Done the old SPD Fall today!

Rich Hcp

Well it had to happen,.

In traffic, off course.

Loads of people around, of course.

The cleat clipped in when I wasn't expecting it to, didn't have enough time to unclip.

You know what's happening, the tarmac looked hard and unyeilding.

Splat!!

Get up, dust down.

get back on

keep going

Did another 22 miles, making 30 in all. Took 2 hours.

Much quicker than my old MTB 8)

Anonymous

Ah, but MTBers have better balance, meaning that we'd never fall off, even if we were unexpectedly still clipped in

Seriously though, I remember when I bought my first SPDs (for XC-ing, I'm not a road guy), I fitted them and tried them out, and then the weather became attrocious for a few weeks.
When I finally went out on them, I forgot about them, and consequently fell down an embankment - still attatched to the bike - when I stopped for a breather!

After a while, it becomes seccond nature. But I must admit, that as my riding became more gravity oriented, I used the SPDs less and less. :?

in the wire

I've only been doing it for a couple of months, and no doubt my time is now looming

whyamihere

The fall which is purely due to being clipped in will generally only happen in the first week or so before you get used to unclipping every time you stop. After that, you won't have any problems.

nicklouse

when clipped in do not stop to chat with friends, as you will forget to unclip.

Anonymous

Another one that got me whilst clipped in was kind of as Nick says, chatting and ambling along on my bike, then unexpectedly hitting something that brings the bike to a sudden and complete stop.
Cue much hillarity :evil:

Rich Hcp

in the wire wrote:

Just out of interest, do people who have problems falling whilst clipless generally ride competitively where they need to be quite tight in?

Was discussing this with a friend, who like me uses multi release cleats on the lowest tension, and has done for years. We've never come close to falling over *only* as a result of being clipped in...

I've only been doing it for a couple of months, and no doubt my time is now looming

Only had the bike a month, not done too much because of the crap weather

They are set as loose as possible, caught out by a re-clip, maybe i should have flipped the pedal to stip clipping in until ready.

Put it down to inexperiance

fossyant

Practice makes perfect, my Looks and mtb SPD's are always done up fairly tight, and I don't have problems using them - something to do with at least 15 years using Look though !

spasypaddy

i had the pedals a few weeks before i fell and then did it twice on the same day! but not since thankfully (three months on now).

I have found that i unclip easier from my raleigh max mountain bike than from my cannondale r400 road bike which is weird or it could just be my imagination

Hairy Jock

I had been cycling clipless for five months before having my one (and so far only) clipless fall.

I did however has one occasion when I couldn't get it to release and had to cycle up to a lamp post so that I could lean against it lean down, unlace my shoe, remove my foot and then get off the bike to wrestle with the shoe until the cleat released :oops:

nolf

Never managed to fall off because of a clip in,
I've got it on the middle tightest setting, don't see the need to tighten it up further as I've never unclipped accidentally.

It just becomes second nature, when you stop you automatically unclip without thinking, you'll get used to it.

Aidocp

I thought I was going to do it again :oops: on Sunday. I dropped out of the large chainring to the lower chain ring and for some reason the chain decided not to go the whole way and locked up the cranks after what seemed like an eternity freewheeling up hill (probably only a second) it un-jammed, after that the gears changed perfectly.

pete236uk

We have all done it mine was in front of a pub as well what a prat I felt