Bike Tips we can all use
 

Feel free to add your own. Here are a few that I have first hand experience with.

1) If you close your water bottle with your teeth, make sure your lip isnt in between the top and the part that it closes on...

2) Do not, under any circumstances, unclip both shoes out of your pedals while coming to a stop...

mscycler

aaahhh, my wife and i had a good chuckle discussing just how you came up with these...thanks, really ;)

Why not? I do this every time I stop to get off the bike.

I was thinking the same thing. I unclip both well ahead of a stop and pedal with the sole right behind the cleat.

If more people unclipped with both feet they wouldn't fall. Seems most people unclip one side, then lose their balance and fall on the other (clipped) side. I haven't fallen yet, with straps or clipless.

I was wondering the same thing.

I was told newbs fall because they're "thinking about which foot to put down" and thus to unclip, fortunately I always put the right down on a bike (left on a motorcycle weird huh) and so I always know which I'll put down.

But I like this thread! Call it "Yoda's bike tips" or Forrest Gump's bike tips or something, I'm sure there's some classic stuff out there.

I agree with the tip. I always unclip my right foot because of the way roads are shaped (the crown in the middle). Never had a problem with losing my balance. The last time I fell at a stop was 1989 with toe clips. Sometimes I will put both feet down if I think the stop will be more than 30 seconds but then I unclip the left after I'm stopped.

I also put my left down on a motorcycle but that makes sense as your right is on the rear brake.

Some other fairly good tips...

1. Make sure to pay close attention to your hand position when using the webbing of your gloves to clean glass off your rear tire (while moving).

2. Learn to ride with no hands. It will teach you a lot about bike handling.

3. Whenever you see a chick on a bike...use the -2 factor (If you think she's an 8, she's really a 6...you just think she's cuter because there aren't as many women out there and she's doing something that you like to do). This rule applies equally well to the golf course. :)

Just the opposite advice....

1. Unless you have VERY good balance, make sure you DO unclip when you come to a complete stop.

I never unclip both feet while I'm still moving. That makes the bike unstable and more difficult to stop. Put one foot on the ground before you unclip the other one.

Also, don't unclip both feet when you're stopped at a red light or a stop sign. Clipping in both feet takes more than twice as long as clipping in one foot. You usually want to clear the intersection quickly and an extra slow start is not helpful. Learn to stop on your clipped-in pedal so you can get an extra fast start when you need to.

exactly! only unclip the second foot after completely stoped. learn to unclip the same foot everytime you come to a stop, that way, it will become habit and you won't even have to think about it.

Always check that the front wheel quick release in done up - Dont ask :o

There is no clip or unclip, there is only "fall".

How about...

Check the that you've got both screws tight on your clipless pedal's cleat on your shoe...otherwise you ain't getting out!

Bring fairly new glueless patches.

Stop for kids as they'll always, unpredictably move towards you at the last moment

Bring something to wash out the bugs from your mouth

Be ready to ditch off the path if you see a group of riders coming toward you that aren't in a single file

Leave your pets at home; what makes you think they want to go biking with you?

Fill a bottle with ice so you have a cold one for the return loop

Don't tighten the valve nut on your tubes tight, or you'll get a valve leak

Follow a faster rider - you'll be home quicker

Wear basic bike clothes, but funky socks - they always start a conversation - especially those with poker hands, dogs and kitties

Lube has so many purposes, even calming road rash in a pinch - take some along

That valve nut tip is for me....I kept wondering why my valves were breaking away from the tubes...I've got 4 examples to prove it.....Left it loose....haven't had a flat since. Duhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

7. Put your asthma inhaler on the left side of your handlebar bag.
Put your dog/ pepper spray on the right side of your handlebar bag.
Don't ever confuse them. Just trust me on this.

Let me guess? You gave the dog a shot from your inhaler and that gave him the extra boost to catch and bite you? :D

No, it went the other way. No dog involved.

I think you missed the satire there. That was supposed to be funny sarcasm. I must need to work on using emoticons more effectively.

You must be left handed to put right down on bike. On motorcycle you put the left down because the right is used for shifting gears, duh.

For the life of me, I cannot do that. I unclip my right foot and then i come to a stop. Once i have come to a stop I unclip my left foot. On a side note, once i unclipped my right foot and came to a stop and was not able to clip my left foot. I teetered over to the left but the bike tilted such that I basically stood on my heel and threw my foot over the bike to dismount all without falling. May not sound stupendous when describing it, but actually pulling it off without a) realizing I could do it or b) without planning it was pretty neat.

If i could safely unclip my left foot or learn to accelerate with my left foot I would do that. Right now i unclip my right, come to a stop, unclip the left and then attempt to reclip the right before starting. Needless to say I hate clipping and I usually have lots of problems.

This is prob. a real newbie mistake but if you stop with clipless pedals, make sure you do it on flat ground and not a huge hill. Gaining momentum to clip in is harder then I, cough, you think. ;)

I'm right handed, and I always put my right foot down... it just seems more natural.

I'm sorry to laugh at your misfortune, but thats really funny, in a crapy kind of way. :eek:

Did you make it home on the bike? That had to hurt like hell.

Nadia Comaneci would be proud :eek: