Crash tallies - going clipless!

[Eden]

Thanks, IFJane...my helmet looks ok. I was expecting to find a crack, but I don't see any damage at all. I'll check it again though. Thank goodness it's only the helmet I need to be concerned about this time and not my skull!

If you hit it on the ground at all - and it certainly sounds like you did... you should replace the helmet, wether or not there is any visible damage. Most manufacturers have a crash replacement policy and will give you at least a discount on a new helmet. Helmets aren't meant to take more than one hit, so don't take chances on your head.

[Cyclo Kitty]

I fell three times the first day I rode clipless. Shimanos that are clip one side, platform the other. It really hurt, twice on the road and once on a soccer field. Or maybe it was four times, and twice on the soccer field?

DH told the BSGs the next day... who told me is it easy to unclip left and lean right (or vice versa) and to practice on a field. My best recommendation for practicing is pine needles! Very soft, if there's room under the trees! I work on clipping in, starting up, and then clipping in the other foot. The day I unclipped both feet at once in an emergency felt great (aside from the dog coming after me).

I put clipless on the commuter first and then started riding clipless on the cross bike because it was new and shiny. And I still have pedal problems some days...but the BSGs told me they still mess up sometimes, too, and that made me feel better (because I know it is true, and they ride a lot).

[northstar]

Three falls in three weeks since getting the new bike with clipless pedals. The most dangerous one was while crossing an intersection on a bike path (which was technically on the left side of the road). A car gunned it from way behind me and cut me off to make a left turn. I now know what people mean when they say they feel safer if they are on the road than on an off-road path. Needless to say, I went down in the middle of the intersection. I learned my lesson.

The traffic was very scary, but the falls weren't. Slow tips, all of them, just scraped knees and elbows, and a good ding on the inside of my right knee. I did bend the brake hood in on the right side with my last fall (that was a horrible feeling, but I was able to bend it back in)...but I am undeterred and LOVE the clipless. I have Crank Brothers Smartys. They've been easy to get into and out of from the get-go.

[DarcyInOregon]

I realize everyone says to only unclip one foot, but do what is best for you.

I unclip both feet in advance of the stop and pedal on the back of the shoes until I stop. If it is a stop sign and nobody is coming, I don't need to stop and I can then gear up and continue to pedal across the road and clip in while I am crossing the road. If I need to stop because it is a busy cross road, or it is an urban setting with a stop light, I plant both feet on the ground and then clip back in with my right foot; I then scoot back up on the saddle and clip the left foot back in while crossing the road.

The reason this works best for me is because I am lame in the left foot; I shattered the left ankle joint in 1985 and I feel blessed to have enough mobility in the foot to cycle once again. I've only fallen twice in my first 1500 miles of cycling clipless, the first time being on day one of learning the pedals, and the second time when my left foot inadvertently clipped back in as I was braking to a stop.

Just because everyone says you only unclip one foot, it doesn't mean you have to do the same. Always figure out what works best for you, and do it that way.

Darcy

[redrover77]

DH told the BSGs the next day... who told me is it easy to unclip left and lean right (or vice versa) and to practice on a field.

Cyclo Kitty... doesn't unclipping on the left and leaning right mean falling over??? That's exactly what I'd been doing wrong...

Yes... my new tactic is now unclipping on both pedals, but to practice keeping my right foot on the pedal as long as possible - cos I've noticed that once I put my left foot down on the ground, my next move is automatically to move the right foot down too. Also will try turning my handlebar away from left foot...

The problem is over here in the UK it is left hand drive, so my left faces the kerb. Which means when I do topple over, I topple over onto the road, and luckily, the last 3 times I fell there weren't any cars - can't bear thinking about if there were!

Will persist persist persist! Thanks for all your encouragement This forum's great!

Will report back on next ride (this weekend, hopefully a on a 2 or 3 day tour!)

[LadyinWhite]

I read through this thread thinking to myself "It's been ages since I've crashed." I crashed the first day I went clipless last year. I crashed a few weeks later after tightening the cleats and then coming up on a group of cyclists who stopped very unexpectedly. Spent the winter in PT getting the knee back in shape after that one.

This morning I head out, happy as a lark, down the driveway and towards the main road. Resetting the bike computer as I go, keeping an eye on the approaching intersection (very busy road), coast towards the stop sign and unclick the left w/out thinking about it. (Last summer I worked very hard to get into the habit of unclicking left instead of right so as to avoid the grease tattoo).

Braked, cruised to a stop and as my left foot came down, my right foot reached for the ground too, yanking the bike right out from under me. CRASH!

I was so surprised. I actually said "What was that all about??" out loud. Untangled my legs and stood up to survey the damage.

Lovely road rash on the on the right calf, pedal bites on the back of my left foot. The Girl seemed ok til I climbed on and headed across the road. The saddle was crooked. Had to stop, break out the tools, readjust the saddle into place, readjust the cadence reader.

SHEESH!

FINALLY - after all that - I headed out and enjoyed a comfortable rolling hills ride of 20miles w/out mishap. Got back home just as the sprinkles started.

[redrover77]

So it looks like I might as well accept that 3, 6, 24 mths from now I'll probably still have the odd clipless incident!

Any final words of wisdom before I set off on a 2-day tour this weekend?