The Clipless Wonder...Almost

As the week started to wind down, I found myself feeling a little nervous about the upcoming ride in Half Moon Bay. I hadn’t been on my bike since in two weeks due to rain, rain, and yep, more rain. Additionally, our ride was scheduled for Sunday instead of the normal Saturday, which gave me one more day to dwell on this uneasy feeling. Oh and did I mention that this was my first ride with my clipless pedals?! I think I just found the true cause of my anxiety!

For those of you who are not familiar with clipless pedals, they allow riders to make the best use of their leg power by physically attaching your feet to your pedals.

Random Internet Foot--not actually mine

Where do I even start? The term “clipless” is completely counterintuitive, which starts me off on the wrong foot with these things from the get-go. The idea of being attached to my bike goes against every fiber of my being. So here I am, Friday evening, getting a lesson from the bike shop guy on how to survive.

I had been practicing clipping in and unclipping during my spin classes at the gym, so I felt a little confidant, but that’s not saying much since it’s nearly impossible to fall off of those stationary bikes. The bike shop guy spent plenty of time with me going over tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions of clipless pedals. In the process, he also sold me a Garmen GPS for my bike and a heart rate monitor. And of course the new pedals and some electrolyte drink tablets (ok—these were seriously necessary; all other items took very little convincing. I’m a sucker). I did manage, however, to buy some pretty sweet road shoes for 75% off a couple of weeks earlier. $32 shoes? I’ll take it! (pictured below).

Saturday morning, I woke up early (before the looming rain) to practice using my new pedals and shoes. Mind you, I live in the middle of San Francisco, so finding a flat, grassy place for me to practice clipping in and out (a.k.a. falling off my bike without breaking any bones) is slightly challenging. 

Feeling overly confident, I decided I would bundle up and head to a pedestrian walkway behind my apartment. A concrete pedestrian walkway...just as I was ready to go—shoes, gloves, and of course helmet in place—it started to rain and I was forced to move my practice session inside...to my parking garage. Luckily, it was still early enough on a Saturday morning that most residents were still sleeping. I stopped, started, clipped in, and clipped out with enough success to give me some confidence heading into Sunday’s ride. Still looking a bit like a newborn animal learning to walk, but semi-confident none the less.

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