I finally switched to clipless and only fell once, but am still scared

**roshelleuop** · 07-25-2006, 05:48 PM

Lisa - Yes, you will most likely not get hit by a car on a horse, however, you have the very good chance of getting thrown onto concrete, thrown into a tree, thrown into a wall, thrown into a fence, or thrown 10 feet past a jump that your horse decided not to jump. I've got the scars to provie it!!!

You also have to rememeber, on a horse, you are twice as high than on a bike.

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 07-25-2006, 06:07 PM

I know, I used to have a horse, hunting and jumping, etc. Been kicked, and fell off horses plenty of times. But actually I never felt as much in danger on a horse as I do riding my bike around town on the same road as cars. Only riding bike a month and I've already seen/had some pretty scary moments totally due to car driver carelessness.
In any case, I think helmets are advisable for both activities!

**fatbottomedgurl** · 07-25-2006, 06:10 PM

I feel naked w/o a helmet just like not wearing a seatbelt.

**Pascale** · 07-25-2006, 07:13 PM

Well, the chances of me getting hit by a car are next to zero, since I only ride on rail trails. I do ride my horse on roads, so there's a double whammy! LOL

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 07-26-2006, 04:58 AM

I guess rail trails are fairly safe as far as cars go, but please do wear a helmet if you EVER ride where ther are cars!

**Pascale** · 07-26-2006, 05:11 AM

Lisa

I'm picking one up today - I promise!!!!!!!!

**Haudlady** · 07-26-2006, 05:31 AM

Yup - always wear my helmet. I've had too many friends on bikes and horses both who have said "At least I was wearing my helmet - it could have been MUCH worse." I have a new helmet for horseback riding... the new ones are much lighter and have air vents (not like the one I used to have - heavy and hot). Ratings on helmets are different from bike to horse, so you really should have a helmet specific to each activity. Okay! Enough preaching about helmets from me!!!

So, on clipless... I have them on my bike, and love them. But - I think they need adjustment (or I do!) - I have more trouble staying IN them than coming out. So, they need to be tightened, and I need to sit on my trainer and practice clipping in and out so I get better at it!

**roshelleuop** · 07-26-2006, 06:19 AM

I just wanted to thank you all again!

You ladies are awesome!!!!!!

Roshelle from Milwaukee

**eclectic** · 07-26-2006, 10:02 AM

Pascale

Congrats on going clipless! I converted 2.5 months ago and love it

The first time I went out for a long ride with friends they offered to go on either side of me at stop signs to hold me up

I lasted a month and a half without a fall.( feeling pretty cocky) When it finally happened I was going all of about 1 mile an hour (just taking off) it was pretty well slo mo - TIMBER! a little road rash, a good laugh (it was leaving the parking lot after a club ride) and I was on my way.

Spoke wrench was right - EVERYONE I have talked to has been going slow when they fell (even veteran riders say they have wiped at stop signs because they forgot to unclip) and I haven't heard of any serious injuries with the sole reason being they were clipped in

I unclip one foot in any questionable situation and figure if I am going to fall at a higher rate of speed it won't be because I am clipped in that I am going down. Also I figure it would happen so fast I wouldn't have time to save myself by stepping down anyway

I actually fell more before I went clipless - go figure

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 07-26-2006, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Pascale

Lisa

I'm picking one up today - I promise!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!! Good for YOU!!!

**dachshund** · 07-26-2006, 09:34 PM

I fell the first time I tried the bike with the pedals - in the parking lot of the bike store, with the sales guy watching. Got that one over with.

I was determined not to this again, however, so I rode around in a park on grass.

I put one regular shoe on, just in case, until I started to get the hang of it with the other foot.

**run it, ride it** · 07-26-2006, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by Pascale

I wonder if I can wear the biking helmet on the horse as well, cuz the horse helmets are heavier and a total PITA.

Bike helmets are not approved for equestrian activities. You just don't sustain the same sorts of impacts. A bike helmet is inadequate.

I highly recommend the Tipperary Sportage as a schooling helmet. It's lightweight, has a flattering profile, and offers protection to the base of the skull. It is in fact the cheapest helmet on the market ($60) with the highest safety rating.

Having destroyed more than one riding helmet (mostly freak accidents during light riding), and having also found myself tangled between a bicycle and the under-chassis of a car with a barely-spared skull, I can tell you, a helmet is vital. It may be a personal choice right now, but ending up paralyzed, brain-damaged or dead will put a lot of undue stress on friends and family for a completely preventable pending accident.

**Pascale** · 07-27-2006, 05:56 AM

I wonder if I can wear the biking helmet on the horse as well, cuz the horse helmets are heavier and a total PITA.

I'm so sorry - I was completely kidding on this comment, forgetting how easily comments can be misconstrued online if you don't actually know someone. If I thought they were interchangable, I'd never bother to get a bike helmet and just use the Troxel I already have for horses. Bad me!!!!

**run it, ride it** · 07-27-2006, 06:48 AM

Aww, but I was all ready with the rebuttal arsonal of news stories URLs...

Whew, no worries. Glad to see you've got a head on your shoulders worth protecting!

**KSH** · 07-27-2006, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by Deb76

When I first started using the clipless pedals I would look ahead and anticipate upcoming stops such as stop signs, heavy traffic, etc and while approaching that "have to stop" area I would keeping telling myself over and over again in my head "I am attached, must clip out" and I would make sure to clip out well before I came to a complete stop that way I didn't just stop and tip over while still clipped in. For some reason just looking far ahead and telling myself "I am attached, must clip out" over and over again in my head really seemed to help me a great deal. Congrats on switching to clipless pedals, they really are great and help with climping and even on the flats as you can pull on the backstroke of your pedaling.

This is what I did too!

And when I would ride with newbies...they would see how I did it... clipping out EARLY... and followed my lead... since it worked.

Anytime I saw ANYTHING where it looked like I might need to stop, I would unclip and prepare.

I only fell once, in a parking lot. It was pretty minor.

OH... and another thing... half of the battle is in your HEAD! You have to tell yourself, I CAN DO THIS... I WILL NOT FALL OVER! Visaulize success!

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