Worst places you have done a Del Boy on your bike ?

Raffles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqmqO1n-U_E

If anybody says they have never gone over like a tree being felled with their feet stuck in the pedals.........then they are a spoofer and nobody here will believe them , here is MY personal tale of woe:

I remember once cycling past a girls grammar school and thinking to myself gosh I wish I was in 6th form all over again then as my mind was distracted didnt a woman driver (isnt it always women drivers :roll: ) stood on her brakes and I saw it at the last moment and couldnt get my feet free. As a bunch of girls who could have featured on baywatch passed me on the kerb I went over like a tree being felled in a forest and hit the ground like a tonne of bricks as my bike went sprawling :oops:

I WAS MORTIFIED !!!!!!!

Would love to read your clipless pedals tales of shame

nunowoolmez

Mine was on one of my first outings in clipless. Was pottering along Camden High St on a lovely hot summers day, completely minding my own, taking in the scene. As i was passing throuigh the market the rider infront broke suddenly & sharply & as i wasn't completely concentrating I got myself in a fiddle & didn't manage to clip out, & hit the deck infront of a bunch of teenage girls, who thought this was hilarious. Much laughter ensued by all bystanders & i eventually got myself sorted & said "It's ok, i'm fine".

Not done it since, yet...

chrisaonabike

Mine was having overtaken a long line of stationary cars coming down a hill to some traffic lights. It was on my second trip out on a bike in about 25 years, and as I got to the lights I braked to a stop just as they changed to green.

The bike had toeclips, and I failed to get my foot out in time, so I keeled over at 0 mph (more or less exactly like Del Boy in the OP's clip), right in front of the traffic which had by now just started to come up the hill, and right next to the cars on my side that had now moved off.

I was mostly shielded by the island the lights were on, so there was no danger. But it was quite embarrassing sorting myself out as two lines of traffic came past on both sides, many mouthing "are you Ok" at me...

No hot girls, fortunately, at least none that I noticed.

thegreatdivide

In the house testing out my new pedals :shock:

I was clipped in and leaning against the wall. Pushed out a little bit too far and went over. My head just missed the corner on the coffee table and the teeth on the big ring went into my calf. What a tw*t!

Ricey83

I'm taking my clipless out for their 1st run tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have a few stories of my own by this time tomorrow

Mikey23

In the road outside my house on setting out and in front of all the neighbours and their kids playing

Rigga

I'm actually surprised there aren't more serious injuries due to clipless pedals. I.E. someone falling into the road and then getting splattered by a lorry!

cougie

I've never done it with clipless pedals - even when learning to ride with them 25 years back...

Now with clips and straps - I've gone down at traffic lights after resting on a handily placed telephone junction box so I didnt have to unstrap. Set off in too big a gear - hit a hole on the road and went down like a sack of spuds.

bluedoggy

I swerved past a huge dog sh!t as i mounted the curb only to slip on another huge turd. Couldn't clip out quick enough and landed hard on another fucking dog sh!t. My tights where smeared something shocking. Luckily it was a night and no one was around. I'll never forget that I tell you:( I'm sure if someone witnessed that they would of pissed themselves laughing. What pissed me off more was someone let there dog do that and not pick it up. Can't believe that it all came from one animal. Not happy that day. :x

diplodicus

Never done it on my road bike, but learnt to use clipless while mtbing.

Once while out on my marin clipped in with my brand new shoes on I came upon a gate at the bottom of a hill. I slowed to stop to open gate and unclipped my right foot but I noticed a large amount of cow crap just where I was about to place my new shoe. Decided to put the other foot down instead so proceeded to lean to the other side of the bike. Unfortunately now had the wrong side unclipped, result muddy from heel to helmet one side.

Marcryan206

First ride with my new shoes. Come up to a set of traffic lights at front of the queue when I forget to unclip fall flat on the floor. Traffic coming the other way and some lady asks are you ok? I jump up quick as can, and say I'm fine thank you. Not once looked back at the car behind me out of embarrassment!! Rode hope with a bruised elbow and ego.
That was the only time thank god!!!

desweller

Never done it.

Did once manage to crash whilst riding along a straight road though.

arthur_scrimshaw

On the mtb between rows of queuing supercars trying to get into the Festival of Speed, a lot were convertibles with their roofs down, most sporting significantly attractive females either driving or in the passenger seats. Tried to laugh it off and probably failed miserably. Managed to avoid doing any damage to expensive paintwork (on the cars that is) and beat a rapid retreat.

lotus49

Ricey83 wrote:

I'm taking my clipless out for their 1st run tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have a few stories of my own by this time tomorrow

In that case, make sure you practise somewhere relatively safe first. I was quite surprised how hard you have to twist your foot even with the tension on the lowest setting so it's worth practising clipping in and clipping out somewhere where your mistakes won't have too much in the way of consequences.

It's also worth making sure that they are set on the lowest tension, otherwise you may end up remembering to unclip but just not being able to in time. I am only familiar with SPD-SL pedals but I dare say other types of pedal have something similar to adjust the tension of the spring.

They are good though - I love mine.

crispybug2

Happened to me first time riding with the Look delta's, riding up a small incline, there's a small mini roundabout halfway up, check left and right, suddenly a car comes quickly from my right, jam the brakes on ...look at feet....."SHOITE!!!!!!".....fall gracefully and elegantly to my left, never done it since though.




p.s. As an aside, what I love most about that Del Boy scene is that Stewart Lee hates it and he hates even more that people really like it and he REALLY hates it that it's far, far, far more popular than him!!

Alex W

Outside my own house! I’d just started using road pedals rather than SPD’s. Outside our house I usually turn right uphill. I always clip in my right foot first. As I was setting off turning right, I was so intent on clipping my left foot in, having failed to engage first time, that the fact that my bike was tipping over to the right escaped my attention until it was too late. As luck would have it, I was able to provide comic entertainment for several neighbours. How embarrassing. Not long after that I went back to using SPD’s.

Jauncarlos67

Still find myself laughing at myself, first time I clipped in was in my garage with my "brand new" Wilier.
And this was also my first time in Lycra shorts just to set the scene.

So there I am in my shiny new Lycra shorts just clipped in and noticed my 12 year old daughter and four of her friends watching me, and my balance went, I didn't even get one pedal stroke in and I'm off lying there legs in the air still clipped in trying not to get my new pride and joy scratched, and to add insult to injury, they started to call their mums who were in my garden.

oldwelshman

Raffles wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqmqO1n-U_E

If anybody says they have never gone over like a tree being felled with their feet stuck in the pedals.........then they are a spoofer and nobody here will believe them , here is MY personal tale of woe:

I remember once cycling past a girls grammar school and thinking to myself gosh I wish I was in 6th form all over again then as my mind was distracted didnt a woman driver (isnt it always women drivers :roll: ) stood on her brakes and I saw it at the last moment and couldnt get my feet free. As a bunch of girls who could have featured on baywatch passed me on the kerb I went over like a tree being felled in a forest and hit the ground like a tonne of bricks as my bike went sprawling :oops:

I WAS MORTIFIED !!!!!!!

Would love to read your clipless pedals tales of shame

Sorry to dissapoint you but I never had one off with clipless and really dont understand how people struggle lol but never hte less I had embarassing off with toe clips !!! posing doing a track stand at lights on a hill and my chain snapped lol old ladies in butchers were pissing themselves ! this was 25 years ago

Pituophis

First time I used them on the mtb, came up onto the top of a really long, stoney climb to find a mixed group of about 20 riders taking a well earned rest next to a gate in the drystone wall.
Casually came to a halt at the gate, trying to look composed, and just had time to look with surprise at my immobile feet as I did a full on Del Boy in front of them :oops:
They were still laughing well after the gate closed behind us :roll:

napoleond

First time I set off, fell off straight away into my neighbours brand new BMW.

jagx400

My funniest moment, was when I was pedalling home from work. got halfway down the road and remembered I had forgot my phone. Unfortunatelly I also forgot I was clipped in, I braked to a halt, then it all seem to happen in slow motion, I remembered saying B******s, and slowly falling in to the kerb with a crash. 2 drivers drove past laughing as they could see I was alright as I was laughing myself.

My best to date is 3 times at junctions on one club run, first time in clipless so thats my excuse.

djm501

When I first went clipless I stopped to mount the kerb and wheel my bike past a queue of cars that were stopped about 1 mm from the kerb at some lights, cocked it up and went over almost into the path of a car that was joining the back of the queue.
Not withstanding that, I then righted my bike, clipped in, pedaled and then discovered that I'd failed to notice that the chain had come off. So, nothing happened and I did a second Del-boy in the same incident!

Doh!

Raffles

djm501 wrote:

When I first went clipless I stopped to mount the kerb and wheel my bike past a queue of cars that were stopped about 1 mm from the kerb at some lights, cocked it up and went over almost into the path of a car that was joining the back of the queue.
Not withstanding that, I then righted my bike, clipped in, pedaled and then discovered that I'd failed to notice that the chain had come off. So, nothing happened and I did a second Del-boy in the same incident!

Doh!

we have a winner

djm501

Twas a big motivator to never do it again ;-)

DF33

Was already an experienced cyclist and used to clipless;
About 15 years ago was staying in North Wales near Betswy Coed. The then Mrs decided to go to Port Maddoc. A downhill run most of the way then flat along the estuary. So I set off half an hour before her on my bike whilst she drove down.

You can imagine the fantastic ride down the valley passes at huge speeds, spinning along the flats pushing it, a fantastic, dangerously fast descent and journey for those with big balls. Arrived feeling the big man and exhilarated.
I met her waiting on a busy road in Maddoc, we decided to have a coffee in a busy cafe along the road on the opposite side.

Rode up the road, U turned, pulled up at the kerb right outside the cafe, un-clipped and fell sideways onto the path as the pedal refused to release.
Sprawled out on the path still clipped in and fully lycrad, I looked up to see the entire caff pavement tables (lots of them) full of people about 10 feet away cheering and laughing / clapping.

The cafe let us have the coffees free for the entertainment value.

phil_smeeth

I was laughing to myself about this thread this morning before I went for a cycle. I've had clipless pedals for a few weeks and was starting to feel pretty confident. I've had 1 near miss so far. Until I went to clip in my right foot this morning, leant to far to the right and ended up in mum's flower bed. I quickly righted myself and left the squashed flower explanation until my return!

Bhoy1888

Pulled up outside the accommodation block where my recruits live, came in at a decent speed and for whatever reason got it into my head I was on my MTB. Cue my trying to simply place my left foot down, swiftly followed by a panic flap of trying to place both feet down. None were successful and as I slowly fell to the floor I mumbled "Sh!t" and hit the deck still attached to the pedals.

Had a little chuckle to myself whilst lying on the floor before doing the obligatory leap onto feet and check my surroundings. 1x Recruit witness and had the sense not to laugh (to my face).

Yorkat

3 times:

1. New bike, using clipless for first time. Completely forgot about them coming to a graceful halt on gravel drive at the end of the ride. Went down like a sack of spuds. Still got the gravel scars. Much mirth for neighbours.

2. Tried to stop at the kerb just unclipping one foot. The obvious happened and I felt splat on the other side. Took me ages to find my sunnies which flew off into a hedge. Cheered up a few passing drivers.

3. 2nd new bike. End of a 50m ride, just rolling the last 500m home. Attempted to slowly bump up a 1/2 inch kerb. Instead got brought me to a dead stop and down I went, smashing a knee this time. Passing teenagers seemed to enjoy the show.

I hope now I've stopped doing it because it hurts. Also because sooner or later I'm going to do more damage than the scuffs and nicks I've got away with so far. Strategy is to a) not buy any more new bikes since that pretty much guarantees a fall, b) always expect to stop at junctions and get both feet out and c) stop being such a clumsy ****.

Mikey41

Outside my garden gate... Tonight

GavH

Front gate of the Army barracks I was based in at the time - at the head of a queue of traffic. Managed to unclip my left foot as is my habit, but for reasons I still don't understand, the bike went to the right. I couldn't unclip and had difficuly even getting back up. Meanwhile, the cars behind waited...

mikeabanks

In front of most of my club after I was dropped out the back. A kind soul came back and we took a route avoiding a very steep hill. We met the rest coming the the other way. I stopped, un-clipped left foot and fell right!