The new service allows you to map turn by turn cycling directions, see the trails and bike lanes directly on the map, and drag and drop points to customize your route. Now you can avoid congested streets and large climbs on your commute. Check out this detailed video of the features. Happy Riding.

The tip made me rethink about how novices learn to ride clipless. For women, making the leap to clipless pedals on a mountain bike can feel like jumping into a dark abyss blindfolded. While some parts of the United States is full of women riding clipless pedals it can still an intimidating notion.

Actually, it can be downright scary.

My wife’s first experience with clipless pedals on a mountain bike almost went off without a hitch until she tried to ride over a log but caught her chainring and couldn’t clip out before she was sliding down a steep off-camber embankment. The result was a bloody scrape on her leg but the real damage was her bruised confidence.

The fear of being “locked in” to the pedals can be paralyzing. But if  you can move beyond fear you find the opportunity to find new paths for real change.

A clip-in system (similar to a ski binding) is a must have for most cycling enthusiasts. Instead of confining your movement, they actually allow more efficient power transfer while providing better control and stability. They allow you to ride and climb steep, technical trails that you might have thought impossible. These pedal systems also conserve energy helping you ride longer and stronger and even faster if you desire more speed.

With practice it can be easy

• To clip in, lead with your toe catching the ball of your foot on the pedal and then step down with your heel letting your weight connect to the bike. You will probably hear the pedal’s mechanism click into place. That’s the most reassuring way to know you are in.

• To clip out, rotate your heel outward and away from the bike until your shoe releases from the pedal.

• First learn to clip in and out by just standing over your bike and clipping in and out several times at a stand still. Do this over and over so you can feel how your shoe meets the pedal.

• Try using one hand to hold onto a wall or tree for added balance if you want to go for clipping into both pedals. Taking your time will help you smoothly exit the pedal before you try riding.

• Start by riding on even grassy areas away from rocks or other objects. Practicing on a flat, level surface is the best way to learn whether you ride a mountain or road bike. The grass will slow you down and the ground will be a softer way to break your fall in case you have a problem. Ride slowly in a straight line before jumping onto a trail or a full-scale ride.

• Avoid steep or difficult terrain at first, you don’t want a heavy crash to ruin a truly satisfying learning experience.

• Perhaps wearing knee and elbow pads for the first few rides might bring a little confidence.

• Take a spin class if your local fitness club offers one. Riding on a stationary bike would be another way to get good practice before hitting the trails.

Even after some practice, the first few rides might have a moment of panic, but the technology in new pedals and shoes sold today make clipping out more reliable than ever. In the past it was muddy conditions that made clipping out the most challenging thing to learn. Mud can be sticky and trap your foot but new pedals are more open and shed mud without clogging the moving parts.

With a little patience most cyclists get used to riding clipless pedals. The increased power and pedaling efficiency will reward you with a lifetime of cycling and will soon outweigh the time used learning the step in process. See you out there!

these clipless pedal cleats need replacement

Shoe cleats last a long time and don’t require much maintenance but they need to be kept them screwed on tight. If they become loose on a ride you run the risk of loosing them and nothing can be a bigger bummer than limping home one-footed. Plus the strain of ripping the screws from your shoe can strip the fixing threads. So every few months it’s a good idea to take an Allen wrench and give the fixing screws a squeeze. But you don’t want to over tighten them either. Most cleats only need a 5Nm torque or as we like to call it at the bike shop, a two finger tight. That is about the same force it takes to screw in a light bulb. That goes for mountain bike shoes as well as road shoes.

But every year or two you might need to replace the cleats altogether. Mountain bike cleats seem to last forever because they are still usually made of steel. Road cleats are the ones that need to be replaced more often. To keep them lightweight, most pedal manufacturers make cleats out of plastic and these can wear down from walking around and normal clip-in use.

these have some life left in them

Shimano cleats even have wear marks on the edges of their systems that help to let you know when it’s time to buy a new pair. Use these as a much better indicator of cleat life than how they might feel in the pedals. A new seat of cleats will not necessarily feel tighter in your pedals – that might be the float in your pedal. But if you feel your cleats getting slicker on pavement when you walk around off the bike there might be increasing wear that needs to be addressed too.

There might be other factors as well: your shoe might pop out once in awhile when you’re pulling up on the pedal. If this happens and you haven’t replaced your cleats for a while it might be a good idea to start thinking about it. You wouldn’t want total failure on a group ride that might leave you with an embarrassing memory or someone getting hurt. It can happen and prevention is the best tool to keep you in line and riding right.

When buying a new set of cleats make sure you know the part number you are replacing. Shimano makes a new update almost every year but some pedals will take slightly different cleats. Shop for the pedal, not just your existing cleat. You might have the option to choose a floating cleat or a fixed cleat as well.

you are forbidden from riding these

I know some dudes that have never been fans of movement cleats. Old guys – meaning people that have been riding since the 70s – just don’t understand them. One of these “old dudes” I ride with says he “never has ridden them unless his were so worn out that they became floating cleats.” Ha ha. Obviously he was completely stoked when Shimano came out with the fixed red cleats. The fixed cleat aspect achieves an even tighter leg to pedal that can’t be had anywhere else. But they are best for track racing and not when you are putting in 80-250 miles a week.

While some old pro’s like Steve Tilford are fixed cleat diehards, I would recommend sticking with floating cleats because they are easier on your knees.

The other day a friend of mine brought over some clipless shoes asking me to help her mount SPD cleats in them. She has a million different kinds of shoes. I was amazed at how many different kinds of shoes she has: Specialized, Sidi, Carnac, Nike, and Shimano – it was mind blowing.

She seems to have an issue with getting the cleat forward enough or something.

After I took a look I noticed she did have a point about having trouble getting the ball of her foot over her pedal spindle. I think the problem was she had old shoes.

But her new Shimano shoes, the ones we were putting the cleats on will hopefully solve her problem once and for all. These days are a lot easier than the old days as far as shoe compatibility goes.

Back in the 90s shoes and pedals had a hard time matching up. But now as long as you have a recent pair of pedals a new pair of shoes will likely match up with them. DMT, Carnac, Shimano, Sidi and Adidas all work well. The amount of cleat problems out there are getting fewer and fewer.

The main thing you want to double-check is that the center of the cleat is in alignment with the ball of your foot, and the cleat is straight in the shoe. The bone we are looking for in your foot is called the metatarsal. Some bike fit geeks call it the met-bone for short — you can feel it through your shoe.

Getting your cleat centered over the ball of your foot is key to preventing knee pain. It’s no fun having knee pain after a ride, it will keep you from riding.

If you have any questions when setting your cleats in new shoes I suggest taking a trip to your local bike shop and having them help you. It never hurts to ask.