Nikon shooter

I'm riding near a park today and there was an older gentleman standing by the pond casting his fly fishing rod. He kept whipping it back and forth and I called out, "hello...I'm behind you" well he didn't hear me and kept casting and I kept slowing down and finally, as if in slow motion I started falling over. I couldn't get unclipped and went right over on my side. At this cacophony, he stopped casting and looked over at me. To his credit, he rushed over to see if I was OK and apologized profusely, said he never heard me. I laughed it off and said, anybody that rides has fallen. Just wounded my pride, but next time, I'm giving fly fishermen a wide berth.

Keith

ColonelSanders

Dat's why I avoid cleats.

Rotten

I feel your pain. i just installed my first set of clipless pedals 2 days ago. I was so proud not falling over until.... I went out a little later in the morning than usual today. Ive got about 2/10 mile of dirt road (actually more sand than dirt) to get to the pavement. Everything was fine on the way out but coming back home I neglected to take into consideration the heat totally drying out the sand while I was gone. Made it to in front of my next door neighbors house before it got to deep to pedal through. Luckily i was able to unclip my left foot just as the sand grabbed the bike and threw me to the right .

VCSL2015

+1 for word use cacophony

i would stay away from those pedals like the plague. Im too unstable as it is.

bassjones

Everybody falls a couple of times with clipless. Once you get it, it becomes as second nature as pedaling.

Deal4Fuji

I just can't see the justification for clipless unless you're doing a lot of sprinting / racing. I'm officially a roadie more than a hybrid rider now, having found a bike club that rides 25 miles every Mon & Wed evening and longer weekend rides. I love it and have made some good friends there, but I'm the only guy riding steel and without clipless pedals. Peer pressure is getting heavy but I've read empirical research here on BF saying there is no (or very minute) power generated on the pull stroke, it's all push on the downstroke. I have good balance and have no problems standing on hills, so I just don't see the benefit to clipless. One time drinking from my water bottle I drifted just slightly to the edge of the road and my wheel slid off and I lost balance. It was just after a turn and we weren't going that fast, so I was able to quickly get a foot down and right myself. If I was clipped in there's no way I could have unclipped and got a foot down in time, and I would have been on the road. I'm fully invested in the need for the kit, mirror, front & rear lights, hydration, seat bag, and of course helmet....but I'm stubbornly holding on to my running shoes on the pedals. Also I have size 14 feet

PatrickR400

Keith,

Is there a movie? It could go viral on YouTube...

I always managed to unclip in time but I must say that sometimes it was out of sheer luck.

indyfabz

Soles stiffer than those typically found on running shoes greatly help power transfer. I ride the same bike wearing "cleats" and, on occasion, softer-soled shoes and can feel the difference.

bassjones

My feet KILL ME if I ride in anything but cycling shoes for more than 10-15 miles.

Nikon shooter

Thankfully no...Ha Ha

TheManShow

Have several friends who are retired motorcycle cops with over 20 years chasing people & giving tickets. The question always is when was the last time your went down bike. To those who answer never. The they alway say it will happen if you ride long enough.

Same with bicycles, it is going to happen, and if you beat the odds that is wonderful. Big thing is getting up and riding home or to the ER. The longer you stay off the had it is to get back in the saddle.

Little Darwin

I periodically ride with clipless, and really like the feeling of security when I do.

I have fallen 3 times, and all of them were:

1) Witnessed
2) On organized rides

#1 was when I rode the Lancaster County Covered Bridges metric century. I approached the top of the biggest climb, and saw some people with a hose that I had been told usually await people at the top of the climb. I slowed down to consider whether to get dowsed or not, and slowed too much. I fell. They asked if I was alright, and I said yes. They offered water, but I said no thanks and rode away in embarrassment. I ended up ending that ride early (at the lunch stop) due to symptoms of heat exhaustion.

#2 was on another covered bridges ride in Bucks county. I was riding with another forum member, and we started late, so we got lost. As we were riding around looking for road markings, I turned down one road to see if there was any sign. About 30 or 40 yards down I saw one, and turned as I came to a stop. I again failed to unclip and fell just as I was calling back, "I found one."

#3 Livestrong ride. After arriving late, I quickly got ready and asked for a cue sheet for the ride I wanted to do (which had already left), and was told that there were no cue sheets, and that we were expected to ride with the groups. So, after driving 2 hours, I would need to sit around for an hour and do the 10 mile ride. About 15 minutes before the start time, I grabbed my bike and hit my shin on the pedal. after cursing, I walked out to the pavement and waited to ride. After I had been standing there for a minute someone asked me (pointing to the ground) "Is that your blood?" I looked down, and it looked like I was standing amid a scattering of dark crimson shiny rose petals. I went to the aid station for a bandage, and a guy helped me apply pressure for a while until the bleeding stopped. When I took my shoe off after the ride, I also discovered that my shoe had quite a bit of blood in it (enough to pout out). But on to the clipless fall. I completed the 10 mile ride, and even though it wasn't as long as I would have liked, it was nice. I then saw the pipes set up to park the bikes, and rode through the grass to get off my bike. As I got there, I stopped, and forgot to unclip. I fell over. The irony of this was that the one person who saw me was the guy who had helped me with the pre-ride injury, and he cam jogging over asking if I was alright.

3 falls, no real harm, except to the ego.

Black wallnut 

For me the learning curve was steep and long in time duration. I fell daily for what must have been a month or more and then a few more times after that. However the change has been worth it in comfort. I ride long. I try to spin at a fast cadence. I even race. If you don't ride more than 30 minutes at a time or stop frequently then perhaps clipless will lose its benefits for you. Enjoy your ride. If you do ride farther and longer and are not trying clipless out of fear of falling you are perhaps cheating yourself out of a better experience overall.

bassjones

okay, I'm seriously sorry, but #3 made me LOL

Little Darwin

No need to apologize, it makes me laugh too. That is a large part of why I am willing to share it. I forgot to mention, that this was the one time that didn't involve a bruise or scrape related to the fall, since it was on grass.

Pakiwi

Only time in the last two years I have almost fallen is in the car park getting set up for a photo. I usually clip in on one side and then we have to move around for a photo. I should just un clip but I guess I haven't learned

sstorkel

I've read that cyclists who use clipless pedals don't, on average, generate much power on the upstroke when just pedaling around; I know that I don't. That doesn't mean that there aren't benefits to clipless pedals, however. I find that clipless pedals make it easier to maintain a high cadence, climb the occasional steep switchback, bunny hop over obstacles, and give your quads a rest during longer rides. As someone who's had knee issues in the past, I appreciate that my clipless pedals keep me repeating the same perfect pedal stroke rev after rev. I'm also a big fan of the super-stiff soles in the bicycling shoes I use with my pedals.

matchstick

The only time I've fallen was a combination new fixed gear bike and clipless pedals. I was going to hop up a curb but at the last minute realized I didn't know how to do it with a fixed gear bike as I couldn't just coast up to the edge of the curve like I used to when I was younger. I locked out my knees as the pedals kept going and couldn't release my cleats in time. I flipped over the front of the bike, popped the front tire and scrapped my hands and arms as well as the front fork and handlebars. Luckily I was about 3 blocks from the bike shop so I got everything fixed up right away besides my ego.

Nikon shooter

OUCH !!! I'm a converted, old school, toe clip guy. And yes, I fell with toe clips too, when I would occasionally panic and not be able to get out in time, but I now consider my clip less pedals and cleats to be essential riding gear (for me anyway...YMMV)

beakersbike

I'm halfway converted. I picked up some size 14 Exulstar cycling sandals. Love LOVE LOVE them. I've never put the cleats in and use them on platform pedals, would never go back to running shoes. Very comfortable, you can walk in them, but the stiffness in the soles really does make a noticeable difference. I totally get the stiff sole part but I'm with you having read the research. That or I've read too much Grant Peterson and swallowed the Koolaid.

ltxi

Toeclips with straps on quills and running shoes. Haven't fallen in 34 years of adult cycling. I should not have said this...tomorrow's gonna suck.

Trailroaster

I have a set of clipless and a second set of platforms. I swap them depending on what I'll be doing. A placid roundabout with family? Platforms A quick run to groceries or local roundabout? Platforms. 15-25 mile solo training? Clipless. Weekend run with friends? Clipless. I don't track exact times but I feel that I use 80% platforms and 20% clipless.

Having a second set of pedals is not so expensive and many would not agree but as told previously here, clipless worth if you're doing a long ride and/or not short runs. Some people are full of them if they insist on wearing clipless for a city ride and going from light to light.

What happens me sometimes is that forget when I use clipless ones and had my own fair share of stupid fallings on a stop sign .

ltxi

Hahaha....same manual of arms always if possible.

Van Goghs Ear

lol I remember my first 'forgot I'm running clipless' moment...I just came to a dead drop at a steep intersection right in front of this guy crossing the street. The look on his face suggested he thought I had just had a stroke or something...it was one of pure horror, he must've thought I was crazy when he asked if I was ok, I just started to laugh...

Trailroaster

From what I see I'm not the only one (wondering how many more out there had a 'oh sh*t moment' like that ). At least on my group is 'somewhat usual' from the ones who switch their pedals from time to time. Scars on kneels, forearms and such can attest that.