Quickly Clipping Cleats

Say that 5 times fast........

​Some cycling beginners may not quite get the hang of clipping their shoes to the pedals, quickly and efficiently. This is a very useful skill for all cycling disciplines: road, triathlon, cyclocross, mountain biking and more. 

This  workout will help get you the practice needed to get clipped in quickly and safely.  I'll also add some variations to help with specific triathlon transitions.

This workout is best used as a recovery workout as you build your clip in specific skills.

As always, begin with the 20 minute warm-up.

The workout is best completed in zone 1 and on a trainer. (Optionally out doors but take care when your foot is off the pedal)

After your warm-up ride at 90 cadence with both feet clipped in.
After 1 minute:
Unclip the right foot and ride with one leg off to the side for 30 seconds.
Clip back in and continue to pedal with both legs for another 30 seconds.
Unclip the left foot and ride with one leg off to the side for 30 seconds.
Clip back in and continue to pedal with both legs for another 30 seconds.

Repeat this several times and then focus on finishing the ride in both pedals for up to 60 minutes.

Allow for a 5 minute cool down.

Again, this is a recovery and skills workout best suited to recovery days.

Notes:

You may find it more comfortable to place a chair beside you so you can rest your free leg while unclipped.
While riding with one leg, try to make the sound of the trainer be equal during the push stroke and the pull stroke. Try to avoid cadence changes so ensure you are in an easy gear.

Triathlon Bonus:

Start with your shoes already clipped to the pedals and attempt to ride while you put on your shoes. If you have triathlon specific shoes, it probably won't be that difficult. Similarly, try to take your shoes off while pedaling. Work on one foot at a time and make sure the amount of time spent loosening the shoes will not adversely affect the amount of time pedaling. Once both shoes are off, practice riding with your feet on top of the shoes. All this practice will help you in your transitions where you can save a lot of time doing things efficiently.  This practice will also help you with flying mounts and dismounts.
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