First Clipless Ride!

[Bike Chick]

Congratulations taxmuffin! You will enjoy riding with your new pedals. Leaning the wrong way happens to us all....sometimes even after you've been riding for years Have fun!

[taxmuffin]

Thank you all! I am a little bruised up, but no scrapes and no damage to my bike. I did not even hit my head (so I don't have to worry about replacing my helmet).

I am riding the Shimano Road pedals, which are totally awesome. I tried Speedplay first, but I kept slipping on the "cleat" attached to the shoes. That lead to a completely awesome wipe-out in my living room that ended with me on the floor and my trainer upside down.

[Owlie]

Ouch! When I took my first fully clipless ride, neither I nor the bike fared well. I wound up with a scraped left knee (twice), and my bike ended up needing a trip to the LBS!

[schnitzle]

Yay, glad to hear you and your bike are ok! Oh man, I guess it's good that the biggest wipe out happened at home? Those trainers are heavy, that must have hurt.

Are the Shimano pedals you have the half and half kind so you don't always have to wear shoes with cleats? I'm looking at those for myself...someday.

[marni]

Congratulations taxmuffin! You will enjoy riding with your new pedals. Leaning the wrong way happens to us all....sometimes even after you've been riding for years Have fun!

and it invariably happens in front of a crowd of people usually at a stop sign and or in a parking lot so that everyone can enjoy your experience with you

[Catrin]

and it invariably happens in front of a crowd of people usually at a stop sign and or in a parking lot so that everyone can enjoy your experience with you

The last time I fell over on my bike this is exactly where it happened. At a stop sign on a club ride and there was a group of cyclists parked across the street and another group behind me. I couldn't even blame clipless pedals as I don't use them yet

[marni]

Congrats!

It's always at a stop where the 'learning' fall happens

shouldn't that be "learning falls?"

[lisathew8lifter]

I tried SPD clip pedals yesterday - first time ever. i was so psychologically worked up that i put off trying it for the entire summer. i had my husband put them on yesterday and i had no choice. i did a few circles in the culdesac and all was well until we were 7 miles into a 30 mile ride. i was going up hill (no shoulder) and shifted and my gears got stuck and there was no where to go. i was going so slow i didn't even have time to think to unclip before i fell. i fell to my left, knee taking the majority of the hit, then elbow. i got a cramp in my left calf (still clipped as i laid there) and i looked, and a car was coming!!!! luckily, the driver saw me, and was going slow enough to avoid me. whew! i learned a HUGE lesson about shifting when going up a LONG hill with clips. i momentarily forgot about those and have NEVER had any probs going up this hill until yesterday. my knee and elbow are killing me right now, but it could have been so much worse!

[emily_in_nc]

Ouch! Lisa, sorry for your fall. Hope you'll heal up fast and won't let it put you off clipless pedals.

[lisathew8lifter]

i woke up this a.m. and my knee was throbbing so i iced it and it was much better. i took a break from riding today but i'll be back at it on tuesday. i knew that i'd never go back to regular pedals and i also had a hunch i'd take a tumble but i didn't think it would be THAT soon!

[jessmarimba]

I unclip both, but it's physically impossible for me to sit on the saddle and "plant both feet on pavement" - I'd be on my tippy-toes if I could reach with both feet, and the road is generally sloped away on the right side. Which, naturally, is the side I always fall towards.

(not to mention that every time I lose a screw and can't unclip, it's always the left foot that gets stuck to the pedal)