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

Riding MTB at the top of the southdowns way we were in group of about 8, coming up to cross the road at the top of the beacon and my mate riding in front of me stopped suddenly as a car rounded the bend. unbeknown to me one of my screws had come out of my SPD cleats, so no amount of twisting was going to free my foot. I tumbled down about 8 feet of steep chalky/flinty bank and landed in a pile at the bank of the road. As someone who gets vasovagal syncope (fainting at the sight of blood), I then had to lay down for moment to avoid passing out - to the tune of MTFU from the rest of the group.

My mate had it worse, 1st time in SPDs he forgot to uncleat and toppled over in the middle of the road and had to be helped up by a bunch of girls on their Duke of Edinburgh awards hike. I distinctly remember him laying on his back like a beatle trying to get his bike off his feet and stand up.

1989, my first outing on clipless (look) pedals. it was a cold February winters days, we were going up a single lane track and a car came the other way. I stopped moving forward, but cursed gravity took over and I fell head first into into an ice cold water logged ditch still attached to my bike. I nearly drowned as I could release my feet and my friend was to busy pissing himself laughing to offer any help. I am still reminded this day but I have never had another clipless incident since.

On a side note, on sunday I was in the car and saw a chap on a top end colnago try to do a trackstand in traffic. He went straight over like a sack of spuds, clearly it hurt but he was up on his bike in miliseconds, no doubt the humiliation hid the pain.......yes I know its cruel but I sniggered.

done it a couple of times
first time was the very first ride on my clipless, almost got to work, the last set of lights i forgot i had clipless and didn't click out...then fell way-ward right in front of a stream of pedestrians...me red faced needless to say

second time i fell as i was coming down a hill again a set of lights...stopped too quickly and got out of balance and wiggled like a worm trying to get my weight shifted to the opposite side and fell anyway...laughing van drivers went pass moments later

johnny25 wrote:

Was practicing in the kitchen between the cooker and the fridge freeze, using the cooker rail to balance. Managed to get both cleats in, then lost my balance and fell towards to fridge freezer. My left shoulder took the brunt of the collapse as it came into contact with the fridge freezer. I was wedge at a 40 degree or so angle for about 10 seconds until I managed to release my left foot.

After that I have managed not to fall over again in the kitchen.

Practice in a kitchen? lol.
I dont know why people try to practice when stationary you neve clip in or out when stationary and it feels different anyway lol.
Its much easier to practice when moving, also I am always surprised how late people unclip and sure this is reason many people fall off.
It should be instinctive to turn foot when you see hazards ahead, no need to wait until late. Last year I hit long patch of ice and unclipped both feet fast and managed to stay up.

Not done it on a bicycle yet, but my motorbike based display of epic halfwittery might amuse you lot...

Tescos, Saturday morning, 1994 - I'm on a TZR250 Reverse Cylinder. For those not in the know, Yamaha had the inspired decision to put the carbs at the front of the engine, and the exhausts at the back so they had a straight run out under the seat unit. No idea why all parallel twins don't/didn't do this. Anyhow, one consequence of this is the thing was highly strung even by the standards day and very peaky - usable power was 8500rpm to 9250rpm. This is important information given what happened next.

Pottering into Tescos it is very busy, and I'm looking for a space to put this thing in. Literally mooching at 2mph. Somewhere along the line my brain decides to disregard the 'balance the bike' process as unimportant. Consequently I just fall over... in front of what seemed to be about 6,000 people. All of them providing rousing cheer for my efforts.

Flustered, I haul the bike upright and ride off in shame... fail to check the damage. If I had, I'd have noted the gear lever is bent under the footrest hanger and can now only change up. I get out onto the bypass and shortshift up through the box into 5th, still blissfully unaware that I'm now consigned to 5th or 6th gear only.

Into the town centre, and onto the high street. Slowing to a pelican crossing I suddenly discover I'm stuck in fifth gear on a bike with no real power or torque until the upper reaches of the rev range. To make matters worse, the high street is up hill for about 1/4 mile, with another three pelican crossings... all of them against me.

Somehow managed to make the first getaway with a bit of furious footwork and a lot of clutch slip. Second set the dry clutch is squealing like a pig in a cement mixer - they're not designed for this sort of abuse. The sound of tortured clutch plates and highly strung two stroke twin is making all the Saturday morning shoppers stop and look.

Third and final set... almost clear... clutch is slipping like a swine and making the most tremendous racket. I swing my left leg over the back of bike to start running/pushing it; not a difficult move, not really any worse than doing it on a push bike. The dry clutch reaches deep into its mental and physical reserves and resolves to bite 100%... at the precise second I swing my leg over the seat unit.

The engine not having the torque to deal with this sudden engagement of power just stops. The rear wheel locks. Forward momentum comes to a complete halt... except, that is, for the half dismounted power ranger, who carries on moving for a few foot.

Another rousing cheer from watching crowd as I fall inelegantly off the bike again, and like a real pro I refuse to let go of the bars (I can save it! I can save it!) thus bringing the thing over on top of me, where it proceeded to focus all its weight into the fuel tank area, which neatly connected with my plums.

4th ride out with my shiny new bike and clipless pedals and no problems until my Dad stopped suddenly in front of me and I just couldn't unclip! Decked it straight onto cobbles outside a cafe with a large seating area and a lot of people watching. Then we came out of the cafe and I completely over thought getting back on and did it again...just to the other side!

It appears saying s**t repeatedly is my panic vocabulary.

sorry-but what on earth's a 'del-boy'? :?: