A Gal's Glossary Guide to Cycling Jargon - C - clipless pedals

Ever wonder why some terms sound an awful like the opposite of what they are? (Think jumbo shrimp..) Clipless pedals are bicycle pedals that work with a partner, the cycling shoe, with a special cleat affixed to the bottom. The cleat allows the foot to clip into the pedal offering the cyclist a firm fit and ability to push and pull. It was hard for me to understand WHY these were called CLIPLESS when clearly, one's foot was CLIPPED IN to the pedal. The reason these pedals are called 'clipless' is because they replace the toe clip or cage that were popular before the clipless pedal became more widely used.

These special pedals which have evolved into an array of varying designs, offer the rider the ability to lock into the pedal when stepped onto it and unlock when the foot is twisted. The shoes are made from a variety of materials but all of them are rigid, giving the rider leverage to be able to use the entire foot to move the cranks around.

These pedals can take some getting used to, particularly for the new cyclist. It's natural to want to lift the foot up to remove it from the pedal but the correct movement is to twist the foot outward to accurately remove it from the cleat. Nearly every cyclist learning to grow accustomed to the clipless pedal will endure the slow motion fall when forgetting to unclip at a stop.