Zoomy cliplessness!!

[lyca]

So, I did it and went clipless! I decided to order shoes and pedals online because it was less expensive and my LBS couldn't match prices. I went with ebay, but stayed in-country rather than ordering from Japan because I knew I wouldn't be patient enough to wait for them and because it felt a little less like cheating on my LBS. Just a little.

Anyway, every thing arrived yesterday. MY BF helped my switch out the pedals and did his best to adjust the tension so I could clip out easily. We went for an easy ride around the neighborhood so I could practice starting and stopping and then went on a brisk 15 mile ride.

I AM IN LOVE with my pedals and shoes.

I knew it would be different, but I had no idea HOW different!

Now I just hope I don't fall!

[KnottedYet]

Now I just hope I don't fall!

Everyone who has never fallen with their clipless pedals, please raise your hand. <Knot keeps her hands down>

Congratulations on the clipless! What kind did you get?

[RolliePollie]

Everyone who has never fallen with their clipless pedals, please raise your hand.

My hand is down too. But so far, tipping over hasn't been that big of a deal. Just bruises and a few minor bike blemishes

Congrats on going clipless! I love it too. There's definitely a feeling of "oneness" with the bike when you're securely clipped in. I love being clipped in for hill climbing, but I almost like it more on the fast downhills.

I hope you continue to LOVE your new pedals!!!

[lyca]

Everyone who has never fallen with their clipless pedals, please raise your hand. <Knot keeps her hands down>

Okay, maybe I should say that I hope it doesn't hurt too badly when gravity says "come to mamma"!

Congratulations on the clipless! What kind did you get?

Thanks! I got SPD pedals and cleats. My shoes are Shimano, too, model R-098W. I totally love them. I have nothing to compare them to, but I think they're pretty good for starters!

[Kalidurga]

Congrats! I remember that same feeling of "Wow, does this ever make a difference!"

One tip: When coming up to a stop, do not turn the bars or lean your weight away from the direction of the foot you've unclipped. The only falls I've had have been when I've made that bone-head move

[Rumblefish]

I went clipless about 12 weeks ago and experienced the huge difference it makes. I was super scared of falling though. Everyone I bike with told me that you have to fall sometime and it happens to everyone. I had a spill (while at a dead stop) about two weeks later or so when I didn't clip out in time Gave myself a rather large ugly bruise on my butt from that one, but I was oddly proud of it! Wasn't very convenient to show people though! I still try to avoid it, but I'm not so afraid of falling anymore!

[northstar]

Way to go!

It makes such a difference, doesn't it?

And as a fellow TE'er said to me when I posted about going clipless and not falling, "Make sure you 'fess up when you fall!"

[Suzi-Sue]

And as a fellow TE'er said to me when I posted about going clipless and not falling, "Make sure you 'fess up when you fall!" [/QUOTE]

I guess i will have to confess...i fell last week, but it was a clumsy 'oh, i'll stop here for a tiny break & look around myself....pull up to the fence, why isn't my foot comming of the pedal? Into the fence i went, embarassing
cringe!

Anyway, Lyca, so glad that you have embraced the brilliance clipless pedals
Just remember about unclipping at junctions etc...but i'm sure you already do. For the first few times i went out on clipless, i would unclip if there were any 'potential hazards' on the roads too.
It's a bit scary for the firsts couple of rides, but really does make a difference, it's nice to be 'one' with your bike

Hope you keep enjoying your SPD's n new shimano shoes

[coyote]

You all give me courage to go clipless.

I've already had the really embarressing fall, on regular pedals. I was getting on my bike in my own yard, got my pants caught while swing my leg over and I already had my other leg on the other pedal. I slowly rolled to a stop, balanced for a brief moment and fell over. To make matters worse, my partner witnessed the whole thing and came running out.

I took a bike for a test ride last week that had clips. I have never sucessfully ridden a bike with clips. I ended up using a road sign to balance myself and while I got into the clips then I had to give myself a little push. I really didn't want to fall over with the brand new bike.

So, I salute you in your brave actions of going clipless

[lyca]

Well, ladies, it almost happened today.

Here's the story: My BF and I were riding on a busy-ish road and needed to cross a lane of traffic and then turn left. It was just to busy to cross over, so we pulled into a parking lot to do a u turn.

He turned around and stopped.

I turned around (feeling very cool about turning and staying balanced....) and then realized that I HAD to stop or else get pummelled by an oncoming car.

My right foot WOULD NOT come unclipped!

I kept repeating oh god oh god oh god oh god...

I started tipping to the left...

I was resigned to the fate of becoming one with the parking lot asphalt...

And at the last minute, my left ankle remembered how to get itself out of the pedal and I was saved! Well, this time, anyway!

[lyca]

I took a bike for a test ride last week that had clips. I have never sucessfully ridden a bike with clips. I ended up using a road sign to balance myself and while I got into the clips then I had to give myself a little push.

Hey, Coyote! Have you tried just putting one foot in the clip and leaving the other one out? (As in, let the clip side of the pedal face the ground and use the non-clip side?) That's how I learned to use the clips on my bike. It took a little while before I felt comfortable flipping the pedal over with my toe and sliding it in while moving, but that skill really helped when I started using the clipless pedals.

I always begin pedaling with my left foot, so that's the one I put in the clip to begin. As long as I was moving, I was able to keep my balance.

Hope that helps and good luck with your new bike!

[Melalvai]

I do want clipless some day, when I can afford the shoes. In the meantime, I just got clips last week (free from a friend). I left the straps really loose for a couple days, until I got used to getting in & out. I rode several days with no problem but last night my foot got stuck and I fell over. I checked the bike over first (scuffed my brooks saddle) and then myself (mostly intact skin but who cares--it heals).

[DDH]

Congratulations on going clipless. I went clipless last fall and loved it. I was so scared to do it because of falling, but once I did, I love, love, love them!!!!

I did real well with mine in the begining because I was still aware of that fear of falling, but the minute I lost that, I fell. I got cocky!!! LOL I thought I was just going to pull up to my mailbox and grab my mail and then ride up to the house without getting off my bike. Pulled up to the mail box, never un-clilpped and missed. PLOP!! over I went. I jumped up, looked around (even though I live on a dead end dirt road with no one around) made sure no one saw me, checked my bike and walked up to the house. LOL
I was scuffed a little, bike was find, but I was embarrased.
I almost fell again the other day while riding up hill. I dropped the chain and it jammed and since I was going up, I was coming to a stand still fast and my mind didn't want to work with my legs to get my feet out. I did though in the nick of time and then I looked like a drunk trying to get off the bike and catch my balance while holding onto my bike and taking it everywhere with me. Must have looked hilarious to those driving by.

Be sure to tell us your story when it happens to you.
Trust me, it's not nearly as bad as our minds try to make it. At least mine wasn't.

[Jiffer]

My only fall from not unclipping in time was SO NOT MY FAULT! It was one of my first times on the tandem (which was my first experience with clips). We were stopped. I was clipped in, DH was not. We were taking off up a steep incline. He had some brilliant plan for getting us going, which was different from our norm, but didn't share it with me. We, therefore, lost our balance before DH was ever even clipped in. He tried to balance the bike with his right leg on the ground, and I feverishly tried to unclip as the bike went down in slow motion on a major street, cars passing, people laughing hysterically at the beached whale. (Well, they were laughing in my mind, anyways!)

Since then I've gotten used to them and now have them on my new single. Haven't fallen yetm, though sometimes I scare myself a little! I'm even proud of myself that I wait as long as I do to unclip now. I used to unclip way sooner than necessary, but the more I ride, the more I know how much time I need and can even cruise slowly up to a red light, in hopes of it turning green before I have to stop all the way, without fear of falling over. Check out me and my bad clipping self! (Now that I said that, I'll probably be sharing a falling over story tomorrow!)

[twinkie]

I've purchased three bicycles in the past year (one mountain bike, one road bike, and one "upgrade" on the road bike - my bike shop let me do a trade in), and I've fallen at least once on the inaugural ride on each bike (and I don't even have clipless pedals on the mountain bike!). I've just resigned myself to falling. I've only recently started riding again, so I'm still working on balance. Add clipless pedals/shoes to that equation, and it's bound to spell disaster. Once in a while, the BF is around to help (see my MS 150 post!), but most of the time, he's there to help me get unstuck while I'm sprawled with my bike on top of me.