Anyone crazy and ride around on clipless pedals? It would probably make a few things easier, such as hoping onto things, but I guess it would also mess up your balance some because of the way the front of your foot clips in.
It’ll make you fall on your face the first time you have an unplanned
dismount. 
AccordNSX wrote:
> Anyone crazy and ride around on clipless pedals? It would probably make
> a few things easier, such as hoping onto things, but I guess it would
> also mess up your balance some because of the way the front of your foot
> clips in.
>
> –
> AccordNSX Posted via the Unicyclist Community -
> http://unicyclist.com/forums
> Anyone crazy and ride around on clipless pedals? It would probably make
> a few things easier, such as hoping onto things, but I guess it would
> also mess up your balance some because of the way the front of your foot
> clips in.
Clipless pedals are most likely to mess up your wrists and hands. When
your feet don’t come off the pedals fast enough, you increase the chance
of falling and using your hands to protect your nose (the second most
likely injury point)…
I know somebody who broke a finger riding with clipless pedals. After
that, the pedals were transferred to a bicycle, where they have hopefully
been far more useful.
Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com
“If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.” - Kevin
“Gilby” Gilbertson
I need some education. I always thought that a clipless pedal was one
without a clip, and (I thought that) a clip is something that you put your
foot in to “fix” it to the pedal even if you pull up (or do a UPD for that
matter). Am I wrong?
Klaas Bil
On Mon, 17 Dec 2001 17:45:08 +0000 (UTC), AccordNSX
<forum.member@unicyclist.com> wrote:
>Anyone crazy and ride around on clipless pedals? It would probably make
>a few things easier, such as hoping onto things, but I guess it would
>also mess up your balance some because of the way the front of your foot
>clips in.
>
>
>
>
>–
>AccordNSX Posted via the Unicyclist Community -
>http://unicyclist.com/forums
–
“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked
automagically from a database:” “PSAC, SCRIPT, WWSP”
You’re almost there, Klaas. Clipless pedals these days are the ones that lock directly to an anchor on your shoe. This distinguishes them from toe-clips which require no specialized foot-wear.
Both types are still used for bicycling. Neither type is recommended for unicycling.
Clipless means no toe clips. The name makes sense from a historical
perspective, but now only serves to confuse people. Back in the old days
all the road racers used toe clips. Then the new step-in style pedals were
designed that didn’t use toe clips. They started calling them “clipless”
pedals. Made sense then. Doesn’t make sense now.
Technically, the regular flat pedals we use on unicycles are also
“clipless” because we do not use toe clips. See how crazy it is.
I think the use of clipless pedals on a unicycle should be called “death
cleats” cause on a unicycle even the best clipless pedals are essentially
“death cleats”.
Here is a little blurb from Sheldon Brown’s bicycle pages about clipless
pedals. http://sheldonbrown.org/gloss_ca-m.html#clipless
Clipless Pedals Up until the late '80s, the choice was between plain
pedals or pedals with toe clips and straps. Since “clipless” pedals
provided a way to have a secure attachment to the pedal without the use of
toe clips, the name stuck, even though it is sometimes confusing to
newcomers.
“Clipless” or “Step-in” pedals use a mechanism similar to a ski binding.
In fact the first successful system was made by a ski binding
manufacturer, Look. Clipless pedals use a cleat which is bolted to the
bottom of the shoe. When the rider steps on the pedal with the cleat, the
cleat locks into the pedals mechanism, and is held firmly in place. Some
systems hold the foot at a fixed angle, others allow various amounts of
“float”, or angular rotation of the foot on the pedal.
With most clipless pedal systems, the foot is disengaged by twisting the
heel outward. Some of the earlier systems, such as the pioneering Cinelli
model, required the rider to reach down and operate a release mechanism by
hand. This style is sometimes jocularly referred to as “death cleats.”
john_childs
>From: klaasbil_remove_the_spamkiller_@xs4all.nl (Klaas Bil)
>
>I need some education. I always thought that a clipless pedal was one
>without a clip, and (I thought that) a clip is something that you put
>your foot in to “fix” it to the pedal even if you pull up (or do a UPD
>for that matter). Am I wrong?
>
>Klaas Bil
>
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com
I rode a couple years in toe clips, and loved 'em. They kept my feet on
the pedals very well no matter what the conditions, rain, snow, or dry. I
bailed less often because I had more torque available to deal with the
unevenness of grass, etc (no handle on my seat back then to torque with).
My top speed was also faster as I didn’t have to keep down pressure on the
pedals to maintain traction. I managed to get my feet out almost every
time I lost my balance. But about once a month, WHAM I was flat on my
hands and knees without knowing what hit me, feet still in the clips.
Finally my wife complained of the bruises from when I didn’t get my feet
out, and I switched to BMX pedals. That was 1998.
But I always had that cringing to try the real thing-- clip ins. So one
day I rented a pair and tried them out. I thought they would be great, but
I didn’t like them as they were hard to get into and I wasn’t ever sure of
my ability to get out of them. I didn’t get hurt in the one ride I took,
but it wasn’t that fun either.
Chris
Don’t sue me-- I don’t have any money.
>
> Anyone crazy and ride around on clipless pedals? It would probably make
> a few things easier, such as hoping onto things, but I guess it would
> also mess up your balance some because of the way the front of your foot
> clips in.
>
> –
> AccordNSX Posted via the Unicyclist Community -
> http://unicyclist.com/forums
early Cinelli hand release pedals were meant for indoor velodrome track racing only, but thats where it started
AccordNSX wrote:
> Anyone crazy and ride around on clipless pedals? It would probably make
> a few things easier, such as hoping onto things, but I guess it would
> also mess up your balance some because of the way the front of your foot
> clips in.
>
> –
> AccordNSX Posted via the Unicyclist Community -
> http://unicyclist.com/forums
> ___________________________________________________________________-
> ________
> rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
> www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu
I have tried clipless pedals on a unicycle and i think the idea has merit
but…the pedal release parameter for a uni need to be seriously tweaked
from what is standard on the bicycle offerings.
and, of course, there is the problem of clipped in falls…it’s going to
take a very adventurous soul to do the tweaking and gain the experience to
an acceptable level of confidence…but, boy, plus side of clipless is
that they would seriously defang the dead spot and allow more applied
power for up and down hill.
G
Thanks John and others, it’s clear now. Clipless pedals are not simply
pedals without clips.
Klaas Bil
On Mon, 17 Dec 2001 17:46:10 -0800, “John Childs”
<john_childs@hotmail.com> wrote:
–
“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked
automagically from a database:” “burned, Hitwords, Abu Sayyaf”
I have tried the clipless pedal system on my unicycle too. Unfournitly not much luck was realized mostly due to the limited positioning the foot was forced to be on the pedal. I tried both " Time" and “Look”. Even adjusting the cleats all of the way back-the foot still was too far forward on the pedal to maintain a comfortable balance. Thus, I didn’t get a chance to really explore how well they worked.
Having cycled many miles with clipless pedals, I view their success on a unicycle two fold.
The biggest advantage I have experienced with clipless pedals compared to using bare pedals is better efficiency when climbing out of the saddle. Pulling up works really well at slow cadences. Unfortunately I haven’t mastered the technique of out of the saddle climbing on my unicycle. Has anyone?
People are under the impression that while cycling when seated more efficiency can be realized by pulling up with one foot while pushing down with the other. Unfortunately, the studies that I have read prove that with a proper cadence of 90+ very little power is generated on the up-stoke. In effect what you are actually doing is loading with one foot and unloading with the other. You are not pulling up. I found that the biggest advantage with clipless is that your foot is secure on the pedal and does not float around.
Therefore the advantages of using clipless pedals on a unicycle due to having to be seated are small. However I do agree that going up some hills even though seated, having the ability to pull up would be an advantage. Point is when street riding (I don’t think anyone would want to use clipless on trails) choose the proper size wheel based on the terrain. It’s much better to adjust your cadence for optimum efficiency rather than risk crashing while stuck to the pedals.
Shimano makes a clipless mountain bike pedal with tension adjustment. These may be worth trying because you can adjust to release rather easily.
My two cents
Dan
I’ve riden clipless pedals on my BMX bike for about a year… I remember that someone was introducing something with velcro style pedals. I’m sure you could get the velcro in the middle of the sole of the foot and then that might work out better. I know there a ton of different styles of velcro wiht different strengths, so I’m sure that would work out for people doing distance riding, like I’m going to. If we brainstorm long enough we might actually come up with an idea that will work.
> Dan,
good points. I forgot to mention that the clipless system for me would
require moving the cleats to the arch area of the shoe…which i
did…but there were problems with that location and i just gave up
pursuing it further.
G
In article <9voohb$j88$1@laurel.tc.umn.edu>, dan
<forum.member@unicyclist.com> wrote: ) foot and unloading with the other.
You are not pulling up. I found that ) the biggest advantage with clipless
is that your foot is secure on the ) pedal and does not float around. )
)Therefore the advantages of using clipless pedals on a unicycle due to
)having to be seated are small.
Your foot being secure on the pedal is actually a huge benefit. I am
constantly aware of the energy I’m putting into keeping my foot on the
pedal on a unicycle, and the strain on my ankles, compared to riding
clipless pedals on a bike.
)Shimano makes a clipless mountain bike pedal with tension
)adjustment. These may be worth trying because you can adjust to
)release rather easily.
The SPD pedal system is almost certainly the one you’d want to use on a
unicycle, but the current-model Shimano-brand pedals are all very tight
even at their loosest setting. I have a pair of old Tom Ritchey SPD
pedals which are really loose, I may get up the nerve to try them out
sometime. -Tom
doosh@inl.org (Tom Holub) wrote in message
news:<1MRT7.2969$He.58446@sea-read.news.verio.net>…
> )Shimano makes a clipless mountain bike pedal with tension
> )adjustment. These may be worth trying because you can adjust to
> )release rather easily.
>
> The SPD pedal system is almost certainly the one you’d want to use on a
> unicycle, but the current-model Shimano-brand pedals are all very tight
> even at their loosest setting. I have a pair of old Tom Ritchey SPD
> pedals which are really loose, I may get up the nerve to try them out
> sometime. -Tom
You could always loosen them by filing away either the cleat on the shoe
or the flanges on the pedal that you clip into. I would recommend altering
the cleat, that way if you screw up you only need to replace the cleats
rather than the pedal. Having said that, the idea of clipping in to a
unicycle scares me rigid. I’ve got SPDs on my mountain bike and that took
a week or two to get used to. On my first SPD equipped ride with friends I
provided great entertainment as I fell over when coming to a stop or when
I fell into a patch of nettles when starting on a slow steep climb. The
possibilities for injuring myself further if I tried the same on a uni are
almost endless!
Have fun!
Graeme
doosh@inl.org (Tom Holub) wrote in message
news:<1MRT7.2969$He.58446@sea-read.news.verio.net>…
> )Shimano makes a clipless mountain bike pedal with tension
> )adjustment. These may be worth trying because you can adjust to
> )release rather easily.
>
> The SPD pedal system is almost certainly the one you’d want to use on a
> unicycle, but the current-model Shimano-brand pedals are all very tight
> even at their loosest setting. I have a pair of old Tom Ritchey SPD
> pedals which are really loose, I may get up the nerve to try them out
> sometime. -Tom
You could always loosen them by filing away either the cleat on the shoe
or the flanges on the pedal that you clip into. I would recommend altering
the cleat, that way if you screw up you only need to replace the cleats
rather than the pedal. Having said that, the idea of clipping in to a
unicycle scares me rigid. I’ve got SPDs on my mountain bike and that took
a week or two to get used to. On my first SPD equipped ride with friends I
provided great entertainment as I fell over when coming to a stop or when
I fell into a patch of nettles when starting on a slow steep climb. The
possibilities for injuring myself further if I tried the same on a uni are
almost endless!
Have fun!
Graeme