Originally Posted by DinoShepherd

O.K. Seriously. Raise your hands if you came from actual clips and straps and then transitioned to clipless.

I mean, real clips and straps, double Binda leather straps, real cleats and campy clips. Real old skool. I mean late eighties, early nineties old school.

I had one of the early sets of Ultegra clipless pedal. Clean white, look style. Zero float. I bolted them on to my SL tubed Rossin with a bad mix of DA, 105, Ultegra and Sante' and away I went. Down tube shifters set for friction, because we couldn't trust index. Besides didn't want anyone to hear you shift...

Brand new first ride. But years and thousand of miles on real clips and straps. I put the pedals on adjusted the black cleats and it was a miracle. The sky opened, the sun shined, the angels sang. I was fast.

About 20 miles into my loop I went to unstrap for a stoplight. Reached down to loosen the strap, but there - was - nothing. I completely vapor locked and tried pulling up and back to get out. This movement burned into my head from years of getting out.

Meanwhile the stoplight gets closer...

I remember it like yesterday. I very gracefully and slowly angled over to the left side and landed on the asphalt. It was on Mission Gorge Rd. In San Diego. I remember how hot the asphalt felt on my shoulder. I remember the dumb@ass in the white car looking at me like an upside down turtle trying to get myself untangled.

Funny. Hadn't thought of that in years...

-Z