Clipless 101

[Jo-n-NY]

Well you got your first fall out of the way. I think almost all have at least one, I have had a few myself.

I also agree that learning to unclip with either foot is good, but I have not mastered it myself. To be honest however, my husband feels that unclipping with the right foot is best so if you stumble & by chance fall you are falling of the opposite side of traffic.

[Cyclegalnyc]

I always say listen to the body...what feels natural is what you do. However, be aware that the road frequently dips down on the right as opposed to the left (assuming you're riding on the right side of the road!), so beware of that balance. If the dip is deeper than you thought you could just tip over. Most importantly, I find having clips that adjust is imperative. Mine are set light, meaning they won't release my foot on a steep climb, but if I need to unclip quickly I won't have to struggle.
Good luck!
M

[luvmyguys]

Well you got your first fall out of the way. I think almost all have at least one, I have had a few myself.

I also agree that learning to unclip with either foot is good, but I have not mastered it myself. To be honest however, my husband feels that unclipping with the right foot is best so if you stumble & by chance fall you are falling of the opposite side of traffic.

That's actually where I had MORE trouble. I tended to fall on the side of the foot I left clipped in - so if I unclip the right, I fall to the left (into traffic). I also tend to put my left foot down naturally, so I tend to do better unclipping the left foot first (actually, I just unclip both of them, but that's my newbie self talking).

[thekarens]

That's actually where I had MORE trouble. I tended to fall on the side of the foot I left clipped in - so if I unclip the right, I fall to the left (into traffic). I also tend to put my left foot down naturally, so I tend to do better unclipping the left foot first (actually, I just unclip both of them, but that's my newbie self talking).

You are not inspiring confidence, LOL!

[OakLeaf]

That has everything to do with leaning before/during unclipping. We've talked about this before (where is the thread)???

The sequence is, first turn the handlebars slightly AWAY from the direction you plan to unclip (e.g., if you unclip right, turn your handlebars slightly left). Turning the bars left induces a right handed lean, so your bike will begin to fall to the right. As the bike leans over, unclip the foot, so your foot is ready when it's time for it to hit the ground. As your toe hits the pavement, stand up off the saddle so you can support your weight.

If you're falling to the wrong side, pay closer attention to which way you're leaning before you unclip.

[Possegal]

Here was another clipping thread where I described how I routinely fell to my left. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ht=unclip+fall I'm glad I'm well versed now at unclipping on either side.

[goldfinch]

Another tip to help make sure that you "fall" the correct direction is when you unclip your favored foot hang that foot out from the pedal a few inches. It helps lean the bike the correct side when you do stop. I unclip one foot when approaching intersections, watch for traffic with my foot out away from the pedal, and if none is coming bring my foot back in and clip in.

It also helps prevent an accidental reclip, which happened a couple of days ago to a person I was riding with and he had his first clipless fall.

[emily_in_nc]

I've always unclipped on the right -- just the way my brain is wired, I guess.