless pedals and improving your biking today.
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Epinions.com ID:
DanskisNY
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Member: Dan Linsalata
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 6 members
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