My first bike with clipless pedals was a mountain bike and I fell over on the first ride. Came to a stop at the top of a hill and couldn't unclip before tipping over.

For the record, I fell with an M502/M086 combination. I await my flogging for using MTB parts.

Nope. I used to ride with clips and straps in the old days. Check this out kids: if you had them tight enough to actually do anything, you had to lean down and manually release the strap to get your foot out! Can you believe it? (Oh, and don't get me started on having to get off the couch to change the channel!)

Best advice I got when I put them on, unclip everytime you think you might have to and do it at least 100 feet up the road. I also put them on in the winter so although I had some outdoor rides with them when new I spent alot of time on the trainor getting used to them so no falls because of them.

I fell once clipped in learning to trackstand (went down hard, too). Other than that, I've been able to rip my speedplays apart through brute force to avoid falls twice. I've only had them for about a month, though, so I'm sure my number will come up sometime.

so how did you stop, back in the dark ages?

Haven't fallen. Shimano M520 with spd cleats. FWIW, I never fell back in the day with toe clips/straps either.

I have a theory that people who "lean" to the side when they stop are way more likely to fall because they didn't unclip than those of us who don't lean but come off the seat in a forward motion and keep the bike basically upright while stopped. I've even had people argue with me that it's impossible to stop with one foot down without leaning. I don't even want to get into what they are doing wrong (do we have to shoot some video footage?). But I think a lot of the fallers are leaners because they usually start their falling story with "I unclipped my right foot but leaned to the left and fell that way," or some such thing.

Three times. All due to idiot error.:o

1. First one, two weeks after going clipless. Coming up to a red light in peak hour traffic. Go to unclip the left foot and accidentally grabbed the (right) front brake. Over the bars I went and broke my elbow.

2. Trying to be smart. Tried trackstanding at a red light. I had the left foot unclipped so I could put my foot down when I couldn't balance anymore. I leaned right instead...

3. Not paying attention to my cleats. I replaced the cleats on my shoes and didn't check the orientation correctly. Riding up a hill with a friend. He stopped to use his inhaler for his asthma. I stopped but couldn't unclip because I'd put the cleats on the wrong shoe (left cleat on right shoe).

1 & 2 were with single sided SPD MTB pedals and shoes on a hybrid/commuter. The third one was with Crank Bros. Mallets on my recumbent. In the 2nd & 3rd instances I only hurt my pride.

Not yet, much to the annoyance of my wife. But I've only been using them for a little more than a year. Which is partly because she talked me into getting them in the first place, but has yet to put hers on her bike. I do, however, leave the pedals on a fairly loose setting to make it easy. The only time I had a problem was once when the cleats came loose on a shoe, and I couldn't get it unclipped. I actually had to take my foot out of the shoe to get off the bike. Now I make sure the cleat is securely fastened.

Once with SPDs, once with Speedplays. There were no witnesses the second time so technically it didn't happen.

Matthew

You'd roll up to a light, bend down, grab the strap, and loosen the strap. Since I fancied myself a triathlete, not a roadie, I was usually wearing running shoes rather than proper cycling shoes. Because of the wide toe box and waffle sole of my Nike Pegasus trainers, it took a bit of wiggling to get the foot out. So you had to start the process a good distance from the intersection.

In contrast, with clipless it's just kicking out your heel. Easy peasy.

I have fallen 3 times during the first 4 years of cycling. Those were on the Look Delta system. I never fell on my Speedplays or SPD-SL's, nor on SPD's or Onzas on my mtb, but it might have something to do with my experience by then since I haven't fallen since my 4th year, which would be 12 years ago.

Yep
Once
SPD's
(In front of a waitress in the parking lot of my local pub - forgot I was clipped in
No, I had not been drinking
Yes, I was embarrassed)

i never fell down for the first two months of clipless pedal use. Then after that I lost concentration and fell 9 times.

First pedals were Ritchey spd's. They sucked so bad I thought I would just go back toe clips. Then I got eggbeaters. Much easier to get in/out of. Now I fall less, but it's glorious when I do.

No.

Yes, both times on my old imitation spd's. Never since I got speedplays.

once ...

It's true: Clips, TA J. Anquetil cleats with Alfredo Binda Extra straps snugged up were nearly impossible to pull out of, without reaching down and pushing the strap buckle open.

Here's what we used to use.

Heck i fell over with my first pair of toe clips over 35 years ago.
And with my first pair of clipless.

Lots of people on here that can't even admit anonymously to falling ;)

I never fell when i first started riding, cause i was always worried about being able to unclip when i would come to a stop. Eventually i became comfortable with the clipless pedals. these days the last thing on my mind when coming to a stop is thinking about coming unclipped. so once in a great while when i get to careless, I kiss the pavement :lol:

I take it this poll isn't working out quite like umd planned. :lol:

I always fall over and I always blame the equipment.

I fell once after riding my SPD-Ls for a few weeks. Pulled over to the side of the road to adjust my shoe straps, clipped back in and noticed a truck coming that I didn't see before. I was barely rolling and stopped but couldn't unclip. Fell on my left side, which I suppose is better than getting nailed by a truck on my left side.

I've never fallen due to my pedals. I have fallen due to my own inability to clip out once, though I think I can reasonably plead fatigue was a major factor. Either way, I couldn't get my foot out. Not gonna blame the pedal.

So I voted no.

The OP failed to ask if you fell over using clipless because you were new to clipless. He just asked if you fell using clipless.
I never fell using clipless until I tried out a set of free Wellgo SPD "compatible" pedals. I was able to clip in easy enough, but when I went to unclip, the "compatible" pedal wouldn't let go and down I went. Now I know why they were free. Other than that one time, I've never fallen with clipless pedals on a road bike.

it's about the ratio I would have expected.

I've fallen using Wellgo SPD-style pedals...my first day of going clipless. I had a snowbank to cushion my fall, but it was frozen and blood oozed.

Whether or not you were new was immaterial to the question. People seem to believe that every either has fallen or will fall, so that an experienced person fell is still a valid data point. However I would exclude equipment failure.