Road Cycling - Wah! First ride with clipless, got laughed at by cops!

Ok so last night I installed my SPD's into my shoes for the shimano 505 pedals that came with my bike. Practiced clipping in and unclipping in my room and in this empty school yard. So there I am feeling good and I head out to the track in the park.
Pedaling feels a lot easier. It feels like I'm applying power on both the up stroke and down. So it's great and I'm averaging 18 with 20mph headwinds for about 2 and a half hours around some rolling hills. Well I got tired and I really had to pee so I decided to head home.
There's this downhill stretch on the way that I usually like to coast down. It's got two lights before it levels out to another light at the base. Well there's this police school patrol car waiting at the first light and naturally the brakes that come with my bike suck and I knew I couldn't stop in time plus I can see from the sidewalk light that it was about to change. So I blow by the patrol car and keep going. By the time I got to the 2nd light, the patrol car's right behind me and the 3rd light at the base is a really long red light. So I pull out of the turn lane and start slowing, the patrol car's pacing me to my right. The officer says, "going a little fast there buddy" and I tell him, I can't stop that fast on this bike, I think the brakes are fading.
We got to the light and that's when I realized I forgot to unclip. So I'm leaning on the hood of the car trying to unclip and the light turns green and he says, "what are you doing?" and I said, "I can't get off the bike" and he said, "well move!" and I told him, "no, i can't get my shoes off the pedal, it's stuck." So then he realizes and he starts laughing at me, cars are passing me at the green and I'm stuck there wiggling my feet for about a minute till I finally got it out.
Turns out a) I probably should've practiced more and b) I think the angle of the cleat got knocked off or something while I was going around the park because they didn't go in and out at the same angle it used to.
Oh well at least I didn't fall :(

hehe, thats ok, we have all had times like that... we not exactly like that... but close. also you didnt get a ticket! thats something to be happy about. My first ride out i fell not more than 10 short of my finish :( i have seen people fall, do endos and get "stuck" on signs trying to unclip. soon you will be a master at clipping and unclipping, a master until that day you think your cliped in and power into an intersection when your foot slips off the pedal and you almost endo, looking like a complete fool to the girl behind you your trying to impress... not to mention the people in the cars too. Oh wait... thats just me ;)

good luck with your pedals!!!

You will get used to them, don't worry. Since they are new tighten up the cleats after each ride. You will only have to do this a couple times. A loose cleat will not release.

PLEASE, upgrade those brakes before you kill yourself. You can't safely go fast unless you can stop fast.

Any recommendations for brake pads? I'm not sure if it's the pads or the brakes cause a lot of people on roadbikereview who have the OCR2 also agree that the brakes are really weak. When I'm on the hoods, I'm only gripping the top half of the lever so I don't have as much leverage as I would on the drops.

I have an OCR 1 and no problem with stopping in a reasonable distance.

Are your brakes adjusted properly?

The brake pads Giant puts on the OCR series are not the best, but fairly good. You should be able to lock up both wheels--of course you don't really want to lock up the wheels--with a fair amount of pressure on the levers. You can't stop any faster than the lock-up point.

What brakes do you have?

55/Rad

I have an OCR 1 and no problem with stopping in a reasonable distance.

Are your brakes adjusted properly?

The brake pads Giant puts on the OCR series are not the best, but fairly good. You should be able to lock up both wheels--of course you don't really want to lock up the wheels--with a fair amount of pressure on the levers. You can't stop any faster than the lock-up point.

I've also got an OCR2. Initially, I thought I had the same problem and mushiness with the brakes. What I've discovered is that the cables seem to stretch a lot and have to be adjusted on a regular basis. I also brake from the tops rather than on the drops and like to have them tight.

BTW, can someone post the info on tightening that cable? My LBS showed me something turning the barrel connector down near the bottom but I missed it.

Sheldon

WHat kind of brakes are they? I have Ultegra and have no problems with stopping while on the hoods. I did test ride a bike that had some no names on them. I had to squeeze those things until my eyes bulged. :eek:

KoolStop pads are the best. The salmon colored ones are great for all weather conditions, the black for dry, and the green are designed for ceramic rims.

Oh well at least I didn't fall :(

Man, I was waiting for the "then the cop pulled away, and I fell on my behind" part of the story! If you didn't fall - you win. Good job on your first time out with clipless! :)

So I pull out of the turn lane and start slowing, the patrol car's pacing me to my right. The officer says, "going a little fast there buddy" and I tell him, I can't stop that fast on this bike, I think the brakes are fading.

I've used that excuse before... pulled over for doing 50MPH in a 35MPH zone (9% grade 1.5 mile hill)... I'm glad it worked for someone else too.

My first road bike was a low end Bianchi, i rode that bike like it was an EV 4, I didnt know any better.
One day i was riding home from a long ride and this one street had a good long downgrade, so i figured I would go to my big ring and let it fly. The speed limit was 35 MPH and there was not much traffic so I jumped in the right lane and pedaled as fast and hard as I could, i had no gears left and looked at my computer it said 47MPH I was so excited.. I saw the light ahead of me was green as I approached the bottom of this hill, so i began to coast, just as I reached the light it turned yellow and I zipped right thru, looked at my computer again and was at 45 mph, I had this feeling, "Wow this is awsome"
Just as I was feeling like I am home free and didnt crash or anything I heard a siren, so I figured I would slow up and move closer to the curb and let the cop pass. (New Mexico Law states all moving vehicles yeild to the right so and emergency vehicle may pass) Well I didnt look over my shoulder as I was hugging the curb and the cop didnt pass, again I heard a quick siren, so I saw a grocery store at the next intersection and pulled in there, I looked over my shoulder and the cop pulled into the grocery store also, i figured oh he was going to get a shop lifter so I turned down one of the parking lanes and continued, again i heard a quick blast of the siren, i looked over my shoulder again and the cop was behind me and he was mad, so i pulled over. I figured there may have been a report of a bike like mine stolen or something.
Just as I reached my stop I was pretty nervous, not to mention the adrenaline from my fast ride, And wouldnt you know it, I forgot to unclip, down i went, Man i was so embarrassed, i am sure it was hilarious to see, this guy on a bicycle pulled over by a cop and then he falls right over at a dead stop.
I managed to get off my bike, hold my composier and asked the cop what was wrong, he said " I clocked you at 46 ,ph in a 35 mph speed zone" I was shocked and was about to protest when the cop said " Bicycles must obey all the laws as a motor vehicle and you was speeding, not to mention trying to evade an officer" I took a big gulp and before I could open my mout the cop broke out laughing and said " But since I can tell from your perfect 10 dismount you are new to this sport, so i will let you off with a verbal warning" I sighed with relief and said "thanks, you liked that eh? These are new pedals and I forgot to unclip"
The cop said, yea I am a cyclist also, I always unclip before stopping, but please watch your speed and thanks for wearing a helmet"
I again thanked the cop and rode off .
A few months later I ran into the same cop but this time he was on his bike, we talked and rode together, in fact we rode down the same road and I know he was doing at least 50mph....

Yup, my first ride on SPD, came upto a lite with lots of cars, down to 3-4mph and
all of sudden realize I can't pull out. Had about 3sec to remember "rotate" and
didn't, topple over on my side. It is not easy to twist out on your side either, had
to reach down and take off the upside shoe.... And then there is the group stop
where you unclik on one side and inadvertently turn the wheel in the same direction
and the bike topples toward the clipped in foot. Steve

I also learned how to use clipless with Shimano SPDrs (105).. and on my first ride with the bike I decided to go the the annual Spring sale of one of our LBS Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos.. When I got the the place was mobbed with people and I play it cool and ride very slow along the parking lot (which as full of bikes and goodies out on display) and I ride slower and slower and slower.. and suddenly I find myself almost standing, the crank in a vertical position, and by the time I realized I need to click out, I fell over with the loudest crash... Everyone turned around, just standing there watching me get up.... My knee was busted and bleeding, but my ego, man, was really bruised bad..
oh well.. I fell once more after that, and now I know better.. :)
BTW, after 4 years with SPDs I had switched to Speedplay (X3) and although it took me a couple of rides to get use to them, I will never go back to SPD or any other pedal that restricts pivoting.. and getting in and out of the speedplays is so easy...

Actually Khuon, I remembered that from one of your stories and that's why I said it to the cop, I probably would've stopped in time had I started breaking a while back. I figured if it worked for you it'll work for me too.

The brakes on the bike are Tektro Dual Pivot's, not sure who makes the pads but they're not exactly centered, the right pad hits about 1.5mm before the left one hits. So I have to let em run wide and I gotta squeeze em a lot more.

I'll have to mess around with the pedals to make em easier to unclip out of. I always told myself I wasn't gonna be one of these guys who falls over at the light and my goal was actually to unclip before I got out so I'd just be on the other side of the pedals on the streets. There's usually a light at the exit so I know to unclip before I get to the streets but I had the light and just went w/o thinking about it :(

But man you guys are making me feel a lot better, at least I didn't fall, yet :)

The lady that sold me my first set of clipless pedals told me that anyone that said they had no embarrassing story was either
A) Not someone who's been riding long...
B) A liar.
Later that day I had my first "bus-stop flop" In front of witnesses, of course! :D

One of my first cilipless rides and the day I was sure the car in front of me would have the light change green for him; well it didnt change and I was too close to the car and he stopped. I stopped too but forgot all about unclipping. Eveyone is yelling out "you ok? you need help?" I'm just laying on the street, but very well clipped in. My face was probably redder than my bleeding leg. BTW, had an OCR1 quite some time ago and it stopped excellent. Almost sure it was 105. Maybe different rims?

The brakes on the bike are Tektro Dual Pivot's, not sure who makes the pads but they're not exactly centered, the right pad hits about 1.5mm before the left one hits. So I have to let em run wide and I gotta squeeze em a lot more.



You should take your bike back to the shop where you bought it and make them adjust the brakes correctly. There's no excuse for that kind of sloppy set-up. Although if recent experience is any guide, it's par for the course.

If you don't trust them to get it right, find someone you =do= trust or learn to do it yourself.

I'd take it back to the shop but no offense to those guys, I trust myself more...

Thanks everyone, took me about 2 hours tonight messing around with it but I finally adjusted the pedal tension so it's really easy to clip in and out. I also adjusted the brake pads to make em tighter. Whoever trued the wheel did an amazing job cause I'm measuring a .009" (.2 mm) wobble with my calipers, max. So I set my brake pads .025" (.5 mm) away and centered them since they were off by a bit. Also adjusted the handle bar and lowered it 1 notch. I figured I'm getting used to the hunched over position anyway.

The main problem with the brakes is that I'm having trouble getting enough leverage from the hoods. From the drops I can stop pretty fast. Not half as fast as my MTB though, which have the same sized brakes.

The main problem with the brakes is that I'm having trouble getting enough leverage from the hoods. From the drops I can stop pretty fast. Not half as fast as my MTB though, which have the same sized brakes.

Some of it is technique in how you squeeze them. Work on your pinky strength. :) I wouldn't ever expect my RB braking to be as powerful as my MTB though... even from the drops.

By the way “clip-less” for a “clip-in” pedal is a misnomer. The cheaper and old style cage pedal with toe clip and strap were standard years ago. The so called “clip-less” refers to the lack of the toe clip on the “clip-in” pedal. I prefer the term “clip-in” which Zinn also favors in his book, “Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance”. It is a more accurate description of the pedal.

By the way “clip-less” for a “clip-in” pedal is a misnomer. The cheaper and old style cage pedal with toe clip and strap were standard years ago. The so called “clip-less” refers to the lack of the toe clip on the “clip-in” pedal. I prefer the term “clip-in” which Zinn also favors in his book, “Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance”. It is a more accurate description of the pedal.

The label on the box as well as the instructions manual of my Time ATACs refer to them as "automatic pedals".

That a real sad story!

A few months later I ran into the same cop but this time he was on his bike, we talked and rode together, in fact we rode down the same road and I know he was doing at least 50mph....

Coooool story, Bianchi_Rider! :) :)

I was pretty lucky when I first started riding clipless, but that trend didn't continue into the winter. One morning, I came out of class and started riding away, clipping in just my right foot so that I could stop easily since the twenty feet of sidewalk stretching between the bike rack and the road was clogged with pedestrians. Just as I was getting to the road, a couple of guys walked right in front of me, and I had to stop quickly. I figured I was all right, since I had one foot clipped out...but I was leaning towards the other foot to let another pedestrian pass. I went over, of course, but - and here's the really bad part - into a three-foot snowbank. The upside: no injuries! The downside: I fell and got snow all over me in front of EVERYONE during class change time!

How about a blind date .. trying to impress a fellow cyclist, blabla .. meeting at the corner of a bike path, bragging about racing in amateur races, loosing my balance, landing on my a.. and gettoing stuck with my bike up in the air and laughing .. I ended going out with her for 3 yrs ..

Dont laugh back at them.

The upside: no injuries! The downside: I fell and got snow all over me in front of EVERYONE during class change time!

What you could've said was, "wow, so that's what it's like to fall into fluffly snow, cool!" and quickly ran off lol. Glad you didn't fall into any people though.

The lady that sold me my first set of clipless pedals told me that anyone that said they had no embarrassing story was either
A) Not someone who's been riding long...
B) A liar.
Later that day I had my first "bus-stop flop" In front of witnesses, of course! :D

Three years of training and racing with clipless pedals and I never fell once. I'm not liar.