I've ridden clipless for years and have never fallen. Started out with Shimano clipless SPD's on my mountainbike and now use Shimano SPD road pedals and have never fallen as a result of my pedals. I've crashed my mountainbike lots of times unfortunately for other reasons (endo over a dirt ramp, branch in the spokes on trail, etc.) but none of those had anything to do with pedals.

I have to agree with UMD, falling isn't a foregone conclusion when it comes to clipless pedals. In fact, falling over into some of the streets on which I ride could be fatal. My nightly weekday 20 mile ride is usually during heavy traffic time and I'd hate to fall over in front of an oncoming car. If you are just starting out, practice on your street a couple times or in a parking lot getting in and out of the pedals and pay attention when you ride. This isn't rocket science but you can hurt yourself or someone else if you make a stupid mistake in traffic. If your pedals are working properly, you should be able to get in and out without much of a problem.

My biggest hurdle was getting used to one sided road pedals. My MTB pedals can be clipped in on both sides. IMO, that's the only hassle with Shimano road pedals (no a problem with speedplay or crank bros at least).

I was thinking the same thing.

To the OP: The Candy pedals have enough of a platform area that you can actually pedal on them for a bit without needing to clip in when starting from a stop. If you have problems with clipping in right away, don't despair, pedal on it for a revolution or two then locate your foot properly to clip in.

The cleat on the CB pedals are small compared to the road type pedals, so you need to be a bit more careful in locating your foot and the cleat over the mechanism. If I have trouble clipping in the first time, I'll move my foot back, slide it forward slowly until I feel the front of the cleat catching the "wings" on the pedal then press down.

BTW it does get easier over time, as the spring mechanism breaks in it becomes smoother and less stiff, and you'll have more practice too which will make foot placement more accurate.

Just practice more.

I start with my left foot in first, don't know if that makes a huge difference. My right foot is the big trouble but I'll keep practicing. I got a good deal on them on craigslist so I didn't want to pass them up since I saw them as a recommended pedal for first time clipless pedal.

In regards to the falling, I'm really not concerned about it. I worry about everything so I stay pretty aware I have to unclip before I come to a stop.

And good lord, that's quite the ad for a facebook related link.

^that ad made me turn off signatures. Way to big.


I've yet to fall from unclipping. Not saying it won't happen, but I think about it every time I slow down. Every time.

Another thing to consider is that you might be doing it "backwards" from how your body wants to do it. When I first tried clipless, I put my left foot in first, and used the right foot to put down at a stopped position. I thought, well I am left handed, therefore I should be left-legged and since that is so obviously the case, I should use my left leg to push off then clip in the right once I get going.
NOPE.
After a couple of falls from trying to do this, I switched things around to see if that would work.
YEP.
Which leg you put down at a stopped position (if you aren't tricky with the trackstanding) does make a difference.

Had my first clipless ride this morning. I wish I could say I didn't fall, but I did. Dual-sided pedals, didn't loosen the tension adjustment on one side enough (brainfart). Foot didn't come off in time, I panicked and fell. No permanent damage, just to my ego, as I really wanted to be one of those guys who never fell. I guess I won't be joining that club.

All I've got to add is, don't think about it too much. Put your right foot on like your left foot already is and go for it.

It's always hardest for me if I stand there and look down at my foot while I'm trying to clip in.

(I've only used CB pedals so far, mostly two-sided; the 4-sided Eggbeaters are sketchy if you're pedaling before getting clipped in)

You will fall... everybody does

Another idiot reveals himself

How about this, if you don't fall for one reason or another are you biking hard enough?

I've fallen a few times. Once, someone cut me off and instead of crashing into them I took a dive, had i had clipless maybe it would have turned out different. Second time, same ride, after the first fall I cleaned myself up rode 50 miles came to a stop to end the ride and didn't have the strength to unclip, i had sprained my ankle and twisted my knee from the original fall so I couldn't twist out of the clips. Third time, i was cranking away came up on a steep incline on a narrow path, a newbie was in front of me taking up the path struggling to get up the hill so I had to brake hard and didn't have time to shift into a granny gear, I couldn't turn the pedals, couldn't unclip, and I fell.

But back to the topic, I know some people that just didn't have the strength or weight to clip in. They bought a different style and the problem was solved.

+1

Lose that word from your vocabulary - all your brain hears is "blah blah blah fall blah blah fall"

Ride #1 (mid-day on a Thursday) after taking a 14-yr break from bikes my buddy chose a route that led us through downtown Dallas. Lots of stop lights, lots of traffic. Nice. Given that it had been years since I'd ridden clipless I decided it would be in my best interest to take off pedaling with only 1 foot clipped in, clear the intersection and then worry about getting the other foot clipped in. Once I knew for sure we weren't making a light, I unclipped one foot. Way early. And yep, I'm sure, way lame. You can imagine my buddy's horror when he realized he was on a ride with one of those riders who unclipped 50 yards before a stop.

Point is, don't sweat it, and if you take off and don't get that second foot clipped in, keep pedaling - you'll keep moving and the crank will come around so you can try again. Win-Win.

I've fallen for plenty of reasons. Some of them my fault. Broken my collarbone and my ribs. But I've never fallen because I forgot to unclip, and I don't think that it makes me better than anyone who has.

+1 collarbone 3 times, but no ribs........ Numerous cases of road rash to one extent or another over 40+ years..(which really s**Ks when the sheets stick to it at night)...... but I have never fallen because I forgot to unclip,.......and that includes years of riding in toe clips and cleated shoes.

First day, first fall. Thought I could get away faster on an uphill start, stalled, and then the slow-motion Timmmbbberrrr! No serious damage - bruised left hand and knee. The most severe injury sustained was to the ego.

I think the OP's main point was not to say YOU MUST FALL, just that it may happen, don't worry about it, get right back on the horse so to speak. Advice to beginners is to not make it a bigger deal than it really is.

Back to thread topic (kind of): what do people think of one-sided pedals? Are they harder to get into?

I use look keo classics. I find the one sidedness to be annoying. on the road, it results in more scuffs when I have a bit of a problem getting them right side up. on rollers it's annoying bc it can result in a fall. I've gotten used to it by now, so I'm sticking with them

The OP didn't say anything about falling.

Yes. Well... no. They're harder to get the hang of. Once you get the hang of them, they're fine. I use Keo Classics, and they were a bit tricky at first, but now they're fine. Great, even.

theres nothing wrong with being prepared for the likelihood that youre gonna fall when youre learning to clip in.

maybe it would be less objectionable to some parties if it was rephrased from "youre gonna fall" to "youre probably gonna fall"

Exactly. Or most people fall.

More than half of marriages end in divorce, but I think if you went on a web site and set "you will get divorced, everyone does" it would not go over well...

I have the Look Keo Classics also. they were a PITA at first because of the one sided aspect, but a few month later and I don't even notice it anymore.

Pedals are one of the things that I want to play with this year though. I may buy a few different pair just to play around with and see what I like, sell off what I don't.

I stand corrected.