Farewell, clipless pedals. I have said au revoir to the clip in pedals, as the experience just wasn't what I had hoped it would be. It was quite short lived, I am aware, but it was enough to know when something isn't right. I should also add that I don't look at this as a failure by any stretch. Rather, I used the time and riding with the clipless pedals as an opportunity to overcome a fear, and additionally to see if the pedals would alleviate some of the issues I've had while riding. The final ride was yesterday, when I rode over to the post office and bank, and realized that they just aren't for me.
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| The Hillborne waits outside the bank on the last ride with the clipless pedals |
I had read that using clipless pedals can rid a cyclist of numb feet and possibly bring more speed to the ride. I found neither of these to be true over the approximate 50 miles total they were used, and if anything my feet were actually experiencing more numbness on longer rides. Perhaps I needed to give them more time, but they were becoming more of a nuisance than a help in cycling, so last night, off they came, and on to
E-bay they went.
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| Clipless pedals: not quite right for me |
Certainly, I don't regret my time with these pedals, and I think for someone more concerned with racing, perhaps they would be worth trying, but I realized that I enjoy being able to wear whatever shoes I choose, and having my feet attached to the pedals just isn't worth it for me. I am glad that I got back on and rode after falling, so that I don't hold on to some sort of fear of falling with these pedals, but I think I'm learning more each day that sometimes, we just have to try things to see if they work for us as an individual, and when they don't work, we have to be willing to move on.
I don't think that the clipless setup is for everyone, nor is it totally appropriate for touring in my opinion. If there is no advantage to it, then why put yourself through it?
ReplyDeleteLike you said, at least some of the fall-over fear was conquered!
Indeed. To me, the whole point of a touring bike is to be able to take it long distances and be comfortable, wearing what I like. I think I partially lost sight of that in all of this. Regardless, I am grateful for the opportunity to try them out, because I was genuinely scared to death of the clip pedals. Glad to be back to 'normal' now though.
ReplyDelete