Embarrassing wipeout- new to clipless

I just had to tell you gals this because it's almost funny in retrospect. I was out riding with my husband yesterday and we were almost home. Oh yeah - it was my third day ever using clipless pedals. Anyway, we had to stop at a light, so I clipped out my right foot and pulled up to the curb to wait for the light to change. It was a big 4 way intersection and cars were waiting at every direction. I don't even know how it happened, but I fell right over to the left - BOOM! Just like that! I whacked my helmet on the SUV that was there and got a big strawberry on my knee. The passenger in the SUV rolled down his window to ask if I was okay - I said yes - I just wanted him to go away!! Why can't people just pretend they didn't see anything? :) The WORST thing is that just at that moment, a coworker from my office (and fellow road rider) was across the intersection. He yelled out his window and said "I saw that!!". It was awful. I managed a pathetic little laugh, but I just wanted to get outta there. Those clipless pedals are going to kill me! I hope I get the hang of them soon or else I'll have to move to some other town!

That sucks. Glad that you are okay other than a bruised ego. I wiped out quite a number of times when I first went clipless and one of the things I quickly discovered is to lube the pedals before each ride. I got so frustrated and felt like such a loser that I couldn't master these pedals that I put a shoe on the pedal without my foot being in it, and I could barely pull it off using my arm! The pedal had seized up. Now I love clipless. I just make sure to use a little White Lightening before each ride.

Your story was my chuckle for the day. I bet we all have stories like yours from when we went clipless in the beginning. Mine was that I was riding with a group and we went down a road that was being freshly paved. I got to the end of the road and didn't unclip fast enough and so toppled over onto the pavement. My pedals/clips left a big hole in the fresh pavement. I was so sorry but my friends thought it was funny I was more worried about the road than myself.

I guess I have been lucky. When I first went clippless I fell over when I stopped for a rest break. I was riding by myself on a country road with nothing but cows around and a few houses here and there. I got up feeling like a clutz and thinking thank goodness no one saw that. I've had a few close calls since then.
I'm going to put some on my mt bike soon and I know I will be falling a lot then.

Vicki:)

for mountain biking, I keep 'em pretty loose so that it doen'st take a lot of torque to release them. Evne tho I have been riding with 'em for a few seasons, I just like them that way.

penny

Is anybody here old enough to remember Laugh In? If so, do you remember the old man on the tricycle who would come to a complete stop & then fall over? I did that several times when I was learning clipless. The biggest bruise was to my ego. I just prayed that there wasn't anybody around that I knew!

Dear bikenewbie-
I have had a few similar falls and some scraped knees. When I got my clipless, the guy at my bike shop said, "Everybody falls in the beginning. Just make the change and get it over with." In the beginning, I had to remind myself to always clip out before stopping. My falls helped me to remember to do this. I am glad that you were not seriously injured...and glad I was not either! lb satterly

Hi,

Just wondering... if clipless sound so dangerous(to me), what is the benefit of having them?

I do duathlons, and am wondering whether or not to go clipless, but I'm really afraid of hurting myself! I like my strappy pedals, but am wondering if it's worth the extra effort to go clipless. Will it really help me increase my speed? I know it'll slow me down in the transition area...

Any and all comments will be considered!

Clipless is great. It allows you to be "one" with your pedal. You get more energy to the pedal with clipless which means more speed and efficiency. I found that clipless was no more hazardous than those cages people use. You just need to get used to them. If you have your clips adjusted properly, getting out of them timely is a snap. I ride about 1000 +/- miles a year and would never go back to the cages.

As I slowly get away from using my clipless peddles (more down-hill and trials stuff is better on platforms, in my opinion) I am reminded that they really helped me out on my rides. I love the fact that you are using your whole pedal stroke, which not only gets you up (and over ) things faster, but you are using a bigger set of muscles too. I found that instead of "pushing" myself up a climb, I now pull and push, by using the whole stroke. Makes riding alot more efficient, and the clip is a lot more sturdy than the cage.

Another advantage of the clip over a cage:

depending on the kind of pedals you have, you can clip in to either side. With cages, you have to flip the pedal over to the "right" side first!

a tip for falling: if you can, turn the front wheel toward the foot that's already out, then, if the bike is going fall, that's the way it'll want to go....

I saw this topic and had to write. Dogmama, I remember laugh in and I have followed that act. Fortunately, just bruised ego!

I don't know if this is helpful, before I went to clipless I used "powergrips." Performance bike sells them as do most lbs. They are essentially a kevlar strip on a metal pedal and it forced me to get used to the "action" of getting into clipless without committing to clipless. Because they are not toe clips, if you could not make it into the pedal in time, you just stepped on the kevlar strip.
It was the best $30.00 I spent, I saved the pedals for my commuter bike.

I just went to clipless pedals in May. I was terrified to use them. The guy at the bike shop told me I would fall, everyone does. I am unusually cautious and decided I would not! I used them for about a month and a half, no problem. Then, one day after I finished my ride, I came up the driveway and pulled under our deck. I stopped without pulling my foot out of the pedal and crashed, falling, into the hosecart and a wooden crate. I figured, "Oh well, nobody saw that and at least I wasn't moving fast." About two weeks later, I finished my ride, came up the driveway and rode into the garage and did the same thing...stopped before pulling out of the clip. Bam...right onto the garage floor! Again...no one saw me but I felt so stupid! Hasn't happened since and I hope it doesn't EVER happen again!

By the way...I too remember Laugh In and the guy on the tricycle. That was me...except on two wheels! LOL!!!

Thanks for the comments. Some were hilarious! I guess I'll have to take the leap, in order to improve my speed. Does anyone else participate in Tri's or Du"s? How do you cope in the transition area when you have to change shoes (from running to clipless?)
Thanks again, Trixie

I was told I would fall 3 times when I first went clipless - that's the average. I have fallen twice so far and of course in front of a crowd of people and in that comical slow motion sort of way. I keep waiting for my 3rd fall. I've also seen it happen to others several times.

Best story I heard about a clipless mishap was from a gentleman cyclist in a crowded intersection at a stoplight who, in the slow agonizing process of falling over, somehow managed to hook his shorts onto the nose of his saddle, thereby suffering the humiliation of, not only the fall, but the subsequent "de-panting". And to make matters worse (as if they could get any worse than this) he writhed around on the ground for what seemed like an inordinate amount of time trying to free himself of this debacle - his shoe was *stuck* to the pedal. He eventually had to unbuckle his shoe and remove his foot in order to untwist himself from the bike - and of course all the while he's butt naked. He said there were quite a few whistles and honks from the motorists and onlookers.

:eek:

I've fallen over twice, both times without human witnesses. How lucky is that?

The first time, I was riding in the Skagit Valley. I fell in the direction away from the road. Because it's a flood plain, the roads are 6-8' above the fields. I ended up tires up, head down, and several feet below the road. The cows were curious, but they didn't laugh.

The second time, I fell because I forgot I could get out. It was my first ride of the season. My ski bindings never pop, and after a ski season I'd mentally adapted to my feet not coming loose. I hit an ice patch and slid, never thinking to put my feet on the ground. I sat on the ice laughing at myself. (And to think some people think I cannot be trained!)

I love my SPD pedals. Riding loose would feel as weird to me as riding in a dress.

bikenewbie,

I have to admit, I did the exact same thing. Stopped at a stoplight, unclipped right foot and proceeded to fall over to left. I, though, was not next to a car at the time--I was in front of the cars.

The crossing traffic had a green light so I was only seen by two directions of traffic. Selfishly I will say I am glad I am not the only one to have done that!:D

Pres