My new road bike (and first time on clipless!)

[TonyHetherington]

Picked up my new bike from my local bike shop last night. Ummed and arrd between the Orbea Aqua and this, the Bottechia Duello. I had a go of both at the weekend and decided on the Bottechia, for no reason other than it felt good!

I've only recently got into cycling after many years having not been on a bike. A friend leant me a road bike to see how I got on and a couple of months on I've bought myself this;



Took a couple of days longer as the shop opened the box and the first bike was black (though it did look VERY good, I did start out this quest wanting a white bike! Anyway, it's a Bottechia Duello - has Campagnolo Xenon bits and a carbon fibre fork. The local bike shop is owned by our band's lead singer's uncle and so a bit of a deal and shoes thrown in meant I've also gone to clipless for the first time also.
What's the nack on the setting off? The pedals only work one way up, but they seem insistent on remaining the wrong way. So I have to flick the pedal over and clip in. Spent time practicing in the lounge (I must have looked a right wolly - two chairs either side of me!) but that helped I think.

Anyway, I'm bloomin enjoying the cycling and looking to get my distances up too (as well as average speed). final shot for comedy - I had planned to pick up my new bike in my car (estate). But due to the black/white issue, it took 2 further days on the same day I had an MOT appointment for girlfriend's corsa. It turns out a 57cm bike does, just fit into a corsa, with the front wheel off and front seat down

[anonymous-user]

Lovely bike. I went clipless about a year ago - be prepared for some comedy moments!

[jpringle819]

Make sure you practice unclipping as well. When I first used clipless I pulled up to a major junction and fell over sidewards as I couldn't figure out how to unclip.

[itsnotarace]

TonyHetherington said:

What's the nack on the setting off? The pedals only work one way up, but they seem insistent on remaining the wrong way. So I have to flick the pedal over and clip in.

Stand astride bike. Clip your strongest leg pedal in first by putting the pedal right at the bottom of it's stroke, flipping it over with your toe and then clipping in toe first until you hear the click. Put that pedal now at the top of it's stroke and push yourself off.

Then, before you lose momentum - clip the other pedal in, again - at the bottom of the stroke is easiest so you push down on something solid, ie not while the crank is moving forward.

To do a hill start, repeat the above but maybe point yourself downhill to start with and then turn around. Otherwise you may be fumbling for the pedal to clip in and then lose momentum so much you topple sideways.

HTH

[TonyHetherington]

itsnotarace said:

Then, before you lose momentum - clip the other pedal in, again - at the bottom of the stroke is easiest so you push down on something solid, ie not while the crank is moving forward.

Ah thanks, maybe that's where i'm going wrong - i'm trying to put my left leg (I have my right clipped in the whole time) in when at the top, not the bottom of the stroke!

I'm sure it is just getting used to it, but right now i push off and sometimes lose all my momentum as I'm fumbling a bit!

[Accelebrate]

Nice bike!

I went clipless with the same pedals at the start of this week. I'm having more issues clipping in under pressure (pulling out of junctions etc) than unclipping. Starting to slowly reduce my fumble rate with practice.

[itsnotarace]

It will become second nature before too long, and you will be able to clip in anywhere in the stroke. To start with, the bottom is easier

[TonyHetherington]

Accelebrate said:

I'm having more issues clipping in under pressure (pulling out of junctions etc) than unclipping.

Snap

[ewenm]

Remember if you miss the "clip" and need more momentum you can pedal one-legged for a stroke or two if need be.

[SkinnyBoy]

you may wish to acquaint yourself with the Rules old chap

http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/

[TonyHetherington]

ewenm said:

Remember if you miss the "clip" and need more momentum you can pedal one-legged for a stroke or two if need be.

Yup I found a couple of times that I needed to do that - actually, i just put the shoe on the upturned pedal just to help it round to keep momentum but yeah, I bet I had some swearing drivers behind me

[TonyHetherington]

SkinnyBoy said:

you may wish to acquaint yourself with the Rules old chap

http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/

I read a lot of those the other day - what ones am I breaking!?!?

[groomi]

SkinnyBoy said:

you may wish to acquaint yourself with the Rules old chap

http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/

As humourous as they are, anybody who's out there on a bike is doing a better job of it than me. Hats off to them...


...whether it be a beanie, a team cap, an mtb helmet, teardrop etc...

[Uriel]

TonyHetherington said:

I read a lot of those the other day - what ones am I breaking!?!?

Rule 45, I believe. Nice bike though, good luck.

Have to say, I've always clipped in at the stop of the stroke. I find that I can use my right leg to hold the cranks still better with my leg fully extended rather than fully bent. Means I have a more stable base to clip into. Never really thought about it until now. The thing that turned me into the master of clipping in was commuting clipless on a fixed gear. Pulling away at pace across a roundabout, surrounded by cars, frantically pedalling with one leg while trying to get clipped into a single sided moving target while keeping your eyes on the road/traffic is quite the challenge!

[TonyHetherington]

Thanks

ooo - rule 45, I guess you're right! I must say the seat is a lot lower now than in the picture (I took that as soon as I got home having not set it up yet) and my bike shop said to give it a go like this for a month or so then when I take it for it's checkup service (nice advantage of buying from bike shop!) they will adjust if I want.

Hadn't actually noticed that myself, though!

[ewenm]

Uriel said:

Rule 45, I believe. Nice bike though, good luck.

Have to say, I've always clipped in at the stop of the stroke. I find that I can use my right leg to hold the cranks still better with my leg fully extended rather than fully bent. Means I have a more stable base to clip into. Never really thought about it until now. The thing that turned me into the master of clipping in was commuting clipless on a fixed gear. Pulling away at pace across a roundabout, surrounded by cars, frantically pedalling with one leg while trying to get clipped into a single sided moving target while keeping your eyes on the road/traffic is quite the challenge!

Partly why I chose to put MTB pedals on my road/commute bike. It removes the need to flip the pedal. Also keeps costs down for me (single pair of shoes and cleats). Not quite as efficient as my mtb shoes aren't quite as rigid as road shoes, but then the recessed cleats mean I can walk form the bikesheds to the showers at work comfortably

[groomi]

TonyHetherington said:

ewenm said:

Remember if you miss the "clip" and need more momentum you can pedal one-legged for a stroke or two if need be.

Yup I found a couple of times that I needed to do that - actually, i just put the shoe on the upturned pedal just to help it round to keep momentum but yeah, I bet I had some swearing drivers behind me

How did we all manage with the old toestraps and slots?

I remember starting in the National Juvenile Criterion Champs in Rochester about 16 years ago (eek!) with me struggling to get the straps done up before everyone with their clipless pedals had cleared off!

Mind you, the whole experience for me was like a trackday warrior turning up to take part in an F1 race.

[Uriel]

Just noticed the Italian flag spokes...sweet touch!

[anonymous-user]

ewenm said:

Uriel said:

Rule 45, I believe. Nice bike though, good luck.

Have to say, I've always clipped in at the stop of the stroke. I find that I can use my right leg to hold the cranks still better with my leg fully extended rather than fully bent. Means I have a more stable base to clip into. Never really thought about it until now. The thing that turned me into the master of clipping in was commuting clipless on a fixed gear. Pulling away at pace across a roundabout, surrounded by cars, frantically pedalling with one leg while trying to get clipped into a single sided moving target while keeping your eyes on the road/traffic is quite the challenge!

Partly why I chose to put MTB pedals on my road/commute bike. It removes the need to flip the pedal. Also keeps costs down for me (single pair of shoes and cleats). Not quite as efficient as my mtb shoes aren't quite as rigid as road shoes, but then the recessed cleats mean I can walk form the bikesheds to the showers at work comfortably

pah, the state of your cleats is directly proportional to your status. knackered cleats mean you either ride for hundreds of miles each week, you are too tight to buy new ones until they fall out of the shoe or you have punctured frequently with insufficient spares and have walked home.

everyone knows that the person in cycling gear wearing funny pointy shoes is a more superior cyclist than the one wearing trainers (even if you really have cleats hidden away)

[BoRED S2upid]

Hope you have colour co-ordinated Lycra. And no we don't want pictures of that