Crash tallies - going clipless!

[redrover77]

3 crashes for me so far on my first day going clipless... :)

Went on a 45mile ride - 1st 10 miles was cruisy and I got a wee bit too confident... d'oh. 1st crash, not too bad. Unclipped left foot and put it on the ground, but leaned too far to the right... 2nd crash, actually stopped and was standing on left leg, tried unclipping right foot and... crash. What an idiot!

3rd crash was the worst - literally knocked the wind out of me. Was the same again as 2nd - unclipped on left, was slowing down and had my left foot down, but for some reason, my right foot still wants to get off the pedal, hence - TIMBERRRR...

Talk about CLUMSY!

Was actually quite scared and nervous for a while, on the way home! Confidence blown!

Now the idea of stopping/starting on a hill terrifies me - which in turn is a good motivator to keep going! hehe

A question is... how much tension do you feel when you unclip? I've already got my right pedal at the loosest setting (the screw is almost coming out!) but still find it quite stiff - I literally have to jerk my feet out with considerable force to unclip. Is this what I have to get used to or is there something funny with my pedals? I've got Shimano SPDs...

[SouthernBelle]

I ride SPDs too. I think they tend to loosen up after a bit of use. Just keep working them and maybe lube them a tad.

[Blueberry]

A question is... how much tension do you feel when you unclip? I've already got my right pedal at the loosest setting (the screw is almost coming out!) but still find it quite stiff - I literally have to jerk my feet out with considerable force to unclip. Is this what I have to get used to or is there something funny with my pedals? I've got Shimano SPDs...

I'm wondering which model Shimanos you have - DH has a pair that came on his Trek 2200. Those things are evil. We've loosened them as far as they will go, and they're still brutal to release. I actually had to ride up to a stop sign, lean and take off my shoes one time when I was on his bike. It shouldn't require considerable force in my experience. Mine are so loose I'll sometimes pop out when I don't mean to (i.e. when my climbing form gets bad). They do loosen over time, but it you're having trouble reliably releasing (not sure if you are), something is wrong!

Good Luck!

CA

[mimitabby]

The first day i tried out SPD's I fell once, it was truly a situation where i didn't know what to do. it hurt enough that i didn't try solo riding again until i went to Cycle U and paid someone to babysit/teach me.

Since then I have fallen only once. I was going up a very steep hill. I did not have enough momentum and was afraid that i was going to get hurt, so i moved my bike as close to the curb as i could and threw myself over onto my side. I landed nicely in the grass, and it didn't hurt at all.

[Jenn]

Fortunately, I practiced on my spin bike for awhile before starting on my bike, but actually moving in a foward motion and unclipping are totally different. I was lucky though, I didn't have and falls until YESTERDAY trying to watch and ride with DH and daughter in trailer, had 2 good ones!! If I get distracted, forget it, DOWN SHE GOES!:p

[RolliePollie]

Clipless two weeks...two complete tip-overs and one almost tip-over but a very considerate bush caught me.

Me: some nice bruises, minor road rash, a greater appreciation for my helmet (didn't hurt my noggin at all when it slammed into the pavement on the first fall), and a greater appreciation for my well-padded hips.

Bike: bent handlebars, scratched brake hoods, and minor scuffs on saddle.

Thank goodness I bought an entry-level bike. I'd just be sick if I was damaging a really expensive bike. I'm not going to try to fix the bent handlebars until I'm done falling :(

I know this is just the learning curve...I do like the clipless pedals a lot and I'm sure to get better at this. Right?

[IFjane]

Me: a greater appreciation for my helmet (didn't hurt my noggin at all when it slammed into the pavement on the first fall).



Sara - just a note of caution - inspect your helmet before you use it again. Manufacturers recommend that they be replaced following a crash. I know you hate the thought of the extra expense (some manufacturers will replace at no cost to you), but better safe than sorry.

As for the clipless pedals - yes, it will get easier!:)

[RolliePollie]

Thanks, IFJane...my helmet looks ok. I was expecting to find a crack, but I don't see any damage at all. I'll check it again though. Thank goodness it's only the helmet I need to be concerned about this time and not my skull!

[HillSlugger]

The SPD M505's that came with my bike, I can loosen the tension all I want and they are still hard to get out of. The M520's and M540's actually feel like the tension adjustment does something.

As the cleats wear down a little everything gets less stiff.

[redrover77]

I've got the Shimano M424's...

Its funny, I've got the left one set (according to the so-called red indicator) tighter than the right pedal and the right pedal is still a b*tch to get out of (at times had to stop completely and wrench foot out of pedal), whereas the left one is easy...

Hopefully you're right and they'll get looser with time.
Hmm... bit nervous about the next ride though! As for hills... urgh... I sweat just thinking about it!

Sara: my poor bicycle sustained a few injuries too... its a new bike so I'm a wee bit heartbroken! Scratches on handlebar and shifters... argh... where's my touch up paint? :(

As for my knees... well I wouldn't be wearing a skirt for a while! Scratches and bruises everywhere! No touchup paint is going to help this one.

[michelem]

redrover77,

I am having the same problem that you are! I get unclipped and go to put my foot down and tip over - BAM! I have a very large bruise on my right "saddlebag" area from 8 days ago and a scraped knee from yesterday. I've started unclipping both feet and then hopping forward off the bike onto both feet. That is working a little better. But, of course, I have to plan way ahead and really slow down for that to work. I don't know how I'll ever do it if I have to stop quickly. I have two-sided mtn. bike spd's. I was told they were good "entry level" pedals. Ha ha. I'm going to have to find someone to tutor me in person. I keep reading up on this whole thing and practicing on the trainer, but when I get out on the road down I go and it HURTS. :mad:

Getting going is a problem too. When I am in traffic I sit there and wait and wait and wait and wait until there are no more cars (yesterday, I think I waited 10 minutes before there wasn't anyone at the 4-way stop), because I am afraid I am going to fall over while trying to get going (which I've done - BEFORE getting clipped in). I LOVE the feeling of being clipped in while actually riding/moving. :) I HATE trying to get clipped in and out. :mad:

I'm thinking that maybe I should have gotten the one-sided pedals to start with so I could ride with a foot or two unclipped when I am feeling nervous (like in traffic, until I get out on the open road). :confused: It is VERY difficult to pedal unclipped on the clip side of the pedals.

Anyway, good luck to you. Hopefully we both come back here in another week or two and laugh at all the difficulties we were having because we are both pros by that time. Ha ha.

[HillSlugger]

I've got the Shimano M424's...

I just took a look at these pedals and I see that they incorporate a pedal platform/frame around them. I'm wondering if maybe the frame is catching the tread on the bottom of your shoes, preventing your foot from easily pivoting outward...:confused:

[michelem]

P.S. I have the Shimano PD-M520's.

[SouthernBelle]

I ride a set of 505s and they will loosen.

When you take off from a stop sign, you should already be clipped in on one side. Then don't worry about clipping in on the second pedal til you are thru the intersection. Pedal with your toe or arch if necessary til you get thru.

[luvs2ride]

I'm also falling pretty frequently and it's been about 4 months!! Seems like I get a bit "cocky" and then down I go. Practice, practice, practice!! That's what helps for me. I'm training for a Century this june so lots of time in the seat and it's getting easier. I used to pedal about 50% of the time with only one foot clipped in (because the other one was giving me difficulty-speedplays) . . now I'm up to 95% of my time pedaling with both feet in! YEAH!! Envision yourself having a sucessful ride with no falls and it will happen. Oh yeah . . . prayer also helps for me-especially on those hills! Trust me that it will get easier-has for me! HAPPY CLIPPING!

[Eden]

Thanks, IFJane...my helmet looks ok. I was expecting to find a crack, but I don't see any damage at all. I'll check it again though. Thank goodness it's only the helmet I need to be concerned about this time and not my skull!

If you hit it on the ground at all - and it certainly sounds like you did... you should replace the helmet, wether or not there is any visible damage. Most manufacturers have a crash replacement policy and will give you at least a discount on a new helmet. Helmets aren't meant to take more than one hit, so don't take chances on your head.

[Cyclo Kitty]

I fell three times the first day I rode clipless. Shimanos that are clip one side, platform the other. It really hurt, twice on the road and once on a soccer field. Or maybe it was four times, and twice on the soccer field?

DH told the BSGs the next day...:o who told me is it easy to unclip left and lean right (or vice versa) and to practice on a field. My best recommendation for practicing is pine needles! Very soft, if there's room under the trees! I work on clipping in, starting up, and then clipping in the other foot. The day I unclipped both feet at once in an emergency felt great (aside from the dog coming after me).

I put clipless on the commuter first and then started riding clipless on the cross bike because it was new and shiny. And I still have pedal problems some days...but the BSGs told me they still mess up sometimes, too, and that made me feel better (because I know it is true, and they ride a lot).

[northstar]

Three falls in three weeks since getting the new bike with clipless pedals. The most dangerous one was while crossing an intersection on a bike path (which was technically on the left side of the road). A car gunned it from way behind me and cut me off to make a left turn. I now know what people mean when they say they feel safer if they are on the road than on an off-road path. Needless to say, I went down in the middle of the intersection. I learned my lesson.

The traffic was very scary, but the falls weren't. Slow tips, all of them, just scraped knees and elbows, and a good ding on the inside of my right knee. I did bend the brake hood in on the right side with my last fall (that was a horrible feeling, but I was able to bend it back in)...but I am undeterred and LOVE the clipless. I have Crank Brothers Smartys. They've been easy to get into and out of from the get-go.

[DarcyInOregon]

I realize everyone says to only unclip one foot, but do what is best for you.

I unclip both feet in advance of the stop and pedal on the back of the shoes until I stop. If it is a stop sign and nobody is coming, I don't need to stop and I can then gear up and continue to pedal across the road and clip in while I am crossing the road. If I need to stop because it is a busy cross road, or it is an urban setting with a stop light, I plant both feet on the ground and then clip back in with my right foot; I then scoot back up on the saddle and clip the left foot back in while crossing the road.

The reason this works best for me is because I am lame in the left foot; I shattered the left ankle joint in 1985 and I feel blessed to have enough mobility in the foot to cycle once again. I've only fallen twice in my first 1500 miles of cycling clipless, the first time being on day one of learning the pedals, and the second time when my left foot inadvertently clipped back in as I was braking to a stop.

Just because everyone says you only unclip one foot, it doesn't mean you have to do the same. Always figure out what works best for you, and do it that way.

Darcy

[RolliePollie]

It's nice to know there are others out there who are struggling just like me! Well, it's not exactly NICE...it's not like I'm wishing all these falls on anyone else...but I guess what I mean is that I like having other people to commiserate with! We should start a follow-up thread in two weeks and see what kind of progress everyone has made.

My new plan is to unclip both feet for a while every time I stop. And to make sure they haven't clipped back in. My first fall was because my left foot had clipped in and I didn't know it. My second fall was because I unclipped my left foot and the bike leaned right. My falling-into-the-bushes fall was all the bush's fault. How dare it grow so close to the edge of the driveway! :p

As far as starting goes, I'm keeping both feet unclipped until I get better at this. I have Crankbrothers Quattros and they are very easy to pedal when you're not clipped in. Which is a good thing, because in traffic or other potentially dangerous situations, I'm keeping one foot free. Of course, just because one foot is free doesn't mean I couldn't easily topple over the other direction. But it makes me feel better anyway.

I think my problem is that I get nervous about NOT falling, which then makes me more likely TO fall!

Eden - thanks again for the helmet advice. I know my helmet does have crash protection...I'll look at the paperwork and see if I can get a new one. I want a different color anyway, so maybe this could work to my advantage!

[redrover77]

DH told the BSGs the next day...:o who told me is it easy to unclip left and lean right (or vice versa) and to practice on a field.

Cyclo Kitty... doesn't unclipping on the left and leaning right mean falling over??? That's exactly what I'd been doing wrong...

Yes... my new tactic is now unclipping on both pedals, but to practice keeping my right foot on the pedal as long as possible - cos I've noticed that once I put my left foot down on the ground, my next move is automatically to move the right foot down too. Also will try turning my handlebar away from left foot...

The problem is over here in the UK it is left hand drive, so my left faces the kerb. Which means when I do topple over, I topple over onto the road, and luckily, the last 3 times I fell there weren't any cars - can't bear thinking about if there were!

Will persist persist persist! Thanks for all your encouragement :) This forum's great!

Will report back on next ride (this weekend, hopefully a on a 2 or 3 day tour!) :)

[LadyinWhite]

I read through this thread thinking to myself "It's been ages since I've crashed." I crashed the first day I went clipless last year. I crashed a few weeks later after tightening the cleats and then coming up on a group of cyclists who stopped very unexpectedly. Spent the winter in PT getting the knee back in shape after that one.

This morning I head out, happy as a lark, down the driveway and towards the main road. Resetting the bike computer as I go, keeping an eye on the approaching intersection (very busy road), coast towards the stop sign and unclick the left w/out thinking about it. (Last summer I worked very hard to get into the habit of unclicking left instead of right so as to avoid the grease tattoo).

Braked, cruised to a stop and as my left foot came down, my right foot reached for the ground too, yanking the bike right out from under me. CRASH!

I was so surprised. I actually said "What was that all about??" out loud. Untangled my legs and stood up to survey the damage.

Lovely road rash on the on the right calf, pedal bites on the back of my left foot. The Girl seemed ok til I climbed on and headed across the road. The saddle was crooked. Had to stop, break out the tools, readjust the saddle into place, readjust the cadence reader.

SHEESH!

FINALLY - after all that - I headed out and enjoyed a comfortable rolling hills ride of 20miles w/out mishap. Got back home just as the sprinkles started.

[F8th637]

I realized on my last ride that I have horrible form when it comes to pedaling. Somehow I always end up with the pedal in the middle of my foot, especially on the left foot. I realized I use to ride my bike as a child that same way. I was thinking of going the Powergrips route for a little while. Should I just practice on my form first without clips, grips, etc. or am I hopeless case that just needs to go ahead and go clipless?

[ShubieGA]

I put Crank Bros. Candy SL pedals on a couple weeks ago, and practiced in my hallway - clip, unclip. No problem. I have taken a couple short rides, with no problems, but then - you know what's coming - I forgot to unclip my right foot when stopping yesterday. Crash.... I looked like an upside down turtle with a bike on top of me! My 1st concern was if I ripped the shorts (busy road -scary thought). I will survive the road rash and bruises (great one on my tail), but had to take the baby in for a bent derailleur hanger. Hopefully I will get her back Thursday. Then back in the pedals again...bet I don't forget to unclip for a while.

[smilingcat]

Thanks, IFJane...my helmet looks ok. I was expecting to find a crack, but I don't see any damage at all. I'll check it again though. Thank goodness it's only the helmet I need to be concerned about this time and not my skull!

Dear Sara,

todays helmets generally do not crack. The "styrofoam" core usually compresses a bit. If you notice any deformation on the "styrofoam", please replace your helmet. My serious crashes resulted in "styrofoam" compressing about an 1/8 inch or so but it didn't crack. The plastic shell are generally made out of some sort of film like mylar or some kind of polycarbonate and they tend to flex rather than crack. They do get scratched but they don't rip nor do they crack.

If you hit your head pretty hard, I would highly recommend that you replace your helmet.

be safe,
smilingcat

[sgtiger]

When l went clipless 6 yrs. ago, I somehow(I'm kind of a klutz!:rolleyes: ) managed not to fall the first day. I was definitely unsteady, though. And clipping out was at the forefront of my thoughts any time I slowed. It wasn't until 2 mo. into it and I was feeling more confident that I fell over. I was on a casual ride with DH and we were talking when we came to a red light and slowed down. I went to put my right foot down only to find that it was GLUED to the pedal.:confused: :eek: And over I went in front of DH, peds and people in their cars stopped at the red light with us. Every one asked if I was okay and I was more embarrassed about all the attention then the actual fall itself. DH asked me what had happened and I sheepishly answered that I had totally forgotten about clipping out.:rolleyes: :o

Fast forward through a few years of off and on riding to two Saturdays ago. I did a 42 mile ride to Alki Beach and back where I bonked with 10 miles to go.:( Thanks to my riding group's encouragement I decided to finish the ride. The last miles were incredibly s-l-o-w.:rolleyes: At the end we have (I think) a mile climb to my friends' home and I was already exhausted! At one of the stop signs on the way to her home, I fell over trying to clip out while slowing down. I was too tired to clip out in time and I let out a yelp as I went over.:o I got a few bruises,too. Two days after that, I fell when I was riding on the trail towing DD. There's a short but steep uphill part that I was trying to shift gears for halfway up, but I had a case of the brain farts. I shifted the wrong direction and I couldn't pedal anymore.:rolleyes: Oops!:o Sometimes you just gotta laugh at yourself!:rolleyes: ;) :D

[run it, ride it]

Oh boy. Make sense of this: started riding clipless in July. Not a single fall. Fast-forward to April: I fall right over at stop signs a good five times in group road rides, and don't even get me STARTED on the number of 'clipless incidents' incurred on the mountain bike since I took that up.

I'm still young and bouncy, so the worst I get are some bruises and limps for a few days.

I find what helps in a situation where you're stopped with one foot unclipped and falling the opposite direction is to plant your already freed foot on the other side of the bike through the space between the frame and front tire.

[redrover77]

So it looks like I might as well accept that 3, 6, 24 mths from now I'll probably still have the odd clipless incident! :rolleyes:

Any final words of wisdom before I set off on a 2-day tour this weekend?