Clipped In

I got my bike back from the shop this weekend, so, with a little trepidation, I began my introduction to clipless pedals.

All the advice I had received said I was bound to fall a couple times, and that I should practice on grass to get a feel for it. Words of wisdom indeed. I walked my bike over to Prospect Park, clicking my shiny new shoes all the way there.

I sought a relatively flat piece of grass by the bike lane, and began my indoctrination. I was actually prepared to have a difficult time getting out of the pedals. That was, in fact, not my problem. No, my problem was getting my shoes locked into the pedals in the first place. My difficulties did lead to a couple spills, and even a slightly skinned knee, but after about 15 minutes I felt ready for the pavement.

The great thing about the 3.5 mile circuit around prospect park on the weekends is that you never have to stop. Once I managed to securely clip in I was good to go. Two times around was enough for the first time back out, but the new pedals felt pretty good, and thankfully I can say it was nearly injury free.

What experiences have you had with clipless pedals? Have you seen a real difference? Any unfortunate spills?