Clipless question...

[pinkbikes]

I must admit I do worry a bit about you clipping out both feet.

The thing is that you then become quite unstable if you think about it. Once both your feet are unclipped (and you tend to remove them from the pedal when you do that so you don't accidentally clip back in) the only things touching your bike are your butt and your hands on the handlebars. Your handlebars move relative to the bike (duh! that's what they are supposed to do) and so unless you have a very strong core, you can tend to be a little unbalanced once you are reduced to one fixed attachment and two moving ones. Your body could wobble a little bit and it's fall time!

What I suggest is that you work out which foot you naturally have at the top of the pedal stroke ready to get started and which foot you push off the ground with? Is there one that you favour more than the other? I realise over time it would be ideal to be able to cope with either, but maybe you need to find out which is your preference and use that at least for the first little while until you have it down.

Then once you have worked it out, practice unclipping the foot you push off the ground with, and develop a little routine around it that you can commit to muscle memory. Say... gently apply the brakes to slow down, unclip the foot (while it's at the top of the pedal stroke) hang that foot down, little bit more brake, lean the bike (and you) a little that way and put the foot down, lift the other foot to top of pedal stroke (because then you are unlikely to lean that way and fall over standing there, and also you are ready to go again).

I just think that the more things you can have attached keeping you and the bike stable while you do this, the better off you will be.

[Catrin]

I must admit I do worry a bit about you clipping out both feet.........Then once you have worked it out, practice unclipping the foot you push off the ground with, and develop a little routine around it that you can commit to muscle memory. Say... gently apply the brakes to slow down, unclip the foot (while it's at the top of the pedal stroke) hang that foot down, little bit more brake, lean the bike (and you) a little that way and put the foot down, lift the other foot to top of pedal stroke (because then you are unlikely to lean that way and fall over standing there, and also you are ready to go again).

I just think that the more things you can have attached keeping you and the bike stable while you do this, the better off you will be.

hmmmm good points When I unclip, I leave my foot on the pedal - and I don't clip back in. Perhaps unconsciously I am shifting my foot slightly from the "clipping in" position. Today I seemed to notice that my right foot - which is the same foot that I use with that first pedal stroke - is the one that hits the ground a nanosecond before my left foot. So perhaps the same foot "wants" to do both jobs?

It is going to rain all week, at least that is what they say - so I hope to head back out for more practice after church tomorrow. I must admit, however, that I CAN see the advantages of being attached to my pedals while riding...so that does make all of this other stuff worthwhile. Let's just hope that my head and derailleur lasts until it becomes comfortable

[footloose]

Catrin...glad you are Ok after your falls and that things seem to be improving for you.
I will be watching your progress with great interest as I will going thru the same thing myself shortly. Have got the pedals and cleats just need to find some shoes.
There are no bike shops around here that are stocked with women's stuff so I'm going to have to find the time to search farther afield.

I've been planning on replacing my older helmet....maybe I'll just wait for while on that as I may have to replace it again anyway!

[Catrin]

Catrin...glad you are Ok after your falls and that things seem to be improving for you.
I will be watching your progress with great interest as I will going thru the same thing myself shortly. Have got the pedals and cleats just need to find some shoes.
There are no bike shops around here that are stocked with women's stuff so I'm going to have to find the time to search farther afield.

I've been planning on replacing my older helmet....maybe I'll just wait for while on that as I may have to replace it again anyway!

So far everyone I know keeps telling me that they *only" fell over one time when they got their pedals, so perhaps I am just being greedy and taking other people's falls for them - like perhaps yours? It MAY have been easier if I had waited until I had more miles under my belt, but I was having so many problems with the platform pedals that the timing made sense...

[ny biker]

I have definitely fallen over more than once due to being clipped in when I needed to have a foot free. And have come close to falling other times.

The last time I fell was last August. And I've had clipless pedals since 2002.

[Catrin]

I have definitely fallen over more than once due to being clipped in when I needed to have a foot free. And have come close to falling other times.

The last time I fell was last August. And I've had clipless pedals since 2002.

Thank you, I figured that they were trying to encourage me to make the leap, but it is good to hear someone say that. You know though, that thing that happens when you are on your bike and everything is working (translated to not falling over), well...it makes all of this other stuff worth it

[marni]

I too have fallen over multiple times even though I have been riding clipless since 2004. sometimes, the ageing brain says one thing and the body cheerfully does something else. I usually pick the most public place to fall over, a stop light, a parking lot at the start of a group ride and even at the end of a ride. Fortunately I haven't taken anyone out in the process but. I had the advantage of having a bike shop that insisted that I spend three hours practicing in the shop with my bike in a trainer and my feet clipping and unclipping at all speeds and gears. In spite of this I still stumbel occasionally. Hang in there and keep practicing. It will come easier.

marni

[drdwin]

For 2 months I was falling over - and over - and over. I put a post here and got some excellent advice. The thing that made it work for me (thanks sooooo much for the advice tctrek) was making sure both brakes were fully engaged before unclipping my second foot (I unclip the left first). For some reason after I stopped I was letting up on the brakes and starting to roll a little which resulted in a sort-of panic move and a crash. I didn't even realize I was doing this until I started paying attention to my braking while clipping out. I guess I was so focused on my feet I totally forgot about what my hands were doing. I haven't fallen since (knock on wood) but I still have to think through the entire process every time I come to a stop.

The bottom line is although it hurts to fall over - you have lots of company and you will eventually get it.

[OakLeaf]

The last time I fell was last August. And I've had clipless pedals since 2002.

The last time I fell was about a year and a half ago. And I've had clipless pedals since 1987.

Don't be too hard on yourself Catrin. (But I'll say it again, the last time I fell, the only reason was that I was indecisive about my stop, and didn't fully commit to the lean in the direction of my unclipped foot.)

[Catrin]

The last time I fell was about a year and a half ago. And I've had clipless pedals since 1987.

Don't be too hard on yourself Catrin. (But I'll say it again, the last time I fell, the only reason was that I was indecisive about my stop, and didn't fully commit to the lean in the direction of my unclipped foot.)

hmmm, I think this is the missing step - I haven't done this at all. Hopefully I can get my body used to doing this without falling over again for now. Thankfully I am a stubborn woman though, so will try it again after church today unless it starts raining earlier than is predicted. They say it will rain all week, so I don't know when my next chance to practice will be.

I think that the few times I came to a sudden stop with my platform pedals that I turned my wheel to the right - and my right foot hit the ground. So I will try this today

I will admit the thought has crossed my mind to put campus pedals on my LHT...but I doubt that I will do that.