Clipless 2; CyclChyk 0

[CyclChyk]

Ok all - I need advise. My DH thinks I need to go back to platform pedals but I still have hope..........

My question is to those of you who ride clipless: How many times have you fallen (if any) as a result of the pedals?

I was feeling so good about riding clipless but now I've lost so much confidence. My first fall due to clipless was when I was at an almost standstill. Thought I had unclipped but my shoe had managed to re-insert itself so when I went to step off, I didn't. Lost balance and fell. Nasty hole in my heel and bad scrape on my knee.

Then tonite: we took off and I realized that the bonehead that I am neglected to "latch" my helmet. Ok, so I drink while I ride so clipping my helmet should be no problem. No need to stop. Right?

So just when I almost have my helmet strap latched, here comes a post in the greenway that I kinda saw, but kinda didn't. I quickly place my free hand back on the handlebars to kinda swerve away from the post and I'm guessing I tried to remove my foot from the pedal forgetting it was clipped in, cuz next thing I know I am on the ground. Nasty road rash and goose egg on my only wound free knee and shin, and small amount of road rash on my elbow. Pretty sure I am gonna be black and blue on my tush due to the pain I feel.

I suck. Maybe my hubby is right. Maybe I am too much of a novice (loser?) rider to go clipless.

I'm just convinced that in order to improve my riding skills I should be clipless! And cages/toe clips are out. I keep stepping on the tops of the things and can never get my feet in.

I really need encouragement here guys. Lie to me if you have to. But should I give up on clipless??

[Cassandra_Cain]

Oh how ironic...

because I'm down 2 runs to clipless pedals also....can you guess? I've fallen twice.

here's the caveat, it is not because I 'forgot' to clip out. I normally unclip with my left foot and put it down on the pavement. Thus when I need to stop, I'll slow down first, then unclip, then lean and stretch my left foot down to the street.

Well in both cases when I fell I did just that but in one instance, a large bump changed the way the bike was leaning, instead of left it went right, and so being clipped in on the right - I fell. Then the next time I was trying to avoid having to stop at an intersection on a bike trail and leaned the wrong way. That was fall # 2. Oh yeah I forgot to mention, bystanders got a big hoot out of seeing the pink jersey'd girl with the fancy bike fall over by herself :P

Please don't be negative or down on yourself....believe you me, even the best, most experienced riders have fallen over because of clipless.

If you want to stick with them, and there are good reasons to, then don't give up. I'm positive you've done a million things in life that were infinitely harder than clipping in/out. Give it time, concentrate, practice, and anticipate what is going to happen as you ride and have to stop.

Good luck

[littlegrasshopp]

It sounds to me like you had two unexpected stops or conditions with your feet! I wouldn't let that take me back to pedals!!! You unclipped just fine the rest of both rides - right??? Don't give up yet! If I can try it on a mountaing bike trail anyone can get it ! haha!!!

[colby]

Keep on it, you'll get it. Mistakes happen, accidents happen, weird riding conditions happen, and even platformers fall off sometimes. Don't let your DH grow that seed of doubt inside you. Be confident, get out there and try again, and over time you'll get better and better.

I fell twice in silly mistakes, and after that, I calmed down, took it easy, and also did some rides by myself that helped me raise my confidence. I can handle being told what to do, but sometimes I need to take that information and go figure it out on my own without someone telling me "you're doing great" or "if you'd only done this better..." all the time. Maybe you could use some "practice time" by yourself, too

In the end, more time on the bike with clipless pedals makes it easier. Don't let it stress you out or it'll get harder than it should be. If you have to take a break and go back to platforms, so be it, but make that YOUR decision.

[HillSlugger]

This forum is full of us recounting our clipless falls. We've all gotten back on and (hopefully) learned from our mistakes and did better the next time.

You may want/need to heal a bit before you head out again, but don't give up on those clipless pedals!

[midgetcycler]

Well, I've been told that everyone falls twice when switching to clipless. So now you have your two out of the way. Now you can go on and enjoy everything else life has to offer . . . without falling!!

And think of it this way, now you have some cool stories to tell down then road when you are talking to a newbie considering switching to clipless. And hopefully your road rash will leave some really cool scars!

[KnottedYet]

I found riding around a school track and on a soccer field to be excellent learning. Clipping in and out on the fly, pedalling with one foot, and other circus tricks were great confidence builders.

[salsabike]

No no no--your DH is dead wrong. We've all fallen learning to ride clipless. Think I fell once or twice--and then had a banner day when I was trying to learn to stop with one foot still in (secret---step down onto that clipped in foot and forward off the saddle, and then onto the unclipped foot, and don't lean towards the clipped in foot), and fell three times, got good and bruised as did my bike. And haven't fallen since (it's been many months). Keep it up. You'll get it.

[Veronica]

I'm just convinced that in order to improve my riding skills I should be clipless!

I really need encouragement here guys. Lie to me if you have to. But should I give up on clipless??

You don't have to be clipless to improve your riding. The increase in speed you get from pulling up on the pedals, unless you're a racer, is not really significant. I ride platform pedals every day to work. I race up my hill every night. You don't need to go clipless.


I went clipless back in the late 80s. I didn't have the falling problems others have described. Sometimes I wonder if people are falling because someone told them it was hard to go clipless, so that makes them nervous. And being nervous is really what causes the fall.

If your tension is loose, your pedals and cleats aren't mucked up and you're road riding , going clipless is not hard. Don't be afraid of it and fret about every little move.

Relax and enjoy being on your bike.

V.

PS Back in the 80s I was not a competent, confident rider.

[pooks]

I haven't gone clipless yet -- but I read this thread with interest and two comments jumped out at me.

One -- we've learned to do many things that are much more difficult. (Good point!)

Two -- it's the unexpected that we aren't ready for.

My two falls on my bike in the first few weeks were with platform pedals. They were both because I wasn't accustomed to handbrakes and stopping/dismounting. Oh, I thought I was because I had no probs at all when I was approaching a stop sign or some other reason I needed to stop.

But it wasn't instinct yet, and so when something unexpected happened, both times my first instinct was to use coaster brakes (oops) and I also simply hadn't practiced enough.

So my suggestion to you (even though I haven't done it myself) is to just practice more -- clipping, unclipping, getting on and off. And (as others advised me) practice stopping and unclipping quickly in "emergency mode," like going pretty fast and then having to brake and dismount.

I just got toe grips and am hoping I don't fall two more times, and then later when I try to go clipless. But if I do -- eh, I've fallen and gotten some pretty nasty bruising, but it healed.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Petra,
Sounds like you are having some nasty bruises from your falls right now, and feeling frustrated and inadequate on top of it.

Everyone is different and will have different advice for you.
I would look at what is making me happy in my biking at this point in time and what is making me unhappy. I don't see stuff as a challenge that I necessarily need to "conquer". I don't see it as a failure/success thing.
I see things as just Things, they either aid my overall goals or hinder them.

So then the important question becomes- what is your Goal? Is your goal improving your technical riding skills, speed, power, etc? Overcoming obstacles or fears? Is your goal simply getting comfortable with riding your bike? Is your goal to just have a good time riding bike without fear and stress? Don't make decisions based on what others tell you you "should" be doing. Only you can decide what YOU are going to be happy with. And the beauty is that you can change your mind any time you feel like trying out something different!
There is no one choice. You can use the clipless system, or cages/clips, PowerGrip straps (that's what I use), or nothing at all.
But hey, at least let your wounds heal before you bash them on the pavement again- or wear some padding, girl!

[wannaduacentury]

You're not a loser, you just need practice in an empty parking lot etc. I fell on mine too and my daughter whizzed past me and said Whoa! thinking I need to stop. Of course I was clipped in and Bam! there she goes. Still have the scar on my knee too. I have stupid dreams of me riding lipless and falling all b/c of that one incident. But I'm gonna keep practicing. Never Give up, You can do it!! Jennifer

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have stupid dreams of me riding lipless and falling all b/c of that one incident.

If we could ride lipless, maybe we wouldn't need to buy all that expensive chamois!

[xeney]

CyclChyk, I'm in the same boat. I've given up twice now, once last year and now this year. I fell right away, and I got hurt badly enough to keep me off the bike for three weeks. (I am mostly better now but I still can't run without knee pain.)

Now I would like to try again, but my husband seems to think it's a bad idea. Maybe he's right. I use them on my bike that's on the trainer, but that doesn't really help, I've found. It's starting and stopping that are the issues. (In my case, I fell because I missed clipping in, and I was on my old bike that's way too small, and my foot slid forward and clipped the front wheel, and bam, down I went.)

The worst part is that I was using toe clips just fine before, but now they feel very sketchy and terrifying. I may be going back to plain old platforms, which just feels idiotic, but maybe I really am too clumsy for clipless.

[Aggie_Ama]

I should point out I am so clumsy I fell twice with toe cages. Veronica pointed out some very important things- the best thing is that the falling can be mental. Many people tell you that learning to go clipless means falling. It gets in your head and then it is all you can think about.

You don't have to go clipless. I do find my pedal stroke is better clipless than straight platform pedals, but I don't know that it is better than with the toe cages.

Good luck and if you want to keep trying, just tell yourself you can do it. It sounds corny, but it really works for me. My mom always said "Can't never could" when I would tell her "I can't do _____". She was right.