Clipless Pedals That Clip In-Confused?

With a "clipless" pedal system, you wear special cycling shoes that allow a "cleat" to be mounted to their sole. This cleat literally snaps into a receptacle on the pedal which has spring loaded clips (like a ski binding). The shoe is released by twisting the ankle away from the pedal. Easier said than done!

Your pedal efficiency is greater using clipless pedals as you are able not only to push down on your pedal, but to pull up as well and thereby increase power efficiency by up to 30-40%.

But why are they called "clipless" when they are actually "clips"? These days you'll hear them being called clipless pedals, clip-in pedals, and clipped pedals just to confuse you even more. Originally they were called clipless to explain how they were different from the old fashioned "toe-clips" (cages on the front of the pedal to hold the shoe in place). Hence "clipless" meant "not-toe-clips" but something new and different. The name has stayed with us and only recently are people calling them "clip pedals" now that toe clips aren't seen as much. Confused?