Embarrassing clipless moment

dondare

I don't normally push to the front at lights, I wait in line, but this morning the advance box was empty and the cyclist ahead of me was waiting in the shade and didn't want to move into the box which was exposed to the full heat of the morning sun. So I began to ease past him, lost my balance and fell sideways onto him. Luckily he didn't go over and eventually pushed me upright again.
I really did feel a right prat. If you saw this event (top of Archway) this morning then that was me, and I feel very stupid.

bails87

dondare wrote:

Oooo, look where I fell totally by accident. Good catch, those are some big strong hands.......

notsoblue

bails87 wrote:

dondare wrote:

Oooo, look where I fell totally by accident. Good catch, those are some big strong hands.......

I'm getting used to road cleats, every time I set off from the lights theres awkward fumbling.

Cafewanda

I'm waiting for mine to arrive then I'll be joining you all

keyser__soze

Getting used to mine slowly but surely, but there've been some awkward moments where I think I'm clipped in but I'm not and I push down and the shoe comes off the pedal, usually with an almighty noise, causing me to wobble left. This happened at the VBR lights the other night and I almost got left-hooked as the guy in the car behind me must've thought I was turning left. At least my SPDs have nice rubber soles that grip on the pedals even if I miss slightly, whereas the carbon soles of my road shoes are slipperier than a greased weasel.

paulus69

I had an embarassing fall after fiting mine earlier in the year. I fitted the pedals/cleats to shoes and went for a pedal around the block clipping in and out to get used to it.

I then cycled up my path only to forget I had the "magic shoes" on and didn't unclip in time, cue much amusement from my neighbour watching me fall slowly bike and all.

He must have assumed it was my first time on a bike!

Kieran_Burns

The bit that bugs me is when you get flustered trying to clip in and the bloody pedals are swinging merrily away and you cannot get your foot in.

Then when you miss and the swing just gets worse and worse....

I'm just crap with clipless :oops:

pixiedancingking

I am happy to hear many similar stories to my own. I only started road cycling properly last summer and only this year made the switch to clipless.

My neighbour who got me into road cycling (with the kind loan of his winter Cannondale) rarely unclips while we're out riding. I however, unclip at least half a mile before every junction/traffic light. (Just to be sure)

Been using them for about 3 months and can sympathise with the awkward fumbling flustered feeling when setting off at lights. I don't wanna be holding people up.

dondare

bails87 wrote:

dondare wrote:

Oooo, look where I fell totally by accident. Good catch, those are some big strong hands.......

Well it's one way of breaking the ice. And he was very nice about it, considering.

king_jeffers

paulus69 wrote:

I had an embarassing fall after fiting mine earlier in the year. I fitted the pedals/cleats to shoes and went for a pedal around the block clipping in and out to get used to it.

I then cycled up my path only to forget I had the "magic shoes" on and didn't unclip in time, cue much amusement from my neighbour watching me fall slowly bike and all.

He must have assumed it was my first time on a bike!

So pleased I'm not alone... I posted this in the rants thread from the other day:

Usually I maintain/check my bike and cleats every weekend, the last two weekends have been really busy and I've let it slip... I noticed my left foot was sticking to the pedal on the way home but still came loose with a bit of jiggling. So, I'm just about to pull up to my house, approach the front door, apply brakes but my foot won't come out! Argh! Ooof! Right over onto the gravel - left shoe still attached to pedal... Infront of the the WHOLE street, just I was was cursing a really nice lady (classic looking type, very nice) walks past and asks me if I'm okay. Made me forget about the stones implanted in my forearm

Anyway short of it is, one of the screws fell out of the cleats on the way home, the cleat is now locked in the pedal until I get time to take it out. Job for the weekend and a new pair of cleats needed, unless I can find the screw!

Also had a wobble in front of white van man + friends a view weeks ago, got some nice cheers :P

paulus69

[quote="King Jeffers
So pleased I'm not alone...

Add to ths the time i was cycling up the hill towards teh car park in afan and ran out of steam and just fell over in front of everyone.

jds_1981

It can be worse on the tube, especially when trying to do something with both hands such as reading the paper. Back in the tubing days I once managed to get caught off balance and ended up sat on some poor other chaps lap...

hfidgen

Had 2 falls in first 2 weeks using SPDs and since then *touch wood* it's been OK!

1st was trying to explain to a lorry driver why overtaking me on a wet road and slamming on his air brakes was inconsiderate at best. Leaned at a dodgy angle trying to talk up to him in his cab and promptly gave him a big laugh when i toppled over. :oops:

2nd was having stopped to let a bus back out into traffic - the stopping bit was fine, pulling my face off the tarmac with a queue of traffic behind me was less so

rubertoe

Generally when pulling away at lights on a hill (going skywards) results in a few wobbles - but no falling over moments (now wait til i finish my commute home for the amusing falling over moment that is now inevitably due )

mossychops

I rolled off last weekend, was cycling across a field with a mate, we'd stopped for some reason and just as I clipped in when moving off the front wheel went into a dip and I rolled over sideways. He thinks this is hilarious and keeps bringing it up and laughing about it. He is getting some clipless pedals soon - is it cruel to not warn him? I'm sure those with clipless pedals don't find it so funny.

chadders81

I must be due a fall one day soon. I can guarantee it won't be on a quiet street but probably outside Clapham South tube when loads of people are about to cross at the lights.

Kieran_Burns

Chadders81 wrote:

I must be due a fall one day soon. I can guarantee it won't be on a quiet street but probably outside Clapham South tube when loads of people are about to cross at the lights.

You must remember to complete the comedy moment by not moving at all and gracefully toppling sideways while maintaining a grip on the bars and stern expression.

the_fuggler

Only time I've ever gone over was right in the middle of Reading town centre. Worse still, it was right outside a bike shop and in front of a large crowd of people... :oops:

Koncordski

I always screw it up when i'm on a roll and sitting at the front of the pack waiting to go from the lights. Queue spinning left peddle and missed clip-ins whilst everyone else locks in and blasts away. Never happens when i'm at the back! :roll:

kevess

I've always used Look cleats and never really had a problem, but did manage to make an a*s* of myself in the days when I used leather toe straps.

Tearing down to the Robin Hood Roundabout on the A3 in the pouring rain one murky evening, I joined the Q at the lights to filter right up Kingston Hill. Slowing to a stop nicely in the middle of the lane between two cars, almost stationery, time to pull the foot clear. I never used to bother with the release, just yank up and out came your foot.

But soggy leather pulled tight wouldn't respond, by the time I'd realised I'd need to tug twice I was already at 45 degrees and passed the point of no return. Down I went doing the K_B comedy moment, no damage done bar the ego. :oops:

rjsterry

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Chadders81 wrote:

I must be due a fall one day soon. I can guarantee it won't be on a quiet street but probably outside Clapham South tube when loads of people are about to cross at the lights.

You must remember to complete the comedy moment by not moving at all and gracefully toppling sideways while maintaining a grip on the bars and stern expression.

Bonus points for rolling over onto your back with bike still attached, now pointing up in the air.

Kieran_Burns

Ahhhh... you've just reminded me of a moment when I was at school

End of the school day - everyone getting on buses or walking to the crossing lady / whatever, and one lad in my year cycles past everyone on his brand new 'racer' with toe-clips. (absolutely brand new - the envy of the year)

Gets to the junction where's he's turning right onto the main road and in front of the whole school gently topples over to the left.

Christ, did we laugh - poor bugger couldn't get his feet out even when he was on the floor. The daft get had tightened the straps to make sure his feet didn't move at all - didn't think the plan through obviously.

It took quite a while for anyone to stop laughing long enough to help him out

Applespider

I wonder if he's ever been on a bike again...

Haven't done the topple yet but did once have to emergency stop behind a learner moped who stopped for no apparent reason. Back wheel went way up in the air, I somehow twisted in mid air, came back down perpendicular to where I'd been and with both shoes still clipped in. Then did a v rapid unclip to avoid the topple.

LIke Chadders, I'm sure to be due one either in a horribly embarrassing or as a bus rumbles up alongside... :shock:

jds_1981

I'm yet to have a clipless moment. I'm still not great at clipping in though & it can take a few revolutions before I'm in on the fixie..

redvee

rjsterry wrote:

Bonus points for rolling over onto your back with bike still attached, now pointing up in the air.

Done that with real clipless pedals, none of this cleats rubbish. I was in the centre of Bath, riding through where the new Southgate shopping centre is, as a 7 year old showing off on his Chipper, aka baby chopper, so I pulled a wheelie and ended up on my back with the bike on top of me and no sympathy whatsoever from my Dad :oops:

Initialised

Groan, had mine today, into some nettles on Hadrian's Way. No harm done. Then did it again in as my kids stopped to look at some golfers. They found my writhing on the floor trying to free my foot most amusing.

Best to get it out of the way on a cycle track where there's no chance of getting flattened by an artic.

optimisticbiker

rjsterry wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Chadders81 wrote:

I must be due a fall one day soon. I can guarantee it won't be on a quiet street but probably outside Clapham South tube when loads of people are about to cross at the lights.

You must remember to complete the comedy moment by not moving at all and gracefully toppling sideways while maintaining a grip on the bars and stern expression.

Bonus points for rolling over onto your back with bike still attached, now pointing up in the air.

Ah - done that one, at the Abbey Road zebra crossing... bunch of Japanese tourists decided to stop on x-ing to take pics as I approached... tried to unclip but it wouldn't (I'd tightened them up a bit cos it was coming loose and unclipping when i didnt want to). In those days i had a heavy rucsac (before i got panniers) and just toppled over and rolled onto my back with the bike above me... embarrasing... :oops: and they took pictures too

Kieran_Burns

OptimisticBiker wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Chadders81 wrote:

I must be due a fall one day soon. I can guarantee it won't be on a quiet street but probably outside Clapham South tube when loads of people are about to cross at the lights.

You must remember to complete the comedy moment by not moving at all and gracefully toppling sideways while maintaining a grip on the bars and stern expression.

Bonus points for rolling over onto your back with bike still attached, now pointing up in the air.

Ah - done that one, at the Abbey Road zebra crossing... bunch of Japanese tourists decided to stop on x-ing to take pics as I approached... tried to unclip but it wouldn't (I'd tightened them up a bit cos it was coming loose and unclipping when i didnt want to). In those days i had a heavy rucsac (before i got panniers) and just toppled over and rolled onto my back with the bike above me... embarrasing... :oops: and they took pictures too