Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Is there a right of passage with Clipless?

You know...As a car salesman, when you sell your first car, they cut your tie in half. As a deer hunter and you kill your first deer, they smear the blood on your face. Is there a clipless right of passage for when you bust your ass? If so, i want mine NOW!

Was just under a mile into my first clipless ride when I slowed for a stop sign and forgot I was clipped in. Down I went...and HARD! Busted up my knee and my elbow was smashed pretty good. Bike was fine, though. Im the only one that got scratched. Had to limp back home. :(:eek::twitchy:

yup, you got yours. Fell over! :) I bet we all do at one time or another.

The trick is to unclip before you stop. For example, when I stop, I put my left leg down so before I stop, I clip out of the left. And when you clip out it is like a side kick if you will. It will snap the connection out.

Allen -

Welcome to the club. I got my fall over with in the parking lot of the LBS I got my pedals at. :thumb:

Like chef said, you'll develop your own routine quickly, then you'll just do it without thinking. I always unclip the leg at the top of my pedal stroke when I am almost stopped, 80% right foot, 20 left.

Easy peasy.

yeah...it didn't take me long to get mine out of the way.

Yikes, that was quick.:(
Hope you're OK.

Im fine...just knee and elbow banged up.

Busted up my knee and my elbow was smashed pretty good.

There you go.

Twice! ..Both at busy intersections!! Nice slow fall... First fall made a rookie mistake and put my hand out.. Big mistake... !! Hands..legs, etc...cuts everywhere... Second fall kept my hands on the bar and fell on my shoulder and side.. A little dirt..but got up and rode away....

Twice! ..Both at busy intersections!! Nice slow fall... First fall made a rookie mistake and put my hand out.. Big mistake... !! Hands..legs, etc...cuts everywhere... Second fall kept my hands on the bar and fell on my shoulder and side.. A little dirt..but got up and rode away....

Sounds like you need some gloves

You will fall at least one more time. Your not done until you fall in front of an audience. Remember to keep your hands on the bars. If you try to catch yourself with a hand you'll wreck your wrist.

You know...As a car salesman, when you sell your first car, they cut your tie in half. As a deer hunter and you kill your first deer, they smear the blood on your face. Is there a clipless right of passage for when you bust your ass? If so, i want mine NOW!

Was just under a mile into my first clipless ride when I slowed for a stop sign and forgot I was clipped in. Down I went...and HARD! Busted up my knee and my elbow was smashed pretty good. Bike was fine, though. Im the only one that got scratched. Had to limp back home. :(:eek::twitchy:

Hmmmmmmm :innocent::innocent::rolleyes:

Everyone falls over, just learn over time to make quick escapes on both sides.. Most people develop a preference to clip out at stop signs on the right or left, just don't panic when you need to clip out fast..

Also remember to turn your wheel the opposite direction of the side you clip out of. At low speed this will cause your bike to tip towards your outed foot (motorcycle trick I learned). I have not had any accidents due to the clips but I have had some spectacular saves. It will become second nature in a short time and you will learn quickly that riding without them will suck.

Hmmmmmmm :innocent::innocent::rolleyes:

Whats your point?

On these forums the Rite of passage includes starting a contemplation/before riding clipless thread, a received the pedals and putting them on, any tips thread, and a rode my clipless and fell/didn't fall thread. I'd say your tracking on target by those standards.

Clipless rites of passage=torn cycle clothing and smeared blood from abrasions. I was riding to meet my wife, and this was 2 months into clipless, in a parking lot. She was in the SUV. I rode up to the door and fell sideways. One second I'm there, now I'm gone. But she heard me cussing so she knew I was close by.

Welcome to the club.

You could say you were working on your track stand, but. . .

I was going to say falling over, too. Actually, I did my first clipless ride the other day, and I went over, but I got my foot out and didn't actually go down--only the bike fell, and I just looked ridiculous hopping around with my feet spread out wide.
My concern is obvious: does that even count, or am I going to have to fall over a construction barrier or something to make up for wimping out and putting my foot down?

Spend some time practicing clipping in and out. Put your bike next to a table, fence, car, or whatever to give you some support. The practice clipping in and out 100 times with each foot. And practice at all spots of the pedal stroke - some at the bottom, some at the top, at all points in between, etc.

Oh, and on this board, the rite of passage is having a certain member post in your clipless pedals thread about how dangerous they are and how you are destined to perish in a firey ball of death if you even look at clipless pedals...

Whats your point?

Just ignore him ...

and yes ... WELCOME to the club!

THe "club" everyone is referring to is Club Toombay... (Toombay is faux-French, meaning "for the fallen.")

And , Welcome.

Seriously, practice gettting out in a hurry. You'll thank me later.

After about your 20th fall you should be good to go. The day I went clipless is the same day I started mountaing biking. In the first mile which was uphill I went down about 20 times because I coulnd't unclip quick enough. Hit a rock, bike stopped, down I went. Hit a large root, bike stopped, down I went. Hit a tree, bike stopped, down I went. I could go on and on Don't fight the fall, embrace it, it's enevitable. Just remember to hit and roll. It lessens the impact.

:D

Not everyone falls. I haven't (not yet, anyway, and it's been seven months). And very few people actually get hurt, so yes, ignore the one-note solo above.

Hmmmmmmm :innocent::innocent::rolleyes:

:troll:

You seem to be enjoying a fellow rider's accident. Even for a troll, that's bad karma.

Not everyone falls. I haven't (not yet, anyway, and it's been seven months). And very few people actually get hurt, so yes, ignore the one-note solo above.

I'm actually at least minus one for falls. Never fallen because of being clipped in and once the girl next to me started to fall because of this and had the good fortune to fall in my direction. 230 is hard ot knock over.

I've had more than one close call riding where being clipped in most likely prevented a fall, situations where if my foot came off the pedals I would very likely gone down.

I credit my lack of falls to the fact that the motion to clip out for SPDs is the same as for snow skis. That meant it was a motion I had already learned.

:troll:

You seem to be enjoying a fellow rider's accident. Even for a troll, that's bad karma.

No, not enjoy at all. But he was warned that clipless can be dangerous and painful.

Yeah, well I was also warned that if I rode a bike it could be dangerous and painful. If I were running and fell, it would be dangerous and painful. If I were walking to the bathroom and tripped on something, it would be dangerous and painful. Doesn't mean Im not going to do all of those things. Just how much safer would it be with my foot being strapped down tight in a rubber strap on the pedal? Do you really think it is THAT much safer? It can be just as hard getting your foot out of toe clip pedals as clipless.

Welcome to the Club! Now you can be a card-carrying member!

No, not enjoy at all. But he was warned that clipless can be dangerous and painful.

YOU warned him, using the same flawed logic you always seem to post.

There is no danger in clipless pedals if the rider knows how to use them. Just like there is no danger riding a bike if the rider knows how to ride. I have been riding clipless pedals for probably 10 years now, on both my road and mountain bikes, and while I have fallen, the falls have not been a result of clipless pedals.

YOU warned him, using the same flawed logic you always seem to post.

There is no danger in clipless pedals if the rider knows how to use them. Just like there is no danger riding a bike if the rider knows how to ride. I have been riding clipless pedals for probably 10 years now, on both my road and mountain bikes, and while I have fallen, the falls have not been a result of clipless pedals.

Sooner or later 99% of clipless riders will fall. I had not fallen in months then a few weeks ago I was approaching a T-Junction where I could see the right turn was clear. I slowed, but sure enough a few feet from the turn execution a car appeared. I jammed on the brakes and instinctively went to put my foot down. I "Forgot" I was clipped, struggled for 0.5 seconds and down I went. If I was not clipped I would have been fine.

Its akin to driving on the "wrong side of the road" in another country. Most of the time you are fine but it just takes that split-second of a "perfect storm" for all to go to pieces. :)

YOU warned him, using the same flawed logic you always seem to post.

There is no danger in clipless pedals if the rider knows how to use them. Just like there is no danger riding a bike if the rider knows how to ride. I have been riding clipless pedals for probably 10 years now, on both my road and mountain bikes, and while I have fallen, the falls have not been a result of clipless pedals.

Don't feed the troll. Pretty much everybody knows his schtick by now.

For anyone new who doesn't know his schtick, it's that clipless pedals are dangerous and will cause you serious injury or death, presumably by trapping you on your bike when you fall into a pit full of hungry tigers or bears or something like that. Your logic won't work, so just move on and enjoy your awesome new clipless pedals like millions of other people do every day. I know I enjoy mine.

Just practice getting in and out beforehand, and start building the habit/muscle memory of getting out of the pedals ahead of time. It's not that hard, and you'll be reaping the rewards of clipless in no time, with no significant added risk.

And for the record (knock on wood), I've never fallen due to clipless pedals. There are plenty of people like me who've never done the slow-motion tip-over. The last thing I'll add is to remember the likelihood of falling is directly proportional to the number of people around to see you fall, so keep that in mind.

I just started on clipless about a month ago. I was pretty worried about it after reading so many posts here and elsewhere on the Internet about how everyone falls. But I just practiced a bit and planned for my stops at lights and such and have not fallen yet on a ride.

Clipless really does help a bit and I find I have more power with them, so its great so far!

I fell last night but it was off my new set of rollers. First time even on rollers. I would have fallen clipless pedals or no though, since I managed to unclip in time. But riding off the edge of the rollers and the sudden stop of all centrifugal spinning cause me to fall too far before getting my foot out far enough to stop the crash! No pain though, since I landed on carpet. So I don't count this as a clipless pedal caused fall.

(By the way, the cheap Nashbar reduced radius rollers I bought for $119 seem to be quite well made! Glad I did not overspend on Kreitler.)

I am more worried about having my hearing aid pop out while I hit the ground....

No, not enjoy at all. But he was warned that clipless can be dangerous and painful.

I take it you never fell when first learning how to ride a bike? :rolleyes:

I entered my first century after just getting clipless. 1st two rest stops I fell right in front of everyone, totally forgot I was clipped in.

I entered my first century after just getting clipless. 1st two rest stops I fell right in front of everyone, totally forgot I was clipped in.

Well that had to be fun. LOL.

. Just how much safer would it be with my foot being strapped down tight in a rubber strap on the pedal? Do you really think it is THAT much safer? It can be just as hard getting your foot out of toe clip pedals as clipless.

I did not, nor will I, recommend toes clips.

I suggested easy to use Power Grips. They are better explained in the links in this thread I posted for you to consider............

Magnets. . .

Sooner or later 99% of clipless riders will fall. I had not fallen in months then a few weeks ago I was approaching a T-Junction where I could see the right turn was clear. I slowed, but sure enough a few feet from the turn execution a car appeared. I jammed on the brakes and instinctively went to put my foot down. I "Forgot" I was clipped, struggled for 0.5 seconds and down I went. If I was not clipped I would have been fine.

Its akin to driving on the "wrong side of the road" in another country. Most of the time you are fine but it just takes that split-second of a "perfect storm" for all to go to pieces. :)

I'm sure a lot of people fall. I actually asked the people on our Tuesday night club ride last season this very question. Out of maybe 70 people that I asked, 4 had said that they fell. I'm sure more had but wouldn't admit it. But, I've never done it. Never come close. Of course, now that I've said that, the next time I go out and ride I'll probably fall over first time I stop...

Magnets. . .

http://knowyourmeme.com/i/000/046/123/original/magnets.jpg?1270937748

Magnets? How do they work?

Not everyone falls. I haven't (not yet, anyway, and it's been seven months). And very few people actually get hurt, so yes, ignore the one-note solo above.

Fates be damned, I'll admit to not having fallen in the 20+ years I've used them.

Not everyone falls. I haven't (not yet, anyway, and it's been seven months).
I only fell once, but it was not because I forgot. I was trying to unclip, but I had not screwed in my cleats tight enough, so when I tried to unclip, the cleats were moving on the shoes, rather than unclipping. Now that I got them really screwed down tight, I've been pretty good.

Allen55, make sure yours are screwed down very securely!

I only fell once, but it was not because I forgot. I was trying to unclip, but I had not screwed in my cleats tight enough, so when I tried to unclip, the cleats were moving on the shoes, rather than unclipping. Now that I got them really screwed down tight, I've been pretty good.

Allen55, make sure yours are screwed down very securely!

And check them before every ride. Only takes a second, but can save you some serious headaches. On my mountain bike one time I lost a screw that held in one of my cleats (5 miles into a 40 mile ride). Couldn't get my shoe out at all because the cleat would just spin in the pedal. So, every time I came to something I couldn't ride over/under/through I had to untie my shoe, take my foot out, and walk in just my sock to get past the obstacle, then reverse the process once past it.

I did not, nor will I, recommend toes clips.

I suggested easy to use Power Grips. They are better explained in the links in this thread I posted for you to consider............

There is no way on earth you could ever sell to me the notion that powergrips are faster, easier, better, or safer than shoes/pedals. The motion to remove your foot from a pedal is very natural removing from power grips is not and there is more movement required to get your foot out of grips. Do what you like but please stop discouraging other riders.

I did it again! LOL. This time in front of REAL cyclists. Busted my ass. Went to stop and took my right foot out of the clip and ended up leaning left. ALL DAY, I was perfect with these shoes. Unclipped both at every stop except that last one. I was embarrassed! :bang::bike2::rolleyes:

I don't know why there has to be a controversy. You use what you're comfortable with. I've used both clips and clipless pedals, and have no problem with either. Yes, I had to do my imitation of the guy on the tricycle on "Laugh In", (I know, I'm dating myself...) once. Oddly enough, I did it with clips, the first and only time I tried to ride a mountain bike in the woods. At least I was entertaining...

I mostly use toeclips now, just because I mostly use the bike for errands that require me to go into stores, etc, and I like to be able to wear sneakers rather than cycling shoes. If I started riding my road bikes again, I'd definitely go back to clipless. I haven't used flat pedals with no clips in many years, but I guess they'd be ok, too. I'm used to being able to use my leg to pull up as well as push down, though, so it might be harder to get used to not having any attachment to the pedal...

OK so I took my pedals off my bike for now

Cleats just make that annoying squeaky crunch noise when walking on asphalt.

So I started oiling all the roads.

Fates be damned, I'll admit to not having fallen in the 20+ years I've used them.

Oooooo....I didn't hear that!!!!!!

I did it again! LOL. This time in front of REAL cyclists. Busted my ass. Went to stop and took my right foot out of the clip and ended up leaning left. ALL DAY, I was perfect with these shoes. Unclipped both at every stop except that last one. I was embarrassed! :bang::bike2::rolleyes:

If you can't be entertainment for somebody, your day is a waste.:lol:

I actually did two cyclocross races with my clipless pedals. Always thought the MTB crowd was nuts riding clipped in, and here I go doing a CX race of all things. I was scared of the concept, but it actually worked! You'll get comfortable. AND, you'll still have the occasional "forgot I was clipped in" fall. My major tactic is to keep my pedals adjusted as light as possible - I hardly have to think to unclip they are so light, but I have never (except during a CX race) come out except when I want.