5 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Clipless Pedals

Technology comes and goes. Some novelties become fads and fade away almost as quickly as they appear.

But when Bernard Hinault showcased clipless pedals in the 1985 Tour de France – and won, – an industry was revolutionized.

There are so many benefits to using clipless pedals. “Clipless” is the pedal technology used when you don’t have a toe-clip on the pedal (otherwise known as toe-cages). The toe cage itself was an older method to maximize pedal stroke efficiency, commonly found with the great cycling legends of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali.

But there is better technology. Much better.

If you are still using toe-clips on your bicycle, you may want to consider switching to clipless for a variety of reasons. Not every technological advancement in cycling is for everyone who rides a bicycle. However, if you find yourself spending more time in the saddle than usual, consider these five arguments for a set of your own clipless pedals:

Safety:

There is no doubt the ability to lock your foot into your pedal is safer than a traditional pedal. With normal flat pedals, your foot can dance and bounce off the platform. Not the best practice especially if you’re mountain biking and the jarring from the ground shakes your feet loose. But even on road bikes, wet slippery surfaces creates frictionless systems and your feet could slide off easily. No bueno.

Often, with toe-clips, you need to reach down and open the straps to release your feet (riding with loosened straps does nothing to improve your efficiency). With clipless pedals, you don’t have that problem.

Today’s pedal systems allow your feet and the pedals to work together, like a ski and ski boot (in fact, the clipless pedal was engineered with the ski/boot setup in mind). Keeping your feet in contact with the vehicle that touches the ground maintains the stability of the cyclist.

Efficiency:

Not only are your feet connected to the pedals, but they are directly over the pedal axles – where they should be. This maximizes your efficiency with each pedal stroke. Your legs channel power into your feet, then directly into the spindle that turns the pedal (and thus the crank moving the bike).

While in this position, you can work other muscles. If you try lifting with your feet through the back half of the pedal stroke, you’ll be activating your hamstrings. Stimulating the front and back of the thigh allows for rounder pedal strokes and more evenly distributed power.

Clipless pedals also allow you to stand up on the pedals and push down directly through the spindle. On a flat pedal, if your foot is not over the spindle, you risk losing energy that may not be channeled towards the bicycle’s drivetrain.

Comfort:

Clipless pedals and their respective shoes are lightweight. If you are looking at shaving off a few ounces from your bicycle, removing the flat pedals will do the trick.

Cyclists often pull the straps on toe-cages tight, pinching them down on the instep, on the upper part of the foot. This can create numbness in the toes or general discomfort in the foot. With cycling shoes, there is no upper strap. It is a regular shoe that fits your foot (some are even custom made).

BONUS: If you want more support in your cycling shoe, get custom made foot-beds. These are especially handy if you have fallen arches. It’s like having a glove for your foot.

Control:

There is no doubt that the more you start to master the clipless pedal, the more you can control your bicycle. Ever try to pop up on a curb to avoid a pothole? How about bunny-hop over some glass as you’re going downhill? These are maneuvers that require the use of your feet.

When lifting the wheels off the ground, don’t lift with your hands (i.e.: using the handlebar). Pull up from your feet and hands at the same time and all four wheels will come off the ground. In mountain biking, we use this technique all the time. It is also a common maneuver to use on the road bike to get you out of sticky situations.

Independence:

Don’t think that clipless pedals limit your possibilities. Float settings help you find the right position of your tibia and fibula with respect to your knee. That means less knee pain. Maybe you’ve been biking with your feet in strange positions all these years and never knew it? Clipless pedals will straighten your cadence.

Tension settings are another benefit. Maybe you’re just starting out and want the ability to “click-out” swiftly from the pedal. Or perhaps you want to dial up the tension because you’ve become accustomed to the pedals. Another example would be where you have a mountain bike setting on low tension and a road bike setting on high. This way you can remove your foot when necessary on the singletrack, but cruise down the street on a paved surface. The possibilities are endless.

Either way, clipless pedals are here to stay. If you’re looking at reaching the next level of cycling without too much commitment, invest in a pair of clipless pedals.

And leave the cages at the zoo.

Want to know what to pack for your tour? Bring clipless pedals and save space and weight.