Falling Off

samhedges

I just fitted a set of SPD pedals to my road bike and had my first go clipped in. Within ten minutes I'd fallen off twice, once into a hedge and wall, breaking the latter and the second time just on to my side, spraining my hand/wrist and grazing my knee and ankle.

So anyway, I was just wondering if many other forumites had embarrassing falling off tales to share?

mr_goo

Towards the end of the New Forest Rattler last year at the top of Blissford Hill (25%). Managed to avoid the photographer in middle of road before cramping up in both legs and keeling over fully clipped in. Language Timothy!

doublem_1

Can I ask, did you adjust the pedals so that they clip in and out easier? Also, try it out whilst leant against a wall or something so you get used to it. Just try and remember to twist not lift .

samhedges

I haven't tightened them yet, my friend told me that on his when they came, they were so loose that when he pulled up when he was climbing so I haven't touched them. I'm due a service and set up from my LBS so I'll get them to adjust the tightness and my cleat alignment. I'm going for another ride today so cue a load more falling off. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sooner or later... I hope

MichaelW

Is this a brand new roadbike and you a brand new rider or can you trackstand and ride to an advanced level?

Some people start their SPD career by fitting one side only. They practice release drills to embed muscle memory and start out on some safe ground like a grassy knoll.

desweller

I've not done it via brain fade, but I once unclipped on the side I meant to dab down with and then got blown the other way by a stinking crosswind. Just managed to get the other foot out in time, but it was not pretty; wound up splayed across the bike at 45 degrees.

samhedges

It's my first road bike but I was able to trackstand with my toe straps. Now to pluck up the courage and try it with these. I went for another ride today without falling off ( though I did come close). My right side is really tight to pull off so I might have to loosen that one a little..

tiredofwhiners

SamHedges wrote:

IMy right side is really tight to pull off so I might have to loosen that one a little..

Just worth confirming that you mean 'twist off' to the side and that you're not actually trying to pull them off by lifting ?

Frank the tank

I think most if not all have had an off while adjusting to the use of clipless pedals.

It's a rights of passage.

badly_dubbed

never had a problem when i started riding clipped in....some do some dont just came naturally

never fell either in them

(now ive said it im gonna faceplant!)

OffTheBackAdam

Many years ago, the club went through Clumber Park. All bar one twat went over the footbridge to cross the river, one twat went through the ford.
That water was cold & I received no sensible pieces of advice on how to get up without getting soaked.

adm1

Pretty much everybody has at least one "clipless moment"....

Mine was on my mountain bike. Sideways into the biggest puddle of mud within miles. Bike ended up on top of me and I couldn't clip out from that position.

Luckily, nobody was around to see it.

desweller

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

Many years ago, the club went through Clumber Park. All bar one fool went over the footbridge to cross the river, one fool went through the ford.
That water was cold & I received no sensible pieces of advice on how to get up without getting soaked.

mfin

tiredofwhiners wrote:

SamHedges wrote:

IMy right side is really tight to pull off so I might have to loosen that one a little..

Just worth confirming that you mean 'twist off' to the side and that you're not actually trying to pull them off by lifting ?

He must be. You can wind the tension full up on SPD pedals and yet still twist out nice and easily when the technique is a twist of the heel outward with no lift.

alihisgreat

SamHedges wrote:

I just fitted a set of SPD pedals to my road bike and had my first go clipped in. Within ten minutes I'd fallen off twice, once into a hedge and wall, breaking the latter and the second time just on to my side, spraining my hand/wrist and grazing my knee and ankle.

So anyway, I was just wondering if many other forumites had embarrassing falling off tales to share?

I've only ever come close when my chain dropped as I was standing up to accelerate out of a junction.. and even then I still unclipped in time.


I seriously don't see how people have these 'clipless moments'

freddiegrubb

Puzzles me as well, my daughter had it in 5mins. flat - school playground - 1 shoe - 1trainer- ride round in circles- swap feet - repeat - then 2 shoes - in-out till boredom sets in, no problems since . Until it becomes second nature remember the mantra- feet feet feet.

nwallace

I started clipless on the MTB for a reason...

It's not so much memory issues for me as panic issues, if I stall I need out quick and for some reason when you need out quick, your feet just didn't want to unclip.

Not fallen on the road while clipped in yet, but then there's a lot less reasons to be stopping suddenly on the road and I've tuned clipping out to go with knowing I'm about to stop, which is a bit different from going up a a slight rise and miss judging the ability to roll over a rock.

islwyn

I fell off at the lights on my first run out, standard that I think!

My best story is I kitted out one of my friends with my old SPDs, when teaching him into clipping in/out he seemed to pick it up pretty quickly but I wanted him to do a few laps of his road before we hit the road properly, moral of the story, he quickly got co(c)ky about it - next minute he pulls up to me, literally balancing the bike intentionally, forgets to clip out and topples over in ultra slow motion.

WISH I had filmed it.

samhedges

No, I was twisting and they always have come out, just feels as though it shouldn't be quite so difficult..

nwallace

SamHedges wrote:

No, I was twisting and they always have come out, just feels as though it shouldn't be quite so difficult..

On all my bikes, despite knowing that all springs are set at their loosest, the left foot is always more difficult to remove.
This indicates either I need to set up the cleat differently on the left foot, or my left foot has a different range of motion from my right... Which is odd as it's my right ankle that's got problems.

dmclite-3.0

Anticipate your clipping out and practise, simples.

Blacktemplar

To a degree, I think it depends on how long you've been riding without cleats before you start, simply because ingrained instinct is a powerful beast;

Instinct says;

‘if required to execute an emergency stop, lift foot from pedal and place on ground, bringing bicycle to rest in an upright position’.

What it most definitely doesn’t say is;

‘if required to execute an emergency stop, realise at the last instant your foot is nailed to the pedal, panic, and struggle briefly to pull free by brute force, forgetting to twist cleat free, then fall sideways onto road surface to the general amusement of the watching public, bringing bicycle to rest in a horizontal position’

In my case, the second time I was out on my shiny new road bike, I was forced to stop suddenly when a car jumped the red in front of me. Cue a slow-motion fall onto the pavement beside a bus. I looked up to see the faces of several small children gawping from the bus window. I could almost hear their question;

“Mummy, why is that man rolling about on the pavement with a bike on top of him and blood pouring out of his knee?”
“Because he’s a tw@t darling”

Gizmo_

I always say the same two things...

1. Anyone who uses clipless pedals and says "I haven't fallen off" and omitted the "...yet" from the end of the sentence.
2. When you've been out for a ride with your domestique and decide to pull a massive childish skid, remember you're clipped in.

samhedges

I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.. eventually

Initialised

I got a nice scar on my chin from my worst clipless moment. Poorly indexed rear derailer jumped the chain off into the void between cassette and spokes on a climb bringing me to a halt. Chin hit my bar ends. Had only been riding clipped in for a few weeks at the time. Last time I went sideways I was clipped out before I hit the ground. Muscle memory is great.

alihisgreat

Initialised wrote:

I got a nice scar on my chin from my worst clipless moment. Poorly indexed rear derailer jumped the chain off into the void between cassette and spokes on a climb bringing me to a halt. Chin hit my bar ends. Had only been riding clipped in for a few weeks at the time. Last time I went sideways I was clipped out before I hit the ground. Muscle memory is great.

Good form to not have your dork disk on though!

ianwilson86

I have just been out on my first road bike ride with my first ever clip-in pedals (road) I was going through town to get out onto some quiet roads and came off due to a bus screwing around. I was trying to take off again on an uphill and was in too high a gear and tumbled to my right, couldn't get my foot out in time... Right in front of a bar with outside seating too!! Bust seat and even more bust pride!! :oops:

Suppose its all a learning curve hu? It is tough getting used to clip-in pedals though!

ianwilson86

Blacktemplar wrote:

To a degree, I think it depends on how long you've been riding without cleats before you start, simply because ingrained instinct is a powerful beast;

Instinct says;

‘if required to execute an emergency stop, lift foot from pedal and place on ground, bringing bicycle to rest in an upright position’.

What it most definitely doesn’t say is;

‘if required to execute an emergency stop, realise at the last instant your foot is nailed to the pedal, panic, and struggle briefly to pull free by brute force, forgetting to twist cleat free, then fall sideways onto road surface to the general amusement of the watching public, bringing bicycle to rest in a horizontal position’

In my case, the second time I was out on my shiny new road bike, I was forced to stop suddenly when a car jumped the red in front of me. Cue a slow-motion fall onto the pavement beside a bus. I looked up to see the faces of several small children gawping from the bus window. I could almost hear their question;

“Mummy, why is that man rolling about on the pavement with a bike on top of him and blood pouring out of his knee?”
“Because he’s a tw@t darling”

Describes my fall today almost perfectly... its the worst...especially busting parts of your new bike!!