Falling off

captainfirecat

Hi all

On my cycle in this morning I got a little overconfident in my abilities and decided I would cycle slowly, balancing perfectly all the while, towards some lights, ready for them to change and me to set off.

It went about as well as you would expect, with a sudden paniced moment when I realised I couldn't in fact hold the balance in the wind, started to fall, tried to put my foot down, remembered I was using clipless pedals so my feet were attached to the pedals... (to be fair they came out as I fell, but far too late. Also I have 'mastered' the pedals, so normally can get them off fine, just apparently not under pressure!)

As I lay in a heap with sharp pains in my legs and elbows I did the only logical thing: I laughed and waved at the queue of traffic staring at me.

Back at the office I find I am pretty unscathed (a bruise and a scratch here and there), but my pride seems to have taken a hit. I'd therefore welcome your stories of amusing falling offs (the slower the better) to salve my pride

t4tomo

everyione does it every now and again, my mate did it in the middle of a crowded highstreet on market day as were wer tip toeing through the street to get to a cafe. Later on we met a tractor and then a car on a narrow lane, I tghink I negotiated teh tractor Ok then fell clipped in against the hedge when the car came past, which was amusing. Its very hard to get enough purchase against the hedge to right your self in cuch circumstances

hatch87

I was trying out my mates bike, I was on the road and another of our friends were on the pavement. She decided to stop so I did an emergency stop for no good reason as I was behind nobody. Shoes didn't come out as easily as they do on my bike so took a slow tumble towards the pavement and gave the girls at the bus stop a good giggle

sloppyschleckonds

Has the Road Beginner forum been closed?

Sprool

Took the stupid decision of riding along the canal bank towpath first time on spd's clipped in. Came across an angler with one of those 18 foot carp rods blocking the path. I came to a stop as he slowly manoeuvered the pole out of the way. I realised it was too late to try removing my feet, teetered towards the canal water, managed to right myself then fell over the other way into a patch of nettles as the fisherman watched bemused. Felt such an idiot. Fell over again stopping at traffic lights on the way home in front of a a family car. After that I took every opportunity once a minute to unclip then clip in again while cycling the rest of the way home. It took a few days for the new cleats to loosen a bit and a month before I unclipped instinctively.

dee4life2005

I did it the very first time out on my SPD-SL's. Had been using SPDs for about 6 months prior to this without incident.

Was riding with a mate that was fairly new to cycling so we were doing a route I hadn't done for a while and as we reached a downhill he decided he wanted to turn around and head back. Fair enough. However I completely forgot to switch down a couple of gears so when I turned the bike around and started trying to pedal back up the hill and clip in I just didn't have enough momentum. Sods law I fell the direction I was clipped in - due to the camber on the path.

Took a fairly heavy impact on the cycle path - the gravelly type, so it hurt like a bitch. Managed to keep the bike off the deck though, so it was unscathed - apart from the chain somehow falling off the inside of the chainset and jamming between the frame and crankset :evil:

Do remember having a quick look round to see if anyone saw - thankfully not, and it was a couple of minutes later that my mate returned, wondering where the hell I'd disappeared to. Didn't fess up to falling off, but I did have a jammed chain so I think I got away with it

markhewitt1978

CaptainFirecat wrote:

Hi all

On my cycle in this morning I got a little overconfident in my abilities and decided I would cycle slowly, balancing perfectly all the while, towards some lights, ready for them to change and me to set off.

It went about as well as you would expect, with a sudden paniced moment when I realised I couldn't in fact hold the balance in the wind, started to fall, tried to put my foot down, remembered I was using clipless pedals so my feet were attached to the pedals... (to be fair they came out as I fell, but far too late. Also I have 'mastered' the pedals, so normally can get them off fine, just apparently not under pressure!)

As I lay in a heap with sharp pains in my legs and elbows I did the only logical thing: I laughed and waved at the queue of traffic staring at me.

Back at the office I find I am pretty unscathed (a bruise and a scratch here and there), but my pride seems to have taken a hit. I'd therefore welcome your stories of amusing falling offs (the slower the better) to salve my pride

hehe, that's a 'clipless moment' if ever I'd heard one! Those who say they haven't are either liars, or they're due to have one that day

binsted

Coming up to a junction on a country lane on a longish ride so thought I would stop for a drink with the idea of leaning against a fence post so I didn't have to get off.

Yup........fence post fell over with me following it, fortunately no youtube footage.

clickrumble

Out early one bright Sunday morning last summer, having done about 20 miles or so came to Rowlands Castle village green so decided to stop for banana and rest in the sun on a seat. Arrived in style and coasted to a halt near the seat, which happens to be right outside a B&B, where a group of rather large people were tucking into their Sunday morning fry up (well I’ve added the bit about the fry-up, I don’t know what they were eating but they looked as if they were the sort that would tuck in to this). Unfortunately, on stopping found I’d forgotten to take my feet out of the clips and fell over slowly, luckily onto the grass. Then proceeded to try to look as if this was my normal elegant way of dismounting.

captainfirecat

Thanks all, I feel much better now

I was more concerned I'd damaged the bike, but I suspect the fact I hit the ground before it meant it barely came under any force. It cycled fine anyhow

At least now I know it doesn't hurt as much as I expected, though my knee and elbow are sore (but I suspect I'll live).

nferrar

My last clipless 'moment' was outside a cafe stop last summer waiting for the club stragglers to emerge, was just messing about track-standing and doing tight turns but forgot I have toe-overlap on my best bike, that didn't end well (although I did manage to provide amusement to the rest of the club - fortunately I got up before the phones came out for pics).
My first clipless moment was on an MTB back in the 90's, I was riding along a river bank, path was right on the edge of a 10ft drop to the river. I stalled on a root and in my haste/panic unclipped on the wrong (river) side and end up falling sideways into the river, was quite a drop but luckily I missed the rocks and just had a soaking.
I don't think I've ever had a clipless fall when waiting in traffic though, I imagine that is pretty embarrassing!

keef66

Couple of weeks ago I was trying to fit in a last ride before a weeks holiday in Turkey. Got to the end of the drive and heard a vehicle approaching fast from my left, but I couldn't see it because of a van parked next door. The resulting indecision saw me unclip my left foot while the bike went right, and I crashed heavily onto the pavement right outside the house. Quick glance to see if the wife had seen me, then back on the bike and away! Spent the next half an hour realising I was hurting in several places and bleeding from my right knee. Then when I reached the first hill I found I couldn't select my two lowest gears without the rear mech pinging against the spokes (brief brown trouser moment). Concluded the bike must've taken a bash too. Completed the ride and went back to packing suitcases. Spent the holiday applying sunblock to the hole in my knee and worrying about the bike. Happy ending though; the mech hanger was clearly bent, but I was able to straighten it using a large vice and a similarly enormous adjustable spanner. Right shifter also needed straightening a bit too, though I needed to look on the Shimano website for where to peel back the hood and poke the allen key. Knee scab down to the size of a 50p now

savethemamil

Late change down to the little ring as I approached a steep hill on a sportive a couple of weeks ago, chain came off and got stuck between crank and the BB. Not wanting to knacker the frame I stopped pedalling immediately and unclipped my right foot, but there were a bunch of blokes behind me so I jumped to the left to get out of their way. Realised too late my left foot was still clipped in as I launched myself onto the grass verge, took me ages to actually get it unclipped as me and the bike were on top of it. Meanwhile everyone and his nephew cycled past me as I lay there like a pillock.

monkeyeatsps3

I was In clipped shoes as well about a month ago and was about to set off again at a junction. Next thing I remember my face was acting as cheese on the Tarmac. I was going about 5km/h I think foot must of slipped on the pedal instead of clipping in!

TimInno

I did it at a local reservoir, it was a beautiful hot day...lots of people standing around eating ice creams.

I was stationary with a friend admiring the view for a few minutes (surrounded by people doing the same). I went to move off...it all went wrong and I fell over into a heap on the floor. My friend came over to see if I was ok and in a loud sarcastic tone said "it's ok no one saw".

I got up and cycled off as quickly as possible...allowing the cool summer breeze to calm my blushing cheeks.

petemadoc

I consider myself to be pretty experienced these days so I don't really have these "beginner" style falls

....on Sunday

I was doing a U turn on a quiet morning in this little town, must have been doing 2mph when my front wheel ran over a wet drain cover

Uh Oh

markhewitt1978

There seems to be a theme of not paying attention or just mucking about. Similar happened to me in Soller, was meeting the wife but she didn't know where she was parked, so I was just arsing about not really looking where I was going, skidded on gravel, hit a fence, pedal came around and took a chunk out of my leg and worst of all bent the front wheel. At least it was a hire bike!

petemadoc

Oh and I just remembered another one from a few weeks ago.

Club chain gang, hadn't really got going properly, doing about 20mph, wasn't paying much attention, touched the wheel of the guy in front, leaned the wrong way....

Dominoes

It was my fault and luckily I was the only one with any injuries. Road rash, smashed helmet, ripped saddle. :roll:

What a plonker

Buckie2k5

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Has the Road Beginner forum been closed?

the next time you fall off please remember you have said this..

fat_cat

Had a moment coming up to a mini roundabout which is the junction of five roads. It's also a little uphill in the direction I was travelling so was trying to avoid stopping. As I approached the junction I unclipped, then thought, I can get across here, so clipped back in, the changed my mind, stopped, and had a lie down on a traffic island. A little old dear passing was kind enough to ask if I was ok, but to be honest I was laughing so much I couldn't respond.

foggybike

Only been riding on the road for a few months after years on a mountain bike.

Was riding along upto the lights and a car came past and looked as though it was going through the lights then didn't I came to a stop quick and forgot I was clipped in. Fell straight over onto the grass verge, luckily. Still clipped in rolled over like a beetle bike in the air to the other side to get my bike out of the road. Only one guy at the lights laughing his head off.

What worries me is falling the other way into traffic.....

No bike to fall off at the moment as I got knocked off my a car the other weekend. Guy went straight through onto the roundabout said he didn't see me straight into the back of my bike. Again lucky as I escape with mostly bruising to the hip and lower back. Bike is a mess.

I do wonder whether I should go back off road.

Cobi

I was out with my mate who constantly sits on my back wheel and never does a turn on the front. Anyway we had done about 60 miles and my legs had gone, the road rose a little so I got out of the saddle, his front wheel clipped my back wheel and as i turned around he was laid on his bike in the middle of the road. He had been playing with his SPDs and had tightened them right up and couldnt get his feet out. As I leisurely placed my bike against the wall laughing my tits off before going to help a young and very hot lady with her young daughter bent over to him and said do you need a hand!!!! I couldnt not stop laughing and the lady winked and smiled at me. he had to undo his shoes to get of his bike........

To this day he still sits on my wheel.....some people never learn.