Does it happen to everyone?
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Posts: 11
Having just read fallendown's post about falling down when clipped in, I was wondering if anyone on this forum has never actually done this (I have, several times). Is it a rite of passage for all road cyclists? Apart from the embarrassment, has anyone been badly injured?
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Haven't fallen off road bike yet, have it since last August. Seems quite natural to clip in and out. Fell a few times clipped in on my MTB through unclipping the downward foot stopping sideways on an incline, then leaning towards the highside. No one ever saw me tho.MTB HardTail: GT Aggressor XC2 '09
Road Summer(s): Kuota Kharma '10
Road Winter(w): Carrera Virtuoso '10
Full Suspension: Trek Fuel Ex 8 '11
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Never fell off my road bike since going clipless, as above fell of MTB in much the same way felt my self going and decided to fall over towards the incline!
I did come off road bike whilst clipped in but dont think it counts, wheel got hooked up on a dodgy railway crossing and I got high sided off the bike, broke my fingers and dented my helmet......oh wait i did get unclipped!Felt AR4
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MTB Kona Kikapu Deluxe with a few upgrades!!0 -
yep done that when I was a teen in front of every girl I knew at the time, they were all in my neighbors houseLappiere X-Control 210
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Fuji track
Treck 1500 with Campag
Soon to be Colnago Masters0 -
I have never admitted that there were 3 occasions when it may or may not have happened. Allegedly.0
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Been clipless for 18 months now and no falls. The LBS fitted them for me and wouldnt let me leave until I had mastered it around the car park. Cheers Certini.Sirrus Comp 2010 (commuting)
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In the classical sense (slow down to a stop at a junction, wide-eyed look on face quickly followed by panicked look, bike slowly topples over sideways..) I think it's only happened to me once, within a day or two of first trying clipless pedals many years ago.
However, I've had 2 or 3 incidents since then with "extenuating circumstances"... (in many years of cycling). These have either been due to the cleat/pedal mechanism malfunctioning and jamming (once in an old MTB SPD where part of the clip on the pedal actually broke off and jammed the mechanism, and once or twice when my speedplay zero cleats have jammed with gravel), or else to a highly embarrassing phenomenon I shall call the "Stationary MAp Reading Tumble", or SMART. Or NOT SMART rather...
This usually happens at a major junction, town square or other populated area, often with lots of people watching from cafes. You have drawn into the side of the road to consult a map. You have fully stopped and your right foot is unclipped and resting on the ground while the left foot is still clipped in. With both hands removed from the handlebars to hold the map, the front wheel suddenly turns around 90 degrees because you are leaning slightly to the right, and you quickly find yourself on the ground with your left leg horizontal and still attached to the bike... At this point a modicum of dignity could still be saved if you were able to quickly unclip, jump to your feet and laugh it off as a careless momentary slip. Unfortunately however it is quite difficult to unclip while in this position, as the angle of your leg and the weight of the bike hanging off it make the normal outwards twisting motion surprisingly difficult to accomplish... You can console yourself that the next 30 seconds of fumbling will probably be the comical highlight of the month for all of your spectators...0 -
I've never done it at a junction, but a couple of times with 'extenuating circumstances'.
Once was just after losing and catching the rear wheel mid-corner, I came to a halt on the verge in a state of terror and forgot to unclip, so fell over (done in full view of a club run). The other was on the MTB on a Welsh gravel track going up a mountain that just kept getting steeper. Eventually I was spinning like a washing machine in bottom gear and couldn't keep enough forward momentum to either keep going or unclip. Slowly toppled over doing about 1mph and ended up in a gorse bush. Nobody saw that one apart from a few surprised-looking sheep.0 -
i've been riding clipless for 4 years (spuds and -sls) and only had offs that involve cars - both times my popped out of the cleats without my even having to think!
i had plenty of wobbly panic moments at junctions in the first few weeks of using spuds, but was lucky enough to lean the right way or wrench my foot out in time. when i switched to -sls the problem was more that i couldn't clip in, but i seem to have gotten the hang of it now!0 -
Cycling out with a group of guys from work. There were parked cars on my side of the road and I slowed down behind a car that was waiting for our turn to go. I was please with how I managed to balance until the car moved off. Unfortunately it stalled and I had to stop very suddenly. I didn't manage to un-clip and crashed to the ground. I landed very heavily on my shoulder but that was fine because there were no marks or scratches on the bike. Phew!.0
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I'd say more have fallen than haven't.
I've lost 10% range of movement in my right elbow from a first time clipless fall. I was more careful the next time!Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי0 -
Can't say i'v fallen of because of the pedals, hit some grit on a roundabout and ended up on my arse tho.0
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As with others I learnt to fall off on an MTB so have not had an unclipping moment on the Road bike. Did have one on the FG though but that was my fault for trying to trackstand in the rush hour in London. :oops:0
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Well it happened to me, about 3 times now. The last time there was enough blood and embarrassment to make sure I didn't do it again. Err maybe not, just recalled a 4th time. I passed a friend, then stopped to allow him to catch up. Both feet clipped in, one hand on fence. I removed my other hand from the bars and it was all FAIL. :roll:0
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my worst example (and last - about 5y ago) was on abbey road in London at a certain well known zebra crossing (yes that one).... had a heavy rucksack on (was just before i fitted carrier/panniers)... just as I approached the crossing a japanese tourist (worse than normal pedestrians) decided to stop on the crossing to have her picture taken so I stopped, forgot to unclip and toppled over, coming to rest on my back with both legs straight up and the bike above me... highly amusing to said tourists... who then proceeded to take pictures... :oops: :oops:Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph0
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My one incident to date was upon joining the queue to start a sportive - unclipped left, went right... on £5k of Cervelo that didn't belong to me. :oops:
Luckily I took the damage, not the bike.0 -
In one of my early spd adventures I decided that i could kill two birds with one stone. Have a bike ride and exercise a 36kg Greyhound. Even more stupdily I thought this would best be achieved with one of those extendable lead jobbies,.
Greyhounds can hit 40mph in several strides. Greyhound sees rabbit.You can use your imagination.
What's even more stunning about my ineptitude is why oh why didnt I just let go?Mud to Mudguards. The Art of framebuilding.
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Only ever done this when using toe-clips, never with SPD's.
Learned to track-stand since then though so I don't need to unclip when I stop. 8)FTT
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I nearly did this at the weekend, after MANY years of using clipless pedals, went to make a U turn on a narrow road, mis judged it and nearly tipped myself on the grass bank.
Lesson - No matter how long you have used them, they can still (nearly) catch you out.0 -
First time was in my living room. Testing saddle height. Clipped myself in, pushed myself too far from the wall, hit the deck. You'd think a landing on a soft carpet would be fine - the large front ring went into the back of my calf and I now have a semi-circular scar that looks like a shark bit me (that's what I tell the ladies anyway).0
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On the road it has never happened to me, I've come close several times when coming to a stop at junctions. I have stopped using SPDs on the mtb though as I struggle to get in and out quickly enough for my liking on technical bits.0
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pbt150 wrote:Only ever done this when using toe-clips, never with SPD's.
Learned to track-stand since then though so I don't need to unclip when I stop. 8)
Me too. It used to happen to me fairly regularly 20 years ago with toe clips with the straps tight. Clipless pedals allow your foot out easily in comparison.0 -
I've not had an SPD incident on my road bike (been using SPD SLs for about 2yrs now), but that said, I've been using SPDs (M737) on my mtb since the about 1991, so clipping out is second nature to me.
I don't remember having any incidents on the road with them, but I'm sure I've been caught out at tricky rocks/roots etc, and ended up in a heap, still clipped in !Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved0 -
Usually read these threads with a smug smirk on my face having had no issues on moving to SPDs in a year & confident straight away.
Until...On the way home on Friday in horrible Peterborough city centre traffic (bypass was blocked so pretty much gridlock everywhere).
Balancing on bike, waiting for colleague to move, slipping through two lanes of traffic & extremely slow comedy fall to the side I usually unclip!!! Had to laugh as it was so slow.
Didnt turn around tho - I bet all the drivers were laughing. :oops:0 -
Never happened to me and I've been riding them since the first Looks came out in the 80s.
I have fallen over with toeclips before. I was at traffic lights resting on a barrier. The lights went to green and I moved off - in too big a gear and rode into a grid that twisted my wheel and I fell sideways - still strapped in. Ow.0