cycling woes

I tried the search function to see if there was a similar thread but didn't see one so sorry if I missed it.

The last week has been enough for me to want to give up cycling! (And yet as I type this all I can think about is getting back on the bike.)

Last week I crashed my bike on an invisible lip in the road because I got forced onto the shoulder by a car, it was go onto the shoulder or get side swiped. Went down on my left but miraculously got my leg out of the way and didn't hit the car or get hit (and no they didn't stop). My whole right size was a huge bruise! My shin was scratched to heck and my left knee was bruised. The bike fared a little better although I ripped through the clip strapping and my pedal left a gouge in road. I had to replace my clip, handlebar wrap and a water bottle cage (could have been a lot worse). I got back on the bike the next day and did fine (with a duct tape mended toe clip because all the lbs had were lg/xlg and I'm a small).

I decided I wanted to do the Ride for the Missing Children this fall (you can see my post in charity rides for more info). And as a result of that plus my ruined toe clip my husband took me out yesterday and got me shoes and clipless pedals!

I spent over an hour at our local school field practicing clipping unclipping, sudden stops etc...didnt fall once. The two blocks home, I couldnt get unclipped and I went down. I was able to turn myself so I fell on my butt, but I failed to get my left elbow out of the way. I knew the second it hit something was wrong. 5 hours (got out at 4am) at the er and luckily it is just a very very badly sprained wrist and elbow. I'm laid up in a sling and my wrist wrapped for at least a week (I can still spin lightly at least on my trainer (since I don't really need my arm for that) which isn't the same but its something!)

Is the world trying to tell me something? Up until now, never a crash ( I was just lucky). I love cycling its my stress reliever, it's part of me (and i love how connected you are with the shoes!). My husbands still for it but my parents not so much (I've been lucky with only minor injuries "so far" according to them). But it seems things are conspiring against me.

Have any of you ever hit a moment when it seemed the world was against you cycling? What did you do about it?

Have a great day all!

p.s. sorry for typos not the best at one handed typing. :)

oh brother! hang in there, you will heal.
I paid for a lesson on clipping and unclipping. then i rode for months clipping in and out constantly. good luck.

Ouch. Heal quick! The fact that you want to get back on is good. Just give it a little time.

FWIW, my parents were both convinced I'd kill myself if I went for a ride without DBF...or that I'd get hit if I rode on roads. They're much better about it now.

I'm so sorry about your cycling events & injuries and I wish you a very speedy recovery. You sound like you really like cycling and I completely encourage you to keep cycling. Right now it might seems like the powers are against you cycling, but what you've experienced is fairly common. Don't feel alone. I had a mountain type bike years ago with clipless pedals and as I practiced on a quiet street and was really doing well, I was at a stop and basically just tipped over! I wasn't even moving. It happens.
I'm not sure of your prior experience, your bike set up, type of riding, etc., however I'm wondering if you would consider riding with platform or non-clip pedals for awhile? It would not be an indication of failure, but would allow you to ride and enjoy yourself without having to worry about the clip in/out issues. I think if you continued to have a lot of mishaps you might just walk away all together. There are some cool looking pedals that aren't platforms per se, but not clipless either.

Don't let this cause you to choose to walk away. Remember...if you quit cycling it's your *choice*. You can choose to stay or to go. I suggest that you try to keep things in perspective. I mean, in the long term scheme of things, this event might have some lessons in it that will be useful in the future.

Hang in there. You're strong and capable. :)

Clips are both a gift and a death sentence. Haha.

You may adjust your pedals to the loosest setting. That really helped me.

I just had a really bad fall. Not in traffic, but had I been clipped it, it would have been better. I could have saved myself! Today, if it makes you fee better, I fell over in a bean field while trying to get myself back on the road (I took a quick break). I have been riding in clips for over a year and sometimes I still tip over for no reason, so it happens!

Don't give up yet! It sounds like you are justified in having some worries, but a good ride to build confidence will do WONDERS for your want to ride. Trust me.

I had been riding in clipless pedals for years, and still managed to fall over one day because I couldn't get unclipped. And, my parents used to think I was crazy (I'm sure they still do, but they have become more accepting after 16 years :D).

Don't let this do you in! The clipless are the way to go in the long run. Keep practicing. If you are going to spin lightly on the trainer during your recovery, do it with your clipless pedals, and practice in/out, in/out until it becomes second nature. You should try doing it without looking at your feet - that will really help.

And I second the recommendation to loosen the tension on the pedals - that will help your confidence in getting out when you need to.

Heal up, and get back on that bike!

SheFly

Thanks all! I do plan on getting back on the bike asap with my clipless! The last week has just caused that little nagging self doubt to creep up (like when you have to walk the last ten feet of a hill). Wondering if the world is trying to tell me something. And wondering if any of you have ever experienced it too. Thanks all for you well wishes! Happy cycling!

I'm so sorry about your accidents and hope you get better soon.

Yeah. The bike gods are against me cycling at the moment so I know how you feel. My legs are a wreck right now and yesterday I pulled something behind my knee while racing my son uphill. If it wasn't for the truck coming down the side road, I would have won for the first time. At least now I know I can hit 15mph (that's fast for me as it's usually less than 10 with me gasping) going UP a hill on my Madone with ease..LOL. Maybe I'm meant to be a sprinter instead of going long distances? I had no idea I had a rocket under me. I still almost fell off when I made it into the driveway and scraped my thigh on the gears..again. I'd even loosened the clipless pedals to make it easier.

I nearly fell off my 29er trying to a basic wheelie and now my back/upper shoulder aches. Yup. The bike gods truly hate me. Yet today I was at a LBS drooling over a Surly Pugsley. I came home with a Brooks B17 instead to see how it felt over the narrow one on my Madone and put it on my Specialized Sirrus.

Hang in there, take it easy and let yourself heal up.

Hang in there! Give yourself a chance to heal up and then hop right back on the bike!!

You might want to give yourself more time to ease into the clipless thing. When I was learning how to clip in and out a couple of years ago, I went out to a quiet, flat road where I knew there wouldn't be a lot of traffic and then clipped in just on ONE side for a minute; then unclipped; pedaled a bit; then clipped in on the other side for a minute; unclipped; and so on. Being clipped in just on one side at a time made a BIG difference in my confidence level.

Also, as others have suggested, make sure that whatever system you're using is set just loosely enough to make it easy to pop out. When you've got some miles under your belt, you can always tighten things up.

Good for you and good luck!!

Bethany, Hope you feel better too!

MK...

Are you using toe clips or clipless pedals? Toe clips are easier to get stuck in, in my experience, than clipless. Even seasoned riders can get get caught off guard and not un-clip in time, but barring that situation, your clipless pedal system itself should be reliable and foolproof, or you need to examine your system. I've been there with that panicked feeling when your clip isn't releasing!

I've tried several different pedal systems from Look, to Speedplay to Crank Brothers. I'm a serious road rider and after trying a lot of pedals I ended up with Crank Brothers eggbeater pedals (the good ones - not the cheap ones). A pedal doesn't get any simpler or easier to use and I can *always* get un-clipped. The added benefit is that it is a mountain bike pedal and the cleat can be fit on shoes with a recessed area, so you don't have a problem walking on them.

Even so, I recently got a new pair of Keen cycling sandals for my commuter ride, and had trouble un-clipping... not a lot, but enough that I had to think about it and it ruined my first ride. A spacer (that came with the cleats) solved the problem.

I have several friends who have Speedplay Frogs and love them while I did not, so there is a pedal for everyone. But if you have to think about unclipping in just the right way, then I would advise to examine your pedal system. Maybe you just need a spacer, maybe your cleat is not tight, maybe your shoe is too loose, maybe you have them set too tightly (on some pedals systems), etc. But they should be easy to get in and out of.

Hi MK,

Gosh, it seems like you've had a lot of bad luck recently. I'm not surprised you're feeling low after two crashes so close together!

It was really brave of you to get back on your bike straight after the first one! Don't let it deter you, I'm sure its just a blip.

I hope you heal well and get back on the bike soon!