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Clipless pedals for a knee injury???

16K views 49 replies 25 participants last post by  PBrooks 
#1 ·
So.. I mentioned this before, but I'd like to ask some quick questions..

about 3 months ago now, I had ACL and both meniscus surgery.. I can ride like th wind without any real problems..

My DR. actually thinks its great, but advised me NOT to get any clipless pedals because any twisting of my knee is really bad at this point.. I would not be able to twist out of the pedals without a possible injury..

My friend just got these pedals

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-PD-M520L-Sport-Pedals-Cleats/dp/B000WYAENC



They seems to have good reviews.. and from what he is telling me, is that I can PULL UP, to get out.. that I wouldn't have to twist out..

I know certain type of pedals can do this.. My friend is going to put these on his bike today or tomorrow, and I asked him to let me try them.. Can someone explain if its possible to pull up and out by lifting your heal??

My old MTB pedals and shoes I had no choice but to twist out.. But I guess these are different?

Opinions?
THANKS!
 
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#4 ·
As said by dysfunction, it's the type of cleat that determines how you release with this pedal. Also as said, you need the multi-release SM-SH56 cleat to be able to cleat out by lifting your heel. (The other cleat is the SM-SH51, which doesn't have that feature).

Some thoughts: you need to practice the heel-up procedure a bit, especially if you're used to the heel rotation procedure. The other thing is to not pull up for other reasons, such as hopping or lifting a rear wheel off the ground. Also, the SM-SH56 has the heel rotational procedure on top of the heel-up procedure, so you need to be careful not to use that rotational feature.
 
#5 ·
wim said:
As said by dysfunction, it's the type of cleat that determines how you release with this pedal, and you need the SM-SH56 cleat to be able to cleat out by lifting your heel. (The other cleat is the SM-SH51, which doesn't have that feature).

Two thoughts: you need to practice the heel-up procedure a bit, especially if you're used to the heel rotation procedure. The other thing is to not pull up for other reasons, such as hopping or lifting a rear wheel off the ground.
heheh.. I'm on a RB.. people really pro hop and such on these type of bikes?

I guess I will try my friends out.. I have great strength lifting up and push down.. Its just the twist that I will not be able to do..
 
#6 ·
I've been known to bunnyhop things I saw too late to move around, or that were just easier to hop up.. my wife has similar rotational issues (although not knee related, her hips twisted) and we used the multi-release cleats for her, which worked well enough. Before you try your friends, make sure he's got those cleats.
 
#7 ·
fastfed said:
heheh.. I'm on a RB.. people really pro hop and such on these type of bikes?

I guess I will try my friends out.. I have great strength lifting up and push down.. Its just the twist that I will not be able to do..
Do a forum search on "bunnyhop." Mucho discussion. Suffice it to say that many roadies can hop with considerable skill. I'm not that good, but even I can clear a speed bump. Lots of guys can jump onto big curbs.
 
#8 ·
fastfed said:
heheh.. I'm on a RB.. people really pro hop and such on these type of bikes?
Yes, people do. Potholes, fallen water bottles, squirrels, what have you. In Europe, some people learn to jump up and sideways onto curbed sidewalks if the going is easier there than on the road. The best I could ever manage was to jump sideways to get out from the space between streetcar tracks, but that was 10,000 years ago. :)
 
#14 ·
I would suggest either Bebops or Speedplay Frogs. Both twist to release but there's no force required - once the cleat is turned enough it's not clipped in anymore. On the Shimano pedals you're working against a spring holding the cleat in place.

Or just use platform pedals, since having working knees is more important than optimizing your pedal power a tiny bit.
 
#15 ·
Multi-angle release cleats need way too much overall spring tension to prevent you from pulling out of the pedals unintentionally. You'd be better off with regular cleats but with the release tension backed right off. Loosen it enough and you'll have problems staying in the pedals.

By far the best knee-friendly pedals are Speedplay Frogs. There is no spring tension at all with them. Rotate the foot (against zero pressure) about 15 degrees and just lift the foot off. Nothing could be easier. My well broken-in Eggbeaters take about 1 namogram of effort to make a release - but I never pull or pop out unintentionally.
 
#16 ·
dualpivot said:
Or just use platform pedals, since having working knees is more important than optimizing your pedal power a tiny bit.
Excellent advice, don't know why I didn't think of that. In addition to saving your knees, platforms teach you how to pedal like elite racing cyclists. Unlike touring cyclists who attempt to "pull up" and "scrape mud off their feet," elite racers generate virtually all of their power on the downstroke.
 
#19 ·
Regardless, I'd get toe clip pedals. In time, your injury might heal enough that you can go to clipless pedals. Going real fast on platform pedals can lead to injury if your foot slips.

I still think it's quite funny how they're called clipless pedals...
 
#20 ·
My advise is to get a set of Speedplay Zero pedals. I recommend these for the following reason- A few years back I was run over by a drunk driver and my left leg had been rebuilt. Yes, this includes torn acl, mcl, maniscus, etc.
The pedals allow for adjustable float, which allows me to unclip my good leg out and come to a stop, also puts less stress on my knee. However, I am unable to unclip my left leg (bad side) and having the adjustable float allows me to not accidentally unclip. The only way I can unclip is when I throw my body weight over the bike, twisting my leg and out it comes. Hopefully this helps. If you need more specifics PM me. Best of luck.
 
#21 ·
wim said:
Excellent advice, don't know why I didn't think of that. In addition to saving your knees, platforms teach you how to pedal like elite racing cyclists. Unlike touring cyclists who attempt to "pull up" and "scrape mud off their feet," elite racers generate virtually all of their power on the downstroke.
I completely disagree , trained cyclists use the "locked in" effect of their cleat to generate power all around the stroke (they pedal in circles not squares!) admittedly there is most on the downstroke , other riders (tourers etc) just do not look as smooth whilst trying to do the same thing
 
#22 ·
latman said:
trained cyclists use the "locked in" effect of their cleat to generate power all around the stroke (they pedal in circles not squares!)
Yes, that was a widely-held assumption for many years. But with the advent of force-measuring (magnitude and vector) pedals and the use of high-speed videography, it became clear that elite competitive cyclists did not "power all around the stroke." The winning elite cyclists simply pushed down harder than their competitors during the 2 - 4 o'clock segment of the crank circle. Very few "pulled through" and none "pulled up." The scientific literature is pretty clear on that. If the advantages of "powering all around the stroke" were real in competitive riding, professionals and elite amateurs would certainly claim them.

But I agree, it may make some sense to "power around the stroke" for recreational long-distance riders. Because they ride at much lower cadences and with much less power output than elite competitive riders, attempting to apply pedal force all around could possibly result in a few watts of extra power.
 
#23 ·
I have had four knee surgeries and was worried about clipless pedals also. I got a pair of shimano road pedals that have float and allow me to unclip in multiple directions, because its easier for me to turn my weak leg in when unclipping. I generally unclip my strong leg and leave the weak one clipped in at stops. I would stick with cages until you know your knee is strong enough to unclip without injury. Just my 2 cents. PM me if you want me to get the model number.
 
#24 ·
Egg beaters have always been really easy to unclip and get into for me. Speedplay X2 or Zero would also work.

Personally a good secure locked in pedal should actually reduce your risk of future knee injury if you were to crash. One of the reasons I think most cyclist don't hurt there knees is the fact that in most wrecks there feet are still locked into the pedals which keeps the legs from popping out to the sides, catching the road and being bent with force when the body comes crashing down. In most every case when I've slid out in a corner or gone down my feet stayed locked in until impact then unclipped.

Even the SPD pedals which are what I use can be backed off in regards to tension and there are SPD cleats with quite a bit of float.
 
#25 ·
wim said:
Excellent advice, don't know why I didn't think of that. In addition to saving your knees, platforms teach you how to pedal like elite racing cyclists. Unlike touring cyclists who attempt to "pull up" and "scrape mud off their feet," elite racers generate virtually all of their power on the downstroke.
Actually, I was just thinking of getting one's foot down without twisting! But your reason is better :cool:

I ride Bebops these days, sometimes I think I should have stuck with good ole toe clips since I never needed float for happy knees. Or better yet, just some half toe clips for easier "in" from stop lights.
 
#26 ·
I've had 6 knee surgeries, 4 meniscus (3 left and 1 right knee) and 2 ACL replacements (left and right knee). I use Speedplay pedals and they are awesome. Between the pedals and a properly fitted bike, my knees feel awesome.

Rob
 
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