Clipless Pedalling

Five significant events contributed to my transformation from a novice to a serious cyclist.

1. Learning the rules and etiquette of cycling as part of a group
2. Changing from a hybrid bike to a road bike
3. The use of clipless pedals
4. The purchase of Castelli bib shorts and jersey
5. Cycling the iconic 1,000 mile from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG)

Each of these events were significant in their own rights but, for me, it was clipping into my pedals that truly marked the rite of passage in my transformation from a novice to a serious cyclist.

Clipless pedals, are in fact, pedals that you clip into. The use of specialist cycling shoes with ‘cleats’ and a corresponding specialist pedal which clips to the shoe, allows the cyclist a greater power transfer with each pedal stroke, to feel more at one with the bike, and of course, to look like a pro.

I had tried clipping in many years ago and hated it. Lacking in confidence in my ability to release my foot from the pedal and a few embarrassing and slightly painful episodes of failing to do so in time and falling off soon put paid to any commitment to be at one with my bike and so, I quickly returned to flat pedals, happy and content with the associated ‘novice’ status this once again bestowed upon me.

Fast forward a few years and I was training hard to prepare to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Lack of confidence was no longer an option. I needed to take advantage of everything that might help me keep up with the rest of the group. This time, clipless pedals were a core component of my cycling kit, not an optional extra.

Now, a girl can never have too many shoes, and so, along with new clipless pedals, I bought new cycling shoes and then completed the look with Castelli bib shorts and jacket and I knew I had successfully transitioned from ‘novice’ to ‘serious’ cyclist when other serious cyclists started to acknowledge me with a nod of the head or a slight raise of the hand from the handlebar as they passed on the other side of the road.

This time, I loved my clipless cycling. I felt at one with my bike, I became faster, I could feel the more effective transfer of power and so it has been for the past five years. Recently, however, clipping in has become problematic. My right foot seems to have developed a will of its own and like a belligerent child, refuses to do what I want it to do. The connect between my brain and foot and foot and brain is disjointed. I think my foot is in position to clip in but it is not and so I can’t. Over the past few months, I have persevered and tried multiple adaptations to try to make it work but my brain and my belligerent foot are no longer on amicable terms. As a result is I have cycled many, many miles with my right foot perched precariously on the pedal without actually being clipped in. Any benefit from a more effective power output while clipped in is continually overshadowed by the loss of power and speed as I repeatedly and unsuccessfully try to clip in. Unclipping was also becoming less consistent and I noticed an apprehension beginning to creep in at junctions, in case my foot wouldn’t respond to my brain’s already tardy request to unclip. As is my nature, I didn’t like to admit defeat and so I have persevered with the challenge over the past few months and tried numerous strategies to try to overcome the problem but to no avail.. So, I’ve made a decision. I’m not admitting defeat, I’m simply changing my clipless pedals for flat pedals as a lifestyle choice that just happens to necessitate the purchase of a new pair of shoes!

I tried my flat pedals for the first time yesterday and any sense of loss was quickly overshadowed by a return in confidence, fewer delays due to difficulty clipping in, a thoroughly enjoyable cycle, some PBs and one of my fastest average speeds in the past few weeks. There are so many different aspects to preparing and training to cycling to Barcelona and with only 11 days before we set off from Cheltenham, it feels good to have sorted this one before we go.