Falling off bike whilst clipped in

scally56

twice this week i've hit the deck with my new clipless pedals. It never hurts but its more damaging to pride. I'm assuming this has happened to lots of other people. Did it yesterday in front of a bus, when a woman stopped very quickly infront of me. I heard this woman scream as she thought i was going to die. But no one even stopped to see if i was alright. Some people even laughed.

redvee

It's part & parcel of learning to ride with clipless pedals.

Cajun

The SPD pedal system is a great learning tool for the 'Stop 'n Flop' method of dismounting....plus it brightens up the onlooker's day
I believe every biker goes through this....until they get tired of it :oops: and gets a different pedal system.....

dennisn

Try to plan ahead as much as possible. No harm in clipping out as you come up on stopped or slowing traffic. Waiting until you actually stop before you unclip is not
the smartest way to go. If there even appears that you might run into a bit of a problem
I find it best to be ready to unclip or at least "have a plan". It happened to me when I first went clip-less and I broke a rib hitting the pavement. So you're not alone. I usually only unclip one foot, but be alert that when you do stop that you must lean to the unclipped
side. It will become second nature with a bit of practice.

Dennis Noward

NWLondoner

which system are you using??

doog442

my spds are set to to a loose setting, this has saved me on several occasions. As I have started 'going over' the general ensuing panic has popped my cleats out of the pedals, resulting in me semi bunny hopping sideways as my feet have grounded...

Bassjunkieuk

I've had a few scares myself with my clipless pedals, only been using them for about 3 months now after having used toe clips/straps for the past 2 years.

Having said that I haven't actually fallen right over yet, just had that horrible "oh sh1t" feeling then managed to un-clip myself. What Dennisn suggests is very good advice, I've become much better at track standing or at least balancing at low speeds so I don't have to unclip to often. When I suspect I will need to stop suddenly I will just unclip one foot (normally my weaker one) just as I would have done with my toe straps so I can put a foot down quickly if I need to and even if I don't have to stop I can just clip back in and ride on.

chuckcork

Only done it once (SPD's), and it was after I had the spring set way too tight for cleats that weren't quite compatible; then changed to cleaths that were and forgot to untighten them.

Embarrassing but at least nothing broken.

attica

First time I rode with clipless I did a 50 mile club run, every junction I came to I unclipped well in advance, waving my foot in the air for ages, I really didn't want to come off in front of a whole club.
In the end what I did was nearly as bad, this was back in the day when I was living in a studenty shared house, I rode up to the front door and realised I'd forgotten the clips just too late.

Needless to say, it being a Sunday afternoon, my studenty friends were sat on their lardy ar5es watching telly. Apparently the sight of my panic stricken face arcing behind the telly was priceless.

Believe me, it does get better, becomes econd nature after a while.

lost_in_thought

My suggestion to any new clipless rider is to set it up so the clip is as loose as possible, that way if you panic you will be able to pull your foot out of it no matter what, and as you get used to the sideways motion required to pull your foot out, then tighten them slowly.

I don't personally see the point in having them super-tight, although am as ever more than happy to be educated!

DonDaddyD

I think having them tight keeps your foot in a more steady position when clipped in so you can put more power down. I have my SPD-SL's on the loosest setting possible and my feet move around when clipped. On the flip-side I can get my feet out with great ease.

First thing I was told is that everyone falls over with clip-less. I practiced the clipping-out movement in the garden, fell over twice, once over the lawn mower. Saying that I fell over on a main road because I didn't plan ahead and tried to grab a railing while still moving couldn't stop the bike pushed myself of balance and ended on the floor.

Best advice was already given - just wanted to share my experience and thoughts that everyone falls over.

To recap:
- Set the clip-mechanism to loose so you can get your feet out easier and quicker.

- Plan/think ahead, this includes your immediate route, maneuvers, how, where your going to stop and how and where your going to push of (start pedaling again as your going to need to clip back in, this can be done at the lights if there are railings as you can balance yourself but you need to put yourself in that position) - it helps.

- Slow right down before you get to the lights but don't stop so you give the lights the opportunity to turn green before you need to clip out.

- Clip out if you think you need to stop and not when you have to stop.

- Always remember you can pedal (push down and pull up) with one leg to move off so there is no reason not to clip out.

knight2k

Happened to me once when I got home from the pub. I got to the driveway I share with my neighbour and found a giant tractor parked where his car normally is, the back wheels were taller than me!

The shock of that, and the fact I'd had a few beers, meant I completely forgot to try and unclip and fell very graciously. No damage though, except for pride, fortunately it was late at night so I wasn't spotted.

dirk_van_gently

tighten up the springs so tight, that when you put cleat to pedal you just can't clip in, that'll solve it

woodford2barbican

I did it two days ago - the first time since I started using SPDs.......which was 3 years ago!

ride_whenever

If they are spds, try multirelease cleats, that way just about any pull except stright up will unclip you!

2wheelzgood

whatever you do, dont try to do backward circles on a freehib bike clipped in! ouch.

Oh and if you are going to fall over, have the courtesy not to do it towards the car on your right! I have done it so many times best one was whilst cycling along side my walking girlfriend and about to hop up a curb on the single speed road bike thing
"its quite tricky and easy for this to go wrong"

front wheel up

"shit"

bang clatter (back wheel didn't hop very well.

dialforclown

I've done the failing to clip out trick a few times.

The last time was noticing the need to check my cleats for tightness, I decided to do it when I got home that night. However, when a I got to a set of traffic lights neither of my feet wanted to clip out so in a graceful heap I did fall, in front of an ambulance.

Real red face I think.