Fall #2- ok, that's enough now

Hi all,

I went clipless about a month ago, had a fall on day one. I unclipped fine, but then leaned over to my clipped in side, couldn't stop the lean, and went *boom.*

So now I'm thinking I got this clipless thing down. Today I was stopped on the sidewalk, was unclipped on my left side, leaned over to my right and pressed the crosswalk button, righted myself....I thought.....but no....it was a slow motion fall, I tried turning the wheel away, hopping the bike toward the right..noooooo (actually I was screaming another word that starts with an "f"). *boom* Hideous road-rash on my right leg. Argh.

I think I'm going to have to start unclipping with both feet. I only have so much skin to lose to the cause of clipless pedals.

Painfully,
Amy

I always unclip both feet for things like that.

Just call me "Grace"... :eek:

I started about the same time you did. I unclip with both lots now. In addition to your reasons, I like the chance to just get my feet off the pedals.
It's like being untied. :cool:

Boy oh boy can I relate........ I too am tired of separating myself from my skin. Road rash hurts after all. I'm still healing from my last fall.

Chin up - its gonna get better, right?? :o

(Knotted - ironic cuz I'm pretty sure my middle name is Grace....!!!)

Also new to cycling, put clipless pedals on just a couple weeks before RAGBRAI...and I am so glad to hear that someone else has an "I didn't think of not being able to tilt my bike while clipped in story." Unfortunately I have also learned about turning on gravel, bumps, and left to right on a road bike and how that differs from my old mtn. bike...or maybe I am just a tad clumsier than most.:rolleyes:

sounds like it might be a good idea to ride with heavy jeans for a while when learning this skill!

Only two? You've got a few more left, don't worry!

When I went through my clipless learning curve a few years back, it was in the fall/winter time frame . . . so my inevitable topples happened while I was wearing tights and long sleeves -- and one even landed me right into a snowbank! *Much* better than bare skin on asphalt. :D

Hang in there!

I hate to say it but you are never totally free from the possibility of falling while clipped in. I almost feel yesterday. I was at an intersection and was about to take off. I only had my right foot clipped in when I saw a car coming from the left. Went to put my left foot back down but the cleat stuck for just a moment to the pedal. It wasn't clipped in but just caught on the pedal. I almost went down. It was kind of funny because as soon as it caught and I started going down I was thinking to myself, "Man, I can't believe I'm gonna fall." Luckily it came out at the last moment. So I bet even those that have been riding for years go down every once in awhile. But at least not as often.

Isn't it safe to assume that you're also never totally free from the possibility of falling when you're NOT clipless?

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Originally Posted by pooks

Isn't it safe to assume that you're also never totally free from the possibility of falling when you're NOT clipless?

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yabbut, you can get your feet to the ground a lot faster when they aren't fastened to your pedals!!!

Similar thing happened to me yesterday. Including the F word. Though my mind was screaming unclip!! I did on the right but not in time. I fell off the shoulder (on a trail, at a road crossing) onto the grass but my pedal and other parts of the bike still hit pavement :(. No road rash at least. My elbow is finally healing from day #1 with clipless.

Almost happened a second time because apparently I have no balance when just standing and waiting. Right side did unclip in time to catch myself, but the top tube still leaned into a rather uncomfortable area of my upper thigh. ouch.

I'm having trouble clearing the nose of the saddle every time I go to step down. When I can't, bike does lots of leaning, making me hop around trying not to slip on left cleat. Don't know why I started doing this. Seems to happen on the slight downhills all the time. Uphill, I stop like a champ. Oh well, practice practice practice.

I feel your pain. :o

It will get easier. Just keep biking and give unclipping both feet a try.

I am also new to clipless and made sure the man who installed my pedals at my LBS made my clips very "loose" so they are easy to pull out. Saw a car headed my way once and the adrenaline enabled me to pull my foot straight off the pedal!

I have the low end Pearl Izumi (????) shoes with the recessed clips so I can wear the shoes into the grocery store. Also got the entry level pedals that have a regular surface on one side and clips on the other. When I'm in heavy traffic and stop and go, I don't bother clipping in but use the other side of the pedal.

Hope to graduate to the real road clips soon but hopefully won't be riding in town then.

So far so good but know my time will come. Hope its in grass (I don't bike off road) or snow (I live in S. Texas). One can only hope. . .

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Originally Posted by aicabsolut

Seems to happen on the slight downhills all the time. Uphill, I stop like a champ. Oh well, practice practice practice.

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Be especially careful on downhills when you are stopping at a light. I had a shaky stop last week, even going by the book. I stopped in the space between the go-ahead lane and the right turn lane. It was downhill, the road was damp with early morning dew and my foot came down on the slick painted line separating the lanes. Even at nearly 0mph, the cleats made things very slippery.

i too fell over because i leaned to the still clipped in side. you panic because you realize you're going the opposite way of where your mind wants...then boom. My last one was on an organized ride, for those who saw me after the ride (bleeding) who had seen me pre-ride (not bleeding) I didn't exactly have a courageous tale to tell.
oh well...war wounds, that's all.

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Originally Posted by Bluetree

Be especially careful on downhills when you are stopping at a light. I had a shaky stop last week, even going by the book. I stopped in the space between the go-ahead lane and the right turn lane. It was downhill, the road was damp with early morning dew and my foot came down on the slick painted line separating the lanes. Even at nearly 0mph, the cleats made things very slippery.

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Oh I know to avoid the white lines like the plague..and damp ones at that! My Keos are slick enough, I don't need a damp downhill making them worse. And those buggers are so big--it's hard to get enough weight on the little rubber bits on the heel.

My first stop on pavement a while back was on the trail near the shoulder. There was a slight slant to the left side, I put my left foot down and it promptly slid sideways out from under me. I managed to put a hand down and catch myself and the bike, to the amusement of onlookers. Good thing no one was behind me!

Downhill, I wind up doing this funny hop a couple of times while I try to balance grounded on that heel and hold the brakes. More funny hops if the bike is leaning because I don't make it all the way off the seat. Always getting an "Are you ok?" from someone. I swear the bike isn't too big for me.

Good replies!

The funny part is, I love all my war wounds. I was a very rough and tumble little girl, always covered in bruises and scars, and now I'm a 45 year old woman, once again covered in bruises and scars. The difference is, I keep showing my war wounds to people, and they can't understand why I think my bruises and road rash are cool...glad I have a community here that understands!

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Originally Posted by ace

Good replies!
The difference is, I keep showing my war wounds to people, and they can't understand why I think my bruises and road rash are cool...glad I have a community here that understands!

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here here!!! and to top it off, I think my BF is proud of my war wounds as well. I've heard him talking about my riding to his buddies, and he always seems to start off with the part where I fell (not the fact that I fell while doing a 45 mile ride for the first time). I think it's his way of saying "look how tough my girlfriend is".:D