True, dat. I've had a couple of low- and no-speed tumbles where I actually had time to mentally plot an arc and pick a nice soft spot, or least painful spot, to land.

My first (and so far only) Tombay was my second week with clipless, at the MUP. I was rolling slowly from the groomed gravel/chat trail to the paved trail, separated by a 10 yard wide strip of grass. I checked both directions, realized the jogger and two slow moving cyclists converging from opposite directions, meant I'd need to stop for a moment. I forgot I was clipped in. Seems like I had plenty of time to choose which direction to fall, and oops I'd better avoid that fire ant bed, oh, hey, that spot looks nice, *bloomp!*

I hardly ever see any friends or acquaintances tumble, although they all claim they did once or twice the first month with clipless. They're mostly younger than I.

But on large casual group rides I see the same folks fall just about every time. Seems like it's the folks my age or older.

I'm 60 and only began with clipless this year, although I rode with old style strap in toe clips years ago. Clipless is a much better form of foot retention. But if I fell more than two or three times a year I'd be forced to conclude my reflexes and balance were too impaired by age to continue using foot retention, at least on most city streets.

In fact, after switching my road bike to clipless in January or February, I rode only solo rural routes with little or no traffic for the first month. After gaining some confidence I tried one casual group ride in the city and decided I didn't care for my clipless setup for that purpose. For one thing, I prefer my upright hybrid for city rides. For another, my Look delta cleats are slippery rascals, not really suitable for routine city rides. And I did a couple of fast club group rides that were okay -- not many stops, so the cleats weren't a problem.

But I can see why most folks I know prefer the clipless systems with recessed cleats and shoes suitable for walking.

Ditch the clipless pedals and get a a pair of BMX platform pedals. This will never happen again.

Confession time. Been using Look Delta cleats/pedals on my road bikes for the past 20+ years and have fallen 3-4 times due to brain fart - always on my left side while maintaining both hands on the bars, usually ending on my back with the bike straight above me.

After moving to Manila for consulting work, I bought 2 bikes, putting CB Mallet Es on my Marin Four Corners Elite. It’s my first time with MTB shoes and clipless platform pedals, which have much more resistance between the shoe and pedal than I am used to. Regardless of practicing clipping out countless times, I managed to go over 3 times on my first ride. The first was when a guy on a scooter cut in front of me and despite great effort I couldn’t unclip and over I went, rolling on my back with the bike pointing strait up. Having had enough of that, for the remainder of the ride I purposely didn’t clip in when riding through heavily congested parts of the route. However, I was cutoff two more times and found that I unknowingly clipped in and over I went. It’s the most helpless feeling...
The good news is, other than scuffed bar tape, the bike survived without a scratch.
Immediately after the ride and still with bloody left elbow and knee, I paid my LBS a visit. After explaining my adventure, I was handed a set of CB’s “easy release” cleats; haven’t went down since.

I have only tried one type of clipless-an mtb clipless pedal. Never could get used to them-guess I could have tried another brand/type, but I'm using BMX style now on my mtb and road bike. Didn't like falling over with clipless pedals, and like being able to change foot position on the bmx style pedal if I want.

didn't start falling on my flat pedaled MTB until I started using cleated pedals & shoes on my road bike. racking up the falls on the flat pedaled MTB but still haven't fallen with cleated pedals & shoes on the road bike ...

:thumb:

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Fell twice on the 2016 Eroica using old school toe clips, straps and cleats. It was a rainy muddy day, got stuck in the pedal, somebody stopped in front of me, and I fell like a big tree. Landed on the same knee both times. I used to race, commute, and ride everywhere on this set up. 20 years ago I discovered clipless SPDs, and never looked back, until Eroica. In 20 years, I had one fall on SPDs, pointed uphill, zero speed, dropped chain. It happens, but less frequently than some would have you believe. I still drag the old Campy quills, clips and straps (no cleats) out for Eroica, but the rest of the year, its SPD for me.

I fell once during my first year with SPD-SL. It was in the parking lot of an event right in front of all the local "serious cyclists".

I bought clipless pedals this past winter. I fell 5 times while practicing the first day with them, starting and stopping purposefully, trying to learn. I'm a slow learner, I guess.

Then fell twice in the next month on actual solo rides, both times during rare rolls over grass when my mind couldn't adapt to suddenly being 0 mph quicker than anticipated.

Then once more recently. Similar scenario of reaching 0 mph too suddenly as I was at a stop sign going uphill.

Got better with each fall, so I don't anticipate it happening much going forward.

As I've gotten older, I don't get easily embarrassed. If I fall, I fall.