Crash tallies - going clipless!

[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