Discussion: Clips

Good luck with them! I had my share of embarrassing wipeouts when I first started riding them

Oh I’m sure they were graceful :P
I’m sure there will be many, no doubt about that! Figured there’s not a lot on the line at the moment if I do end it badly.

Good luck! Luckily most of my falls have been in slow motion on short steep uphills.

I made the mistake of starting mountain biking with clips - I think I have less confidence / am less likely to commit to features because I know it's more difficult to get off the bike. It also means you need 15 + m of easy riding to get into pedalling properly before you hit a technical section. Riding anything beyond an easy ride is a pain!

Clip in is the best AG! So much more power in your pedal stroke....circles instead of squares! Your climbing will improve considerably! Really comes in handy in technical too, to feel more connected with the movement of your bike! Can’t imagine ever riding without them. Dial them loose to start, then check the nervousness of it all at the door - you will do great, and will love the sweet benefits of them!

she had a great fall today but she is a tough cookie

I sure did but then I did it again and nailed it! I’ll definitely keep a tally on the best wipeouts.

I’m with Baloney. In my early days of clipping in, I couldn’t imagine ever getting comfortable but within a year, I couldn’t imagine doing technical riding without them. I feel much safer knowing that my feet won’t bounce off the pedals and that the bike and I are functioning as one connected unit. I can unclip easily though. It sounds like Canadian might want to experiment with loosening his clips or even switching brands. I‘ve always used Time ATAC, which are supposed to be better in mud.

first time i ever clipped in on my bike was my first adventure race. A 24 hour Raid the North race. A teammate at about the 2-3 hour mark of riding made the mistake of commending me on not falling and then i fell 6 times in the next hour. despite that i can’t imagine having done the race without clipping in. The biggest mistake in that race (which we won by a few hours) was wearing a cotton T-shirt. oops.

From that point forward I listened to all and every bit of advice from experts in the sports i was still learning and started doing navigation clinics to help those that needed the same learning with their orienteering technique and skills.

I remember those clinics. :)

This was good reading. I'll try loosening the clips and see how that affects my riding and my confidence. Thanks all for that suggestion.