The clipless pedal system is composed of 2 modules - the pedals and the cleats. This makes it possible to lock the foot to the pedals, making it possible to make a upward pull during a pedal cycle.
The locking mechanism allows the rider to produce power at the pull phase of a pedal cycle. This eliminates the monotonous power generation from the down-stroke phase. For illustration purposes, instead of of using 100% of the energy on the muscle groups pushing the pedal downward, it will now be divided into 2. Where the remaining 50% will be coming from the muscles engaged in the pull phase.
As seen in the figure above the line of action is only from 1 o'clock to 5 o clock for a flat pedal, while for clipless pedals, there is an additional line of action from 7 o'clock to 11 o'clock.
With this concept, the rider will conserve more energy and have less fatigue on the legs which translates to a more comfortable and longer ride.
Examples of clipless pedal systems
Examples of clipless pedal systems
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| Image Source: wheelworld.com |
From Left to Right:
Road
- Shimano SPD-SL
- Shimano SPD-SL
- Look KEO
- SpeedPlay
Cross
- CrankBrothers
- CrankBrothers
MTB
- Shimano SPD
Confused on which cleat system to buy? Ask your riding partners on feedback on their own cleat system or try borrowing from them to try the feel of each before buying your own.
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