Clipless moment...Almost!

Wickers

Mine was about four weeks into first owning a set, for of that time I'd been paranoid about it, and it was never going to happen, I used to unclip was in advance of junctions, such was my fear about making a cock of myself It wasn't the fear of injury that had me being over cautious.

After about four weeks I became nonch about them, and totally forgot outside my house. Luckily fell onto grass, so paint and skin were untouched. No-one about luckily. It's now second nature and I don't even think about it, as I'm sure most don't.

I did recently change from SPD to SPD-L, and that was a bit of a shocker. Not the unclipping but the snapping in. With SPD you just whack your foot down and away you go, but I soon found out it's not quite the same with SPD-L. I've hit the underside of the pedal quite a few times when pulling away, to be followed by embarrasing half shuffle half pedal moments, and a lot of cursing. I think I'm about there with them now.

BlueScot

No. 1.: In a bike shop in Florence being sized up for a rental bike. Shop guy encourages me to sit on the bike while he holds it. He has my weight so, for some reason, I decide to clip in my SPDs just to give me the full bike feel. The guy loosens his hold a little not realising I'm cleated in and expecting me to put my foot down. Yours truly falls over in slow motion, taking out a whole row of rental bikes on their stands like a row of dominoes. It's hard to look professional sprawled on top of three bikes in a shop.

No. 2: Six months later, we are overtaken by 100 guys on Harley Davidsons out in the country. Five minutes later we catch up to them as they are all waiting for stragglers. It appears they are about to set off, so rather than overtake them all, I slow down, waiting for them to pull away. Suddenly I realise that they aren't setting off, but by now I'm very close to the rear of the group and I'm moving too slowly to uncleat my SPD-SLs. I finish up sprawled behind all these middle-aged, leather clad bikers staring down at me in their rear view mirrors!
As long as it's only my pride I hurt, it's not a problem

bilirubin

Loving this thread, it should be made a sticky and kept at the top.

Trinafour

Been riding spd's since April, had 1 minor fall on first outing.

However came off just over 3 weeks ago, while stationary, just had lifted right foot off the ground then tumbled. Bashed my elbow. One of these where you feel the waves of nausea washing over you!

Fractured elbow so off to my first physio appointment this afternoon to see what can be done as currently got a bent arm that won't straighten. Such is life!

Desperate to get back cycling again but waiting to see what the physio says today.

slowondefy2

redvee wrote:

Had a near-misses recently. Tried to pull up when the crank was at BDC [(bottom dead centre) I assume?] :oops:

Odd - I find it much easier to unclip with the pedal at the bottom, almost impossible with it at the top. With normal pedals I usually take a foot off from the top, and the other foot that stays on at the bottom - I have to completely change my habits now I've got clipless.

dmch2

I always unclip from the bottom too

redvee

Just had a thought. I've been riding for over half my life with clipless pedals. Introduced by Shimano in 1990 and IIRC I got a pair in 1991 with the nice green shoes.

Butterd2

I've been using SPD's since 1994. Only retired the original set of pedals a couple of weeks ago as the bearings had loosened up and I could not get them apart to tighten.

No unclipping moments since the obligatory first fall fortunately but very nearly had a clipping in moment also on the Marie Blanque this year when setting off on the hill in a very low gear and trying to clip in in a hurry resulted in a very impressive wheelie complete loss of control and careering across the road onto the opposite verge.

To the Q above I don't believe SPD were ever meant to be "safer", they are more efficient and more comfortable, if you want safe get some elbow pads when you first go clipless!

d87heaven

Not been clipless on the road yet............but that hasn't prevented me from falling over.
I was practising unclipping and the next minute I was laying on the floor of my living room wedged up against the sofa with the bike still attached to one foot. What an idiot :roll: How this happend I don't know. I don't trust myself on the road now. Think I might just put normal flats back on it.

Red Devil

:roll: Yup thought I had got the hang of it - ventured further than before got some good hills under my belt, went for a long steep climb ran out of steam forgot about clipping out - sudden realisation that tarmac was beckoning...you know the rest

On a serious note glad no vehicles etc were behind me

Elbow pads are a good idea... as a beginner aged 47 I may need em plus lots of padding


Chris

dmch2

I somehow avoided one tonight. At a t junction with 2 cars in front, i saw a big gap both cars accelerated forward, engines revving.

So i started off and glanced down to see which way up the other pedal was.

Bump.

The 2nd car had decided not to go and had stopped sharply. My fault obviously but no damage etc between tyre and bumper. Possibly they didn't realise but i made a point of looking closely at the bumber, apologetically raising hand, mouthing sorry etc.

Luckily i wobbled the 'right' way to get my unclipped foot back down.

They then passed on half a dozen huge gaps before finally going...

wheeled_warrior

Waiting at TLs in the turn-right lane of a particularly busy road.

I did my usual of taking my left foot out, and planting it on the floor. Safe as houses. Thinking nothing could possibly go wrong, I decided to move my bike laterally a little towards the left, so I wouldn't hold up the traffic behind. To achieve this, I applied the front brake, applied pressure to the handlebars, and scooted the back wheel towards the left, right foot still stapled.

The following microsecond saw me struggling like a hummingbird in distress, as my weight shifted to the right into no-mans land. Somehow, wildly, I got my foot out before I kissed the tarmac. Then the lights changed.

The van behind couldn't wait to get ahead of me - I'm not surprised.

Tom BB

Had a few.....all mtb though (stopping more I guess!)......Saved one last week when I was almost 45 degrees over-managed to just unclip in time (Let out a rather girly yelp though )

Weekend before I was standing with my left foot unclipped at the start of a trail....leaned to the right and promptly fell over :oops:

deswahriff

..in three months of clipless riding I've had 2....first was trying to do too many things approaching a right turn - I was trying to change gear, brake and steer, totally missed my line and realised I was going to take the turn way too wide....slammed on the brakes and toppled gracefully into the verge. To their credit, the witnesses showed concern...

Second was daft..took the bike out for a spin round the block as I'd been playing with the bar position - pulled up outside my house, total brain fade after a week on the hybrid, and forgot i was clipped in...gracefull topple into my drive. My neighbour across the road commented appropriately!!.

What I have learned is this:
1. don't stick your arm out to try to save yourself, you'll only hurt. or worse, your wrist. Just roll onto your shoulder
2. I do a "half unclip" approaching junctions (Look Keo Classics, btw), where I unclip the heel part but leave the toe in..then I can instantly get my foot down if i have to stop, or equally instantly press back down to fully engage again if its ok to carry on...
3.... and I still practise regularly in the hope it all becomes second nature...!!