Extra power with Cleats?

[Whiskers_81]

Hi All,

 

We all cycle with our Shimano's, eggbeaters etc. We all know know that we use a lot less energy than what cyclist do using old pedals without Cleats.

 

But Something I have been wondering about is:

1. How much more power output does one get using Cleats?

2. How much more energy do we safe using Cleats?

[Willehond]

You don't get more power, you just get better power transfer! They also allow you to 'pull' on the up stroke and get a 'smoother' pedal stroke. Once you go clipless there's no going back!

[Whiskers_81]

Ok so more power tranfer! is there a percentage that can be linked to it?

[Top Fuel]

I doubt you will ever know. It would take a sizeable study to work out exact figures. Evebn then it would probably vary from person to person. Just know they are the best and give you the most controll of your bike!

[Whiskers_81]

Would an easy study not just to be to take 10 cyclist, give them their bikes, but without cleats and let them cycle 60km's. measure the heart rate calories, ave speed, time traveled and top speed.

 

then take the exact same 10 cyclist add cleats, run the same test again with the same conditions and then compile a report?

 

who wants to be a guinea pig?

[AndreZA]

Would an easy study not just to be to take 10 cyclist, give them their bikes, but without cleats and let them cycle 60km's. measure the heart rate calories, ave speed, time traveled and top speed.

 

then take the exact same 10 cyclist add cleats, run the same test again with the same conditions and then compile a report?

 

who wants to be a guinea pig?

 

Conditions will never be the same. 10 extra minutes of sleep or two more bites of pasta and things are not the same.

 

An article I read about Rotor rings that the guy cycled at a set heart rate and then measured his speed, distance and power via a power meter. In this particular exercise he managed to use less power but cycled faster and thus further with the q-rings.

[Whiskers_81]

Conditions will never be the same. 10 extra minutes of sleep or two more bites of pasta and things are not the same.

 

An article I read about Rotor rings that the guy cycled at a set heart rate and then measured his speed, distance and power via a power meter. In this particular exercise he managed to use less power but cycled faster and thus further with the q-rings.

 

1. Did they say what the difference was between the two ave speeds?

2. Did they say how much further he cycled?

3. Also did he burn less Calories, and if so how much less Calories?

[javadude]

I don't see the point of a study like this. It is pretty obvious that riding with cleats is more efficient. You are not only pushing with your quads but using your hamstring to pull on the pedal.

[Willehond]

Conditions will never be the same. 10 extra minutes of sleep or two more bites of pasta and things are not the same.

 

An article I read about Rotor rings that the guy cycled at a set heart rate and then measured his speed, distance and power via a power meter. In this particular exercise he managed to use less power but cycled faster and thus further with the q-rings.

 

...but he might have spent more energy which the heartbeat might not have indicated as it taxed his muscles more than his cardiovascular system. (I don't know I'm making it up too, but it's just as plausible in this pseudo-scientific discussion!). Without multiple samples/controlled environment andproper measurement of energy (not power) consumption it's all just guesswork.

 

This thread is useless without facts!

 

Before we know it someone's going to come and proove the increased power delivered by powerbalance bands or red bicycles (we all know they are proven to be faster)

[AndreZA]

1. Did they say what the difference was between the two ave speeds? yes they did

2. Did they say how much further he cycled? yes they did

3. Also did he burn less Calories, and if so how much less Calories? no, but they did mention the drop in power output.

 

 

this was in an overseas magazine about 18 months ago.

[Whiskers_81]

I don't see the point of a study like this. It is pretty obvious that riding with cleats is more efficient. You are not only pushing with your quads but using your hamstring to pull on the pedal.

 

Hi Velo,

 

I know and understand that riding with cleats is more efficient, but I like to know all these useless bits of information!

 

The problem with me is I wanna know how and why and where and when, all the little details of every thing, well almost everything

[AndreZA]

The problem with me is I wanna know how and why and where and when, all the little details of every thing, well almost everything

 

Don't buy a Powerbalance armband, it is crap. There, now you know everything. Get on you bike and go ride.

[Minion]

I don't see the point of a study like this. It is pretty obvious that riding with cleats is more efficient. You are not only pushing with your quads but using your hamstring to pull on the pedal.

I believe that riding with cleats is better, but it would be dishonest of me to say it's anything more than a belief. I can't say for sure without seeing some studies. Maybe there's some extra metabolic cost associated with pulling with your hamstrings. Maybe when you gain some power by pulling you lose an equivalent amount from the push. I don't think this is the case, but I don't actually know for sure.

 

It should be possible to make a study to show it, but it's not as simple as putting 10 cyclists on a bike without clips and then putting them on a bike with clips and comparing the numbers.. You'd likely then find that if the 10 are used to riding without clips then that mode will be more powerful and vice versa for those used to riding with clips. You'd also have to decide what to measure. Maybe it turns out that peak and threshold powers are the same, but time to failure at a certain level may be different.

[Whiskers_81]

Very good point EDAM, haven't thought about it that way! I will conduct my own study! I am going to try end keep everything the same as all of the previous rides and compile my own test results. I think it would be an interesting study

[MariusL]

Why not use cleats on one pedal, and normal pedals on the other... at the end of the ride the leg that is more tired worked harder...

[leeu52]

Yesterday when the newbie next to me's foot slipped off his pedal and he disappeared head first into the roadside tall grass I realised going "clipless" by adding clips to my bike was a very good idea!