sjammer

Guess there is a first time for everything. I was on ride for my lunch break and thought I got a flat so I unclipped my left foot to stop. As I was coming to a stop I guess I leaned to my right instead and over I went. It is funny I am always aware of unclipping and leaning left before stopping, but today habit was not good enough. Guess my head was somewhere else. I am sure someone driving by got a laugh out it, I know i had to laugh at myself after. I have a nice red mark on my forearm at the elbow to remember the occasion.

Just thought I would share the story.

stevel610 

Happens to everyone at some point. 😉 Glad you are ok.

Iride01 

Happened to me more than once. Thankfully it's been awhile.

Don't know why there always seems to be the maximum amount of others to witness such events. Every one of my falling timber instances had a big audience.

So welcome to the club!

CAT7RDR

In elation over conquering a local climb for the first time, and being entranced by the scenery, I unclipped and leaned the opposite way and timbred on my hip.
At least I got to enjoy the view for a split second before giving myself a good chewing out.

Cougrrcj 

Only for those that are clipped in. I'm not... I haven't fallen in 45+ years of using toe straps...

The only time I 'dropped' like that was on a motorcycle when my passenger tried to counteract the 'lean' to the one side that I had induced to put my leg down at a stoplight... Of course my throttle hand didn't let go but my clutch hand did - and a 'broadie' ensued that threw us BOTH off the bike... I was NOT amused!!! No more motorcycle rides for her!

10 Wheels

Try These. No Fall Over. My Size 13 shoe

big john

I think I fell over more when I was using clips and straps than I have since I started using clipless in the late 80s. I did fall over last summer when I ran into my friends rear wheel. It was at a coffee stop with lots of people sitting outside. I stood up and took a bow, they laughed.
The bow thing was taught to me by a guy I used to ride dirt bikes with, he crashed a lot.
He also had a Gold Wing and dropped it in his garage after a few drinks and put his foot down in some oil and down it went.

big john

My feet are almost as big as yours and when I used quill pedals I had to bend the little tab on the outside edge of the pedal down or grind it off because I toe-out. I like the spacer between the clip and the pedal, I did something like that and I moved the clip to the outside of the pedal by drilling new holes. I also reshaped the clips to not put pressure on the tops of my feet. Christophe LL clips were the only ones that worked.
Oh how I hate toe clips and straps!

Cougrrcj 

The only time I went down in the garage on my motorcycle was when I was backing it in, and to get where I needed to be I had spun by dad's 'cycle bars out of the way. His bike fell over, pinning my leg against my cycle's hot exhaust - < sizzle-sizzle-sizzle!!! > I still carry that scar today, 35 years later!

big john

Ouch! Hot pipe story; I had a YZ490 and I wore AXO mx boots which had plastic on the calf part, which melted on the pipe creating little peaks, which shredded the saddle.

Cougrrcj 

Dad's was a '76 KZ400S -- the stripped-down model without electric start, center stand and had painted fenders, and I was on my '83 V-45 Sabre with the full Hondaline fairing at almost 720 pounds... Me? I was 5'8", weighed in at ~140 pounds... The Sabre was quite top-heavy, and I couldn't straddle it other than on tip-toes. Yeah, the Sabre was a bit 'too big' for me (physical size, not engine), and I had upgraded from a '82 Yamaha 550 Seca... The 550 was buzzy, but a nice bike although underpowered compared to what I had been riding... In late '82 I had gotten wrecked by a 'cager' making a left turn while riding my '76 Yamaha RD400... I REALLY miss that RD400 to this day!

zandoval 

So glad you are OK... Even a little fall can be devastating. And never underestimate the severity of even small cases of Road Rash.

scottfsmith

Every time I do one of those I'm just glad it was a mind glitch that gave a little road rash, not a glitch that plastered me to the front of a truck!

A couple weeks ago I was too busy watching the cars and ran into a curb and made a mess of things. But I was back riding in a minute with minimal damage.

Hondo Gravel

My new bike now 5 years old is a compact frame and I turned sharply with my clipped in pedals at the 9 to 3 position and there I went over on the gravel. My older bike would turn sharply and my feet would clear but not the new bike. Cursed a little bit.

Kabuki12

My personal preference is for straps and traps. I’ve been riding with them since the early seventies and I don’t do change very well. I can’t say whether they are better because I’ve never wanted to try the clip thingy on the shoe. I just wear a narrow, flat skate shoe and keep the straps just shy of snug.

Jumpski

You seem in good spirts, and glad you’re ok. Don’t give it a second thought. It happens to everyone. Around eight years ago I was cycling with a new club for me ride. You guessed it. I unclipped at a stop sign and lost my balance and went down- duh! Have fun, and be safe.

Chuckles1

First time I rode my new Raleigh in 1981, I pulled up to a stop sign in Yuma, AZ and forgot to release toe clip. Just as I fell over, a carload of high school kids pulled up beside, windows down. One looked at me, and in a comical, non-threatening voice, said simply, "a$$hole."

Even I had a good laugh at that, along with the other yahoos in the car.

I never tighten straps, still prefer toe clips, and have them on all my bikes. Once was enough for me. I knew I'd forget occasionally if I tightened them, so I don't.

Glad you're ok.

rsbob 

OP Not even your pride was hurt! That’s what I call a successful fall. Glad you were not injured.

canklecat

It happens. I haven't ridden much the past few months so when I do I take a lap around the parking lot to practice unclipping/reclipping both feet to get back the mindset.

But for decades I've been accustomed to unclipping (or, with toe clips, lifting and pulling) the left foot only, while leaving the right foot on/in the pedal. I'm still not sure I could change that habit in a split second if it were necessary. I really should practice both sides.

Bruce27

Knock on wood I've only had one in the last few decades. Was riding parallel to a side walk and went to get up on it. Made the mistake of just angling over and not popping the front tire over the edge. Slid over like a sack of potatoes.
A subtle moment of lost concentration...

Bearhawker

My wife says "it don't hurt until the bone shows"

Cougrrcj 

Plus 1. Same for me. All but one of my road-ridden bike have toe clips/straps. I tend to keep the right strap a little looser since that is the one I lift/pull out at stoplights - so I can put my right foot on the curb if there is one.

That said, my Miyata 710 has flat MTB-style pedals with pins. They were on the bike when I bought it from a graduating ASU college student. I find that I like them when I'm commuting in my lug-sole work shoes, so they stay for now.

DiabloScott

Cute.

I didn't even bleed but this hurt like heck. I guess the bone was showing while I was under the knife.

Cougrrcj 

Did they write NO on the left leg?


.

DiabloScott

They didn't. But they did enough checking to let me know how many people are concerned about the anecdotes they've heard about botched L/R surgeries. I suspect the YES was more for my benefit than theirs, but it was a nice gesture.

FTR: This was 4 months ago and I'm still probably a week away from being able to do easy cycling around the neighborhood... very slow recovery from patella surgery. Pelvis fracture was only 6 weeks.