New to clipless... how to fall?
 

I am relatively new to the road biking community, and I decided to go clipless. Today was the first day. I followed the standard instructions and practiced without moving first. Then I rode around my university campus for a long time, starting and stopping multiple times, clipping and unclipping on both feet. I always took care to unclip a little before coming to a stop so that the unclipping impulse, which I'm not used to, won't put me off balance at the stop.

And just when I was feeling confident and was about to wrap up today's practice, I came to a stop and realized I had forgotten to unclip. I was still upright and could have unclipped but I just blanked out those last couple of seconds and went down in slow motion. Minor bruise on the knee. But I can't help thinking that I still have many falls to go, no matter how careful I think I am, until I develop the unclipping reflex. I am a little concerned that I could get a bad injury if I am at an unsafe location. My question is if I am about to fall and I realize there's nothing I can do about it, which is a very weird feeling, can I position my body in a way to minimize the impact? Anyone here thought about this? I am actually quite skinny so I don't get cushiony falls :lol:

Yell "timber" when you do it.

I wouldn't worry to much about falling, same thing happened to me on my second ride clipped in. After falling that one time its never happened again. Just practice unclipping which ever foot you usually place on the ground about 100-150 feet before you come to a stop. Do that for a while and once your brain gets the idea you can shorten the distance.

It happens.

I fell when I first got my clipless pedals and landed on my left knee ... a lump that looked and felt like a large marble appeared.

About a week later, I fell again, landed on my left knee ... and the lump disappeared. Problem solved.

There is much disagreement about using your hands to cushion a fall when riding at speed, but I doubt there is a better way to prevent injury when just toppling over while stopped. You really aren't falling very fast or very far. Wear gloves.

Welcome to CLUB TOMBAY, from a Lifetime Member :thumb:

Tuck and roll......Go with the fall.......Don't extend your arm.......Loudly exclaim, OH CRAP!!!!

Focus on being consistent with unclipping. Same foot, same position, no flailing around. It will quickly become second nature. If you do fall again, avoid the impulse to stick out your arm. Broken collarbones are worse than bruised shoulders, IMO.

If you had a brainfart and didn't think to unclip while rolling to a stop, I doubt that the added stress of falling is going to help spur you through a 'how to fall softly' check-list. Rather than mentally and/or physically practicing to fall, so that it becomes second nature, I'd devote time to mentally and physically practice unclipping so that it becomes second nature.

I have learned that if I'm stopped and can't unclip for whatever reason to drop my body to the side as low as I can to shorten the fall.

Dont.

Just relax and roll with the fall. Like all things, you have to get used to clipless by spending lots of time with it, just ride. Your teaching the body something new.

After not falling for years, I had a fall just recently when I dropped my chain and lost momentum, went down before I could unclip. I just relaxed and fell over, didn't try to break my fall and I didn't hurt anything. I really do think you do more damage throwing and arm or knee out than if you just go with it.

Yeah, I fell last week (my third fall but first time in about two months, I was slowing down but wasn't expected to stop so I didn't unclip). Used my hand to cushion the fall (have padded gloves). As soon as my hand touch the ground however, the bike moved forward (wheels are still touching the ground) and then my elbow was bruised when it touched the ground.

Hah, I just started riding clipless last month too. I've had a couple of close calls; have not gone down yet. The closest was a couple times when I came to a light, put my unclipped foot down just a bit too hard, and actually moved my center of gravity enough that I was going to fall on the other side where I was clipped in lol. Once I was able to unclip superfast and just put that foot down relatively calmly. The other time...I flailed around like a lunatic, jamming my unclipped leg out and managed to re-balance myself. Passersby must have thought I had some serious mental health issues...

And yea I second the just go down if you can. I've had 1 ultra-low speed fall, on a recently blacktopped parking lot. I was going <5mph on a recently blacktopped parking lot, after a rain, and taking a nice gentle turn at low speed because I KNEW it was super slick. Tires still completely gave out, and I went down so fast I had no chance to correct or brace myself. Leg was slightly sore for a couple days...but really all things considered, no big deal at all. Especially relative to bashing an elbow on the ground or spraining a wrist.

How do you roll with a 2 1/2 ft fall from a dead stop? That would just be an affectation.

You mean you fall like jumping off a building? no, that's not how you fall from a bike.
First wheels always touching the ground.
Next lowest part of bike hits next,
Next your body, that's where you roll with it.
(providing there's space to fall to)

Sorry, but I don't get it. You are basically just bending down sideways off the saddle and letting yourself down onto the ground. At least that is how it works if you do it right. So what is this rolling? Where do you roll to, Timbuktu? Or just for a mile or so?

yeah, try to turn a little so you land on your back a little. Extending a hand can lead to wrist fractures, and landing on your shoulder point can break a collarbone ... but usually clip-falls happen at a quarter-mile per hour, so you are only falling about five feet. Still enough it hurt.

The most important part is to get up not looking at all sheepish. Act like it is normal ... that way when those drivers see others of us fall they will be less inclined to laugh .... hopefully.

When I rode with hold fast straps on my fixed gear I spent alot of time falling over at red lights.

Nah - you're probably good. You probably don't want to fall again, so you'll probably think a bit harder before rolling to a stop. Until you get used to it, unclipping early is okay, as is loosening the tension on the pedal that you generally unclip from.

When I first went clipless, I was told that everybody falls at least once, and I was out to be the exception to the rule. I'd been riding a whole month without a fall when it happened - in the parking lot of an event, in front of several hundred "serious" cyclists.

Welcome to the club.

You ROLL until the wheels are riding the sky as you look up while ON YOUR BACK still being clipped in. This is the "Florida armadillo road kill position." :eek:

I instinctively (Akido) tucked and rolled... ended up like a turtle on its back with the bike in the air, but unharmed.

except for my dignity.

I like it.

Me , I was at a dead stop.. (did some Judo as a kid)





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How to fall: Relax. Keep your hands on the handlrebars. ROtate elbow and knee out some so they hit first. "Greet the road with everything you have." And all the while, stay relaxed. I find realizing I just made a fool of my self helps.

I got to do exactly this Saturday. Road got too steep, too much gravel, I was starting to tire, couldn't get to my toestrap in time. I just got my hand back on the bar and followed my advice. Two little road rash patches on my elbow, minor bruise, a similar minor bruise on my knee and my hip definitely hit but is OK. Completely not a big deal. (Oh, I fell from a high center crown onto much lower hard clay. Level road and asphalt would have been softer.)

It works. If you cannot relax, put on some old clothes and practice on a lawn.

Edit: as a poster said above, putting down a hand is asking for a broken bone or worse. My old bike racing mantra was "don't let go of the handlebars until after you hit the road". Then yuu can use your glove palm to save skin.

Ben