That first time in clipless pedals / cleats…… ⠀ ⠀ So with new road bike in hand it was time to add some pedals and make the leap to cleats (clipless pedals) which is a rite of passage for cyclists.⠀ ⠀ Strangely going ‘clipless’ actually means you are riding clipped into the pedals (term apparently originates from not having toe clips or straps to hold your feet in place like in the old days) which means you are pedalling more efficiently. ⠀ ⠀ The main benefits are improved power transfer; in addition to when you push down, you’ll also pass power to the bike as you pull up. Plus also greater control as your feet won’t slip from the pedals. But enough of that as you probably just want to hear about how I fell off….⠀ ⠀ So having fitted the pedals I’d tried a couple of static practices to clip in and out which seemed ok so it was time to head for a ride and give them a proper go. I chose the Cycling Weekly Box Hill Sportive to break mine in…..⠀ ⠀ Turns out it was a ride where I truly mastered the art of “cleat failure”!! Safe to say that gravity and the cleat wearing cyclist are not friends. The strange thing about your first few times using cleats is that your perspective shifts in that going fast is fine but going slowly becomes terrifying!⠀ ⠀ I forget the exact number of times I ended up in the ditch at the side of the road on this particular ride (think it was at least 3 more likely 5) having pretty much ground to a halt and been unable to unclip in time so took the dignified decision to fall over sideways 😂⠀ ⠀ Luckily there were no official photos of these incidents but my mate managed to capture a few pics of me remounting and wobbling along which I’ll leave here.⠀ ⠀ Sure this resonates with many of you and there’s loads of stories of grabbing railings at the side of the road by junctions / roundabouts or perhaps worse, feel free to share your experiences in the comments, would love to hear them.⠀ ⠀ For the record I went with the Shimano SPD-SL for ease as they are highly adjustable and widely compatible.⠀ ⠀ #cliplesspedals #cleatfail (at Box Hill, National Trust) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYY9mh3plG3/?utm_medium=tumblr
