I tried clipless pedals on Saturday

[gilly]

... and broke my wrist :rolleyes:

They did feel good, and I was doing very well, clipping in and out with ease. Fortunately, we were only in our local park.. I spotted a pinecone (I collect them from places/times I want to remember). stopped (almost an emergency stop according to my DH :eek: ), couldn't unclip quickly enough and down I went, making the classic mistake of putting my hand out to save me :o

Now I can't ride at all :( Well, not for a little while anyway :D

[Veronica]

Ow! Ow!
Ow!


Heal quickly!

V.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Oh, ouch! It sounds like you had a classic just starting with clipless pedals crash - unfortunately with a really bad outcome. Hopefully your attachment to the pedals (and use of your new clipless pedals) won't suffer from this once you are able to ride you bike again. And hopefully that will be fairly soon.

It should become second nature for you to unclip (easily). I guess the key when falling is to try not to put an arm out to break the fall - but at least your pedals kept your legs safe.

--- Denise

[SadieKate]

Yowza. Heal quickly. Seems like there are a lot of broken bones on this site lately. At least everyone was just out doing what they love to do.

[AutumnBreez]

That one was the last one, no more broken body parts for a while ok gang?!!!!
The quarterly qouta has been met and then some.

Go back to enjoying your cycling without the ouchees.

[emily_in_nc]

So sorry gilly! :eek:

I'm healing from a broken pelvis at the moment, so I do feel your pain. Not riding, especially at this time of year (we've had a bee-yoo-ti-ful May in NC - cooler than normal!), is very very tough! Hope you'll be back in the saddle again soon!

Emily

[RoadRaven]

Wow, what bad luck gilly... usually those crashes/falls because of the clip-in pedals are at slow speed (like yours was) and result in minor grazing
You must have just caught your wrist at the wrong angle
Hope you heal in record time

[CorsairMac]

Ow Gilly - sorry to hear about your fall. Did you get the pinecone tho?.....it would be a very special one now! Heal well and ride another day!

[Susan126]

Sorry to hear about your fall and broken wrist, gilly. I feel your pain as I have been there. Not a broken wrist but 5 broken ribs in July 2000! Could not ride for two months (painful when I breathed hard). But I healed nicely, got back on my bike, and haven't stopped riding since then. Here's to a quick recovery! :)
Sue

[Jo-n-NY]

I am so sorry about your fall. I agree with AutumnBreeze, may your be the last post about a fall especially at this time of year. Of course Long Island doesn't know that it is spring time and the month is May because it is down right FREEZING here. ugh sorry to go off topic for that bit of venting :)

[KkAllez]

Whoa...that's awful! So sorry to hear it. But did you get the pinecone? ;)

Saturday my son was trying to teach his girlfriend to a)ride a road cycle b)ride clipless. She clunked over in the driveway, had a helmet on, but it really bothered me. I had told my son that when my new bike comes in she can bike with us. However, we are going to put the regular pedals on until she is simply used to a road cycle before we do anymore clipless. I would have felt awful if she had been hurt. I'm not sure what she has biked on before. Mostly likely a kiddie bike or a mountain style bike. Nothing more than delivering the papers on a bike though. She's only 15.

[KSH]

OUCH! Sorry to hear it!

Yea... you must always THINK of unclipping BEFORE you even apply your brakes.

[Bike Goddess]

I rode my road bike with clipless pedals (the Look variety) and tennis shoes for a month before I tried clipping in. I wanted to get used to the bike handling and speed before I did anything else. Fortuneately when I did eventually clip in, I did pretty well the first time. I practiced clipping and unclipping first on one side then the other as I was riding down a level street with no traffic. After that, I fell at a couple of stops- either didn't get unclipped fast enough or was going so slowly up hill that when I stopped I couldn't get going again by clipping in. I have since learned that on a hill if I have to stop, better to go down a bit and then clip in- little trick of the trade!

So moral of the story- it takes a lot of practice, but once you've mastered it, you'll love the outcome! :D :D

[gilly]

Thank you ladies :)
Right now the biggest pain is not being able to ride :(

Yes :D I got the pine cone, my husband picked it up for me :)

I loved the feel of pedalling with clipless, and I think I'll do okay when I get back on my bike.

I think my main problem is that when I'm in toe clips (loose) I always leave (stop) off the same pedal, but at the 'top' of the stroke.. obviously, this doesn't work with clipless.

I had actually unclipped before I hit the ground. `Unfortunately, I had stopped - realised my pedal was at the top, back pedalled to get to the bottom and unclipped - sadly, none of this was fast enough, and 'back' pedalling when your facing up hill at a standstill is not the recommended thing to do. lol

Still, the 35 minute walk to work (and back again of course :) ) will keep me fit.

[CorsairMac]

actually Gilly - I unclip at the top of the stroke. The thing I have to remember is to make sure my front tire is turned in the direction of the "unclipped" foot, especially if on a hill. That way if you lose your balance, you'll "fall" on the unclipped foot.

[gilly]

actually Gilly - I unclip at the top of the stroke. The thing I have to remember is to make sure my front tire is turned in the direction of the "unclipped" foot, especially if on a hill. That way if you lose your balance, you'll "fall" on the unclipped foot.
What pedals do you use CM? I was on Time ATAC. I did fall toward the unclipped foot, it just hadn't unclipped quite quickly enough :rolleyes:
Although I can unclip at the top of the stroke, it's not as fluid as at the bottom.

[shewhobikes]

Oh dooky, so sorry about your fall. I have no better advice than what you've already been given here, just know that we've all been there (i'm a newbie), as you will discover if you do a search on "clipless" and "falls" or some such! Only antidote is practice, other than the key issue of how tight your clips are. I had a couple of ugly pavement incidents until I had the LBS loosen the tension on my pedals so I could get in and out with more ease. After that, it was a cinch. Keep at it! :)

[spazzdog]

For me, if I'm going down (and I do at least once per season) I keep my hands on the bars and kinda round my shoulders into the fall. I always land on the round of my back that way... a sort of "roll". I end up on my back with my bike still attached to me, only we be upside down :D

After the initial "oh s**t" moment, I crack up so much I can hardly get up... it's sooooo Artie Johnson. But that's why we call me spazz :cool:

spazzdog - whose middle name ain't "Grace"

[Ered_Lithui]

Ow! Sorry, gilly!
I took my first clipless tumble a few days ago. More like a topple, actually. Was standing waiting for the light to change, leaned too far to one side, and...oops.
Hope the wrist heals really soon!
*Sending virtual smiley-face helium baloons*

[CorsairMac]

What pedals do you use CM? I was on Time ATAC. I did fall toward the unclipped foot, it just hadn't unclipped quite quickly enough :rolleyes:
Although I can unclip at the top of the stroke, it's not as fluid as at the bottom.

I use Shimano SPDs - I don't remember which ones. I'm sitting here thinking about the unclipping at the bottom and I don't know if I could do that! LOL......I always unclip as I'm coming to a stop and I unclip at the top of the stroke so if I Don't have to stop I can just clip back in right away and use that leg to pedal down with.
man - you got me thinking now, I'll have to play with that going home tonight! It may also come from mounting and dismounting the bike like I would a horse so the clipped in foot needs to be down as I swing the unclipped foot over the saddle.
hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Pedal Wench]

I was told before I started with clips that I was supposed to clip out at the bottom of my stroke too, but I just don't understand how to do that! If I'm at the bottom, that means my weight and power is on that foot at that moment, and if I unclip, my foot will continue downwards and hit the ground. It seemed particularly weird if I was actually standing in the saddle and trying to unclip. I unclip at the top, my weight on my other foot, ready to stand up and put my foot down.

[spazzdog]

Hope that wrist is feeling better Gilly.

You'll be back in the saddle in no time...

spazz

[Hakberg]

Yikes, that is a bad outcome. I just registered and wanted to get started just finding out more about what I am actually getting myself into. I went on my 3rd ride today. My boyfriend is coaching me. Unfortunately there aren't too many flats to ride on and he is trying to break me in quickly so that I can start riding with groups. My first fall was definitely because of clipping in...we had stopped to get some water and I was just nervous to clip in while going uphill...(I was reading someone else's recommendation on going downhill, clip in, then go up hill...I might have to try that). You forget that you can actually keep pedaling even though you are clipped in--until you can get the pedal turn the right way...At least with my falls, I've only gotten a few scratches, bruises, and the spokes in the legs...Sorry that you are "out of order."

I have a question concerning clipins... I am trying to adjust the shoes so that I can get maximum output from my input...do you all find it is better to be clipped in closer towards the front of the foot or a little further back.

Thanks..

[DeniseGoldberg]

I have a question concerning clipins... I am trying to adjust the shoes so that I can get maximum output from my input...do you all find it is better to be clipped in closer towards the front of the foot or a little further back.


First, welcome to the board!

I'd highly recommend getting a fitting so that you can get your bike and the cleats set up to match you. Jim Langley's bike fit page recommends "The cleat should be positioned so that the balls of your feet rest over the centers of the pedals (the axles) when you’re pedaling" and also says "Ideally, your cleat position allows resting your feet in a natural position on the pedals. Otherwise, you could injure your knees". Here's a link to his article on bike fit: http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html.

Happy cycling!

--- Denise

[SandyLS]

Sorry to hear about the wrist. I started to ride clipless about mid-way through the summer last year. I was quite proud that I had not taken a fall. You know the saying that goes something like "Pride goeth before the fall", well, this week came the fall. No real dammage done, just some pretty bruises. I landed softly on grass with my bike on top of me. I had unclipped the right foot and remembered what I had read here about turning the tire towards the unclipped foot. I guess I must have panicked when I couldn't get the left one unclipped and somehow fell toward the unclipped side. I guess I just need to practice some more.
Safe biking to all.
Sandy

[gilly]

The weather here is perfect for cycling :( Hopefully, tomorrow we will try me on the tandem.

It is however, helping my resolve to not use the car so often.. I can't drive either :D

My feelings and thoughts on the unclipping are exactly those of yours Audio-A. I can't wait to get on and try again, if I can unclip at the top of the stroke then perhaps it won't feel so alien.

Thank you all for the virtual hugs, and helium balloons :)

[spazzdog]

Gilly, do you have an indoor trainer? You could put the bike on it and sit straight up (look ma! no hands) and just pedal... and practice:

Mr Miyoshi say: clip in, clip out, clip in, clip out... pedal big circle.

spazz (a "karate kid" fan)

[gilly]

I found out yesterday that I am likely to be in plaster for around another 12 weeks :( So yes, Spazzdog, the indoor trainer is an excellent idea :) and on nice days, I'll have DH put it in the garden for me :D

I have decided though.. after what will be 3+ months off the bike, I won't be going back to clipless :rolleyes:

[cruziegirl]

I found out yesterday that I am likely to be in plaster for around another 12 weeks :( So yes, Spazzdog, the indoor trainer is an excellent idea :) and on nice days, I'll have DH put it in the garden for me :D

I have decided though.. after what will be 3+ months off the bike, I won't be going back to clipless :rolleyes:
Very sorry to hear you had problems with clipless. Sounds like just about all of us have fallen over as a result of them at least one time or another. You might consider going to Speedplay pedals. The Frogs work really well if a) you're doing any mountain biking or, b) you need to be able to walk around very much. The Zeros are what I use and you end up with this enormous cleat on the bottom of your shoe which makes walking a bit of a challenge but the platform for your foot on the bike is great. The reason I suggest Speedplays is that they're much easier to get in and out of than SPD's. I have found that the "panic stop, rip your foot out of the pedal" is much, much easier with Speedplays. Not that I do panic stops often... ;) Anyway, I wish you speedy healing.

[Try-Chick]

Ouch!
A month ago, I went out on my bike taking my 8 year old daughter for her first ride of 4 miles. Well, 5 minutes into the ride she stopped right in front of me. My first concern was to not crash into her so I slammed on the brakes and frantically tried to get out of my pedals. Unfortunately, I was not able to, however, I did have the sense to hang onto my bars and fell on my shoulder, not my hand. Bruised Ego!

Then at another stop (yes the same day), while watching for cross traffic and making sure my daughter didn't ride out into it, I did the same thing, but fell on the other side. Luckily no damage except a doubly bruised ego. I was able to go out after I dropped her off with my hubby and rode 20 accident free miles. Felt Great. My new bike Equinox 9 Tri Geek bike is so sweet (I just got it in March...) It is so much lighter than my mountain bike which I hadn't ridden much since the kiddos were born (8 and 5 yrs old). My husband started doing Tri's about 4 years ago and only when the kids were old enough did I think it was feasible for me to train on the bike also.

:eek:

[Roadrunner]

.That must have hurt .:( I Hope your wrist heals soon. You'll be back riding in no time. I'm thinking of going clipless soon but I'm still a bit unsure about it as I'm rather accident prone as it is. :eek:

[cruziegirl]

I just had a thought for people just going to clipless - maybe try what are called campus pedals. These are pedals with one side that is clipless and the other is just a regular pedal. That way you can clip in just when you want. My sister has always used these because the idea of completely clipless just never appealed - the idea of being in traffic and not being able to unclip, that whole thing. Shimano has a pair that are quite nice. Anyway, this might be a way to ease into the whole clipless thing.

[RoadRaven]

I have never ever heard of pedals where you clip in one side and dont the other!
Wouldn't this mean you use your legs differently? For example, when you try and get up a hill...
I am interested to hear how well this concept works... surely if you don't like to clip in to the pedal, you just avoid cleats and clips?

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[CorsairMac]

I have them on my mountain bike. One side of the pedal is a regular clip, the other side is a platform with a flat place in the middle that is shaped like the cleat. That way, when I'm trying to get started somewhere between a rock and a hard place, I'm not trying to deal with clipping in at the same time. Or if I think the trail is getting just a tad too rough, being a newbie, I can unclip and flip the pedal over. Then if I fall, I don't have to worry about unclipping at the same time.

[cruziegirl]

Yep, that's exactly the way my sister uses them only on the road. She doesn't want to have to try to get going from a dead stop at a light or in the middle of traffic and also be trying to clip in. So she gets going and then clips in. She says that she will ride with her plant foot unclipped as a just-in-case when we're likely to have to stop. Seems to work really well for her.

[roughingit]

I use mine on the platform side more than the other side lol! I wear my biking shoes when I'm out riding on long roads, but if I know I'm just going about town and making tons of stops here and there, it's much easier to just wear normal shoes.

That and I'm still a bit nervous about using them downtown with all the stop and go :o

[RoadRaven]

OK, I am getting a picture of how useful these pedals can be in MtB rides... but I still wonder about being on the road and having your legs working in different ways (given that with cleats you can pull up a little)... do these pedals work at speed, or is it better like Cruzie's sister uses them, at slower speeds in town?
I just find the whole idea fascinating, though it doesn't appeal to me to try. i think I'd confuse myself.

[cruziegirl]

OK, I am getting a picture of how useful these pedals can be in MtB rides... but I still wonder about being on the road and having your legs working in different ways (given that with cleats you can pull up a little)... do these pedals work at speed, or is it better like Cruzie's sister uses them, at slower speeds in town?
I just find the whole idea fascinating, though it doesn't appeal to me to try. i think I'd confuse myself.
Yeah, I think it would confuse me too but my sister really prefers it. The only time she has one in and one out is when she's going really slow and thinks she may have to stop. The rest of the time she clips in both feet and they work just like regular clipless pedals.