Clipless pedals: getting comfortable before your first traffic light
A new skill, not an entry requirement
Clipless pedals hold a cycling shoe through a cleat, a small fitting attached to its sole. Most common systems release when you rotate your heel outwards. Check the instructions for your actual pedal and cleat before trying it.
Holding the shoe helps keep your foot from slipping and gives it a repeatable position. It does not automatically make you faster or fix your riding position. You can enjoy road cycling on ordinary flat pedals. For shoes and soles, see BikeJam’s article on bibs, jerseys and cycling shoes in Russian; this guide focuses on learning to release your foot.
If you are new to Moscow traffic as well as cycling, learn those skills separately. There is no need to introduce unfamiliar pedals at your first busy junction.
SPD versus road systems
SPD is Shimano’s system using a small metal cleat, normally attached with two bolts. Suitable shoes often recess it between the sole’s raised tread, making walking easier. Many pedals allow entry from either side, but not all do.
Road systems such as SPD-SL and the common LOOK KEO system use larger cleats, usually with three bolts. These typically protrude from the sole, making walking less comfortable. Entry is generally from one side of the pedal, which takes practice to find.
SPD and SPD-SL are different systems. Matching bolt counts do not guarantee that a cleat fits a pedal: a LOOK cleat does not become compatible with SPD-SL just because both fit a three-bolt shoe. Choose the shoe, cleat and pedal as a compatible set. For learning, a manageable release matters more than a road-specific label.
Set up before practising
Many pedals let you adjust spring tension, the force with which the mechanism holds the cleat. Adjustment is often marked with plus and minus signs. Follow the manufacturer’s directions rather than guessing which way to turn a screw. Some designs work differently or have no such adjustment.
Start with a permitted low retention setting that still holds your foot securely. Stay within the adjustment range. Where the instructions call for equal settings, match all retaining mechanisms; double-sided pedals may have several adjustment points.
Ask a mechanic to check cleat position and bolt security. Your foot should not be forced into an uncomfortable angle. A loose cleat can interfere with release. If you cannot release reliably, do not ride into traffic: check compatibility, adjustment and condition first. Stop and investigate knee pain rather than trying to ride through it.
Practise beside a wall, with secure support
Wear a helmet. Use a securely fixed trainer or a helper holding the bike beside a wall. Merely leaning a bike against a wall does not keep it from rolling or falling. Avoid furniture that can move under your weight.
Keep one foot free on the floor. With the other, slowly find the entry position, engage the cleat and practise the release your instructions specify. For ordinary outward release, rotate the heel rather than pulling your knee sideways. Repeat until the movement feels familiar, then change feet.
Move to a flat, empty area only when you can release either foot reliably. Leave space to brake smoothly, with no pedestrians in your path. Practise starts and stops rather than heading straight for the road.
Release before the stop
Choose the foot you will initially use on the ground. As a stop approaches, check around you, slow down and release that foot while the bike is still moving. Keep it free: pressing down on the pedal can accidentally engage it again.
Brake smoothly with your hands ready on the levers. Before reaching a complete stop, prepare a small lean towards your free foot and put that foot down. Leaning towards the foot still attached to the bike defeats the whole plan. Rehearse the sequence away from traffic lights first.
To restart, check that the way is clear, get moving steadily and then find the second pedal. Keep your eyes ahead. If entry becomes a distraction, stop safely and reset rather than looking down while drifting into traffic.
The familiar slow-motion fall
A beginner reaches a red light, stops and only then remembers the attached foot. The bike starts leaning before the new release movement happens. It is a familiar learning mistake, not something you must experience to qualify as a cyclist.
BikeJam founder Konstantin fell after failing to release while trying somebody else’s bike. His fall was not at a traffic light. It is the same lesson: borrowed equipment needs supported practice too. Falling is not inevitable, and the purpose of rehearsal is to avoid it.
What to do now
- Check compatibility and instructions. Have a mechanic check cleat mounting and set permitted retention before your first practice.
- Practise each foot with secure support, then repeat smooth starts and stops in an empty area. Keep flat pedals if basic bike control still takes all your attention.
- Make early release a habit before your first road ride. Only add Moscow traffic when stopping no longer feels like a puzzle.
Updated: October 2026