First clipless ride and I didn't mangle myself!

[Jo-n-NY]

Congratulations Karen....we all began the same way. There will be a time when you will find it hard to ride with a platform pedal.

~ JoAnn

[JaneE]

Hi all...first-time poster here. Hope I'm doing this right...no computer genius here, either!

Congratulations on your pedal switch!

I switched to clipless myself about 3 weeks ago. So far I've only tipped over 3 times, all slow-motion crashes that bruised my pride more than my body, thankfully. Once in a while I still need to remind myself: Unclip first, *then* stop. I have faith that eventually this will sink in.

Happy biking!

Janee in WNY

[deidre]

Karen,

I love your new mantra too. Wish I had read it BEFORE I went out riding today. After fall #1 of 3, I keep saying "You are clipped in, you are clipped in, you are clipped in).

Today was my first day on my bike in a long time. And today was my first time ever riding clipped in. I have my training wheels/pedals (that's what I told the guy at the bike shop when I went in for a bike checkup and to get shoes). My training pedals have the clips on one side and are flat on the other (like the spinning/cycling bikes at the gym; just without that toe cage).

The first time I had to stop, I unclipped with no problem. The next time, I remembered that I should unclip as I was falling over and laughing uncontrollably at myself. After the 3rd fall, I kept 1 foot clipped in and used the other training pedal (yes, I chickened out).

I think next time I'll try another trail/path. This one had too many sharp curves and very narrow. Too much stopping or slowing down until you almost stopped (that was fall #3).

Well, tomorrow's a new day. I look forward to going on another practice ride after my run.

[Brandi]

You know it seemed like I was a natural at it when I first started. But I had a couple times I couldn't get unclipped and it really scared me. But I am much better now and not so cocky about.

[northstar]

I didn't fall for a few weeks after I got my clipless pedals.

Now I think I've gone down four times... All but one were very slow speed brain fart types of tip-overs. The other one, well...it wasn't due to the pedals! Keep your eyes on the pavement and keep away from those bike eating cracks!

Falling is ok. It's not fun, but you do learn what to do when you realize you're going down.

[Kano]

The only tip over I've had was being clipped in while making a too-tight slow turn. Bounced right back up -- I didn't know I could move so quickly!

I agree with the lady who posted that after a while you'll have a difficult time with "regular" pedals. Once I got on my old bike that got platforms back when I got the road bike I ride more often, and was it ever a struggle! No upward pull, and my feet kept "falling off" the pedals!

(DH keeps swiping my wheels when he breaks one of his, so the poor thing is languishing in a corner -- I'll need pedals for it when I ever get to keep the wheels again!)

Karen in Boise