Recreational & Family - Clipless crash with daughter attached

I feel like an idiot today. Yesterday, while towing my 6-year-old daughter on her Trail-A-Bike behind my road bike, I had my first clipless crash in months.

We had just ridden about 4-5 miles together through our neighborhood. She was enjoying herself, ringing her bell and waving at everyone. We were in the parking lot of our neighborhood association's office -- we were going to run inside for just a minute -- and for some reason I forgot I was riding in clipless shoes that day (usually I just wear sandals when pulling the trailer), and I forgot to unclip as we stopped. You know the rest. We keeled over together on our left side. She had no idea what was happening until we were on the ground.

Daughter and bike took the brunt of the damage. She got a nice 1" x 1/2" scrape on her left elbow. My left QR handle, pedal, and bar tape were scratched, and the brake lever was knocked out of position, but no other damage to the bikes, and none at all to me. That's just adding to my guilt. Fortunately, she was wearing her helmet, but we went down so slowly I doubt it made a difference.

She's a trooper, and after we washed out the scrape and put a bandage on it, she got right back on the bike for the ride home. Of course, she's complained about the pain nonstop since then, but hey, she's six, an elbow scrape is pretty traumatic at that age. There's no swelling or bruising, so she should heal up just fine.

We're signed up to do a 40-mile ride together with the trail-a-bike next weekend. I hope she's still up for it!

Geez, I feel so bad for both of you!
I remember my many childhood bike wrecks fondly, now - but I can understand your daughter's current state of mind.

My suggestion: take her on a short ride, after her complaints of pain diminish, and before your 40 miler.
This can serve both as a transition to make her feel safe again, and to help you determine any reluctance she might have for taking part in such a long ride after an accident.

She's tough. Sounds like she would really enjoy that 40 mile ride. If she was really traumatized, she wouldn't have gotten back on the bike. Enjoy your ride.

Koffee

Take a good look at her helmet. It doesn’t take much to crush the foam on the inside, and most of the time you can’t even tell from the outside. Other than that, just be glad it was not on the road, try to forget about it, and move on. She will forget about it long before you do I am sure.

PS I hope both of you had your helmets on.

I don't mean to be a prick, but you might want to re-think that clipless\trail-a-bike combination. I don't trust myself well enough to hardly ride with only myself on the bike, let alone my kids. Get some platforms for future rides!

Sorry about the crash! She will rebound quickly and soon she will be razzing you... "dad do you remember when you about killed me on the bike?"

Not harshing you, brother, but I agree with Bigmark... I wouldn't go clipless when towing such a precious package. Glad to hear you both are OK. Get her a new helmet anyway. It might help getting her back in for the next ride.

I wouldn't go clipless when towing such a precious package.

You guys are insane. I tow my daughter on the trail-bike with clipless all the time. I very much prefer for me feet to be firmly attached to the pedals.

I don't mean to be a prick, but you might want to re-think that clipless\trail-a-bike combination. I don't trust myself well enough to hardly ride with only myself on the bike, let alone my kids. Get some platforms for future rides!

I'll be first.

You're a prick and you have no clue what you are talking about. Once you ride with clipless, platforms are a pain in the ass. There is a difference between a cyclist and a bike rider. He ride with what he is confident with, and you have no place to judge his parenting skills or his cycling skills.

I'll be first.

You're a prick and you have no clue what you are talking about. Once you ride with clipless, platforms are a pain in the ass. There is a difference between a cyclist and a bike rider. He ride with what he is confident with, and you have no place to judge his parenting skills or his cycling skills.

Yeah. A cyclist doesn't forget to unclip, a bike rider does. That is why i suggest that bike riders use platforms while having kids on a bike with them. I, on the other hand wear clipless and have NEVER forgotten to unclip. Yet, still I wouldn't use them when pulling one of my kids on a trail- a- bike. I guess that is why i am just a bike rider.

When I got clipless on all my bikes (previously I only had it on my road bike), that was when I stopped forgetting to unclip. Accidents happen, glad you guys are OK!

I've been riding clipless for at least 10 years, but Sunday I rode 35 miles with platform pedals and had no trouble keeping up with the rest of the group. I'd suggest va_cyclist at least give them a try.

I was really nervous at first about riding w/ clipless pedals while towing my daughter, but I don't ride without them, so I always remember that I'm using them. I think that's va_cyclist's problem - he rides with *and* without, so he forgot he was with. Not that he can't use them.

I don't see a problem using clipless pedals and a trailer. I am not familiar with the Trail a Bike, but the trailer I use will stay upright even if I fall over, with the way it attaches. It sounds like the Trail a Bike doesn't, but I still don't see a problem using it w/ clipless pedals since from now on, I'm *sure* you'll remember. Don't feel bad - accidents happen. It sounds like she's fine and eager to continue riding, and she understands it was a one-time thing.

I honestly can't think of a good reason to ride clipless when towing a child. This is a perfect example of "when worlds collide." Sure, clipless pedals are just the thing on training rides on a nice light road bike in full team kit, but I think platforms would be safer to use when towing one's child, since a "trail-a-bike" is going to more than negate any performance advantage clipless pedals bring to you. I know you probably don't make it a habit to fall in your clipless pedals, but I used to know a guy who never would make his kids buckle up in the car,when I asked why this was, he said; "I never wreck." Get it?
I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I just find this to be an unwise situation that needs to be thought about a little. Whatever you do, just don't shoot up EPO around the kid, though.

I only have one bike, which I ride by myself with clipless pedals (speedplay). If I want to ride without them, wouldn't I have to change the pedals every time? I had a really hard time putting them on at all, so I would rather leave them on for the occasional times that I tow my daughter in the trailer. I probably wouldn't ride at all with her if I had to change the pedals every time.

I actually prefer to make my husband tow the trailer, and he has platform pedals, and a bigger bike.

I got rid of the the cheap rubber platform pedals on my Giant and put some bear traps on. I thinks its a nice comprimise between regular platform pedals and Clipless pedals.

I honestly can't think of a good reason to ride clipless when towing a child...

I don't see why not. The rider should ride with the pedals they are the most familiar with. I have ridden with toeclips for some 25 years and them with SPDs for 2 years, and this includes the time I am by myself, the time I am towing one child in the child trailer, the time I am cycling with one on the trailercycle, the time I am cycling with one on the tandem... and all combinations of the above.

Indeed, if the original poster had not been used to cycling in sandals – which is bad if he means the soft-sole variety – he would not have forgotten to unclip.

By the way, riding clipless doesn't mean riding recklessly. Riding clipless with a child is good if one is familiar with clipless. But riding clipless doesn't prevent one from going easy through downhills, curves, sand patches, etc.