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| *Vultures Knob>>>Mountain Bike |
Are clips for mountain bike pedals safer than old fasion pedals? |
It seems to me that clips would prevent the rider from quickly putting their foot down to prevent a fall. You get used to them very quickly, and they do have advantages in cadence, and efficiency when you pedal. Staying connected to the pedals can offer some addtional stability and "oomph" when you are rock hopping or clearing obstacles. I can't imagine riding without them now, but I took some lumps getting used to them, particularly at slow speeds. And, in truth, attached or not, more often than not you can't prevent a fall. Skill in knowing how to fall, or how best to direct the chaos is the key. you get used to clipping in and out pretty quickly. it's usually just a quick twist of the heel and your out. you will probably fall the first couple of times you try and ride with clips, but you'll be proficient in no time. Until you get used to them, yes, you can fall more often. It becomes second nature pretty quick, though. While you're learning, it's harder to get started in the middle of an uphill, or in rocky bumpy areas because you'll be focusing on that clip-in motion (with most pedals, even if you aren't clipped in, you can just stomp on them and ride past the hard spot in the trail, then clip in when you're stable). Now, the good things about them. When you get into those technical areas, they help to keep you ON the pedals instead of getting bounced off of them. So, if you're pedaling with passion, you can clean more tough sections than you normally would with platforms (especially on steep bumpy climbs when your cadence and speed are low). Also, when you do some steep drop-ins with rooty or rocky obstacles, you're less likely to be riding feet-free on the saddle and squirming around to find your pedals before you hit the uphill side. One thing you possibly need to get used to is unclipping just a smidgen sooner if you're about to stall and fall over sideways than you would if you were just planting your feet from a pair of platforms. And if you want to get into mid-sized jumping or stunts and tricks, you really want to stick with platforms. In those cases, they're safer because you can unglue your feet in any direction, at any time. But in general for trail riding, clipless is the way. EDIT: Loose cleats can kill you. :o) Be sure to check the tightness of the cleat bolts a couple times on the first ride, and every ride afterwards for awhile. A drop of loctite isn't a bad idea. If they come loose and shift, you may need to get help from your friends to get untangled from the bike when you fall over and are twisting helplessly with your foot. I've lost a bolt before and had to take the shoe off, then wrestle with a friend's help to get the shoe off the pedal. No fun. I don't know what you mean by "old fashion", but clipless pedals are at least as safe as platforms and far safer than toe clips and straps. It's possible to get stuck to clipless pedals if the release tension is set too high or you forget to twist your heel out, but they keep your feet from sliding off of the pedals when you hit bumps so they're about the same safety wise. If you're just starting out and are concerned about getting stuck, Shimano makes special multi release cleats for their SPD off-road pedals which can be released by rolling your foot in addition to twisting. Rolling is a much more natural motion, and they're almost impossible to get stuck in. The down side is that they're more likely to pull out when you don't want them to than standard cleats. ah grasshopper please enlighten your self with 1 ride clipless. you will never go back if you do dirt jumping that's a very bad idea.not only that if you fall you will go with the bike and break something but you can't do tricks like no footers but if you do dh it's a good idea but i would prefer platform pedals with big spikes and shing guards |
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