Too old to switch to clipless pedals?

Bit late to this one, but have to say that "will fall off" is a bit over dramatic. "Will probably slowly topple over and feel embarrassed once maybe twice" is surely more accurate. I'm mid fifties, went clipless two years ago, and all the talk of falling off had me a bit worried - unnecessarily imho. Felt like a lemon when it happened but nothing like falling off at speed - which really hurts.

I've only just registered so my comment comes a little late!

I'll be 70 this year; I've cycled with toe-clips since I was 14 riding to school. I time-trailled for years in UK and rode with my club on Sunday runs. Now I'm retired and living in France and I ride for pleasure on these fantastic roads. Two years ago I retired my trusty Dave Lloyd road bike and bought a fairly inexpensive replacement (Cube). I decided to try clipless, and I definitely won't be switching back for my road bike. I use Shimano XC30 shoes ( I like to have something I can walk in if necessary) and Shimano M540 pedals. I set the pedals on the slackest setting and haven't had any falls. My feet feel much better because there is a little more swivel movement compared with my old shoes/clips where the slot in the cleat only fits exactly on the pedals. I still have an old VTT (mountain bike) which I use for nipping into the village and that still has toeclips, but I only ride that with trainers; it still feels normal!)

Tell your friend to give it a try.

Hi DanaColby85,

Following your message I just thought I'd send a message becasue I've recently switched from using pedals with toe clips and toe straps to clipless pedals.

I've been cycling for about 20 years and for a lot of that time it's been my primary mode of transport from commuting and as a form of recreation when I get the chance for long ride or audax.  For the majority of that time I've used toe clips and straps and I've been perfectly happy with them.  However having recently bought a bike I needed to get some pedals so I thought that I'd try some clipless ones.  The clipless pedals do take a bit of getting used to but following some practise and use over time I think that any cyclist can get used to them.

However for me having had the clipless pedals for about a year now I can't really say that in the real world I notice any performance benefit over the toe clips and straps.  I'm sure that clipless pedals would over an advantage of flat pedals only but for everyday cycling I'm not sure there's a great differnce between clipless versus toe slips & straps.  I'm sure that people would be able to point to lots of scientific studies to show the advantages of clipless but for those of us who are not racing I think that if you're used to them toe clips & toe straps are absolutely fine and there's not necessity to change to clipless.

In hindsight if I had the chance again I wouldn't buy the clipless pedals & shoes and I would have just stuck with toe clips & straps but until I'd actually tried them I didn't know the difference for myself.

Good luck sorting out the right pedlas for your relative.

John

Not being quite as old as the OP the issue that I have with the SPD SL's I now have is clipping in with the second foot quickly and consistantly. Up clipping is second nature at junction etc, but I'm still struggling with the "in" part. I had for many years used SPD's and only moved over too SL's with the new bike. I will say that practice will make perfect and doing it oin the move but on quiet roads / cycle paths where there is less danger from those about will do the world of good to increase confidence. So to the OP I say go for it, it's never too late.

Come on people, don't be patronising. This is a guy who's cycled all his life who's fit and healthy - AND uses toe clips. The fact that he's 70 is irrelevant. If he's happy to ride a road bike (OP doesn't mention what sort of bike he's used to) then why not switch to  clipless? I wonder how you'd all feel if when you're 70, someone treats you like an "old person"?

I would suggest that he borrows a pair, ideally with a soft surface to land on. I did this and had a slo-mo topple at Cannock Chase after a short tryout on my mate's MTB, much to my his amusement.

If cost is an issue then Shimano M520s or M530 (£20 at Halfords) with the tension wound out to minimum and the SH56 multi-release cleats.

But unless you're riding fairly hard the whole 'clipless is better' thing is a bit of a myth.

Another fair point - some of those clips look more hassle than clipless. I'm thinking people of a certain generation and younger (myself included) just went straight from flats to clipless... And all fell off.

Age is a bastard. After my fall on ice a couple of months ago I can still feel a slight soreness in my hip area. I'm only in my mid 40s. No need for 'comedy' accidents at 70.

I am 72 now and bought my first bike 3 years ago at 69. I had to walk it home from the local LBS because I had never owned a bike before . A few trips to the local park away from traffic and learning first to ride and then indicate etc. allowed me progress to roads. I enjoyed it so much that I realised I must ride clipless and spent more time at the local park to get used to cleats. Yes I fell off a few times and have done on the road but of course it was worth it. I imagine that there is nobody who has progressed to clipless riding who would revert back and nobody regrets the falls they have made in order to now ride clipless.

Age is just a number , determination is more relevant so please don't advise someone not to try something just because of there age because you could be depriving them of the joys of riding clipless ! 

I started with clipless when I was 65, I'd had flats on a hybrid before that and hadn't used toeclips since I was a teenager.

I fell off about half a dozen times in the first few weeks, usually while stationary and through not unclipping quickly enough. Plenty of bloodied knees and elbows but nothing more serious.

I use MTB shoes and pedals, I want to be able to walk normally.  Less than £100 if you look out for offers.

I'm not quite as old, but will be 58 on my next birthday.

Started using clipless about 18 months ago with no problems.  Best advice I can give is get double sided pedals such as the Shimano M520 or M540,s and set them at their lowest tension, then fit the shoes with a pair of the multi release (SH 56) cleats.  I have had a couple of unexpected stops where I didn't have time to unclip before hand but yanked in panic and they released ok. 

I thought I would always stick to flatties and wouldn't like the clipless but prefer them now.

I think it might be fair to state that pretty much everyone who uses clipless pedals has a story of a comedy "failure to unclip" episode.

At 70 it might be fair to ask the question of whether the advantages outweight the possibility of a broken wrist or worse.

Oh, forgot my normal words of advice:

Get him sat on a turbo and clinking in and clicking out, in and out, until it becomes second nature. He'll find the best angles/techniques then. That's also the best time to discover that the cleat bolts aren't tight enough...

I've just got the A520 pedals and I'm struggling to get in and out of them atm despite them being on the lowest setting. They are really, really stiff.

Been using clipless for over five years and had my first cleat moment the other day. Fortunately, caught a barrier on my way down. 

They are easier to get out of than toestraps - at least you dont have to bend over to unflick the strap.

So in that way clipless would be better - but is he using his straps tight ? 

If I was 70 - I'd probably not bother.  Clipless have been around for at least 30 years so if he didnt switch in his 40s - I think he's missed the boat 

What he expects to get out of it is key for me,

I'm not sold on the power transfer benefits, but the stability of my knee tracking is a big thing.  I'm also not sure when it happened, but I find it terrifying descending nowadays without being clipped in - took my brothers old bianchi out for a spin when doing some work on it for him, I found it really disconcerting going fast without my feet being locked in.

He's managed 70 years without spuds, I'd say stick with what you know.  It can take a while to get your knee tracking right when clipped in - the last thing he wants to do is bugger up his knees.

Definitely go for SPD over SPD-SL for someone in their 70s.  It's so much easier to unclip and the pedals are only about £15 so it's not too much money down the drain if it doesn't suit.

I persuaded my father to try clipless pedals (Shimano SPD one-sided) a few years ago, when he was in his late 60s. He had the usual couple of tumbles, but has stuck with them, and I don't think he would go back.

The one sided option available on various SPD touring-type pedals is good because it enables the user to ride unclipped at times when it may be disadvantageous, such as coming up to traffic lights, or heading up steep hills. If you are riding together, it is worth reminding the person using them to do this in advance until they get in the habit!

I think the Click'R option sounds like a sensible one too, in terms of enabling last minute 'panic' releases.

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...

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.