How to Master Clipless Pedals

Back when I bought my first real bike (aka, a bike that I didn’t buy at a garage sale or Walmart, I decided to upgrade to clipless pedals. Although I had never tried to clip in, I was riding with a group, and I saw the advantage it gave people - especially on hills.

Note - lots of people call them clip-in pedals, but the technical name is clipless. That’s because early pedals had toe clips, so when you went to pedals that allowed the shoe to snap-in, you went clipless. I know, it’s very confusing. I’m sure it made sense to someone back in the days when they first arrived on the scene. Get the whole scoop on clipless pedals here.

Why Go Clipless?

Clipless pedals will help you recruit more muscle as you ride. Instead of just getting the push down on your pedal stroke, you’ll also be able to recruit large muscles as you lift your leg in the clipless pedal. You’ll be faster and more efficient. Once you get used to them, they’ll also be safer. Our foot tends to slide off of the flat pedal, and I’ve even had friends who have some nasty scars from the pedal hitting them in the leg after their foot slipped off.

The Pedal.

Most people moving to off-road will choose SPD pedals. These are also the pedals that you typically find on spin bikes. The most significant difference you’ll notice is that the 2-hole off-road pedals look much smaller than the bigger 3-hole road bike pedals and the pedals clip up into the shoe. This is key for off-road cycling because you’ll likely be on and off your bike, walking in dirt and gravel. Road pedals will become caked with mud, and they tend to have a slick surface. The clips on road pedals also tend to be made of plastic rather than the metal of off-road pedals. They get worn down much more quickly.

SPD Pedals - common for off-road

Look pedals - common for road or tri bikes

Clipping in

Just go ahead and swallow your pride. You will fall off your bike. You’ll probably fall off numerous times. Heck, I fell over at a group ride last fall because I wasn’t paying attention. You have to dust yourself off and get back on. If possible, practice clipping in and out on a stationary bike.

Here’s the reality, you’ll need to clip in and out between 50-60 times to develop the muscle memory for it to feel natural. Don’t give up if it still feels awkward after a dozen attempts.

Choose your escape foot.

Your escape food is the foot you’ll clip out of when riding. Most people clip out on their dominant leg. I clip out on my non-dominant side, which has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s about where you feel comfortable.

The key to the escape foot is when you stop, you must lean in that direction. Once you get comfortable with the pedals, it’s good to practice clipping in and out on the opposite side. At times you’ll be in a situation where you need to bail on the opposite side quickly.

Practice in the grass.

Lots of people like learning to clip in and out on grass. It just provides a softer landing for when you fall.Make sure you pick a nice grassy area (free of rocks) and practice clipping in and out. You will fall. It’s okay. When you fall, your temptation is going to be to throw your hands down to catch yourself. Try not to do that. Just let yourself go down. You have small bones and tendons in your wrist and hands and are much more likely to fracture or tear when you catch your full weight on your hands. Don’t let that scare you. I’ve fallen dozens of times and never broken anything.

If you’re nervous about clipping in, start by clipping in on just one side and practicing. It’s not the ideal way to do it, but I have worked with an athlete that did that for 3-4 rides. I think it helped her more mentally than anything else, but it worked. Now she clips in and out like a pro.

Recognize that you’re going to feel a bit out of control.

You clip your feet into pedals, and unlike flat pedals, you can’t just naturally put your foot down. That feeling will go away after a few minutes, and you’ll enjoy all of the additional power you have from being clipped in. Eventually, you’ll learn to balance yourself on the bike while clipped in at almost a complete stop. This can come in handy at a stop sign or when you’re coming up to an intersection.

Be Patient with Yourself

Perhaps the hardest lesson of all is not to get frustrated with yourself. I fell over three times in the parking lot at my first group ride in bike shoes and clipless pedals. A group of men felt free to give me all sorts of advice while I watched my group ride away. I was so frustrated that I was in tears. I finally made it out of the parking lot only to fall again at the stop sign about 500 meters down the road. Thankfully I had a friend who stayed with me and talked me through it. A few weeks later, when I dropped my chain going up a hill, I was able to get out of my clips before I went down. I knew that I had learned a lot from my less than stellar beginning.

You still need to obey the traffic laws when clipped in

I’m not saying that I never roll a stop sign on a deserted country road, but when operating on the street, bicycles should follow all of the rules of the road. It’s a little suckier when you’re riding through an area with lots of stop signs or stoplights. I have gotten a ticket for rolling a stop sign on my bike out in the middle of nowhere Georgia. I’ve learned to be more cautious after that $150 bike ride.

Finally, keep in mind that all riders are intimidated by clipless pedals at first. Just work through the process and then enjoy the power that comes from your new pedals!