My "Club Tombay" dues are paid-in-full.

The good thing about falling over is that you are stationary. If you were moving I'm sure it would hurt rather than just be embarrassing. I fell over thrice.

Ive got news for you ... you can still hurt yourself. I fell over clipped in and pulled my groin big time. Don't ask me how that happened, but it did. It took a long time for that injury to heal.

I didn't answer because I don't ride clipless (yet).

However.... Yesterday while we were at the LBS getting our bikes, a guy was there with his two young sons, getting something for his bike which was also there with him. Apparently, someone was trying to turn him on to clipless because I heard him say that he doesn't want to ride with is feet stuck to the pedals. About an hour later, guess what was on his bike? Brand new Shimano SPDs. He tried them on the trainer while he was there and found them to be a no-brainer. The owner encouraged me to give them a try when I'm ready.

That said, way back early last year the bottom of one of my running shoes stuck to the metal cage of my platform pedal and I went down while coming to a stop. That's my only "fall" so far... :o

Yes. Twice. During the first 7-10 days of going clipless. Now it seems as normal as walking. Do some riding on a trail where there are no cars for 5 miles or so; afterwards it will be normal.

I did the obligatory slo-mo fall when I first started using my SPDs - you know, the 'let's stop the bike and put a foot down - or not'. :p

Also, I didn't exactly fall, but a few months ago I got new shoes and.... let's just say that when I put the cleats on I didn't do a very good job. I went to stop and couldn't clip out at all - with either foot. Somehow I made it home without mishap; I had to hold on to a post, reach down and loosen the shoe's straps so I could get my feet out. My bike looked very strange with my shoes still hanging from the pedals.

I've crashed with every pedal type. Anyone who's experienced chain-suck on a steep climb knows that getting out of clipless is faster than reaching down and loosening a toestrap as you fall over sideways a la that old tri-cycling fart on Laugh-In. My worst pedal crash was using plain rat-traps with no attachment: a pothole bumped my foot off the pedal, my nards were gored on the top tube and the pedal came around and ate my ankle.

Stick with the clipless....for efficiency and, ironically, safety.

there are 2 types of people...those who have fallen, and those who will fall... never fear, if you are in the later category, your time will come :)

train safe (and Happy Easter)

There's only two kinds of cyclists: those that have fallen and those who will. At least falling due to clipless pedals usually means tipping over while stopped rather than using your skin as a braking surface. If the idea of falling bothers you, get a lowracer! Or a trike!

So you have the "Health & Safety" brigade over there too.

On the MTB clipless and not unclipping has saved me a few broken legs. It is instinct that if you are going over- you put out and arm or a leg to save yourself. Try that at 20 mph and a broken limb. By staying in the pedals- and keeping the hands on the bars- I might bleed and might swear a bit but at least I can get up after the fall.

On the Road- I have had a couple of "Close Encounters" Unclip on the right foot- and the bike starts going left. You soon learn to trackstand if you do it often enough.

Only once at the begining. I was leaning against my truck and clipped in my left foot and pushed myself up straight. As I was looking down (and still not moving) to clip in my right foot I just kept going toward my left side. By the time I figured it out I was laying on the road beside my truck still clipped in with my left foot. The good part was my wife had taken off first and missed it. I came close another time when a car stopped for me and I thoght she was going to pass. I came to a quck stop and almost fell over before I got unclipped. Now it so easy to clip / unclip if it is not a problem at all.

The clipless pedals got me about 2 weeks ago when I went out for a ride. I was on the way back home from a 12 mile ride around the area, and the wind was picking up. I was at a corner and stopped for an oncoming car on the cross street. I had unclipped my left pedal, but a sudden gust of wind came from the east (I was headed south) and blew me down. Nothing like going down the direction you weren't planning on in slo-mo! Luckily, the car was well past when I went down. You know it will happen sometime!:)

i've never used clipless. i'm too fond of my shimano 600's. i know the arguments for and against.


but i have fallen. watching girls walk is not conducive to cycling well ;)

15 years ago I used a paved cycle path to start/learn with my new SPD's. About a half-dozen falls, some scratches and bruises and I was good to go. They are now entirely instinctive, the old cellular memory at work!

I have come close to not being able to unclip a few times over the years, but that was due to worn out cleats. Make sure you replace as needed!

I consider falls inevitable over time and a modest price for the many joys of riding.

I've fallen off cliplesss,
I've fallen off clips,
I've fallen off platforms,
I've fallen OVER bikes,
I've fallen in love with grandmothers ON bikes,
I've fallen on hard times,
I've fallen into a little fortune,
and. . . . . .
Once. . .on Cape Cod. . .I had so much vodka I FELL OFF THE FLOOR!

I have the scars to prove it all.

I have done this. What a helpless feeling:o. You know your going down and there is nothing you can do.

Well...in the clipless world there are those that have fallen, and those that will.

Sure have. Twice. Still worry about it once in awhile, especially if I'm approaching a busy intersection. So from time to time, I'll straddle the bike in my driveway, and practice clipping in and out. Even wrote about it: http://bikenoob.wordpress.com/2008/0...ipless-pedals/

I have fallen once since going clipless in December. We were out on a ride and it started sprinkling. I was going really slow and made a turn on a really slick surface. The bike was out from under me before I knew it. It happened so fast riding clipless had no effect on the fall and my feet released during the fall. Big bruise, 2 broken spokes and 1 damaged ego (an 80 + year old man came over to see if I needed help).

Where's Jimmy Buffet when you need him?

Not for me. I've fallen on a DF not being able to unclip in front of a bunch of people. The good part was I didn't know any of them. I didn't unclip when I hit the ground. Talk about embarrassing. You're laying on the ground struggling to unclip and everyone is just staring at you. Maybe they thought I was having some kind of seizure.

I rolled my trike about a 1000 miles after I first got it due to ignorance. But I didn't unclip then either. But that was a good thing. It kept my feet on the pedals so my feet or legs wouldn't drag on the ground. But it is a real pain trying to unclip upsidedown.

The first, last, and only time was 10 yrs ago. It was my third ride on mtb clipless, very technical trail with a bunch of the local racer boys. Lost it on a sharp turn, and ended up in a manzanita bush. Still have the foot-long scar on my left arm to show for it.

Scott P
Bend, OR

Haven't fallen, but have come so close, managed to free a foot just in time. And it's always been when Iv'e stopped, and shifted my weight to the other side.

I have fallen once while being clipped in, that's when I had my 747's. Coming to a stop sign and my husband ahead of me, I'm slowing down, twist my foot -- NOTHING, try again quickly -- STILL NOTHING! Over I go in slowmo, luckily the traffic was far enough away that I didn't have my head squashed like a pumpkin from being run over by a car. The only other time was when I was riding in a bike lane with LOTS of traffic and didn't realize that traffic had stopped and made a gap for a car to make a left in between the cars. By the time I saw the car in front of me (appearing out of nowhere), I panicked and tried to unclip both feet at the same time, losing my balance and went over on my right side. I'm laying on the ground with one leg up in the air tangled in the bike. It took me about a minute to figure out how to untangle myself from the bike so I could get up. I wasn't hurt and neither was the bike, but it did almost scare me to death. By the time I got up, tell the driver I'm okay and ride off I hear an ambulance, someone must have called 911 thinking I was really hurt since I didn't move for awhile. Even after things like that I still wouldn't trade my Crankbrother Candies for anything, I feel very comfortable in them.

Yes, and to many times. Good thing it was in the grass as when I first got them installed.