Fifty Plus (50+) - made a fool of myself today

- if you were traveling westbound on park blvd this morning and saw a 50+ BF'r Clydesdale slowly tilt over and fall into the roadway on seminole blvd. after failing to clip out, you saw me!

- yep, right in the right-only turning lane of traffic...

- but no screeching brakes, not a scratch on me, no torn shorts, no grease marks on the jersey...

- this was 4 miles into what turned out to be a nice 26-mile ride...

<sigh> pity the fool!

I heard of worse. Now quit yer whining.

;)

Welcome to Club Tombay, when the birdie drops say the secret word......................

Dont feel bad. My LBS owner did the same thing stopping at a traffic light. He could'nt un-clip fast enough and fell over, rolled onto his back with his bike upside down pointing into the air, and he was still clipped in. All this in front of scores of traffic stopping at the light.

I busted a gut over that one.

I finally did something before somebody else did!

Damn, not even a mark to show when you tell the story later.











Glad you didn't get hurt. We all fall.

Did you stand up and take a bow?

What, no sweet young girl to ask if you were ok? You must try harder.

Clipless fall #1

Top of the hardest climb of the Lancaster covered bridge ride... I pushed most of the way, and when it started to level out I started riding... At the top is a family famous for watching all of the riders and offering water. I stopped across the road to look for a safe time to cross to get cold water and fell... Was too embarrassed to get water (even though they offered) and rode away.

Clipless fall #2

Last year's Livestrong ride... reported here. I hit my shin before the ride and was bleeding like a stuck pig... After the ride I did a clipless fall as I was pulling my bike into the parking area. I laughed as I fell in the grass.. no pain hoping that nobody saw me. As I unclipped and stood up, the doc that helped me before the ride asked if I was OK...

Clipless fall #3

Last years Bucks County covered bridge ride... OrangeOkie and I were lost and looking around for road maekings, and I saw one, so as I turned about half way around as I started to call out "look what I found"

In summary...

I rode in exactly three organized rides since I bought my clipless pedals. I have had exactly three clipless falls... and they just happened to coincide...

I am cautiously optimistic about some organized rides this year... hopefully at least one won't have a clipless fall involved.

Sorry but I have no sympathy. No- one there to wonder to what you were doing and no Pics. Glad you didn't tear the shorts though- Gets a bit painful trying to tell the wife how it happened without her banning you from riding ever again.

Clipless fall #2

Last year's Livestrong ride... reported here. I hit my shin before the ride and was bleeding like a stuck pig... After the ride I did a clipless fall as I was pulling my bike into the parking area. I laughed as I fell in the grass.. no pain hoping that nobody saw me. As I unclipped and stood up, the doc that helped me before the ride asked if I was OK....

Darn, I was there and I missed it!

Nothing like an injury before a ride. I pulled the bike out of the van only to discover the front tire was flat:( After banging a knuckle trying to get the wheel off I pushed it to the start area and let one of the bike shops on site fix it.

Those weren't so bad, mine was coasting up to a red light & forgetting I was clipped in. Fell over into the gutter at the feet of 2 homeless guys sitting there with their cardboard sign & in full view of a long line of stopped cars. Homeless guy says "I hate it when that happens"! :)

Haven't gone down yet, but I am sure my day will come. At least I will know I have joined a select group. I DID have a panicky moment over the weekend when I couldn't get my right foot out of the pedal. Finally came out, but I was sweating bullets for a few seconds.

Dont feel bad. My LBS owner did the same thing stopping at a traffic light. He could'nt un-clip fast enough and fell over, rolled onto his back with his bike upside down pointing into the air, and he was still clipped in. All this in front of scores of traffic stopping at the light.

I busted a gut over that one.

It's important to protect that bike in a fall. Don't ask me how I know:rolleyes:

It usually happens at the end of the ride when you're riding up to your car in the parking lot and all of the other bike riders are standing around watching. Maximum humiliation.

The best thing that you can do at a time like that is to grip your handlebars firmly by the hooks. It'll skin up your fingers, but they'll heal by themselves. Your handlebar tape, on the other hand, won't get scuffed.