B.Alive

Well, I've hear people say it would happen, read about it happening to Lance Armstrong in a race once, and was warned when I bought my pedals.

Today, I fell because I didn't get unclipped!

It was only my second ride outside with my Speedplay Light Action pedals, and I went all 18 miles without a hitch! But, I pulled into my lower driveway (we have a small garage under the house and a 2 car detached garage on the side, so we have 2 driveways) and looked up at the upper driveway wondering why my wife didn't pull her min-van into the garage. I unclipped my left foot, leaned to the right, and down I went!

Small scrape on the new Brooks saddle (proofride should fix that,) goofed up the tape on the right side of my trekking bars (color matched electric tape fixed that,) and scraped my knee a little (time will fix that.) Worse part was that my wife saw me go down and will inevitably rib me about it now and then (I love her.)

Oh well, lesson learned. I'm sure it will happen again, just hope it's not tomorrow

ChrisO

You did better than me. I made it only a few blocks before my first clipless fall. i was only moving about .5 mph at best when a car pulled out in front of me. Flopped down right between two park cars. Went home and immediately loosened tension on the pedals; I had the release mechanism cranked pretty tight. Live and learn. Glad you weren't hurt too bad!

thebiz

I don't use clipless but my first fall was on a MTB trail. The last stretch of the trail we were going pretty fast my front got wedged between tree roots and locked the front wheel. I ended up going over the handlebars landing on my head. Shattered my sunglasses and a tree branch broke through the plastic layer of my helmet.

DaveInLa

Not looking forward to my first fall after getting back on a bike!

I had some pretty nasty ones when I was young on bikes and skateboards and was fortunate to walk away from all of them, I don't know if my older, much fatter body will fare as well lol.

Glad the damage to you and the bike was minimal!

CraigB

Welcome to Club Tombay, as they say in the 50+ forum.

john423

I average about one fall a week (see thread about ditching clipless pedals). They used to make me mad, but now they're just funny. Since they're usually in slow-motion, I get to control how I fall to a pretty good extent.

exile

It's not how many times you fall. It's about how many times you get back up.

However every time I fall I am more worried about my bike than I am about myself. Just like myself, my bike also has "battle scars" now.

CraigB

That's a time-honored concern among cyclists - and it doesn't stop at the bike. I've known racers who were more upset at their shredded lycra than their road rash. After all, they'd say, skin heals.

NBYRDR

hahah, I had my first 2 falls this week myself.

I've been using cleats for almost a month now and I've always been able to yank my feet out in time. After talking with some co-workers they told me "don't worry, it's when you get comfortable that you'll fall"

Sure enough, I get to the end of my street ready to start my commute and I keel over. lol I thought " oh well"

Yesterday I was on a trail and had to make a U-turn for a detour and took it too wide. I ended up getting off the paved path and hitting some dirt and the front tire just came out from under me.

Daspydyr 

My first fall was @ halfway through a Century, right in front of my wife at a break, the knee hurt for months. Welcome to a new way of bruising and hopefully nothing more than embarrassment.

bbeasley

Now you got that out of the way! Glad it was not worse.

psalm

Not happy to hear this. Just picked up my first set of clipless today.

jbrow1

I haven't fallen on the road yet. Had a very near miss the first time out though, right in the middle of main street! That would've been golden. Have went down plenty with the clipless mnt biking though.

Glad you're ok. Friend of mine was going to start commuting to work a bit during last summer. She fell down in her driveway, (no clipless) and broke her ankle the very first morning!

magohn

Could be worse - we have security cameras and my first fall was captured on video and then emailed around the family by my wife - hehehehehe. I would have done the same...

Notice how quickly I get back up "Nothing to see here..." - Just a scratched derailleur - magic marker fixed it right up

B.Alive

Thanks folks!

It was a priceless moment in time. You only get to have your first, well, once. I'm glad it was in the driveway and not out on one of the roads I was on.

I love everyone's stories. And I, true to cyclist form, jumped up and looked my bike over and over for damage!

DGozinya

Register now!

Mr. Beanz

Bummer!

Neil_B

Speaking of documentation, I know Bautieri has proof of another poster's clipless fall. Care to post the cell phone photo, Bau?

RichardGlover

I fell the other day with my pedals. Second fall, and better than the first.

I've been practicing track stands at stoplights. Extended this one a bit too long, and didn't unclip in time. At least I was able to unclip my left foot as I was going down in that direction, so I was basically able to step off the bike as it went down. I got some chain grease on my right calf muscle (fortunately missed the calf-munching chainring). The only thing that was hurt was my h-bar tape. And my pride.

dcrowell

I recently was on an urban ride with two friends, when our path took us to a disused pedestrian bridge, but there were a few steps to climb. I dismounted, lifted the bike and began to run up the steps. I somehow missed a step and fell on the concrete. The bike fell on me.

I was unhurt. One guy quips: "I like how you threw yourself down under the bike." Gee, thanks.

ecovelo

It's often those times when you are slowing down to stop from a ride.... isn't it?

Sometimes pride is more painful.
I was approaching the end of my commute to work.... slowly making my way through an outdoor eating area to get to my bike locker. I was maneuvering around a sharp corner from parking lot to sidewalk and I didn't account for the additional weight of my pack on the back. I s l o w l y started to tip.... heading for the ground. In an attempt save my pride and embarrassment in plain view of all those having lunch, I somehow got my right leg underneath me, and proceeded to hop, hop, hop - 3 times in a lunge position and was finally able to right myself.

Unfortunately, that little exercise strained every fiber of every muscle along my right side, from thigh, to lower back, to shoulder - and it was nearly a week before I could comfortably ride..... hike or even sleep again!

Chadlay

I like this thread the first falls for some reason are the most memorable. Finished my first ride post 5 miles+ came home powered up a big hill without looking up for too long didnt realize someones giant trashcan was right in the bike lane near my house. Was only going 8 mph but boy on the way down I somehow managed to go down smiling knowing no one I knew personally was around (aka my brothers). Fell down on my left side hopped up quick did the head pivot to make sure no one saw me instead of worrying if I hurt myself . Picked my bike up proceeded to casually hop back on and pedal the last 200 feet home like nothing happened.

The main point! If no one you know saw you fall it didn't happen

freighttraininguphill

I no longer use clipless, but when I did years ago I was riding my MTB around on the rocks down by the river. I don't know exactly what I did wrong. All I know is I ended up on my back with the bike upside down in the air like a turtle

JonnyHK 

My wife managed her first clipless fall at a major road intersection, right beside a convertible full of young men. Champion effort!

jbrow1

Ouch..And I don't mean the fall