How to Clip In & Out of Bike Pedals

Having a hard time to clip in and out of your bike pedals? We’ve all been there! That’s why I’ve put together this helpful guide to give you all of the information you need to know about clipping in to indoor cycle bike pedals. Become a master on how to adjust your clips for the best indoor cycling experience!

Why Clip In During Your Cycle Bike Workout?

While there’s nothing wrong with cycling in your regular training shoes, making the switch from your regular trainers to clipping in with cycling shoes will provide a more comfortable, efficient, and safer ride.

If you’re new to clipping in during your cycle bike workout, it’s important to ensure you have the right type of pedals, shoes, and cleats for the job. While there are a variety of different clips and cleats you can select from when cycling, most indoor bikes, including Sunny cycle bikes, use SPD-compatible pedals.

However, only some Sunny cycle bikes come equipped with SPD-compatible pedals. So, if you’re interested in clipping in but your bike didn’t come with SPD-compatible pedals, you may need to purchase SPD-compatible pedals separately.

How to Clip In to SPD-Compatible Pedals

Once you’ve ensured you have the right pedals, shoes, and cleats to clip in while cycling, you’re ready to clip in and get riding!

To clip in, follow these simple steps:

Rotate the pedals so that the pedal you’re clipping into is at its lowest position in a full rotation.
Turn the pedal with the front of your shoe so it’s parallel with the ground.
Toe in with the front of your clip.
Apply a good amount of pressure to pop the back of the clip in - depending on the tightness of your clip, it may help to stand to get enough power into it.

How to Clip Out of SPD-Compatible Pedals

Once you’re ready to get off your bike, you may find yourself at a loss for getting out of the clips! Follow along with these simple steps to clip out and get off your bike with ease.

To clip out, follow these simple steps:

Rotate the pedals so that the pedal you’re clipping out of is at its lowest position in a full rotation.
Push down and twist outward with your heel.
Finish by pulling your foot up and away from the pedal to completely detach from your cleat.

How to Adjust Tightness of the Clips

Many SPD-compatible pedals including the ones that come equipped on some Sunny bikes offer adjustable tension. If possible, loosen the clip tension on your pedals so that you can clip and unclip super easily as you’re learning. You can always tighten it later once you’ve got the hang of it!

To loosen your clips on the Sunny SPD-compatible pedals (or decrease the tension): using a 3mm Allen wrench, twist the adjustment bolt on the rear of the pedal counterclockwise.
To tighten your clips on the Sunny SPD-compatible pedals (or increase the tension): using a 3 mm Allen wrench, twist the adjustment bolt on the rear of the pedal clockwise.

Clipping in appears to be pretty simple, but it may take some time to get used to. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you have trouble the first few times. Keep practicing and follow the above below to improve your experience. You’ve got this!