Les, you impressed a whole lot of people today, a big well done, You should easily manage a Sunday club run [especially if you get used to clip ins!] If you can make a Sunday I'm sure you'll be made welcome.
Claire O Brien coordinates the kit, and had a delivery before Christmas so you might be in luck.

Well done again for today. 🙂

Jim Williams [the big bloke in red!] [/font:26gxj3ot]

Thanks Jim,

I will go and say hi to the Sunday guys in a few weeks, I am going to spend the weekend making friends with my cleats and not falling off (which is an art I have not mastered yet haha).

Hopefully on Wednesday I should have my cleats on fingers crossed. 😀

Still buzzing from yesterday,

Les

I have e-mailed Anne re joining and will e-mail Claire re kit.

Thanks again it was fab 😀

Les
I'm sure Jim speaks for us all in his comments - I would just like to add that for your first group ride and what turned out to be your longest ride ever you did really well, you should be pleased and confident for your future as a cyclist - well done. As far as cleats go slacken the screws off to start with and if possible find a wall at home to lean on and practice clipping and unclipping before venturing out.

Les another trick if you want to build your confidence is to only put one pedal on, you look a bit odd if they a different shoes, one of those "who dressed you this morning"
This way if you really panic, you can always put your other foot down.. best to put cleat on the foot you normally put down a junction.

{all this is like learning to ride a bike with stabalisers.. sooner or later you have to take them off! [/font:b88smslu]}

Good Luck

Jim

Les,

When I was coaching my partner to use cleats. I got Elaine to get into a routine, unclipping the same foot and getting ready to unclip well before a junction. Normally the left foot as this will always be towards the kurb. Hopefully if you do have a wobble your body weight will take you into the kerb and not into the road!!!!!

I took her to a country lane and spent 30mins getting use to clipping and unclipping. It's now second nature.

You'll be fine I'm sure. See you on a Sunday soon.

Thank guys for all the tips,

I am a bit of a perfectionist so my whole weekend will be spent swearing at shoes and pedals until I get it right haha 😆 . I think I will have them loose to start with, then find wall, then country lane sounds good with no one around to laugh at me.

Les

It's really not that bad, Les! I only fell over in slow motion a couple of times - once in front of a group of amused-looking builders outside my house. Only my pride was injured! Ah well, could be worse...! I will be in touch about the kit! 🙂

Thanks for that Claire,

Had a fab day with my cleats, why was I so scared? venturing out for a good ride tomorrow and going to do what Jules suggested and just clip out a while before junctions with left leg out.

You guys are so fab, if tomorrow goes well will have cleats on Wednesday

Les

I can remember when i started riding trying to get use to using cleats i think i fell off about 4 times, the worst one being at traffic light with cars behind my dad found it rather comical! I didn't but you get that use to it you don't think when you do it now! 🙂

Thanks Dylan,

I am getting the hang of them, it just seems weird having feet almost glued to pedals, I have been riding in my trail shoes for the past six months, so as you can imagine it is quite odd for me, tried the cleats out a few weeks ago and fell off and all I could think about was damage to my bike, luckily it was a quiet country lane and bike was fine.

I am feeling confident about tomorrows ride out 😮 haha

Les

Wow I love my cleats, just remind me on Wednesday that I am wearing them as almost forgot today I had them on, why was I so scared of them.

Thanks for all your advise as it worked well, see some of you on Wednesday.

Les

What happened today with Nigel was awful lets hope they catch who ever did it.