My first fall

[Fledgling]

I was also relieved when I finally had my first road bike fall. I was out on a two lane, gravel shoulder country road this past Monday since if you want to ride hills in Kansas, you usually have to go looking for them. I pulled off the road to get a drink from my canteen, slid off of my saddle and put my unclipped right foot down, and just tipped right over to the left. No points for a crowd, though. Believe me, I checked.
Scuffed my handlebar a bit, but no other damage than scraped palms, a butt-bruise, and an interesting looking set of chainwheel slices on the outside of my right ankle. No worries, though; ride went on to be magnificent!

It's nice reading about similar situations.
Safe and Happy Riding!

[nafula]

See, everyone else has a pretty cool story about their first fall. Mine, completely embarassing. But I was the only one who saw it happen.

I was riding rollers between the door frame in my basement. My front tire slid off the side, but I was still upright with my back tire still on the rollers. The thought that occured to me is that I would "jump" the front tire back on the roller. Of course, not thinking that I could roll right off the back. Which is what I did. Into the toolbox and wooden shelving that was on the other side of the door frame.

[biking4health]

I too had my first fall/tip over this week. I was starting out and didn't have enough speed and tipped to my left into the neighbors chain link fence. If the fence had not broken my fall I would have been splattered on the concrete drive. I have some great bruises on my left upper arm and various scrapes, but the bike is okay! I hate to see what would have happened if I had clips on my pedals

I told my DH and he said "gee I wish I would have seen that". Don't you just love understanding men????

Carol

[farrellcollie]

I had my first real fall last night on my commute home from teaching - I unclipped the right foot as I came to a crossing - but needed to dodge a tree by leaning left - kaboom. I have some bruises and loss of skin - the only serious part was my left wrist - which I thought might be broken but now appears merely sprained - swollen and bruised. Walking the dogs last night was a bit of a pain - I couldn't hold one of the leashes properly - fortunately old dog just sort of plods along and pup was in the right hand.

[Bluetree]

Hope you're OK, Farrell!

I fell a few days ago. I wish I could say I fell during a wicked 30 mph descent. The truth is I finished a ride, came home and simply "forgot" to unclip. Just tipped over onto my driveway, kinda in slo mo. Stupid, stupid.

This morning, I was sporting a red rash on my ankle, a black scab on my knee and a long greenish/purplish bruise on my thigh. What shoes goes with that?! I ended up wearing a pair of sandals with flowers on it... all the different colored flowers matched my leg nicely.

[chickwhorips]

i've come off my bike a couple of times, and one foot has stayed clipped in. now thats not pleasent, specially when you try to unclip that one foot while laying on the ground.

[Bluetree]

I told my DH and he said "gee I wish I would have seen that". Don't you just love understanding men????

Carol

Yeah, not a sympathetic bunch. A friend once joked (in front of all his cycling buddies) that I fall so often I shouldn't be let out on a bike unless I was packaged in bubble wrap. Now every time I see any them, I hear, "Hey, what's up, Bubble Wrap!?" Sheesh.

My response: "I may fall a lot... but at least I keep getting back up!"
Grr.

[Crankin]

Well, I've had 2-3 bad crashes and I stayed completely clipped in on both. One was on a 20% downhill, wet, in Vermont. As I lay in the middle of a country road, everyone was saying, "Are you OK?" All I could say is "Get me out of these pedals!" (well, with a few choice words added in).

[Saxa82]

Yeah I've fallen a few times when I got Speedplay frogs- and according to the manual your feet DON"T clip out when you fall- which I realized as the bike was atop my leg and my ankle was twisting miserably underneath. Still hurts if I bend it in an awkward way (a month later). After a few falls (which not only hurt me but was starting to do damage to my nice Fisher Tassajara (bent derailleur, broken off tip to brake lever) and some some spooky moments going down hills, I decided to put the frogs on my old bike and just ride on platforms for a while. If I fall, no biggie to the bike, plus I can practice, practice, practice on the trainer and the back road til I get thoroughly used to the frogs, which as the rate I'm going will be about a year, give or take a few months. (Oh well, at least I can get out on my nice bike with the platforms and eat up the road like I always did!)

[farrellcollie]

My left foot did not clip out as I fell - spd clipless pedals (the ironic part is that they are campus pedals - clip in on one side - not clip on the other). My wrist is only sprained - happily I took most of the fall on my hip - which has a massive bruise (I hadn't been paying much attention to hip/backside until I got on bike Saturday and thought - gosh this hurts - looked in a mirror and realized the problem.)

[Daggett]

I have had several falls lately. I purchased speed play zero pedals and put them on my old hybrid while I waited for my new bike to arrive. I fell twice on my old bike. Both times I was coming to a stop and could not get my shoes to disengage. Two more times with my new bike last night. One was a bad one. My husband made a sudden stop on the bike path and a lady was coming the other direction. I had to slam on the brakes and I couldn't get my foot out of the pedals. I fell over on rough cement, twisted my knee and ankle and got scrapped up pretty bad. I'm on the path still attached to my bike, the lady passed me and just looks, my husband just stands there. I think I screamed what are you doing? Get this thing off of me!! My poor bike got a scratch on the shifter and the derailer.

Do my pedals and clips need adjusted? Or am I a very slow learner

[mtbdarby]

Nice stories,
Hey Bubble Wrap - I mean Bluetree. Don't feel bad, my friends laughed at me when I showed them my new tshirt: http://www.cafepress.com/buy/cycling...t_/pg_/c_/fpt_

Maybe they're just jealous we have better stories to tell then they do!

[pooks]

Great t-shirt!

[chickwhorips]

yup absolutely love the t-shirt

[Bikingmomof3]

Nice stories,
Hey Bubble Wrap - I mean Bluetree. Don't feel bad, my friends laughed at me when I showed them my new tshirt: http://www.cafepress.com/buy/cycling...t_/pg_/c_/fpt_

Maybe they're just jealous we have better stories to tell then they do!

Fantastic T-shirt!