fell off first time with clip pedals

mrserus

Hi all,
I am new here, have done some major cycling when I was 16/17 but gave up when I discovered boys and nightclubs when I was nurse training...
anyway, have now decided to get fit again and have given up on the old mountain bike to get back in with road bike, (thats where my heart is..!)

so... my dearest hubby is a roadie and has ordered me a superb bike from wiggle, on sale at £550, he then treated me to some spd pedals and cleats, I bought the shoes off ebay, very cool bright blue ones, anyway, the first time I went out on the bike I fell off because I couldnt get my left foot out quick enough, and for some reason I always lean to the left and get on and off from the left,
I have some nice bruises to show for it and have practiced getting feet out of pedals, the right one I have mastered but the left one I am still struggling with (partly because I broke that ankle 8 years ago at work and so its always been a bit weaker) it feels really weird twisting that foot to get it out and although I have slackened the pedals to the easiest setting I am still struggling to get it out and am reluctant to go out again in case I fall off again and damage bike (again)

does anyone have any tips for getting the cleats worn in quicker so they clip out easier or is it just a case of "get on with it"
or should I swap and go to the old toe clips to avoid any more bruises,

darling hubby says I will get used to them and the more I fall off the quicker I will learn and that everyone falls off when they start using cleats and clips, but I am now getting to stage where I am so nervous when approaching a stop that I am starting to panic if I cant get them out quick enough,

Please anyone.... give me some help!!!!

mrs.erus

redddraggon

Everyone has "clipless falls" at the start. I think I had four.

You get used to clipping in and out eventually. The falls you get at the start are worth it for what benefits you get from clipless.

doobie919

Don't let it discourage you. Practice is about the only thing I can say about the left foot though. My right hand has 2 broken metacarpels that I never got fixed, so knuckles are a few cm back from where their supposed to be and it took me a long time to figure out how to shift and brake with my right hand.

Cajun

I think we all become expert in the 'Stop 'n Flop' method of dismounting when introduced to the clipless pedal system. Trust me, that is how I got my training in 'How to land when crashing your bike." and I am very proficient at any speed :shock: First of all, there should be an adjustment method to the pedals; get out the papers (if you still have them). Don't over-adjust the pedal mechanism; this may cause you to dismount when you DON'T want to; i.e. sprinting or attacking a hill :shock: . My personal preference is the Speedplay X2 system...no adjustments; clip-in and un-clip easily and instantly (when necessary) :P . The down side of the Speedplays, is that walking is not a pleasant experience; the cleats pick up every piece of gravel that is sand-size....and can make cliping-in difficult :x . (remove shoe, slam cleat against the roadway to clear sand particles) If you wear MTB shoes, I'd go for the Speedplay Frogs...same reliance, but won't collect sand

How rude of me...I didn't welcome you to the Forum...!! Welcome!!!!!!
You'll find this Forum very informative and friendly, with Members from all over the Planet..

fizz

As they said in the Matrix, everybody falls the first time...

You will get used to it, I've been riding clipless since the early nineties so its become 2nd nature. I'd never go back to toe clips now, I reckon they are worse especially with the straps done up really tight.

If I was you, I'd go and find a nice quiet country road or a carpark and practice stopping and unclipping at the same time. Leave the gears alone, just ride along at a nice slow pace stop pedaling and then try and unclip, if you cant unclip dont worry, just pedal away again to pick some momentum up and then try again, keep trying and it'll get easier as teh cleats wear in a little bit. Dont wait till you are nearly stationary to unclip, thats a sure fire way to fall over, anticipate the junction etc and unclip before you actually need to, if you give yourself more time you'll find it easier.

I also find it easier to unclip with the pedal at the bottom of the stroke, I find it easier to rotate my ankle at that point also the downwards pressure stops me trying to lift my foot up as unclip which I find doesnt help either. Its the twisting motion that does the unclipping rather than upwards pressure of pulling your foot out the pedal.

HTH

richk

Err, been there, done that.

A clipless fall is something many people do once. It's like learning to walk (or ride a bike :shock: ) With practice/time you'll soon find you can unclip quick enough, even when you think you're on the way down.

mrserus

Thanks all,
much needed advice, unfortunately I live in west wales and no matter which way I leave the house I have to immediately go up hill, I dont have any level ground to practice on so may have to take my bike out of village first. this hill mallarky was where I fell off first time, being so crap and unfit, I couldnt make it up the hill and couldnt get out of clips quick enough, hence I just literally went sideways, (if it hadnt hurt so much it would have been funny, just like a cartoon) luckily it was a verge before the steep downwards slope of the valley that i encountered first, My hubby (bless him) tried desperately to hold onto me but me, my bike, his bike and trying to unclip himself was just to much for him to do in about 2 seconds. (huh, and he promised to love and protect me at all times....LIAR)

Still my enthusiasm hasnt abaited (yet) and I will go back out, but am very wary,
I know I will do it though, when I was 16/17 as per my first posting, I used to cycle between 75 and 100 miles a day, which for anyone is quite alot, I also cycled from Warwick to Machynlleth in a day (134miles) and then back the next day, so I know I can do it,
my hubby said the other day that even though I have only just started riding again, he can tell I am comfortable on a bike, which is quite reassuring, just wish I could be at ease with these blasted pedals........

Thanks all for your advice and I will keep you posted........

popette

hiya mrs.erus, welcome to the forum and welcome to the club of falling cyclists
I've had a few falls now - two on my first time out, one when I thought I'd got the hang of it and got a bit cocky and another when I was standing reading a map and just keeled over.
I used to sit on my bike in my hallway and just practicing clipping in and out, in and out whilst watching a bit of telly!
I'm sure that I'll fall again at some point but I wouldn't change for anything else.
Have fun - I'm sure you'll be back up to your old mileages in no time

geoff_ss

I discovered that my new Shimano A520 SPDs were a lot harder to unclip after (or during) a hard climb and had to over shoot my friend's house slightly before getting out of the pedals. I've been using SPDs almost since they were introduced so it's not lack of practice.

I'm a left foot unclipper too so all I've done is slacked the pedal tension off a bit on the LH pedal and now it's no problem. I suggest you do the same. I went for a ride in Indian country (arrows on the OS map ) yesterday and was able to unclip OK. My foot was held securely too.

We had a week near Haverford West in 2006 at a model aircraft event and really enjoyed the lanes in west Wales but they are often very steep. Lovely area though.

Geoff

alfablue

If you have Shimano pedals they will come as standard with "Single Release" cleats, it is possible to buy "Multi-release" cleats as an accessory. These let you out whichever way you twist, or even just by pulling up, so they are better in a "panic" situation.

You can get them here for £9.99 maybe cheaper elsewhere. The Multi release version is silver coloured (single release is black) and the model number is SH 56 (as opposed to SH 51/52).

Worth a try!

Gerry Attrick

Welcome to the fray Mrserus.

I too had problems unclipping with my Look Keo's due to arthritis in my ankles restricting the outward turn of my feet. I am using cleats with 4.5 degrees of sideplay, so I set the cleats with more play inwards than outwards. This means I only have to turn my feet a relatively small amount outwards to clip out cleanly. This may help you, but bear in mind your own physiology and don't adjust the cleats so that they give you knee or hip pain. If necessary, try different systems as they all have their own foibles.

Keep practising, clipless is a superb system. When you get used to it you will never want to go back to flat or toeclips.

Harry B

I got my first clipless pedals last week and whilst I have been trying them on the trainer I haven't been out on the road yet. I tried the cleats with float and found them harder to get out of so I've switched to some with no float which do seem slightly easier.

I used to have toe clips and found them fine until I fell over at some traffic lights after that I thought that if I'm going to fall anyway I might as wel have the benefit of clipless pedals as well as the risk of falling.

Like others have said I'm sure it's just a matter of getting used to them and hopefully avoid damaging yourself and, more importantly, your bike whilst you do so