Road Cycling - clipless revisited-falling

I know falling is normal at first but what is the best way to judge tension on the pedals. I know when I try to unclip, I can pivot my foot pretty far but the shoe still isn't disengaged and I have to fumble with it. I don't mind falling once in a while...I stay away from the busy intersections for now.

Thanks.

Will

I know you should have them set to the most "float". Each pedal system has it's own means of adjustment. I have Speedplay Frogs where you just twist out of them. I have never fallen, even twice when I had to "emergency" stop.

One way to prevent falling is to unclip WAY before you have to stop. I am in this habit now. Sometimes I am even cranking with the arch of my shoe on the pedals, but I am unclipped and ready to put my feet down.

Will: What kind of pedals are you using? My wife Donna just made the switch to clipless pedals (Look) and we've adjusted the tension as loose as you possibly can. So far she's doing quite well. No falls and no close calls (I probably just jinxed her :)

Zack

Hey Zack....I've got Wellgo (WNS) Which are I guess are like universal SPD pedals...they came on my Fuji. I'm going to try to make them looser. Also my first clipless and I really like them so far. At first I wondered if they should be tighter. Right now they feel loose. I can pivot out 45+ degrees and it feels like I'm out but there is still something holding. But I'll err to the loose first.

Mostly I only hear good things about Look....

ciao,

Will

Ihave only fallen once, and have used clipless pedals since around 1980. (Look multi-purpose) I unclip when I know I am going to stop, and countersteer so the bike comes down on the side of the loose foot. My only fall was after a panic stop, when I could not unclip quickly enough.