First time out with clip shoes

[Hillhugger]

Yesterday it was finally warm enough (10 degrees Celsius plus) that I went out for the first ride of the season. It was also the first time with clip shoes outside. Well, biking through the neigbourhood on nice quiet roads in the sunshine was fun.

But then there was this stop sign... a car creeping up to the stop sign and I wasn't sure if he was going to stop or not. So I slowed down, clipped my shoe out and must have put the foot back on the pedal - and guess what, the shoe clipped back in. Of course the car did not stop, so I braked and promptly fell! That idiot car driver only laughed and drove off!

The really annoying part was, I had to carry my bike home, because the front tire was bent (biking would have ruined the tire completely and was not exactly safe).

Well, I guess I learned my lesson - clipp out and leave the foot off the pedal!!

[kpc]

bummer, but funny mental picture. I have never used anything but those strappy things on my pedals. Just because I'm afraid I'd fall too. But I do love the little clicky sounds all of the clip people make at each light. Hope your wheel is fixed, cars can suck.

[snapdragen]

It is the law - when you are learning to ride clipless, you must fall, preferably in front of lots of people!

Don't be horribly embarrased, it's happend to all of us, keep practicing, and soon clipping in and out will be second nature.

[GrandPrix]

Don't feel too bad....I got my first clipless pedals at the end of last season and thought I was doing fine with them....So now I decided that I want to become a better rider - so I went on my first group ride this past Saturday - gorgeous morning - 24 mile ride - and I fell about FOUR times!! ; ) My knee is a little banged up - as is my rear ; ) Funny thing is that I actually clip out fine - I clip out with my left - but the problem seems to be that I never learned "proper" starting and stopping skills - so I've always done these things while sitting in the saddle - but problem with clipless is that when I lose my balance at a stop (when i'm on the seat and can JUST touch the ground) - i end up falling over to the right side (where I am still clipped in) and over I go....rather embarrasing I must say.... ; ) Everyone was giving me pointers - but the truth is that I feel rather unbalanced when off the saddle - I need to work on these skills....perhaps I'll practice early in the morning at the local track - that way when i fall right there will be grass to catch me ; ) any suggestions?!!? i guess practice makes perfect...but will probably take a few more falls i fear...

[Veronica]

How can your feet touch the ground when you are sitting on the saddle? Even when I'm riding in my tennies and not clipped in (which I do every day to go to work), my toes barely touch the ground. That doesn't seem like it would be a very stable way to stop.

Maybe you should practice coasting to a stop while standing with your foot of choice unclipped. As you stop, put that foot down, all the way on the ground. Lean your bike, every so slightly towards the foot you're going to put down.


Good luck,

Veronica

[sno4rent]

After several "TIMBER" 's, I will unclip BOTH feet and put the middle to heel of my shoe on the pedal. That way, depending on which way I lean to stop, I have a free foot to put down. I have unclipped just one foot before, but then fell to the "other" side...

~ Wendi

[Dogmama]

I'm envisioning unclipping both feet & I'm thinking that you might slip off of one pedal while you're putting the other foot down. In other words, you need a stable base (the clipped in foot) so you can put the unclipped foot down. Does that make sense?

[cyclingnewbie]

I started clipping in last summer and have managed to not fall yet. Everyone warned me that it WILL happen, so I'm not going to be surprised when it does. As for that touching the ground from the saddle thing, I was doing the same thing. I have been really struggling to get my bike to fit. I always just put my toe down when I stopped and just tumbled to the fact that I shouldn't be able to reach the ground this spring. Getting farther away from my pedals made the fit feel better, but what a surprise the first time I stopped and had to get off the saddle, fast! Rather than slightly tilting the bike to the side I'm unclipped on, it works much better for me to just slide forward and off the saddle completely and stand on the unclipped foot. I keep the other foot clipped and at the top of the stroke so when I'm ready to move I just stand up on the clipped side and I'm off!

Now that I said out loud (kind of) that I haven't fallen, it will probably be the first thing I do the next time out! :-)

[Hillhugger]

Thanks so much for all your advice!

When my coach saw my banged up knee yesterday, he only said "welcome to the club" and grinned.

I had my front tire fixed and tried again. This time all went well! I find it works when I unclipp the foot I stop on and leave the other one clipped in. The only thing is to get used to not put the unclipped foot back on the pedal.

Well, Thursday afternoon I'll go with our club to sunny Florida for a one-week training camp with a whole bunch of coaches. So I hope that by the time I get back, I know how to bike with clip shoes...

[trekchic]

I have a question about this topic, too. I have new clipless pedals (Shimano PD600, I think is the number) with the new "walkable cleats" (they're black and yellow, if you've never seen them). Well, it doesn't help you to be able to walk on them if you CAN'T clip in and out easily, huh? I can get in, but it takes a little effort, getting out......almost impossible. I have adjusted the pedals as loose as they'll go and it's still hard to "pop" the ankle and get the cleats out.

I am taking the bike back to the LBS and having my guy clip in and out and see what he thinks. I had borrowed a set of pedals for a couple of months to see if I was ready for clipless; they were definitely easier to get in and out of; these are harder. Is it because they're new? Do I need to lube the cleats or anything? No one tells you anything, they just assume you know.......well, I am NEW and I don't know! haha!

I am so scared of being stuck in the pedals, that I haven't taken the bike outside with them yet! I ride in the trainer. I don't know what to do!

Kim in TN

[jobob]

Now that I said out loud (kind of) that I haven't fallen, it will probably be the first thing I do the next time out!

Oh now you've done it. You're best best is to go find some nice soft grassy area and get it over with

[gretchen]

Oh my gosh...i never should have read the previous postings! I think i might be jinxed! (just kidding...i hope!).
I was TERRIFIED to get outside on my first-ever-slickster- speedster-road bike with the scarry "lock-your-foot-into" peddals! Well, i've got about 160 miles under my belt so far this spring with no falls. Oh great...now that for sure jinxed me!
I have to say, i'm REALLY conciencious of approaching any situation that i might need to stop, and ride with my right foot unclipped but still at the 'ready' possition to clip back in if needed or just twist and wa-la, freedom. And that's a fine line!!! The only mishap i've had with the scarry "lock-your-foot-into" (technical term, feel free to throw that around to impress others!) is slammed my shin against the peddle slipping off of it, trying to go from a stop at a stop light, up hill! If you don't make that first attempt to clip in...you're a gonner!!!! Inside i'm thinking "oh sh*!, oh sh*#!!!" and then you hear the little "click" and think..."thank you God!".
Nothing better then the sound of that little "click" if you ask me!
happy clipping!
gretchen

[SadieKate]

Veronica is right that you should be putting your weight on the unclipped foot and standing on that pedal. This helps transfer your center of balance down low and means you can get your free foot down to the ground.

Also, a good habit to make is to unclip your LEFT foot. Ever notice that the crown of the road leans to the right? Putting your right foot down means you have to lean downhill -- down the slippery slidy, oily slope!

Road shoes don't have much traction because they aren't built for walking. If you use recessed cleats, this isn't quite so critical but if you use Look pedals (or something similar) you are just asking for trouble!

Last year, I took a beginner friend out to a quiet flat country road and make her take each foot in and out at least 30 times without looking before we rode anywhere near traffic. Seems to have done the trick.

[GrandPrix]

ok - starting up seems easy enough - i just need to practice near some grass 'cause i'm not used to doing that off the saddle and it's sort of like learning to ride all over again (and i don't think my poor knee or rear can take another beating ; )

but i am a little confused on the stopping part - i've been told to unclip and at the same time slide off the saddle and then come to a stop - putting unclipped foot on the ground while standing over top tube - well here's the thing - i unclip left but with my look pedals can really only unclip when my foot is at the bottom of the stroke so that i can get maximum leverage - is there some order to this all?? ie. unclip with left foot at 6 o'clock, slide off saddle, let right foot fall down to 6 o'clock and then coast to stop??? assuming that with practice this will feel like natural motion....

rain should be ending here tomorrow - gonna go practice around a local track ...

[cyclingnewbie]

I have to say, despite the dire predictions of falling on my head, I really like clipping in. It really pays off when you're trying to get moving in traffic and can pull UP, hard. Now that I have my seat higher I have been concentrating on getting my foot out (at the six o'clock position and then rotate the other foot down to six o'clock), sliding off the saddle, coasting to a stop, putting the free foot on the ground, getting the clipped foot ready to go. And, when I start again, if I'm trying to cross traffic or something, I don't even try to clip in in the middle of the street; I put the arch of my foot on the pedal until I am where I need to be and then slide my foot back into the clip. And, I must confess, that THE best part of any ride for me is that first push off on my bike and CLIPPING IN! What a rush!!