Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Have you...

[QUOTE=jboyd;7479542]I hear stories of forgetting to unclip at the stop sign and going over like the old dude on the tricycle on laugh in. I have heard of the "unclip with one foot and then stop and lean to the wrong side" fall.

Two falls. One of each of the above. One on my road bike, one on my commuter. :)

Nope, but came very close a couple of times.

Clipless, never had a problem. I paid my dues with toe straps. You kids got it made.

I've been using clipless for...five years? Six? Not sure. Anyway, zero falls.

Yeah ... once, in a year and a half. I was coming out of the parking lot at work, and at the last moment saw a car coming towards me. I stopped quickly, tried to unclip, failed. I think my effort was good, but it made the fall worse -> I ended up "bunny-hopping" the bike before going over. Must have looked awesome.
I had plenty of practice, though - I rode with toe straps on a mtn bike before buying my road bike, and I bought the road bike in March (= More Snow Through ~May in Wisconsin), so I got plenty of practice on the trainer before getting out on the road. I attribute my year and a half of non-application time to that, and recommend anybody switching to clipless to practice on the trainer for the first few rides at least. It really helps. :)

Ok. Checking in. You know the story----

I have applied twice now--still have the healing raspberry on my elbow from the most recent one.


No, I don't understand how anyone lets that happen!:rolleyes:....But then again, I'm the type that checks and tests all equipment prior to use. Pedal tension while testing on a trainer. Also including thorough checks after tire installations, wheel replacement and any other issue that may cause injury. Just me though! My buds say I'm AR:thumb:

Mr Beanz...see you don't ride with little kids. My first day (or maybe second) with my SPDs, hubby and I were out with the 10-year old on the back of the tandem, hubby as captain, kid as stoker, me on my own bike, headed up a mildly steep (ok, not by your standards :thumb:) hill on a mildly traffic-y road, when she starts screaming.

Of course, I did what any good step-mom would do: I threw down my bike and started running after her. Only I forgot I was clipped in... :twitchy:

That was application number 1

The survey should have an option for "more than once..." :lol:

If you run clipless you either have fallen, or you lie about it. I almost fell at the very first stop, but caught myself on a lamp post. I legitimately fell the very next day, nothing to catch myself on. Then I fell a week later going up a steep hill when my back wheel spun out on some gravel, my forward momentum stopped, and I just fell over.

I haven't fallen since, and those all happened well over ten years ago. After a couple of hard lessons that severely bruise the ego you get wiser. The last incident was when I was single, and I was out with my date at the time.

Yes I have and of coarse it was at a stop light with a car full of really good looking girls, and there I am doing my best impersination of a turtle.

My SOP is to unclip my left foot when I stop. I'd had a couple close calls getting used to clipless but had pretty much got the hang of it so it was automatic. After a ride last summer I pulled in my drive and as I came to a stop I unclipped my left foot and started to lean over. Somehow I brushed my foot across the pedal as I did so and half way into my lean I heard "CLICK". "Oh Sugar..."

I have applied twice now--still have the healing raspberry on my elbow from the most recent one.



Mr Beanz...see you don't ride with little kids. My first day (or maybe second) with my SPDs, hubby and I were out with the 10-year old on the back of the tandem, hubby as captain, kid as stoker, me on my own bike, headed up a mildly steep (ok, not by your standards :thumb:) hill on a mildly traffic-y road, when she starts screaming.

Of course, I did what any good step-mom would do: I threw down my bike and started running after her. Only I forgot I was clipped in... :twitchy:

That was application number 1

The survey should have an option for "more than once..." :lol:

The survey should also have the option for changing your vote... I wonder if at first it would be a good idea to unclip both sides, until one gets used to the idea, and decides which side you want to lean to, I also wonder if the best time to install clipless is at Christmas time, when those in Northern climes get a good 3 months on the trainer to get used to the idea of unclipping, when the bike can't tip over....

Ahh the saving grace of indoor mag trainers and an entire winter to perfect the release from the pedal.

So far so good...but I came darn close to kissing dirt more than a few times when I first started out. Strong knees helped me torque out once, this past year, when the dogs were too tight and a bit rusty. That was the worst -- knock on wood.

Yes, on my MTB. I crashed, jumping a log, broke my left collar bone. Sat stunned for a bit, then started walking the bike to the parking lot. I soon realized I'd arrive much sooner if I rode, which I did with no perceived problem. I arrived at the lot, slight up slope and one foot did not clip out. I'll leave it to you to guess which foot, and which side I fell on.

No problems with the road bike. I figure the qualification covers both types.

I have been using clipless pedals for about 10 years now. I rode without falling for about a year. The first time I fell was at the end of the Terra Bella ride where I did a metric century. I pulled up to my car and forgot to unclip. I was very tired. That was tough because many of my friends were right there and I told them that I was not doing to bad.

The second time was a few months later at a stop light. I unclipped on the wrong side and fell infront of a car. Thank God that the car was not moving. I bent my wheel on that fall.

I am sure that it will happen again. I have just gotten my 13 year old son to start riding and he has clipless pedals. At least he has been using the trainer so he is learning how to get in and out of the pedals.

Had my first zero speed clipless fall in June 2003, standard come to a stop and forget to clip out. No problems until two weeks ago when I had two in one day. One when I startled myself biking with a cup of coffee and just toppled over at a stop sign, the second when my chain snapped going up a hill.

... when I startled myself biking with a cup of coffee and just toppled over at a stop sign...

You didn't know you had the coffee, or you didn't know you were biking?

You didn't know you had the coffee, or you didn't know you were biking?

I didn't know I'd put the lid on wrong.