[python] Re: Clipless pedals
- From: "25hz" <25hz@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <python@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 20:40:02 -0400
> My Python would have been recycled if it wasn't for the handlebars. I can
> ride it without, but there's not much confidence at speeds beyond 20km/h.
> What I fear most when I ride w/o handlebars (and with normal shoes) is
> dropping a foot, so uneven roads is a nightmare. With the handlebars the
> feeling is much more "integrated" = I can ride more relaxed and freely and
> move a foot if the position on the pedal is not perfect (normally I ride
> with clipless pedals though). I think a third important thing for an
> integrated feeling is the seatpolster - it should "glue" the rider to the
> seat. My recent handlebar upgrade made the confidence the best so far. Now
> I can easily reach the handlebars (and the brakes), and the handlebars
> prevent the sudden wipe outs to some extent. How you manage to move the
> feet around when driving without handlebars connected to the front is one
> of life's little mysteries for me.
I tried riding the python using my SPDs and I had some nasty wipeouts that
hurt the SCLs in my knees. This is because I didn't start using clipless
pedals til I was on my recumbent trike and never had to learn the quick
clipout move that MTB and road bike users do unconsciously. In a hundred or
so km I'll likely go back to clipless when I feel less likely to
inadvertently wipe out. In the mean time, I use the technique I developed
on my trike before I got the clipless pedals/shoes. I pedal but keep my
toes slightly pointed all the time so they are never vertical. It allows me
to keep my feet firmly on the pedals even on rough roads, and you can even
pedal circles a little by doing a kind of mule-kick action for extra power.
From riding recumbents for 3 years, my hip flexor and upper thigh muscles
are pretty strong now so moving my feet around on the pedals isn't difficult
once you get a technique. I move my feet around fairly regularly while
riding because at some point they'll shift a little bit and it bothers me
enough that I have to do something about it. I shift my feet as the pedal
is coming up from the bottom because at that point I'm not pushing the
pedal, but the pedal is pushing my foot, so I lift my leg slightly faster,
it unweights my foot, and I slide it back into position. You can even do it
at speeds around 40kph with practice.
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