Unclipping Uphill

Adventures in clipless continue.... :)

I was doing a greenway ride yesterday using my clipless pedals. THere was a really short but very steep hill on it. I went up in a pretty low (easy) gear and about half way up and realized, uh oh, I'm not gonna make it. I didn't want to shift down anymore, because I had so much pressure on the pedals.

I realized that I was going to have to stop and walk up the last little bit, but I didn't think I could stop pedaling to unclip because I was already going so slow, I was scared I would just tip over. I managed to get over on the grass, just in case i fell, and unclipped without falling, but it was not my most graceful dismount.

Any tips on how to handle this situation?

Best thing to do is shift down sooner, while you are still pedaling easily.

Even though it generally isn't a great idea to shift under load I have seen people downshift under load without incident. Maybe the risk is better than a fall. Or better yet, if possible, stand on your pedals to get up a bit of speed, sit and shift down. But the real key is not letting things get to the point of no return and you do that by shifting down while it still is pretty easy to pedal.

I did a really steep hill yesterday and I went up in my lowest gear. I almost didn't make it up and had the same concern, that I would be going too slow to clip out. I managed to weave my way back and forth to get up the hill, essentially dealing with the hill like it had switchbacks. Of course, that only works if you have enough room to maneuver.

Part of it's just practice and figuring out where your pedal needs to be. If you're going that slowly, all you need to do is bring the pedal around to where you can unclip (top of the pedal stroke, usually), unclip, and then brake and dismount. The other thing is that the more you ride and the better your balance gets, the more stable you'll be able to keep the bike at low speeds.

The other thing is to figure out where to shift--it's almost like you need to shift before you need to, if that makes sense. Shifting under load's not a great idea, but it can be done.

Good job for not tipping over! I just had to do this today. I was descending a big hill pretty fast, and at the bottom it dipped right up into a short steep climb--practically a V. I thought I was going fast enough to make it, so I didn't shift down, and then I found myself caught out in my highest gear, unable to shift and unable to keep climbing. I managed to force out a couple more pedal strokes until I could quickly flick my foot out. And that's my only advice: (a) try to make it to the top; otherwise (b) force out a few more strokes until you manage to clip out; and whatever you do, (c) don't panic (or you'll lose your balance).

You did better than I - one time I orchestrated a controlled fall. It seemed to be my only option at the time. I've gotten more comfortable with it all and can unclip on the hills now. But at the time of the 'fall' I didn't think I'd ever be able to unclip when stuck on a hill I didn't think I could make.

It's never easy. Sounds like you got it right though! One of the big problems is that you don't have a lot of traction when you put your foot down, because of the grade. A good chunk of that gravity vector just wants your foot to slide right down the hill. If your shoes have some kind of walking rubber on the toes, you might try to get a toe down to give you better traction.

This is a situation that always scares me though. If there's a shoulder (which there usually isn't), I will look for it, both to get out of traffic if I should fall, and to possibly have better traction under my foot.

THanks for the feedback. I had definitely misjudged the hill and was not in a low enough gear. These short, steep greenway hills are tricky!
I was definitely starting to panic, so next time I'll try to focus on flicking my foot out instead of trying to get to the top.

I think you did a great job because you didn't fall. I have fallen millions of times on steep hills, trying to unclip :(
Now if I ride unfamiliar steep climbs and I am not sure whether I would make it even in the lowest gear, I unclip one foot in advance. I know it's not correct and I lose power but I fear falling on one side. It's not painful but it hurts the ego. :o Still, I don't recommend doing this.

Also try standing while pedalling as your last resort before unclipping and stopping. You might just make it!

Well, if the climb is not technical, standing position may be ok. But I usually combine steep and technical climbing and every movement may cause loss of traction or balance and may again end up on the ground.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has trouble with this issue. I am so afraid of falling over on a hill what I usually do is unclip my right foot as I approach a hill, just in case I have to stop. I know this is very uneffective for climbing, but it's sort of turned into a phobia for me now. :o

Apple, if I were unclipped going uphill, I'd be afraid my foot would slip off the pedal. Is that a problem? It's so funny, but when I first went clipless, going up hill never even crossed my mind as being a problem (except starting from a dead stop on hill). But now i am a bit concerned about these silly little steep hills.:mad:

I will never unclip to climb a hill again! I broke my ankle last fall when my foot slipped off the pedal after I had proactively unclipped to climb a hill. I now use platform pedals with toe cages specifically because of the issues of trying to unclip on steep hills.

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Originally Posted by Penny4

Apple, if I were unclipped going uphill, I'd be afraid my foot would slip off the pedal. Is that a problem? It's so funny, but when I first went clipless, going up hill never even crossed my mind as being a problem (except starting from a dead stop on hill). But now i am a bit concerned about these silly little steep hills.:mad:

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Heck yeah, I am afraid of that happening. So far it hasn't. I really try to be aware of foot placement on the pedal. It's not rational I know, but I am more afraid of not being able to unclip on a hill, especially if there are a lot of other riders around me in an organized event.

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Originally Posted by Kiwi Stoker

Also try standing while pedalling as your last resort before unclipping and stopping. You might just make it!

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that was my immediate thought as well, also if standing and still struggling I think it is easier to unclip at the top of the pedal stroke when standing.

Practice unclipping while putting pressure on the pedal. You don't have to be soft pedalling or coasting to unclip.

Just a thought, but try clicking down one gear at a time when you get to the hill to maintain an even amount of pressure on your feet as you ascend. When you know you are getting close to running out of gears then maybe abandon ship but I bet if you stood up in some lower gears you'd have no problem. ;) A lot of new riders will shift all the way down at the start of a hill then the whole hill they battle gravity with no help from momentum. If you slowly take away gears some of your existing momentum can really help you climb easier and more controlled.

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Originally Posted by Loraura

Practice unclipping while putting pressure on the pedal. You don't have to be soft pedalling or coasting to unclip.

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Good advice, I'll try that. Like Loraura said, I've been waiting to coast or soft pedal to unclip.