Bike Swapper: Clipless in Seattle
By Dawn DeGroot
(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of columns by Seattle’s Dawn DeGroot who swapped her car for a bike last fall through the New Belgium Brewery Tour de Fat festival. Read the next installment.)
I feel like I have come through the far side of winter since trading in my car for a bike last fall and pedaling through all kinds of winter weather. Finally, I can now speak of spring, but spring better start speaking for itself soon!
The big news for me is I have confronted another fear in regard to bicycling: the fear of first-time use of clipless (or clip-in) pedals. Practicing, I tried one shoe at a time and it felt like I was trapped and out of control. It was difficult to get used to “being one” with my pedal.
If you’re going clip-less for the first time this year, I suggest that you practice on a soft non-intimidating surface like grass or at a park.
For me it was on the beaches at Pacific Beach on the Washington coast. Once I conquered my first foot, I felt I had more power in my leg. Then I hooked the second toe clip on and Wow! That made my legs feel connected to the pedal and so much stronger. It took some practice to get out of the clips, of course. My first fear was being stuck in them and my fear was realized as I fell on the sand as “one unit” with the bike.
It does take some practice to get used to pushing your toe downward and twisting outward to release the pedal. This is all part of being a novice to biking. The learning curve is short and the thrill of using clipless pedals for the first time is worth it.
Often, when looking back at this one-year experiment, it seems like time has just flown by. The reality, however, is that the past six to seven months have been cold, wet and oh so slow. I recently put some new Ortlieb waterproof bags on my bike and only wish I had had them sooner.
With that said, I must say that the anticipation of spring and summer is much greater than I ever remember.
My mind is dreaming of a warm spring and a hot summer: long warm evenings, early-morning rides hearing the birds singing, riding for hours just because I can, watching the shadows that follow me about, and stopping for lemonade on the Burke Gilman Trail to take a break from the heat.
I’m lucky there is a vibrant biking community in Seattle that is active and bursting with rides to be enjoyed. A girl can dream and I’ve found that the choices we make are choices that can make great changes in our lives.
Biking is a choice that is changing my life.
(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of columns by Seattle’s Dawn DeGroot who swapped her car for a bike last fall through the New Belgium Brewery Tour de Fat festival. Read the next installment.)
