Jan. 1st. Today, thanks to the wonderfully helpful Andy Carr, I made another transition in my bike riding journey. I knew that I had to make this transition very soon in order to achieve the next goal that I've set for myself(joining a neighborhood cycling club in the Spring), but Andy and Dana gave me a nudge along the way by giving me cleats for my bike shoes for Christmas. I've had real cycling shoes for a couple of months now, but didn't have the cleats, or for that matter, clipless pedals on my bike. The whole idea of it has been kind of intimidating to me; clip yourself onto the pedals so that if you don't unclip in time you just fall over? My active mind runs to scenes of sudden stops in front of cars, with me toppling to the ground, still attached to the bike. Buuutt, I knew that if I was going to continue on down this path of cycling, I had to make the transition. So, I took the plunge, ordered my pedals(I got platform clipless pedals so that I can still ride with normal shoes if I want), and then spent the afternoon at the Carrs trying to learn what in the world I'd gotten myself into. Andy spent a lot of time taking off the old pedals, putting on the new, installing the cleats in the shoes, adjusting the height and tilt of my bike seat, and finally, talking me through clipping in and out of the pedals. At this point I'm definitely intimidated by this change(I toppled over on the gravel once and skinned my knee up), but as with many things that are hard in the beginning, I know that it will definitely be worth it in the end. And if you're like my mother and want to know why in the world I would do this, here are the benefits of these pedals if you're riding a lot(I'm at over 100 miles weekly now):
-Clipless pedals can help you maintain better control over your bicycle
because they prevent your feet from slipping off the pedals.
-Clipless pedals can help with the placement of your feet on the pedals.
-Clipless pedals can help with range of motion during cycling. The pedals
and cleats are made so that you can pull up on the pedals without
disconnecting your feet. They allow your feet to move naturally
throughout the pedal strokes, which helps prevent stress on your ankles
and feet.
-Clipless pedals can help with your cycling upstroke. With clipless
pedals, you don't have to apply pressure to keep your feet on the pedals
during the upstroke. Keeping your feet affixed to the pedals helps you
transfer more power to the pedals while your feet are lifted on the
upstroke, which leads to better pedaling efficiency.
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| Cleats, with my old pedals |
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| The new pedals. The outer black plastic rim is the platform part, which allows you to ride with regular shoes, if desired. The inside metal part is what you clip into. |
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