Ms. Coordinated Here. Falling with Clipless Pedals

[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.

[jobob]

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 too while you are riding.

Why is it called that?

[TrekWSDmechanic]

Well it comes from the German use of the word 'schokoladenbein', which literally translates to 'chocolate leg', but in context means 'favored leg'. I think it was probably Hans Rey who is credited for taking it to the bike world.

It probably sounds like I'm making this up, but I'm not.

[DDH]

I think we have all fallen at least once. I didn't have an audience when I fell, but I'm here to tell you it's still very embarrassing cause you think everyone in the neighborhood saw you.
Mine was pulling up to the mail box trying to be cool on my bike and thinking I would just pull up beside it and use the mailbox to brace myself and then peddle away and never unclip. UH!!!! I missed the mailbox! LOL Word of advice, you can't unclip when you are in a panic. LOL
I just plum fell over. Jumped up from the ground and looked around to see if anyone was outside to see me, and then the feelings of "you big dummy" came over me.

[jobob]

I didn't have an audience when I fell,

Sorry, it doesn't count unless you have an audience.

[Crankin]

Somehow, I never fell when I first using clipless pedals. But, about a year later, I did fall in the middle of a busy intersection at a light (Rt. 117/62 in Stow). It's one of those little uphill stops that I now hate at all costs. I have never gone through this intersection again, unless I am turning right and don't have to stop! Eight years later...
I always unclip with my left foot. I just lean a bit and unclip a little bit ahead of where I think I will need to. It never occurred to me to try and unclip with both feet. It's funny, I know I started unclipping on the right, but I switched when I read something, can't remember what. Now, I absolutely cannot unclip on the right, which I know is bad. I am definitely left footed; in fact I can barely walk my bike from the right side. It just doesn't feel right. On the other hand, I can unclip on the right when I am mountain biking, but I think that is fear of killing myself, so I am prepared for any emergency.

[DDH]

Sorry, it doesn't count unless you have an audience.

Okay, but my hip thought it counted. LOL I will conquer that I don't count, but please don't jinx me into counting. LOL

[MamboGirl]

Why is it called that?

Well it comes from the German use of the word 'schokoladenbein', which literally translates to 'chocolate leg', but in context means 'favored leg'. I think it was probably Hans Rey who is credited for taking it to the bike world.

It probably sounds like I'm making this up, but I'm not.

Here's a response from a German friend, who is in Germany:
Schokoladen-Bein is a private word-combination. It is nothing formal. It is the first time I ever heard it.

You say here e.g. "meine Schokoladenseite" i.e. "my chocolate side" (of my character. So it's more in an abstract way used.

[CyborgQueen]

Went on a bike ride for the first time with clipless pedals yesterday. I've been practicing on the trainer for two days. And I felt comfortable.

100 feet later to a stop, I fell. *groan* And yes, it was in front of an audience. "New pedals eh?" They say. I had a little bit of a road rash, but nothing too severe.

I think the pedals were on too tight, I might loosen it a bit.

The problem I have is getting momentum and clipping in, but one advice that I will try is to pedal anyways until coasting, then clip in. I'll practice that. :-D

[Red Rock]

I had a maiden fall when I first went clipless, it was proably within the first week or so.

This was after my DH had held the bike while I practiced cliping in and out for a half hour or so before going onto the street. The next day, I ventured to the local school parking lot. This way I could still practice riding, stopping with the whole clip unclip routine. Then when I felt more comfortable I ventured on to the road

Even now I still unclip my right side long a head before stopping. This way I know I will be able to put my foot down without any problems.

Practice, practice and more practice. Soon it will become second nature and you'll love how it makes riding so much more fun.

Red Rock

[MamboGirl]

Went on a bike ride for the first time with clipless pedals yesterday. I've been practicing on the trainer for two days. And I felt comfortable.

100 feet later to a stop, I fell. *groan* And yes, it was in front of an audience. "New pedals eh?" They say. I had a little bit of a road rash, but nothing too severe.

I think the pedals were on too tight, I might loosen it a bit.

The problem I have is getting momentum and clipping in, but one advice that I will try is to pedal anyways until coasting, then clip in. I'll practice that. :-D

Oh I feel for you.
when you say "the pedals were on too tight" do you mean the pedals or the cleats? I don't know the mechanics of this, being completely new to it, and the bike shop guys installed my pedals and cleats. But I read that if the cleats are too loose, it is hard to clip out. If you could possibly take your bike and cleats to the bike shop and get in them to readjust, that's what I'd do.

For the getting momentum and clipping in problem -- can you clip in one side while standing still? I straddle the top tube, clip in the right foot (with the pedal in the bottom position), and my left foot is still on the ground. Then I lift up my right foot to an angle where I can push off and get going up and on the saddle, that gives me the momentum then to clip in the left foot. So, right foot clipped in before going, then left foot clips in while coasting. (I am left-handed so perhaps you might do the opposite).

Today I got back on the bike and tried again! And I took everyone's advice. I paid attention and realized that my left foot is my "chocolate" foot, as that is the one that is forward always when coasting. So before I'm going to start braking, I have the left pedal down all the way, unclip, then I bring the right pedal down all the way so that I can stand on it while clipped in as I come to a stop and move up off the saddle and forward. I set my left foot (which is loose) on the ground. My right foot stays clipped in, so I'm ready to go. It worked! It did take concentration but I didn't fall!

[jobob]

I think the pedals were on too tight, I might loosen it a bit.

Might be good to mention what type of pedals/cleats you use. Some systems are adjustable, some are not.

Eggbeaters, for instance, are a totally different design from, say, SPD-style pedals. Eggbeater pedals are not adjustable, but their design makes them generally easier to clip in & out of, imho (err, when the cleats aren't loose, that is )

[MamboGirl]

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.

I think you are right - my left foot is my "chocolate" foot. I think that with the normal pedals, I would stand on my right pedal to move out of the seat just prior to stopping. Hard to remember because I never thought about it. I'm left handed, and I like to stand on the left side of my bike.

[KnottedYet]

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.

Nope, I'm just the opposite. Left foot likes to be forward, and right foot likes to clip out first (and always has, even back in the dark ages before you were born and all we had were cages). Never heard it called "chocolate foot" in all my years of riding. Nice name.

Left foot and left hand like to be in charge of the bike. I'm left-handed, too. Right hand will get the water bottle and right foot will reach for the ground.