Yesterday I shared with you my bewildering decision to “go clipless” and some of the purchases I made to that end. Now you get to see my first feeble attempt to actually clip myself in and out.

Here they are, uncensored, my first experiments, conducted in the relative safety of my apartment balcony (yes, these were the very first tries!):

After opting for the single release cleats that I bought separately, rather than the multiple release ones I got with the pedals (in for a penny, in for a pound, I reckon), I had managed somehow to screw them to the shoes, but I didn’t screw them down all the way, which is why I couldn’t unclip at all at the first attempt, because they were rotating a little.

Take Two was more successful, after I had screwed the cleats down properly, but that was genuine pain you saw, as I gave my ankle a good twist.

Kind of a weird feeling, your foot being attached to the pedal! Sort of like when you take a sticky sweet out of the bag and a whole load more come with it unexpectedly. Since this was filmed I have actually been out and ridden a few times, and have the grazes and bruises to prove it! But I will leave that sorry tale for another time.

By the way, I still can’t figure out why some cycling shoes (e.g. mine) have TWO screw-holes in each groove, i.e. four holes in the plate in total. I am guessing so you have more flexibility about where you screw the cleat in, but that doesn’t explain why the top two holes also have a little lug screwed inside them. If anyone can enlighten me…

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Posted on September 6th, 2007 by markowe
Filed under: Biking - general, MTB Serbia (All)