Clipping out up a steep hill?

[gabriellesca]

Sorry if my questions and paranoia about going clipless is getting to be really annoying ... but you guys are such a wealth of knowledge, I can't resist.

Any tips for clipping out when you're climbing a super steep hill, going super slow, and need to put your foot down?

The time I saw a teammate fall into a moving car was when she was trying to unclip coming up a hill - she was riding so slowly - I mean like 3 mph - and she couldn't unclip quickly enough. I realized last week while I was going up a hill, standing, so slowly that I almost fell over (it was a really hard hill for me), that how would you clip out if you were going this slow? I mean - in toe cages you still have to pull your foot back and then down. I guess.

Is there any kind of trick to this or am I, like usual, being a total freak of fear?

[TrekTheKaty]

That happened to me once. Knowing that if I tried to clip out, I would fall, was all the inspiration I needed to keep pedaling!

[gabriellesca]

LOL - yes, that's a good point - but on that hill last weekend I barely made it - though I did make it up without putting my foot down - but hmmmm, clipped in I don't know how I'd do it. I'll avoid that hill tomorrow morning.

[tctrek]

That happened to me once. Knowing that if I tried to clip out, I would fall, was all the inspiration I needed to keep pedaling!

<<snort>> good one!

[gabriellesca]

I think that's one of the reasons I love cycling - it is teaching me to take things as they come - one day/one hill/one ride at at time. Not that you can tell from this post and all my fear - but I am making progress!

I like the 'looking like a yard sale' - funny!

[ny biker]

Any tips for clipping out when you're climbing a super steep hill, going super slow, and need to put your foot down?

Shift into your lowest gear and keep pedaling. That's what I do. And when I'm only going 3 mph, I start to laugh at how slowly I'm going.

[DarcyInOregon]

It has happened to me a few times, needing to unclip on a hill. A few times the grade was too steep and too long, about a 20% grade that was over 1/2 mile, and I was down in my granny gear and it was too much. I looked for a paved drive on the side, turned into the drive because it was flat, and was able to unclip. A few times I didn't anticipate the grade being quite so steep, over 17%, didn't shift down in time, dropped the chain, couldn't unclip, and fell over. Falling over doesn't bother me. I get some road rash and rarely a bruise. I topple over a few times a year for whatever reason, usually a dropped chain and no time to unclip. I am not a dufus that drops my chain all of the time, but it does happen to me a few times a year.

For me the worse case scenario is being on a new rural route, go up a steep hill, and the steep grade ends at a stop sign on a busy rural highway with no flat area to unclip before reaching the highway. I learned to turn my bike to the right, pray there is a paved shoulder and then unclip.

[redrhodie]

The week I went clip-less, I nearly had that same fall. Somehow, my foot unclipped at the last possible second, and I caught myself. I haven't had that happen again since, but I think if I was in that situation again, I'd try to turn into the direction of the foot I unclip (providing there were no cars coming) so that I was at a less steep angle, then I'd either unclip, or try "paperboy" it up the hill (zigzag across the rode). If there were cars, well, I don't know what I'd do.

[Bike Chick]

The last time I tried to unclip on a steep hill, I went down and had to nurse a bloody knee the rest of the ride and pick road grit out of my leg for the next few days.

Your timing has to be just right when you do it. Clip out with the foot that's closest to the ground.

Or.......just put your head down and keep pedaling

[gabriellesca]

Thanks guys - good to know its not a totally easy thing to do that I'm so worried about.

Darcy - I know this is a really stupid question but what happens when you 'drop your chain?' My chain has never come off - is that what you mean?

[Faster Pussycat]

For me the worse case scenario is being on a new rural route, go up a steep hill, and the steep grade ends at a stop sign on a busy rural highway with no flat area to unclip before reaching the highway.

This was my situation last week except on a steep hill in a reasonably busy suburb! I was with a group and they stopped at the top of the hill as there were cars parked on each side and we were going to make a right hand turn but needed to give way to traffic. I unclipped ready to stop and the girls moved forward. I pedalled over and my foot clicked back in (I use speedplays). I had already started to lean my weight to the left to stop but just couldn't get my foot out in time. I didn't help that I was totally unfamiliar with the route.

The worst part wasn't the fall - it was that on a 500m stretch of road I fell right next to a pallate of roof tiles on the verge. Which my head bounced off of. I was pefectly OK except for some dropped dignity and the need for a new helmet.

gabriellesca, I used to think that every other cyclist knew something I didn't. That they all had these superior skills and reaction times and I just didn't think too fast. In all honestly, this isn't the case. In a lot of situations they are likely to come a cropper as well. Some things are just harder to navigate than others. So keep practicing and take baby steps, you will get there.

I have had quite a few nerve blocks in my upper c-spine and so my balance is rubbish. It has taken many months of solid practice just to be able to take a water bottle. About four times a week I head to a quiet, big car park and just practice skills. Starting, stopping, riding one handed etc.

I am an over thinker as well and there is some truth to just doing it. At the same time you need to enjoy your cycling and being scared kinda sucks the fun out of it.

It really is a matter of practice and don't beat yourself up because it doesn't come as naturally to you as it may seem to come to others.

[gabriellesca]

You guys are so right - I am overthinking this to death and I am letting myself picture non-stop the falls, how bad my falls have hurt, my friend's fall. I'm not picturing the positive side of going clipless - of enjoying the benefits of it (which I'm sure I will feel once I relax). I'm so caught up in the negative that I'm not seeing the positive. I trait that I battle in every aspect of my life but that I am working on.

Shoot - there are so many good suggestions and posts I want to respond to them all. AMP - I like that we're in similar places and both trying to get through it. Tulip - DEAD ON - you're so right that I'm focusing only on my fear and the negative. I know I need to change this. Sundial - I always forget to paperboy it (isn't that what it is called) - I can always do that if I need to and there are no cars. NY - TOTALLY need to just envision it going smoothly. Withm - I do keep thinking this - hello - everyone rides this way - I can too! And Faster - thanks for just reminding me that it may SEEM easier for others.

Everyone here has been so helpful - sometimes I need a smack. And I need a smack!

This may be a bit much - but the one thing I've learned through cycling is how it is such a metaphore for life in general. I think of how when you approach a hill from the base it looks huge and you think you can never get over it - you can't imagine how you will have the power to get up it - and then slowly you make your way up - chugging along - and you get to the top and you're so proud! There was this hill on my training rides and it was so huge to me - we would take a route that took us down it for weeks. The first week we had to go up it I paniced. But I got up it and celebrated all day. So ........ you now have me excited to do this. To get past this fear. To picture myself reaping the rewards!

When I signed up for my Century in 2008 with Team in Training I NEVER thought could train and ride it. No one in my life thought I would do it. On the morning of the ride my brother-in-law told my sister he thought I wouldn't make it 5 miles. But I did 17 weeks of training - every training ride - I only sagged 2x - and I rode every mile of the 103.3. So if I can do that - I certainly can do this!

(How's that for a pep-talk?) THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

[ny biker]

When I signed up for my Century in 2008 with Team in Training I NEVER thought could train and ride it. No one in my life thought I would do it. On the morning of the ride my brother-in-law told my sister he thought I wouldn't make it 5 miles. But I did 17 weeks of training - every training ride - I only sagged 2x - and I rode every mile of the 103.3. So if I can do that - I certainly can do this!

I don't like your brother-in-law. Don't listen to him. Or any other doubters, for that matter. Listen to us instead.

[sundial]

So if I can do that - I certainly can do this!

Gabriellesca, alot of hill climbing is mental. Focus 10 feet in front of you and pedal away. You can do this!