Ms. Coordinated Here. Falling with Clipless Pedals

[MamboGirl]

After riding my new bike for a few weeks and getting used to riding again, I decided to get clipless pedals. I got the Speedplay light action, and the bike shop installed the cleats too, and had me practice on the trainer, clipping in and out over and over. So yesterday I went for my first real ride with the new shoes and clipless pedals. Getting clipped is the easy part. I found that trying to unclip and stop took some concentration, since you can't really unclip both feet before stopping.
Anyway, long story short, I did OK with the ride and could feel the difference on the hills. Coming home, I come to a stoplight, and unclipped the right foot (left foot still clipped). Then I don't know why I forgot the left foot was clipped. But I guess I wasn't concentrating because I tried putting the left foot down on the ground, and by the time I realized it was clipped in. it was too late. I fell sideways to the left on the pavement, in the middle of the lane right at the stoplight at a busy intersection. I unclipped the left foot to get up. I looked back at two cars that were behind me (one in the right turn lane), and the woman in one car was alarmed (I waved at her that it's OK), the guy in another car was cracking up laughing. (Nice guy, huh? I didn't flip him off but felt like it). I probably shouldn't have even looked up, but I was embarrassed by that stupid fall, and it's hard not to look at people when they are around.

Well, just wanted to share with you women, and see if you have any advice. Of course on this road bike, I can't touch the ground while in the saddle, so I have to get off the saddle and move forward when coming to a stop. Coordinating this motion with unclipping one foot is tricky for me since I am apparently Ms. Coordinated.

[Possegal]

No advice, but wanted to echo how often I've done the same. And ALWAYS with an audience. Occasionally someone asks how I am, but usually, someone laughs.

And often this happens here in G'town too, so thanks for taking some of the weight off me in entertaining the local drivers.

[ny biker]

I did that on Constitution Ave once, across from the Mall.

I always put my right foot down first, so I clip out with my right foot as I'm approaching the intersection. That way I'm ready to put my foot down when I stop.

[Kano]

What NY biker said -- rather than trying to do two things at once, I unclip as I'm approaching the intersection, THEN get off the saddle and lower the loose foot to the ground!

My preferred foot is the left -- can't seem to make myself unclip the right one, so I guess I'm not an "ambi-unclipper" -- but maybe, if one must fall toward the still-clipped side occasionally, I should be grateful for this trait?

Now, DH, on the other hand, has developed the technique of unclipping both at once, just in case he forgets which one to put down! (it looks really strange from behind, since both heels swing to the right, but it works for him)

Karen in Boise

[jobob]

I'll bet nearly everyone here who uses clipless pedals has done that AT LEAST once. Uh, hello!

Good advice above. You'll get the hang of it!

[Possegal]

For me, my big issue is forgetting to be careful to not shift my body weight when I only have one foot unclipped on the ground. A slight shift in the body and down I go. Luckily, with those ones, the only thing that really gets hurt is my ego. Bruises for it as well as me, but the ego hurts the most.

[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.

[ny biker]

When I was considering getting clipless pedals, I spoke to my trainer about it, and he said I shouldn't get them because you have to be able to laugh at yourself when you fall while stopped at an intersection, and he didn't think I could do that. I've proved him wrong more than once. Hell, I photograph the resulting injuries and post them on the internet...

[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.