No Skin Left After Falling Clipped-In

[AutumnBreez]

I fell the first day I got my clipless, just a beginner after all... I was at a stop and I was about to take off. One in the clip and the other touching ground....the one on the ground I used to push me off as if a scooter, instead of having the clipped in foot at the 12 oclock position and pushing with it. I did not get enough speed yet got the other foot clipped in and to keep balance at the slow speed I turned my handlebars naturally and down I went. Never again since then. I learned to push off with the clipped in and get the other foot on top of the clip even if it is not clipped in completely I continue to pedal the best I can with both to get the speed and try get the foot clipped- sometimes it was not on the correct side and have to flip pedal over and try again.. I had shimano SPD-R at the time and they are not easy to get clipped into, small base on cleat and the lip was small and narrow to catch on to the pedal. The pedals were not weighted well so often they would be in the wrong position to put foot, not a dual entry pedal.
. I just got my new shoes (Shimano 215) and new pedals (SPD-SL Ultegra) this week. .Not dual entry but bottom weighted and larger cleat with pronounce lip to engage easily. Much better. More like the Look set up.

Also..some advice to keep safe...
AVOID looking down at the pedals to engage...Need to practice by feel while getting clipped in, much like you do when you learn to type. Without looking at the keyboard. It could be potentially dangerous if you are looking down at the feet and not the road.
Great that you are not giving up, we all have to start somewhere and you are already a winner for not giving up. You will get the hang of it!!
Try ...try...try again.

[newfsmith]

Road rash type wounds do very well with moisture retaining dressings like "Tegaderm" , "2nd Skin", or "Spyroflex". You can usually find one of them in a drug store, or someplace with hiking supplies like REI, EMS, or Campmor. These keep the wound moist, letting the new skin cells migrate across the surface for faster healing, and also minimize scarring. They are also quite protective themselves. I was still wearing one on a road rashed knee when I hit a sand washout on an unfamiliar road and went down. I acquired some more road rash around the Tegaderm, but the original injury was protected completely.

Tights may give some protection, but I've also gotten "Tight rash" in a fall that did not tear the tights, but did make a mess of my knee.

Yes, yes, I know my handling skills aren't great. I'm working on it.

[shewhobikes]

I went through this just a few weeks ago. Didn't tear my legs up, just bounced my head off the pavement (thank goodness for new helmet!) and got mega-bruises. I did as Singletrack mind suggested and as I had read about (but unfortunately forgot until I'd already banged myself up) and loosened the tension on my pedals. That's all it took. I love clipless now. I've had some near misses when unclipping with only one foot (I am right handed, tend to unclip left at stops) but on this forum somewhere I learned to turn the handlebars slightly in the direction of where you're unclipping (left for me) as this helps avoid the problem you describe.

Good luck. Don't give up. Try loosening the tension and riding around a big parking lot. You can do it! You have plenty of company, as you'll see if you do a search on "clipless" in this forum. Hope your boo-boos heal soon.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I went through this just a few weeks ago. Didn't tear my legs up, just bounced my head off the pavement (thank goodness for new helmet!) and got mega-bruises.

I'm sure you already know this, but I have to ask... After you hit your head and your helmet on the pavement, you did replace your helmet, right?

Our helmets are designed for single interactions with the pavement or other standing objects... If anyone is interested, here's a link to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute's "when should I replace my helmet?" page: http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm. (Yes, this is a pro-helmet organization. But if you read any helmet user's guide - and I just checked both the Giro & Bell web sites - they both state that you shouldn't wear a helmet that's been in an accident, and go on to say that the damage isn't always visible.)

--- Denise

[wabisabi]

I second what everyone else said; if I am in traffic I unclip both at stop signs, or other interactions, because I find it too unpredictible

[CorsairMac]

Carm: the other thing you'll need to try and remember, the bike will "fall" in the direction the tire is turned to, so if you're turning the tire to the side you're still clipped in on, that's the side the bike will fall to. As you stop, try and remember to turn your tire to the "unclipped" side.....that way your unclipped foot will help to offset the lean of the bike. I am with Denise on the leaving just 1 foot clipped, that way you have the power to get the bike going without trying to clip both feet back in.
The thing I did that was a huge help to me, I just rode around the neighbourhood clipping and unclipping without stopping so my feet could learn the routine. That way when I needed to stop, my feet had started to learn what they needed to do. I also tend to unclip on the same side as a rule so it becomes routine. That way in a clutch I don't have think about what foot is unclipped it's already done.
Good on you for not giving up, clipless is the best thing since sliced bread and you'll wonder how you ever rode any other way.
Like a wise woman here told me "you had to learn to crawl before you could walk, same thing with clipless"
As for the road rash, I use triple antibiotic ointment to try and get them to heal as quickly as possible and I use either NewSkin or Nexcare waterproof bandages. Both keep the wound covered and I don't have to keep changing the dressing when I take a shower. After 24-48 hrs depending on how much skin I took off (like my knee right now ) I leave the wound open at night.
Good luck, you can do it....we all went thru the same thing, and let us know how it goes!

[spazzdog]

Not for nothin' Carm, but are you up to date on tetanus shot. If chainring "pierced" skin, you might want to make sure all is good on that front.

Kisses and methialate flowers on your boo-boos though. I know they hurt.

spazz

[Carm]

Thanks for all of the great advice. I thought I would let you know what I found in case the info can help someone else.

Yesterday, I purchased a pair of black neoprene shin splint pads at my local sporting goods store. They are made by Cramer. They cover my entire shin and calf area. They are easy to put on and take off over the boo-boos. I feel like I have body armour on which gives me confidence to try again. They also look much better than the bubble wrap alternative I was thinking about using. The package says in addition to helping with shin splits, the product protects from abrasions.

In addition, I covered all my wounds with J&J's Advanced Healing Adhesive Pads. The product box says these pads help prevent infection, scarring and pain. After I put them on, the pain went away for all of my cuts except for one. They lay flat against your skin and don't come loose. This makes it easy to put the shin pads on. They are kind of pricey but you are supposed to leave each one on for several days.

So, tonight after work, I'm going to suit up and work on my clipping/unclipping technique. Thanks again for your help. Carmen

[trigurl]

I don't have a lot of experience yet with the clips but have had a couple of times that I stopped and forgot to unclip, thank goodness for some good balance, but I did find that when I panicked and pulled straight up my shoe came lose, thanks to very lose clips! that is definately something you should check.

I watched several people in a group ride, most only unclipped one foot, one fellow did both each time and seemed very unsteady when he stopped

If you can use a trainer do so, I started with mine there and clipped and unclipped a lot to get used to it.

good luck!

[RoadRaven]

*Sidles in... smiles*

hey there folks... I hope that everyone that had bumps, scratches and bruises are healing well...

*Mutters quietly to selfabout how embarrassing it is to clip in on grass, go to give it the heave-ho with the clipped in foot so you can get speed up to clip the other in...*

*Mumbles about how for all the "oomph" put in to start the bike, the back well just spun in one spot and I ended up with a face full of grass and a bike sitting on top of me, one foot still clipped in!*

Thank god no one had the camera out!