PROPAIN tyee 2020 - Page 113

// MANUAL
D. PEDALS
1. Toe Overlap is when your toe can touch the front wheel when you turn the handlebars
to steer while a pedal is in the forwardmost position. This is common on small-framed
bicycles, and is avoided by keeping the inside pedal up and the outside pedal down when
making sharp turns. On any bicycle, this technique will also pre-vent the inside pedal from
striking the ground in a turn.
NOTE: Changing tire size or pedal crank arm length affects toe overlap.
WARNING: Toe Overlap could cause you to lose control and fall. Ask PROPAIN or
your dealer to help you determine if the combination of frame size, crank arm length, pedal
design and shoes you will use results in pedal overlap. Whether you have overlap or not,
you must keep the inside pedal up and the outside pedal down when making sharp turns.
2. Some bicycles come equipped with pedals that have sharp and potentially dangerous
surfaces. These surfaces are designed to add safety by increasing grip between the rider’s
shoe and the pedal. If your bicycle has this type of high-performance pedal, you must take
extra care to avoid serious injury from the pedals’ sharp sur-faces. Based on your riding
style or skill level, you may prefer a less aggressive pedal design, or chose to ride with
shin pads. PROPAIN or your dealer can show you a number of options and make suitable
recommendations.
3. Toeclips and straps are a means to keep feet correctly positioned and engaged with
the pedals. The toeclip positions the ball of the foot over the pedal spindle, which gives
maximum pedaling power. The toe strap, when tightened, keeps the foot engaged throug-
hout the rotation cycle of the pedal. While toeclips and straps give some benet with any
kind of shoe, they work most effectively with cy-cling shoes designed for use with toeclips.
PROPAIN or your deal-er can explain how toeclips and straps work. Shoes with deep treaded
soles or welts which might make it more dicult for you to insert or remove your foot
should not be used with toeclips and straps.
WARNING: Getting into and out of pedals with toeclips and straps requires skill
which can only be acquired with practice. Until it becomes a reex action, the technique
requires concentration which can distract your attention and cause you to lose control
and fall. Practice the use of toeclips and straps where there are no obstacles, hazards or
trac. Keep the straps loose, and don’t tighten them until your technique and condence in
getting in and out of the pedals warrants it. Never ride in trac with your toe straps tight.
4. Clipless pedals (sometimes called “step-in pedals”) are another means to keep feet
securely in the correct position for maximum pedaling eciency. They have a plate, called
a “cleat,” on the sole of the shoe, which clicks into a mating spring-loaded xture on the
pedal. They only engage or disengage with a very specic mo-tion which must be practiced
until it becomes instinctive. Clipless pedals require shoes and cleats which are compatible
with the make and model pedal being used.