Ms. Coordinated Here. Falling with Clipless Pedals

[Possegal]

No advice, but wanted to echo how often I've done the same. And ALWAYS with an audience. Occasionally someone asks how I am, but usually, someone laughs.

And often this happens here in G'town too, so thanks for taking some of the weight off me in entertaining the local drivers.

[ny biker]

I did that on Constitution Ave once, across from the Mall.

I always put my right foot down first, so I clip out with my right foot as I'm approaching the intersection. That way I'm ready to put my foot down when I stop.

[Kano]

What NY biker said -- rather than trying to do two things at once, I unclip as I'm approaching the intersection, THEN get off the saddle and lower the loose foot to the ground!

My preferred foot is the left -- can't seem to make myself unclip the right one, so I guess I'm not an "ambi-unclipper" -- but maybe, if one must fall toward the still-clipped side occasionally, I should be grateful for this trait?

Now, DH, on the other hand, has developed the technique of unclipping both at once, just in case he forgets which one to put down! (it looks really strange from behind, since both heels swing to the right, but it works for him)

Karen in Boise

[jobob]

I'll bet nearly everyone here who uses clipless pedals has done that AT LEAST once. Uh, hello!

Good advice above. You'll get the hang of it!

[Possegal]

For me, my big issue is forgetting to be careful to not shift my body weight when I only have one foot unclipped on the ground. A slight shift in the body and down I go. Luckily, with those ones, the only thing that really gets hurt is my ego. Bruises for it as well as me, but the ego hurts the most.

[Yelsel]

Ugh, I fell once in front of an entire bus full of people. And I was just congratulating myself on not falling for about a year... then fell over twice in one day. And not on emergency stops either. Bleah.

I also unclip coming to a planned stop; I like my cleats a little farther back than the middle of the ball of my foot, so I can use the ball/toes to keep pedaling. I unclip my left pedal, and lean over while still on the saddle, with the right foot up at 1-2 o'clock ready to go. Saddle height is related to leg length... you should be able to do this(?)

I've learned that if I'm doing something that requires thought (like reading a map) that I'd better unclip both feet and hop off the saddle, otherwise at some point I'll shift weight too much and tip over on the right, very amusing for bikers that were also reading the map. I also wasn't good with sudden stops, but now I can get my foot out and down before stopping, even if it seems pretty close.

I am saving up to get Speedplay pedals for my roadbike, but in the meantime I have Shimano pedals, and I got the cleats that will come out at a variety of angles. I have Crank Brother mallet pedals on my 'cross and mountain fair / bad weather commuters -- good with and without clipless shoes -- and initially had the cleats set up with minimum float, which meant that I had to rotate less to get them out of the clips.

Just out of curiosity -- how many people drive sticks? I am wondering if people put their left foot down more often if they are used to putting the clutch in with their left foot for stopping. (The real test would be asking the right-foot clutch "island" people in the UK, Japan, and down under.)

[TrekWSDmechanic]

'Zero-speed falls' are a right of passage that every clipless user experiences at least once. It happened to me just the other day, embarrassingly while I was teaching a friend how to track stand. Of course, it was down to a rock getting stuck in there (I was on the mtb), but hey ho...

Anyhoo...I'm wondering if maybe you haven't figured out which is your 'chocolate foot' yet? This is the foot that your body naturally gravitates to while you are riding. An easy way to tell is to see which foot is forward when you are going down hills and out of the saddle. It will feel more natural to have one foot forward vs. the other. This is usually the same foot that comes out of your pedal at a stop.

Perhaps your left foot is your chocolate foot. It doesn't matter if you are right or left handed, this doesn't determine which foot is dominant. I'm right handed, and my left foot is the one that's out of the pedal when I stop.

[MamboGirl]

Ugh, I fell once in front of an entire bus full of people. And I was just congratulating myself on not falling for about a year... then fell over twice in one day. And not on emergency stops either. Bleah.

I also unclip coming to a planned stop; I like my cleats a little farther back than the middle of the ball of my foot, so I can use the ball/toes to keep pedaling. I unclip my left pedal, and lean over while still on the saddle, with the right foot up at 1-2 o'clock ready to go. Saddle height is related to leg length... you should be able to do this(?)

I've learned that if I'm doing something that requires thought (like reading a map) that I'd better unclip both feet and hop off the saddle, otherwise at some point I'll shift weight too much and tip over on the right, very amusing for bikers that were also reading the map. I also wasn't good with sudden stops, but now I can get my foot out and down before stopping, even if it seems pretty close.

I am saving up to get Speedplay pedals for my roadbike, but in the meantime I have Shimano pedals, and I got the cleats that will come out at a variety of angles. I have Crank Brother mallet pedals on my 'cross and mountain fair / bad weather commuters -- good with and without clipless shoes -- and initially had the cleats set up with minimum float, which meant that I had to rotate less to get them out of the clips.

Just out of curiosity -- how many people drive sticks? I am wondering if people put their left foot down more often if they are used to putting the clutch in with their left foot for stopping. (The real test would be asking the right-foot clutch "island" people in the UK, Japan, and down under.)

LOL - your post cracked me up. Thank you so much for sharing (I thank everyone for sharing!) It does make me feel better so many have shared my experience.
Yeah, I can't lean the bike and touch the ground while still on the saddle. The guy at the bike shop did the fitting, raised the seat up and moved it back a bit, so my legs and knees are all at the correct angles while spinning. My son (who is a bike enthusiast) told me that on a road bike I shouldn't be able to touch the ground while on the saddle. If the saddle is too low, he and the bike shop guy explained, I would eventually damage my knees. But, when sitting still at a light, I stand on my left foot, forward of the saddle, and keep my right foot on the pedal at around the 1:00 position, ready to go. I'm doing this with the clipless too. I just got to learn which side to clip out of to come to a complete stop and step down without getting confused and falling over.

[pinkbikes]

Just out of curiosity -- how many people drive sticks? I am wondering if people put their left foot down more often if they are used to putting the clutch in with their left foot for stopping. (The real test would be asking the right-foot clutch "island" people in the UK, Japan, and down under.)

There could be something in this. My chocolate foot is my left and I drive a manual shift too. And btw the pedals are not reversed when the "handedness" of the drive is changed. Those of us who sit in the right hand side of the car to drive still push the clutch in with our left foot!

I always thought my left foot was chocolate because I am short (and lazy) and when I pull up at the lights (on the left side of the road) I unclip and roll up to the kerb and plonk my left foot on it so I don't have to get off the seat.

Or - that I am quite right foot dominant and so I like to get a good push off with my right foot on the pedal?

Maybe all of the above?

[Cataboo]

If I try to unclip on the wrong side from normal, it can end badly... Usually I can get my other foot out in time to recover... but I did it a few months back and basically fell into a mud puddle in a ditch right next to the road (I think I'd gottne my foot out in time, but the side of the road ended abrubtly and I couldn't reach the ground)

[Kano]

Heh -- when I manage to unclip on the "wrong side" I can't get going again!

Again -- I must not be an ambi-clipper!

Karen in Boise

[MamboGirl]

I'll bet nearly everyone here who uses clipless pedals has done that AT LEAST once. Uh, hello!

Good advice above. You'll get the hang of it!

OK - Practice, practice, practice.... I'll get my nerve up to get out there again tomorrow. Funny, it sounds quite simple, but it is easy to get uncoordinated since it takes a split second to lose balance. Thanks for the encouragement!

[szsz]

I'll bet nearly everyone here who uses clipless pedals has done that AT LEAST once. Uh, hello!

Word. I can't believe I did this AGAIN just the other day, right in the path of an oncoming cyclists, no less He was a doll about it and I was fine but for the embarrassment, bruise, and nicely skinned knee. OWW!!!

This was on my grocery-getter bike right after yoga so all my zen went right out the window, but at least I wasn't worried about damage to my hybrid steel tanker. (Also wearing Keen sandals, but they were not an issue. Love them!) Maybe I was too zen. I don't really know why I went down.

we ended up putting the 2nd screw from the left cleat onto the right cleat so that I could clip out without freaking out.

When I recently replaced my cleats (Mr. Sz says I stop like Fred Flintstone, but that's another topic for another thread) bike shop guy gives me the extra screws and advises to put them in my bike bag. My friend lost a cleat screw on a previous ride so I immediately saw the wisdom. (Now all I need, of course, is a multitool!)

[KnottedYet]

Naw, you need these: http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?f...=home.drillium

"Three out of Four Knot bikes approve of BMX pedals"