BigBlueToe

Everyone said it was just a matter of time until you fell over trying to get your foot out of your clipless pedals. I was determined to defy the odds. I made it about 5 months.

I hadn't been on my bike in about a month - work, weather, you know. As I pulled away from my house I reminded myself that I needed to unclip before trying to put my foot down. It helps to remind myself of this after all the decades with platform pedals.

I came out of the bushes on our local bike path to a street crossing. My mind was somewhere else and I didn't see the car until the last minute. What happened next happened too fast and is a blur. I managed to brake and not get hit. I even got my left foot out of the clip, but then I fell over to the right! As I was halfway to the ground I knew I didn't have time to get my foot out and catch myself, so I braced and hit the ground. I got up with a sore wrist and sore elbow. I wondered if I had done any damage, but I was able to keep riding so I did.

The good news is after the ride there was no perceptible damage to my wrist or arm. No harm done.

Has anyone else unclipped the wrong foot in a panic situation?

Nachoman

Falling = bad.
Falling drive train side down = worse.
Glad to hear no harm done.

rangerdavid

welcome to the club

urbanknight

Fixed.

Nachoman

You haven't been initiated to the club yet? Good for you!

nahh

I know very few people who haven't fallen from clipless

my first time was going up a long climb, shifted to the small ring, but it wouldn't shift, wouldn't shift, not enough speed, fell over into the ditch. I had to walk the rest of the way up because I couldn't get started again on the grade. (fell on the steepest section of the climb)

that was finishing up the most hill climbing i've ever done.

kdawg

slowed down at a stop light uncliped my right foot and fell to the left

Daytrip

I've fallen after inadvertently re-clipping. Moral of the story: Step away from the pedal when you unclip.

urbanknight

Oh no, I'm a card carrying member. That was a reference (and joke) to umd and his poll on the subject.

slow dog

i fell one day i got home and stoped in my drive way real fast and stoped and foregot to unclipped and fell over

guadzilla

This ought to be good...

:

EDIT: I see UK has beaten me to it. Oh well. It should still be good.

Ware

Nah, there's too much other fun stuff going on in the forum to turn this one into a mess.

joe_5700

That is exactly how I fell too.

urbanknight

True, but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crFQpOCDfEc

JacoKierkegaard

Nice. I made it about a month before my initiation.

I think I speak for (most of) the rest of us when I say I'm eagerly anticipating umd's clipless fall thread, if he does in fact admit to it when it happens.

Ware

That there is a darned good point.

khatfull

My only time was pulling up into a buddies driveway to meet him for a ride, after about 4 months of clipless. Rode up the driveway, slowed down, and just stopped, no unclip, nothing. Complete brain freeze. Just literally fell over but managed to keep the bike totally off the ground. Didn't even muck up the kit. I was lucky.

bryroth

Last year while I was trying to build myself up to longer and longer rides my very patient girlfriend volunteered to pick me up in another town. I just wanted to go one-way, and she said she didn't mind. I arrived at my destination, where we were going to get coffee before returning. While waiting I decided to practice track-standing. I used to be able to do it all right, but it had been a while. Not one of my finest decisions - I was doing it with one foot clipped in. So I'm in an empty part of an otherwise busy parking lot at a shopping center track standing, kind of "on stage" in retrospect, given the number of people driving and walking around. No surprise, I went from just sitting on my bike to falling over. The strange part was that I so desperately resisted falling that it turned into this big crash - I think I was airborne for a second.

Funniest thing was that it wasn't the best part of town, and this O.G.-style jacked-up Suburban happened to be passing by with a couple of O.G.-style guys inside, and one leaned out the window, pointed, and just started cracking up. This very big dude gets out to see if I'm all right, all the while laughing at the top of his lungs. It apparently really made his day. At least he found some enjoyment out of it. I didn't tell my girlfriend about it.

knobster

I did it on my mountain bike when I first put SPD's on it a few years ago. Learned that day and haven't done it since. One thing I've heard, and thankfully haven't had to try out, is if you're falling, keep your grip on the handlebars. Don't try and brace yourself when you fall as this is where most of your injuries are going to take place.

tagaproject6

Uh-oh! Not one of these again!?!

roadiejorge 

For those who fell after months of riding clipless....

JonnyUtah75

Now here's my question. I have Speedplays, but recently went back to platforms (please hold boos and hisses until after I'm done). I'd taken two falls, both at stoplights when I leaned the wrong way. Very dumb, yes I know. After that I went back to platforms, but I really want to get back on my clipless.

Question: Once you're completely comfortable with your clipless and getting out is second nature (I didn't give them enough time to get to that point), how much - if any - of a hindrance are they in an emergency situation? I ride in an area with heavy traffic, and IF there is a bikelane, it's a joke. I'm always very close to the cars. I took them off because I'm not a racer (but I do like to ride fast), and the safety issue didn't outweigh the benefits.

Thoughts?

Daytrip

I developed a pretty quick ankle twist motion that unclips my feet faster than I could pull them out of clips, so I don't see a big safety issue. I'm not sure, however, if they would release during a crash. Maybe you want your feet staying put in a wipe-out. Hope I never have to find out.

roadiejorge 

I've ridden in NYC traffic at rush hour using clipless pedals and I've had no issues unclipping in emergency situations, and I've had a few. Once I got used to the motion to unclip it became instinctual so I haven't had a problem, also keep in mind you'll learn how to negotiate obstacles without having to unclip too and that involves the ability to identify potential hazards; if you're riding at a good pace unclipping won't be an option anyway.

Quel

I always thought it was having the skill to not crash that got you into "the club".