CLIPLESS CONFUSION

Q: I’ve only been riding for a few years, but I’m ready to give clipless pedals like my friends use a try. What I don’t understand is the name. Why are they called “clipless pedals” when you actually clip into them? Shouldn’t they be called “clip-in pedals” instead?
Tom Weatherly
Traverse City, Michigan

A: Don’t feel bad, this pedal-naming thing has confused a lot of riders over the years, particularly for those who were not around in the sport’s early days. The term “clipless” comes from the invention of the “clip-in” pedal by Shimano back in 1990 with the release of its PD-M737 SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) pedal. These pedals were called “clipless” by most then because, before Shimano’s SPD, most mountain bikers used plastic toe clips with straps to improve pedaling efficiency. You can blame the evolution of mountain biking and pedals for the confusing name we have today. Moving away from toe clips to clip-in-style pedals spawned the confusing name “clipless.” Some manufacturers have started using the term “clip in” or simply “clip” such as the new OneUp Clip Pedal to avoid this confusion among newer riders.