Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Clipless falling survey

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway
View Poll Results: Have you fallen because of clipless pedals?
Yes
72.18%
No
27.82%
Voters: 701. You may not vote on this poll

Clipless falling survey

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-10-09 | 04:01 PM
  #151  
Still can't climb
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 23,024
Likes: 6
From: Limey in Taiwan
Originally Posted by rivethead
The only time I've fallen I was actually stopped with one foot unclipped and on the ground. I was on a slight incline and turned to talk to someone. When I turned around the front wheel turned slightly and then rolled which made me lose my balance and I fell over. It was pretty damn funny.
this has to be the winning fall. actually already had foot on ground. you must be a genius.
__________________
coasting, few quotes are worthy of him, and of those, even fewer printable in a family forum......quote 3alarmer

No @coasting, you should stay 100% as you are right now, don't change a thing....quote Heathpack
coasting is offline  
Reply
Old 10-10-09 | 04:24 PM
  #152  
diziet's Avatar
Sma
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 275
Likes: 0
From: New York, New York

Bikes: CAAD9

I've crashed riding clipless, I've skidded in rain and on sand, I've been taken out while riding clipless, but never have I fallen or crashed *because* of my clipless pedals.
diziet is offline  
Reply
Old 10-10-09 | 04:26 PM
  #153  
veganeric's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 335
Likes: 0
From: MN

Bikes: several

I've been riding clipless for over a decade and just had my first pedal related fall two weeks ago. However, it wasn't because I didn't unclip in time, it was because I unclipped at all. I was riding one of my fixed gear bikes and while making a quick stop my front foot pulled out of the pedal. Somehow the momentum of my leg coming up sent me over the bars resulting in a broken left arm and sprained right wrist. I had heard there were release problems with the early Look Quartz pedals but thought mine were newer than that. Since then I picked up a set of the Quartz Carbons and comparing them to my old pedals I think I did in fact have the version that came with the unexpected release feature. Doh!
veganeric is offline  
Reply
Old 10-10-09 | 04:27 PM
  #154  
grafik1979's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: West Hills, CA
I've nearly fallen once because i couldnt unclip in time on a downhill before a red light, but the motion of whipping my foot out unclipped me, thankfully.

Another time I fell when i got a flat and tried to get off quickly, leaned to the wrong side where i wasn't unclipped, and fell.
grafik1979 is offline  
Reply
Old 10-10-09 | 11:12 PM
  #155  
umd's Avatar
umd
Thread Starter
Banned
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28,387
Likes: 3
From: Santa Barbara, CA

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac SL2, Specialized Tarmac SL, Giant TCR Composite, Specialized StumpJumper Expert HT

Originally Posted by coasting
well what kind of idiot would claim "everybody" falls.
Another example... "Just about everyone"
umd is offline  
Reply
Old 10-11-09 | 12:23 AM
  #156  
mr handy's Avatar
Living Notoriously Well
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 886
Likes: 0
From: Florida

Bikes: 06 Felt F80

I went down once or twice when I first started riding clipless.
Recently I went down technically because I could not get my foot out in time, but really because I was crossing a 100 yard stretch of road that is sand... not gravel, just sand. The problem Is that this stretch of road is between my house and the rest of the world... I will have to post pics one of these days.

Nothing like thinking you can make it across because the sand is damp and packed down , then finding your front wheel hit a dry spot and dive about 3 inches deep.
mr handy is offline  
Reply
Old 10-11-09 | 12:30 AM
  #157  
Fugazi Dave's Avatar
Beausage is Beautiful
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,504
Likes: 13
From: Saitama, Japan

Bikes: Nabiis Alchemy

Mostly hasn't happened in years. Happened a few times when I first started riding clipless like 7 or 8 years ago. Most recently I was just dicking around with friends in a big open area here in Changwon, practicing trackstanding, and ended up falling over clipped in because a pretty girl walked by and I got distracted.
Fugazi Dave is offline  
Reply
Old 10-11-09 | 05:35 AM
  #158  
Braden1550's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 550
Likes: 0
From: Australia

Bikes: I hate bikes.

I almost went down this morning. I've been riding clipless for a couple of years now. First fall was with toe clips, I came to a stop. I completely forgot I was strapped in.
Braden1550 is offline  
Reply
Old 10-11-09 | 06:38 AM
  #159  
Newbie
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 74
Likes: 29
From: Oakville, ON, Canada
I have fallen twice. The first time, I had organized a ride with a bunch of people from work, some attendees were casual cyclists. One asked me about my pedals and if I had ever fallen. I responded "Of course not, I know what I am doing"... and then proceeded to fall over in slow motion on my driveway!

The second time I was track standing at a light and fell over. My left wrist was sore for at least six months.
oxman is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 11:14 AM
  #160  
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
Community Builder
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 15,259
Likes: 1,759
From: Far beyond the pale horizon.
I have spds on my bike and about 4000 miles on the pedals. I haven't fallen because of the pedals.

I used to use toe clips with cleated shoes and clipless pedals are much. much easier to use.
njkayaker is online now  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 11:26 AM
  #161  
Newbie
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Edinburgh, UK

Bikes: Specialized Allez

Fell once at lights just after i had got them fitted at some lights, forgot i had them on and just went sideways. Landed on the car next to me though so not the whole way down and luckily they thought it was funny. Might fall again soon as i am planning on giving them a good tighten.
Hiddle is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 03:25 PM
  #162  
DocM's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 386
Likes: 1
I had first gen Looks (the white ones ) in 1987 and fell once, right in front of the main entrance to my college campus. At noon, too, so there were plenty of witnesses.
DocM is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 03:50 PM
  #163  
zone 2
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 591
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, CA

Bikes: BMC Teammachine

Early on, a few close calls but no actual falls.
LorenzoNF is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 04:11 PM
  #164  
snowman40's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,170
Likes: 0
From: Orange County, CA

Bikes: Fuji

I fell saturday because I missed the curb but insisted it was under my right foot....

TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBERRRRRR!

A few scrapes and bruises...I decided to return home and clean up. Glad I did, I found a pea sized (maybe a little bigger) dent in my helmet.....went and got a new one later that day.
snowman40 is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 04:22 PM
  #165  
Cassave's Avatar
Senior Member
Titanium Club Membership
Sheldon Brown Memorial - Titanium
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,671
Likes: 23
From: Woodland Hills, Calif.
Originally Posted by caloso
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!)
And all the while using copper TA cleats NAILED onto the bottom of leather soled Dettos.....
Cassave is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 06:31 PM
  #166  
Chombi's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,128
Likes: 39

Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC

Been riding clipless since LOOK came out with their first models in the 80's. never fell off by accident and clipping off feels almost like a natural body motion that I don't even think about it when I do it. Could the problem be that some people are setting their release tensions too high that they have to put too much effort when twisting/unclipping from the pedals??

Chombi
84 Peugeot PSV
Chombi is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 07:24 PM
  #167  
BarracksSi's Avatar
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,863
Likes: 6
From: Washington, DC

Bikes: Some bikes. Hell, they're all the same, ain't they?

Originally Posted by Chombi
Been riding clipless since LOOK came out with their first models in the 80's. never fell off by accident and clipping off feels almost like a natural body motion that I don't even think about it when I do it. Could the problem be that some people are setting their release tensions too high that they have to put too much effort when twisting/unclipping from the pedals??

Chombi
84 Peugeot PSV
ummmmmmmm....... YEAH. I'll take that excuse.
BarracksSi is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 07:47 PM
  #168  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 697
Likes: 0
it is one of the truths of the universe, one day, everyone with clipless will fall at least once. in about 30-70 years, if anyone reaches the point where they are too old and quit cycling forever, and they have not fallen due to clipless pedals, then:
a. they did not ride very much and got lucky
b. It is a sign of the apocalypse, everybody run.
sirious94 is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 07:55 PM
  #169  
Junkmaster
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
From: Federal Way, WA

Bikes: Lemond '05 Alpe d'Huez, Rebuilt in 2020

I have fallen about half a dozen times. Still counting, since I'm still new at this.
facial is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 08:11 PM
  #170  
Ed Holland's Avatar
8speed DinoSORAs
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,749
Likes: 0
From: Oxford, UK or Mountain View, Ca
There are two sorts of people who use clipless pedals:

1) Those who have had some sort of mishap

2) Those who choose to cover up the fact that they belong to group 1 above.

__________________
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
Ed Holland is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 08:43 PM
  #171  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 0
From: South Jersey
It is very similar to the motorcycle "you will drop your first bike" mentality. I have managed to avoid both, but I believe starting with spds on a mtb helped when I switched to spd-sl on the road bike.
heckler is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 09:25 PM
  #172  
ENER's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
I'm new to clipless pedals, consequently I have fallen 3 times already...jeez. The first two times I caught myself on something, the last time I bent my rear derailleur hanger...Not the pedals fault, just concentrating on something else and forgetting that I am clipped in!
ENER is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 09:38 PM
  #173  
swak's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 366
Likes: 0
I started riding road bikes with a background in BMX bikes, thus, i have very good control of my bike
My clipless pedals are the 105 spec. shimanos (SP-D pedals)

I have never fallen *KNOCK ON WOOD*, nor do i now have any real problems clipping in, the odd time my pedals upside down, but that happens to everyone that i know.
Have i tripped over myself clipping out? Heh.. yeah, but always have caught my balance.
swak is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 09:41 PM
  #174  
BOBSONATOR's Avatar
Klaus Pierre-Action Star
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 280
Likes: 1
From: Off the front

Bikes: 86' Samurai Shogun

never! knock on wood!

but almost did while trackstanding, clipped out last second to support myself from falling!
BOBSONATOR is offline  
Reply
Old 10-12-09 | 09:52 PM
  #175  
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Arkansas

Bikes: Cannondale CAAD 9 5 triple

I've been riding clipless for 1.5 yrs and have never fallen. I use Speedplay Light Action
jwetzelp is offline  
Reply


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.