Need advice -- falling alot with clipless!

[frances]

hi everyone,

i am fairly new to cycling and just bought my bike in June. i borrowed a pair of Look pedals from a friend and have been using those.

i have been out riding maybe 7 or 8 times and have fallen about half of those rides! is it just me or would you recommend that i try some different pedals? the Look pedals i have are only single-sided (i am hunting around for the right side fairly often). and also, i can't pedal except when i'm clipped in!

i have found most of my falling to happen around stopping or starting. either i'm not leaning the right way or else i'm trying to stop on a grade.

any suggestions are appreciated. i also just bought a pair of pedals -- one side SPD, the other side platform -- so i can do either in a desperate situation! but i'm not sure that is the best solution for me either as i'll be doing a triathlon in a few weeks. haven't put them on yet, though.

thanks,
-frances

[Melodylynn]

Well I am not much of a help since the only time I have used my clipless I fell! I think that until our brains remember to signal to the feet to "unclip now" we will keep the falling. :(

Melody

[Trekhawk]

Hi Frances

Welcome to the club. I think most of us have had a few falls while trying to get a grip on clipless pedals. I think its a practice sort of thing maybe you could find a safe flat place to ride around and just clip in and out until you feel a little better about it.

The type of pedals you choose will also determine how easy it is to clip in and out. Some of the wonderful ladies on this forum do Tri's so they may be able to help with pedal selection and tips for changeovers in a Tri.
Put a post on the Tri section Im sure you will get loads of good advice from them.

Happy riding. :D

[slinkedog]

Hi Frances! First of all, make sure the tension on your pedals isn't too tight. You can adjust how hard it is to clip in/out.

I used to have a big problem with falling over when stopping because I was leaning the opposite direction from my clipped out foot. So, here's the advice my husband gave me: clip out with one foot, and as you're putting it down, turn your front wheel away from your clipped out foot, i.e. clip out right, make like you're turning left with your wheel. This will cause the weight of your bike to fall toward your clipped out foot. Some folks here do it the opposite way, but this has always worked for me. If you stand straddled over your top tube with your feet on the ground and turn your wheel, you'll see that the weight of your bike naturally shifts the opposite direction.

Anyway, I hope this helps you out some!! It's worked like a charm for me and I haven't fallen once since I started doing it.

Also, they do make pedals that you can clip into on either side. I have those and it's very helpful to me.

Hang in there!

[CorsairMac]

Hi Frances: the best thing you can do for right now is unclip at least 1 side if you even Think you might want to stop. That way you don't have too many things going on at once: stopping, unclipping, watching traffic, etc etc.
Also, if you leave 1 foot clipped in when you stop then you can use that foot to get you going again while you clip in the other side.
There has been quite a bit of discussion on which way to turn your front tire when you unclip, I would suggest trying both to see which works for you.............when I stop I turn my front tire in the direction of the unclipped foot, since I've started doing that I don't fall. Someone else suggested turning the front tire away from the unclipped foot, said it works perfect for her. You might pay attention next time you fall which direction your tire was turned and trying turning it the other way, see if that helps.
As for unclipping/starting on a grade: ride downhill a short way until you get both feet clipped in, then turn and go back to the climb.
The other thing that might help you a lot - practice unclipping/clipping without worrying about stopping......just to get your brain and your feet used to the whole process!
Just don't give up - we've All been there and some of us have ridden clipless forever and we still have that occassional brain lag where we just can't remember to unclip!

[slinkedog]

LOL CM! The debate rages on!!! :D

[CorsairMac]

*nods head*...yes...but wasn't I Very diplomatic??....politically correct? etc etc!


Corsair "looking very smug" Mac


(roflmao)

[slinkedog]

You were terribly polite and diplomatic!! :)

You know, I'd really like to try it your way, but I'm afraid I'll fall!!!! ;)

[Kimred]

You can also put your bike on a trainer and practice getting in that would help. Defintly make sure they are not adjusted to tight. And if you can have someone measure the ball of your foot to make sure they are positioned properly. This can make a huge difference! I feel once you get the hang of it you will never go back to regular pedals. I just can't seem to keep a good spin if I'm not clipped in.

Good Luck and I'm glad to see your not giving up on them even after all the falls!

Stay Tough!
Kim

[bcipam]

Have you sat down and actually thought about why you are falling? When you come to a stop do you have trouble getting out of your pedals or do you just forget to get out of the pedal? Do you try to stop while still sitting on the saddle?

Here's the deal, 1)make sure pedal tension is correct. Not too tight or loose. You should be able to engage easily and get out without much effort but it shouldn't be so loose you foot falls out at times. 2) Think about your approach to an intersection or stopping. Disengage one pedal several feet before your stop. Note you should get used to disengaging only one side or the other. I do my left side. The right side always stays clipped in. There is no right or wrong as to which foot. It's a comfort thing. 3) Once disengaged, move your butt off the seat and get ready to land your foot on the pavement. If at a complete stop or close there too, your butt should be no where near the seat! Your foot should almost be on the ground. This is one fluid movement - Slowing, disengage pedal, move butt off seat, left (or right) foot down. And practice, practice practice. Ride alone. If you find riding with friends causes you to be distracted, go out alone so you can concentrate. It really becomes second nature after awhile.

As to falling while starting - that's a nervous thing. You are trying to hard (and most likely too soon) to engage the pedal and lose control. I use Dura Ace pedals. They are one sided. I always have my start leg (which is always my left) up so I just push down and the bike starts to move. I don't worry about getting clipped in (sometimes it happens right away sometimes I have to make an effort) I just ride until I get some momentum, maybe even across the intersection. Once moving its easy to spend some time engaging the pedals. Don't panic. Work on smooth starts. It shouldn't take alot of power. One big key, make sure you down shift on approaching a stop so you don't have to push a big gear to get started. The lower the gear, the easier the start.

Good luck. It's just a practice thing and once you master it won't believe you thought it so hard!

[bikerz]

Everything everyone has said is very helpful - I've only been riding a little while too, but I have fallen while clipped 6 times! Always when coming to a stop, always because I get flustered or distracted. I was unclipping right and falling left, without fail.

So what I have been doing the last 2 months is unclipping both feet any time I see anything worrisome - dogs, kids on bikes, traffiic - whatever - as well as when approaching stop signs and traffic lights. So the unclipping has become part of my "stay alert - pay attention" mode. It sems to have helped - I think my last fall was about 8 weeks ago (did I just jinx myself?)

I'm confused about the wheel turn thing (in spite of the great descriptions by skinke and cmac!), so I'm just going to stick with my unclip-alert mode. I'm hoping overtime I'll need to unclip less frequently. I also keep neosporin and big bandaids in my tool bag!

[KSH]

I have fallen once in 11 months. I never rode with anything but clipless.

My secret? I just make sure that I UNCLIP before I PUT ON MY BRAKES.

I also don't let myself get flustered easily.

It has worked pretty good for me... thus far.

Also, I have SpeedPlays, and the pedals are so easy to clip in/out of! (But I didn't get that kind of clipless pedal until March 2005).

[TripleFire]

Hi Frances,
I'm new to cycling as well (just started with a group in April) and had been spinning at the gym for a while so I had SPD clips. If you spin at all and are comfortable with them I highly recommended using them to get used to clipping in and out on a moving bike. It took me a while to get the hang of it and I fell several times in front of groups of people. Great fun!

I also started with pedals that had clips on one side and platforms on the other and lasted only 3 rides with them. It was such a pain to have to spin the pedal over to the clips and found myself looking down to see what side was up - not a good thing. Like some of the others have said, I also clip out very early whenever there is a chance that I might have to stop. I found that the tension on one side of one of my pedals was pretty tight and with a little adjustment it's so much better. It takes a little bit of practice, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it!

[frances]

i really appreciate the response. it is so frustrating and my knees look really bad right now. but, i still love cycling!

i tried to respond to individual posts but, i had trouble. seems like my ability with clipless has transferred over to using this forum! :p

anyway, to the person who asked me if i stopped to think about why i was falling.... YES! i was up last night thinking about it and wondering what my problem was. and i think you might have hit it. i think i do unclip well in advance but, i sometimes forget to get my butt out of the seat and therefore start braking before i am out and slowing down. so it's not one fluid motion all the time. it's kind of jerky.

i think i do much better when i remember to get my butt out and remember to bring my clipped in foot down so i can coast while standing up on a pedal but getting ready to put the unclipped foot down. does any of this make sense?

also, as for falling when trying to mount the bike, i am sure it's because of inadequate momentum. i have also noticed that i think i may have bought my bike shorts a bit too large and sometimes they get caught on the seat. that alone isn't responsible for my falling but, it does throw me.

i will try to practice around the block. i am so much smoother when i'm not using clipless and just on my sneakers. i don't know why it's any different.


thanks,
-frances

[Pedal Wench]

i will try to practice around the block. i am so much smoother when i'm not using clipless and just on my sneakers. i don't know why it's any different.


thanks,
-frances

When you are just using your sneakers, still practice. "Pretend" that you are still clipped in, but really get used to 'unclipping' from your imaginary cleats. This will start to ingrain in your physical memory that you must twist your ankle and have the proper foot weighted when you stop. Every stop must be thought about, and then it becomes second nature.

[caligurl]

it may be the look pedals and not you! i had looks... for about a week... i could NOT unclip from them! i would either fall over.. or blaze through an intersection :eek:

i did a lot of reasearch and found that a lot of women have trouble with looks.. even at the lightest tension... since we have smaller feet.. we can't get the strength behind the twist to get them out.. (and it's not that my legs were weak... i was/am big into weight work... including legs... so i had/have leg strength...

i got speedplay (the X version) and they are GREAT!

something to look into or think about!

[Trekhawk]

[QUOTE frances]i have also noticed that i think i may have bought my bike shorts a bit too large and sometimes they get caught on the seat. that alone isn't responsible for my falling but, it does throw me.


Trekhawk waving madly at Frances

Thats me catching my bike shorts on the end of the seat and panic setting in.

I also found that at first I would panic if my clipped in foot got to the bottom of the pedal circle before I had the next foot clipped in or even on the pedal and then it occured to me (Im a bit slow I know) that I could pedal a complete circle with one foot as it was clipped in and this helped keep up momentum. Remembering that I could pull up as well as push down took a while but tips from the ladies here have helped and now I think Im getting better at those circles.

[Ionic]

I agree with Caligurl, it could be the pedals. When I first started mtbing my then fiance made me do it clipless. I started with the shimano ones my bike came with. I fell sooo many times. We changed the tension but it didn't work. I had a really hard time clipping in and out. I had to take my shoe off on the trail a couple times because I couldn't unclip. Finally, I bought a used pair of Time Atacs and my falling problem stopped. If you're having a really hard time clipping in and out, you may want to try a different brand. Once I switched, it fixed everything and I can't even imagine riding without them.

[tattiefritter]

I would also agree with Caligurl and Ionic in that you may just not get on with the pedals. I used SPDs for a while on my MTB but I found that in order to be confident that I could get my feet out whenever I wanted I had to back the tension off so much that my feet would boing out on rocky descents, which is worse than a slow speed topple. Changing to Crank Bros Candys changed it all for me and I have them on all my bikes, including the roadie.

When I first put clipless on my MTB the bike shop advised me (which I ignored and learned the hard way instead) to find a grassy field (soft landing) and practise getting out of them quickly when riding really slowly and stopping suddenly.

I also think that technical offroad riding has made getting out of clipless second nature to me, much more than riding on the road, as you often don't get advance warning of when you might be unclipping you just have to do it instantaneously.

[Dogmama]

I've always had Looks and I love them. To each her own!

Caveat about unclipping - if you are unclipping several yards from where you will eventually stop, be sure that you completely unclip & put your heel on the clip-part of your pedal. If you just rest your foot on the pedal, you may inadvertently clip yourself back in :eek:

[mtbdarby]

I agree with Cali and Ionic as well. I was having a TON of difficulty staying vertical. Check your shoes and pedals. I found I had chipped the cleat on the bottom of one of my shoes so I replaced that. Still fell. So I changed pedals to a Ritchie model and have had no problems since (at least that I can blame on going clipless :D )

Hang in there! I was at my wits end with mountain biking but am back in the swing of things. I also found after a couple bad crashes that nerves were playing a big part in it so I started road biking more. Much easier for me! It has been a great confidence booster as well as a great endurance training tool for me.

Happy riding!

[ktplayfair]

These pedals are super easy to get out of and easy to set so that you get out when you want to, but keep the tension so you can stand and climb. Even a few times when I've started to "go over" I can unclip reflexively to stop the fall... I've always ridden clipless

[frances]

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for all your responses! So nice to have such a great supportive group!

I got some inexpensive Shimano SPDs/Platforms. I am sure that someone in road bike land will scoff at them because they're more of a mountain bike pedal. But, they worked for me. I tried them out this morning on a 15 mile bike ride this morning. And it was great.

I used my mountain bike shoes that I normally use only in spinning class and found this is great because if i have
trouble clipping in, I can just pedal on the platform side of the pedal until I have a moment to clip in. And it just SLID in. None of the awkwardness of my Look pedals.

I realize now that I was really having to struggle with the Looks - I really had to kick out hard to unclip and push down hard to clip in. Could be that the pedals are really old (I borrowed them) but, at this point, I'm happy with my SPDs. And I don't feel like spending any more $$ on a set of pedals!

Thanks again for all your advice!

Frances

[jpbayarea]

Everyone's comments mirror my own feelings. Initially I refused to get them. Said I was more relaxed and safe without. One day my partner nudged me and I broke down and bought some hot new red shoes and clipless pedals. Within two blocks I crashed in the street at a 4 way stop. Simpering and limping to the side I was mad! He was great. We got off the road and went up and down a side road until I thought I could make it home. Suffice it to say there was one more crash. Slowly I learned how to unclip before the stop (sign, light or just a blind driveway) and hold that foot on the pedal but off the clip part. Over months the security has grown and finally I've come to both love and depend on them. Still, even now, I unclip before he does at any intersection or possible 'problem.' That's just my comfort zone. We each find ours over time. It's a hurdle it seems everyone faces and gradually learned to manage and then finally think back to those unclipped rides and be so thankful to be beyond that. It takes time and patience...with yourself and whatever fears you have. Go slow and go kindly. We've all been there! Hope that helps.
Jpbayarea :)