Falling off Clipped in

chrisdl

Just returning to clipless after a brief hiatus due to having my confidence knocked first time round. First outing with my old Trek hybrid I 'forgot' I was clipped in at some traffic lights, about a mile into a planned 60 mile trip. Just rolled to a stop and toppled over. Smacked my head on the kerb and hurt my thigh pretty badly. Smashed up my sunglasses and bent a couple of spokes on the rear wheel. Perseverance would have paid off I'm sure, but the fall kind of scared me and I went back to flats. I'm going to do it this time now I've got my new Scott S20!

nolight

Ya you got to conquer it. A fall is necessary to make you learn. Luckily my fall was at home.

dbairduk

I am scared to fit my SPD's now..

chrisaonabike

nolight wrote:

A fall is necessary to make you learn.

Not sure about this.

The fall happens when well-established automatic actions take place in preference to the new ones currently being practised. So when you're ready to unclip, remembering to unclip feels really easy. If you're distracted, you revert to type.

So I'm not convinced that the fall actually contributes anything to the learning.

In my case, FWIW, I fell off in toe clips on the second time out on a borrowed bike.

After I moved to clipless, I did the following:

- I practised in the house, about 100 times each foot, leaning against the sideboard.
- I practised on a quiet road, about 100 times each foot, cycling slowly up and down, thinking about nothing else than clipping in and out.

In all that practice, I didn't fall off once. And you know what? It made no bloody difference whatsoever.

The *only* reason I haven't fallen off several times since then is that I've had the clips good and loose, so that a hard pull in a panicky moment pulls the cleat off the clip.

The panicky moments are getting less and less frequent, as the new operation becomes less and less of a conscious action, and more an automatic one.

nolight

The pain of the fall makes one more careful with clipping out.

Dellsinho

The best way to learn clipless pedals is to use them on an urban commute and to clip out and in at every traffic light when on red. This way, the need to clip out occurs so regularly that it's almost impossible to forget to do and trains your brain that when you're about to stop; you need to flick your heel out.

I see it as a form of associative learning. Good old Pavlov.

Wrath Rob

My "best" clipless moment was when leading a club run, showing new and prospective club members the ropes and the basic club route. We got to the top of a climb, regrouped and then when I set of I overbalanced and couldnt get my other (i.e. not the one I'd normally unclip) let out in time and slowly fell over. In front of the entire ride. Nice...

dodger421

In the car park at the end of the ride last week having a chat with the guys, sitting astride the top tube with my right foot clipped in. I twisted round to talk to a guy slightly behind me and felt the front wheel turning left and taking me with it as I tried to counter balance to the right.

Cue much laughter as I lie on the ground with the bike mostly on top of me. That'll teach me for being a "casually deliberate" smart arse :-D

edgarallen

Second time out using my SPD's pulled up to some traffic lights, unclipped my left foot, my brain decided that left was right and sent me tumbling straight into the side of a Merc filled with 2 OAPs and grandkids.

Woman opened door, looked at my sorry sight then made sure I hadn't dented their pride and joy.

Gave me a look of disgust and drove off.

gethinceri

Fell off today because I failed to clip out.
Then a lorry hit me........just a brush of its back wheel across my back but I shat myself.
Oh well, never mind, I rode home so all was well. Just a grazed knee, some bruises and tyre marks on my jersey.

A KIRK

Ok I'm worried now, I've just bought my first road bike and fitted my first set of spds. I think I'm in for a steep painful learning curve. I have enough odds on the hardtail without spds

simon_masterson

Don't worry; that will practically guarantee you fall.

Just get in some controlled practice in. That could be against a wall or on a turbo, or it could be on quiet roads or on grass; this really depends on your confidence. You need to persuade yourself that you are in control, and once you can clip in and out with confidence you need to become used to doing it; that just takes practice.

Before long clipping in and out will become second nature. If clipless pedals were hazardous, no-one would use them. :-)

Cool4catz

Dog jumped out and gave it big bark stuff on a back lane going uphill, pulled the brakes so \i wouldn't run over the mutt and went down like a lead balloon. Dog trotted away pi""ing himself laughing!!!!!

crumbschief

Cool4catz wrote:

Dog jumped out and gave it big bark stuff on a back lane going uphill, pulled the brakes so \i wouldn't run over the mutt and went down like a lead balloon. Dog trotted away pi""ing himself laughing!!!!!

Yup done that one,just gotta smile and carry on ... good choice though i would have done the same.

barrowmatt

lotus49 wrote:

Had you adjusted the tension on the pedals? I still have to give my foot a pretty good yank to get it out but a little bit of anticipation goes a long way.

I am fairly new to clipless pedals but there is no way I'd go back to toe clips much less flatties. I love the feeling of being at one with my bike and it makes getting into a regular pedalling stroke much easier with my foot staying in exactly the same place all the time.

It's clearly a matter of taste (and practice) but there is a good reason why almost all experienced roadies use clipless pedals.

How do you mean "yank"?

If you are trying to pull your foot out using any kind of upward effort you are doing it wrong. Just flick your heel out to the side and they should pop out easily, you never try to pull your foot out.

A KIRK

Well did my first right with spds today and so far I've not had an incident, I'm sure the time will come when I become to cocky.

Was actually very impressed with being clipped in, might get a set for the hard tail soon.

lotus49

barrowmatt wrote:

lotus49 wrote:

Had you adjusted the tension on the pedals? I still have to give my foot a pretty good yank to get it out but a little bit of anticipation goes a long way.

I am fairly new to clipless pedals but there is no way I'd go back to toe clips much less flatties. I love the feeling of being at one with my bike and it makes getting into a regular pedalling stroke much easier with my foot staying in exactly the same place all the time.

It's clearly a matter of taste (and practice) but there is a good reason why almost all experienced roadies use clipless pedals.

How do you mean "yank"?

If you are trying to pull your foot out using any kind of upward effort you are doing it wrong. Just flick your heel out to the side and they should pop out easily, you never try to pull your foot out.

I am moving my foot out not up but it does require a concerted effort, they certainly don't come out easily. I wouldn't describe it as a "flick" either. It's a hard push outwards.