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Too old to switch to clipless pedals?

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  • March 31, 2017 at 7:31 am #26954
    DanaColby85

    I have a 70-year-old relative who’s cycled all his life but has recently been bought a road bike. He’s wondering about switching to clipless pedals, having used toe clips for touring and town riding until now. He’s being told how easy it all is, but always by people half his age! He’s worried about spending a hundred quid for pedals and shoes only to find he’s too old for them. Is there a maximum age for taking up cleats? What experiences do others know of for ‘old’ people going clipless? He’s reasonably active and supple for his age, but is getting stiffer year by year. (He doesn’t live near me or I’d give him some tryout sessions!)

     

     

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  • March 31, 2017 at 10:35 am #890195
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    davel

    Why?

    Why?

     

    What has he heard the benefits are of clipless? Are those benefits relevant to him?

     

    Personally speaking, they opened up the world of long rides to me – you load a greater variety of muscles more evenly during rotation than just the ‘push’ action with flats, and, if some muscles tire, it’s easier to put force through opposing ones to give them a rest (eg rely on your hamstrings to give your quads a break). So I find it much easier to belt out a distance at a decent average speed with them – that allowed greater commuting distances and ironman training and events, for me.

    That said, it’s possible to keep a relatively gentle pace over some touring miles with flats .

    If he’s got to 70 without worrying about them, I’d question the ‘need’ for them now. He *will* fall over…

    March 31, 2017 at 9:51 am #890193
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    DaveE128

    If he really does want to use

    If he really does want to use clipless, the Click’R recommendation above is a sensible one, not least because they come with multi-release cleats as well as a lower retention force.

    March 31, 2017 at 9:45 am #890191
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    DaveE128

    I also notice even at half

    I also notice even at half his age that it takes me longer to learn new things than it used to. YMMV, but I suspect that the number of falls while trying to get the hang of them at a greater age may be increased, as well as the severity of injury being increased, as others have pointed out.

    I’m a big advocate of clipless (especially over toe clips), but in this case I don’t think the benefits outweight the risks.

    March 31, 2017 at 9:43 am #890189
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    ClubSmed

    If he has his heart set on

    If he has his heart set on clipless then Shimano’s Click’R pedals could be an option?

    http://road.cc/content/review/69035-shimano-clickr-pedals-pd-t400

    If he has always used toe clips (with straps?) then he is already in the habit of having to come off the pedal in a specific way before stopping. From what others have told me it is easier to go from toe clips to clipless than it is from flats to clipless. It’s the same reasoning as balance bike to bike vs stabilisers to bike, most of the learning has already been done and is second nature now.

    Equally, if he is happy with toe clips is it worth changing to something that will need a lot of adjustment before being perfect and put a lot of wrong pressure on the knees until it is?

    Sorry, that was no help was it

     

    March 31, 2017 at 9:12 am #890187
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    DanielCoffey

    Would it be useful for him to

    Would it be useful for him to get a really nice set of toe-clip pedals and some vintage style leather cycle shoes from somewhere like William Lennon? https://www.rufflander.co.uk/shop/heritage-footwear/arturo-cycle-shoe/

    That way he might enjoy the classic feel rather than worrying about clipless accidents.

    March 31, 2017 at 8:42 am #890185
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    hawkinspeter

    The problem with clipless is

    The problem with clipless is that you need to practise it until it becomes second nature to free your feet when you want to. As other people have said, you’re bound to fall over when you’re first learning although it’ll typically be when stationery so it’s more about embarrassment than lots of damage. However at 70 there’s a reasonable chance he could fracture his wrist or similar doing that, so I’d recommend not bothering with them unless he’s happy to fall over a few times.

     

    March 31, 2017 at 8:29 am #890183
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    Anonymous

    I’d give it a miss at that

    I’d give it a miss at that age as there’ll probably be at least one fall. From my experience of running flats vs clips there’s no real power difference just a bit more stability with clipless whilst moving over bumps and such. The downside of clipless is when you’re not moving.

    I’d opt for knowing my feet were always going to touch the ground at that age.

    March 31, 2017 at 8:09 am #890181
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    CXR94Di2

    Its whether he would suffer a

    Its whether he would suffer a serious injury from falling over when he comes to a stop, which he will, we all do until the habit of getting your foot/feet out of the clips before you come to a stop.

     

    There are quite  few guys in my club who are late 60’s ride clipless, but have being doing so for a long time

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