Rootman

I used to be a cycle enthusiast decades ago, I lost over 170 pounds in the last 2 years and totally turned my health and life around. Some smart a$$ suggested that my next step after getting a proper bike was to go to clipless pedals and shoes. So dummy me I ordered a combo. I just put them got the right pedal snapped in and discovered that I left the kick stand down. So I did what I always do, lean to the right in order to pop it up and didn't unclip and fell on my side.

So total time in clipless combo before I fell was about 10 seconds. Luckily I didn't hurt myself but I'm a little sore. Wonder how many more times this will happen.

GlennR

Luckily you we're hurt.

Some pedals have adjustable tension, so set it to the lightest setting.

Congrats on your greatly improved health. Now just don't kill yourself in your driveway.

qcpmsame 

First, congrats on the weight loss and lifestyle turnaround, welcome back to cycling too. When I returned I immediately went to clipless pedals and shoes with no problems, a few close calls but no Club Tombay for me (congrats you now are a member with the post on the fall.) it just took me realizing I was going to hurt badly if I didn't remember I was not in toe clips and straps, it did work. FWIW I have not used a kickstand in any form since 1971, they can bend a frame tube easily and can and will fall into the down, make you wreck position.

Best of luck and you will adapt to the clipless pedals, they feel better to me and allow power to be applied in the entire stroke of the crank.

Bill

Stomper

A friend did exactly what you did and broke her wrist last week. I chose to start with dual pedals, and rode with one foot clipped in (alternating feet during the ride) until I got the hang of it. My neighbor rode clipped in during spinning class until she felt comfortable and had no difficulty transitioning to her bicycle clip less pedals. Good luck with your transition.

Rootman

Yep, I made sure of that before I even installed the pedals, won't protect me from stupid though

GlennR

I fell on my 3rd ride. I clipped in a pushed off but the guy in front of me stopped short and I couldn't clip out.

I've put over 2000 miles since and have not had any problems.

NCbiker

I started by just setting stationary and holding myself up next to my car where I practiced clipping in and out about 40 times on each foot. Then I went to a parking lot and practiced by starting off and going 10 or 20 foot and stopping. I did this until I was completely sure of my ability to un-clip. I've made a habit of always unclipping my left foot as I come to a stop. I started by uncliping early and anytime I reached for the brake. I've fallen once when I pulled off a road into thick sand which brought me to a instance stop and down I went. Had a couple of other close calls, usually when I have to make a emergency stop or as I run out of forward momentum on any kind of incline. At this point(5000 miles later) unclipping has pretty much become second nature, but It would not surprise me to get in a situation where I went down again.

jdon

None if you lose the kickstand.

Mort Canard

This is a pretty good way to get used to going clipless. I didn't do that many repetitions but I did spend some time one afternoon clipping in, riding a short distance and unclipping and stopping. The more you practice, the less you will have to think about it. I would also recommend you conduct multiple tests of clipping-in and unclipping any time you adjust or replace the pedals or make any changes to your cleats.

MikeWMass

It has happened to me 4 or 5 times (not counting the times I tipped over on my recumbent!) Hasn't happened for a couple of years. I don't want to say it won't happen again, because every time I start to think that, over I go. The good news is I have not been hurt because of any of them. Perhaps I am just inept, because it happened a few times with toe clips in the pre-clipless days as well!

Rootman

Well I just had to go out and go for a ride tonight. I was impressed with how much easier it was to climb hills, so I guess it was a good idea. Did a little over 8 miles and clipped and unclipped about a dozen times. I seem to be getting the hang of it. Made 100 miles again this week.

MinnMan

I fell over twice when I first went clipless. Both times in front of attractive young women. Only one of them laughed at me.

DnvrFox

Spent a few minutes with the bike in setting on fhe trainer at the dealer in 1999. Then, fell 2 x's in the next month or two, never in front of anyone. I guess it came sort of naturally to me as I have had no problems since. I always release my left foot, keeping the right foot clipped in unless I plan on getting off. I unclip one foot a lot defensively - around kids, gravel and the like. YMMV

The thing about kickstands is that you think your bike is secure with the kickstand, and, whoosh, a big wind (or whatever) blows it over or it loses its balance in gravel. Without a kick stand you are more careful where you put it or you lay it flat, and it does not fall over. I would lose the kickstand.

big john

Friend and BF member biker395 did the Furnace Creek 508 race when the wind was so strong that his bike was flipped over while it was lying on the ground.
He said scorpions were blowing across the road.

Clipless falls? I've done it, just can't remember when. Is that a sign of aging, can't remember your last clipless fall?

DnvrFox

So?

What would have happened if the bike was on a kickstand?

Tornadoes also blow things around, kickstand or not.

Your example proves nothing, IMHO.

gear

I think transiting from toe clips to clip less pedals is the easiest way to go. You learn to make a specific motion with your feet get disciplined about the motion then when you move to clip less pedals you just adjust the motion a bit. I've had many situations when I needed to put a foot down in a split second and it was just there on the ground before I could have given it a thought.

I have heard people recamend practicing putting either foot down, but this is not what I do. I get in and out the same way each time always shifting my weight the same way. For me the key is consistently doing it the same way every time. Right foot clips in first with weight on my left foot, when I unclip I always unclip left foot first and always shift my weight to the left.

It's worked for me for many years without a fall due to pedal failure or memory failure which is actually the more likely type of failure people have when they fall.

Closed Office

Enjoyed that. Talk about enthusiastic, careful, and organized.

NCbiker

Yeah, it's called obsessive compulsive disorder. Others just refer to me as being "anal". It does however come in handy at times.

zacster

When these first came out in the 80s I thought they were crazy, but I bought my first pair in 1987. I never fell over with the original Looks. Then, 17 years later, they came out with the Keo. Now, the magical thing about the number 17 is that's how long patents last. The Keo is also patented with a separate patent. i've fallen over many times now with Keos, and twice now I've been injured, once with a broken hip, then with nothing broken but pretty well bruised.

Find a road without any traffic and practice it until you have it right.

Mobile 155

I am a recycled club tombay virgin now that we have a new requirement to register. But I moved to Time attacks at first because they were easy to get in and out of. Then Crank Brothers for the same reason. Finally when I started putting in more than 40 miles a ride I moved to road pedals and shoes. First Looks and then Speed Plays. The Attacks and Crank Brothers taught me the motion needed to get out quickly and I had had no problem in 4 years. So I guess you can say I took to clipless from the first day I tried them. In the old days it was harder to get out of straps and traps because you had to reach down and flip the tab before you could get your foot out.

stapfam

I had a big ride coming up so got clipless a couple of months before. No problems although I was glad that I could track stand a few times.

Then came the ride- a 100 miler. Got to a tight right hander where my mate had stopped and just forgot to do anything except stop. No attempt made to put a foot down or unclip. Luckily it was offroad and it was a rather wet day but had to ride the rest of the day covered in mud down the left side.

GeorgeBMac

My LBS -- who has been exceptionally supportive of me & my cycling has suggested that I go to clipless pedals. He even suggested that Shimano plans on releasing a new model that is easier to get in and out of.

But I hesitate because I ride on rails-to-trails that are sometimes crowded with kids, dogs, skateboarders and so on. And, emergency stops or near stops are a regular occurence at those times and on those sections. So, from this thread, it sounds like clipless may be doable under those conditions but my chances of falling are greatly increased with clipless pedals under those conditions. Actually, I am thinking that they are best for things like road riding where 99.9% of stops are planned and expected.

I guess I'll just have to spin a little quicker going up the hills.

maddmaxx 

My I say, welcome to the world of clipless and I'm glad to hear that you're all right. Congrats on the weight loss and health improvements as well.

Now, for the fall: If there are no objections, I'm willing to submit your name as a candidate for the Club Tombay hall of fame in the "fastest fall" category. May your name live in infamy in this position of honor. We salute you.

John_V 

I wouldn't worry about falling because you forgot to unclip. I think everyone on this forum has done that a time or two. I've also been there and done that. What worries me more are the times when you're riding and minding your own business and some a-hole is the cause of you going down because you can't react and unclip in time. This seems to be happening to me quite often lately; yesterday being the latest episode. I would rather fall while stopped and get small bumps and bruises than when I'm moving and get larger ones.

maddmaxx 

I once had a ped walk into me (walking backwards) while I waited for a crowd to come through a gate on a trail with one foot unclipped on the ground. Naturally he knocked me over onto the clipped side. No "sorry", just walked away leaving me to wipe the blood off of one knee.