Yeah I should practice with just using the one foot and learn not to put much weight on the other that's still clipped in because it causes me fall over to that side. I found that keeping my weight on the saddle and just leaning to the side where the foot is unclipped helps so far. But I'll find myself a patch of grass that's not so wet from the melting snow to practice.

I think that's happening is I'm doing what's in the video but trying to get my second foot clipped out too and when I do that I push down on that pedal and fall over to that side.

After I unclip, but before I actually stop and put my foot down, I keep my unclipped foot in the heel-out position. That prevents accidentally clipping back in, and also lets me easily clip in again if I find I don't need to put a foot down.

Once you get the hang of unclipping from one side, you should practice doing the mirror-image on the other side. It might save you from a fall one day.

And, sometimes when you're about to keel over (failed trackstand, for example), I find locking up my brakes can buy me that extra split second I need to unclip. Not sure how that works.

No, you aren't explaining yourself completely. (It is difficult to describe what you are doing but that isn't other people's fault).

Don't do this.

A fair number of people manage to use clips on mountain bikes. I don't think many people do the "magically unclip both feet and get off the bike" thing in emergency stops. Learn how to get off the bike properly in normal situations, and you'll learn how to get off in "emergency" situations (later).

You are describing your problem poorly and then whining about people trying to help you? That's your problem, not theirs.

Your usual stopping techique is unusual. It isn't surprising that it's causing you problems with clips.

Do what the video is showing. Unclip the foot you are setting down and leave the other foot clipped in. Don't do the silly two-footed hopping off nonsense.

Note that the woman in the video is standing on her left foot and lifting her butt off the seat.

You can get better at this by standing on one pedal and coasting the bicycle (ie, don't stop). You can start out with both feet clipped in but you should be able to coast the bicycle with one foot up clipped.

Yes, you are doing it wrong. Unclip the second foot after your first foot is on the ground and you are standing on it.

This is honestly a pretty simple thing though. You just take one foot out of the pedal, and put it on the ground. Y'all is over-thinking this.

+1

I guess this is why so many people fall over

Balance yourself<<< Slow "Coast"<<< Unclip stronger leg/foot still in slow coast<<< Out of saddle, Weight shift lean, Foot down & brake to a stop simultaneously.

Well, yeah, because clipping out before stopping is one of the most brain-dead skills that we'd think every cyclist would have.

Using your body's momentum to slide off the saddle when you stop? How old are you, six?

/curmudgeon mode dormant

Unclip before you brake. Learn to always unclip the same foot and lean the same way, it will become habitual.

As for your falls, everyone falls a couple of times until it becomes habitual. Muscle memory takes a bit of time. Ironically I have a hard time clipping in if I actually watch... if I just let it happen, it works just fine.

The key is to anticipate it and unclip first... then brake.

We really going to go through all of that again?

1. Most of us can only barely if at all touch the ground while in the saddle
2. Forget the sliding forward bit... learn how to stop properly by leaning on one foot to one side... make it the same side every time and it will be habitual.
3. Emergency stops are a problem... wear a helmet and you shouldn't hurt anything too critical if you do the embarrassing fall. This situation should be very very rare. I have found that I usually can still rotate my foot and unclip even in an emergency, but again for me it is habitual... you need to develop that muscle memory.

Can't help you with the attitude... such is life. I don't own an xbox and I am 53. Try to keep in mind that all clipless riders have gone through these exact same pains... so it is hard for anyone to say anything other than PRACTICE. Perhaps the easiest thing is to find a street without a curb and with a soft grassy shoulder... practice there... if you fall, the landing is soft. Do it over and over until you can do it without thinking about it. Don't think about it.

Don't leave the saddle... no need to slide forward... just lean to the side and you should be able to put a foot down while still in the saddle. You need to work on that. Don't unclip both feet. You won't clip back in if you rest your toes or heal on the pedal... for me, toes work best.

When clipped with one foot, you should be able to rotate that crank arm anywhere you want it... shouldn't be a matter of "your foot falling to the bottom." Practice. The nice thing about this is that after you stop, you use that clipped foot to position the crank arm (pedal) to the best position for a quick take off, giving you time to then properly clip in the loose foot. I push off with the loose foot and pedal with the clipped in foot at the same time... I can usually get going about 10 feet or so that way with little effort. It's a bit harder in a low gear when climbing, so save that attempt for after you can clip in and out without thinking about it.

Really you should be able to accomplish this in a couple of days or less.

What, you never fell... good on you. So what.

Same here. Only issue I have I haven't quite figured out if it's related. Have knee issues with the left knee, and dunno if it's because I always push off with that leg.

So you said everyone... Many people don't fall, far from everyone. Only idiots think that everyone falls.

How about this --

Learn how to coast with one foot unclipped.

Better yet, learn how to stand on your clipped-in pedal and dangle your free foot while coasting.

You should be able to do this on plain platforms, too. 8-year-olds usually can do it.

I think it'll take five minutes to learn.

*adding on* How about learning how to coast with one foot unclipped and hanging free, and the other foot NOT clipped in but, instead, with its heel or midsole on the pedal. This is actually kinda hard to do, but only if you have smooth-soled road shoes.

You know if you turn your bars in one direction, you fall in the other? Do that before you stop so you can always land on the unclipped foot. It's called countersteering. You already do it unconsciously while riding.

Please don't try to move both feet off the bike at the same time. To do that you'd have to hop, and hopping with unclipped feet will cause you to clip back in or slide off the pedal. I can't imagine how you came up with this idea. Do you do this on platform pedals? Stop doing that. Some cities offer free cycling skill classes. Maybe yours has one.

Regarding the "everyone falls issue", I fell twice when first starting with clipless pedals. I am a unicyclist, so balance is not one of my problems. Therefore no one needs to feel inadequate or smug about falling or not falling. I think it's pretty much luck.

Projecting? I didn't say anyone should feel inadequate about falling and I don't feel smug about not falling. People who say that everyone falls may feel inadequate about it and need to be reassured that "everyone else does it" to not be upset about it. Whatever, that's their own issue to sort out. When I did the poll in the road cycling forum it worked out to about 3/4 of the people had fallen, and the common thread was that they either forgot they were clipped in until it was too late, or they unclipped on one side or not the other. It's not a balance issue, and I don't think it's a matter of luck, I think it's just a matter of being very conscientious about remembering that you are clipped in until the unclipping becomes natural so that you don't panic. Pedal choice also makes a huge difference as some are easier to get out of in a panic, and also in my own personal case, I know that trackstanding helps.

I apologize if my attitude came off as rude. There are many of you that are very helpful and polite. There are also many of you that are condescending elitists that speak to others in a manner that makes them feel better about their own short(pun intended) falls. Thank you everyone for your advice. I think I've got it down now. This whole thread was just me trying to figure out what was an ideal way to stop. I am not physically unable to perform any of these recommendations such as coasting with a foot out and all the other things mentioned. I just thought asking would be better than falling a dozen times to learn on my own.

To the guy who has never fallen in his life, good for you, congratulations, please check your browser menu for an internet cookie. Feel better?

Asking is better than falling.

The problem that some people have falling is mostly forgetting that they have to clip-out. Since this isn't a motion that people new to clips have as a habit, it isn't surprising that they can forget and fall over. Your problem appears to be mostly related to not really stopping the bike in the "correct" way.

Leaning a loaded touring bike doesn't work so well. If you are off of the seat, and the bike is not too big, you really don't have to lean the bike.

Clips add a new small but deliberate extra step to an action that one has done many times before. As umd says, one has to be deliberate at first to add this new step as a habit. I suspect that a fair number of peole add clips and expect that magic happens!

Further to umd's point... I never fell, either, but it was because I was hyper-aware that I was using clipless, and lucky enough not to get distracted by a stray thought during my first few stops. However, I was displaying the classic 'new to clipless' style of clipping out if there was even the most remote possibility that I might have to stop. Then I realized I wouldn't fall over until the bike stopped, so as I got more comfortable about clipping out, I clipped out later and later.

More projecting... Bikeforums is nothing if not predictable. I don't want a cookie, I just want you to understand that it is not inevitable. Other things that are often considered inevitable are getting hit by a car and breaking a collarbone, yet there are plenty of people that manage to make it through life without those things happening.

I've fallen off my bike plenty of times. Hit by cars, accidents in races, I've even run into things or off the road on my own, and broke my collarbone doing it. I've just never fallen because I forgot I was clipped in or couldn't figure out how to stop (on a bike anyway, I fell pretty bad once when I couldn't figure out how to stop while skiing :innocent:)

Does that make me better than anyone else? No, I don't think so. Does it make me unique? Not particularly... certainly in the minority but with plenty of company.

Unless you're convinced, for a good reason, that you need clipless pedals just get good grippy platform pedals. Clipless pedals are not required for proper bike riding. Don't do this just because it's cool or your buddies tell you it's the right way. I did centuries using platform pedals. Yes, they make riding more efficient but you probably won't tell a difference, unless you make yourself believe there is a difference.

We all had some problem or other when we first started using clipless. No matter what advice we get, we all manage to work it out. Soon enough you will not even be thinking about it and just doing things naturally.

When you come to a stop have the left foot at the bottom of the stroke, take other foot off the pedal and put it on the ground or sidewalk. No difference with clipless or platform pedals. If I am dismounting I unclip the right foot as I slow down, swing the leg over the saddle behind me and unclip the left foot as I put the right on the ground.