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First Injury From Unclipping Improperly

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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

First Injury From Unclipping Improperly

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Old 10-16-10, 05:26 PM
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First Injury From Unclipping Improperly

Murphy just got me good. I was riding up to my front door after a nice 16 mile ride. I unclipped my left foot as I was braking and then fell to my right. I couldn't unclip my right foot fast enough. Yes, I'm a newb.

Everything would have been fine if I fell one foot further away from my door. I would have just landed on the soft grass. Instead I landed right on the decorative brick boarder around my bushes that had a nice ridge on it.

Here is the picture of the damage. I did not image link it because some people have weaker stomaches than others. It is a small gash and bruised pretty bad. I have a band-aide on it now and I'm icing it.

https://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8656/p1010620a.jpg


I am still getting the hang of clipping in and out. It is going to take a lot more practice. I often have to try two or three times to clip in my 2nd foot.

On the plus side, I do like this kind of riding. Now I can apply power by pushing my foot back and pulling up where before I could only apply power pushing down. It feels like I'm using 3/4 of the crank.
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Old 10-16-10, 05:29 PM
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Have you had a chance to get out of the saddle on any climbs yet? I feel like that's where clipless is really noticable over platforms/clips.
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Old 10-16-10, 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by SactoDoug
Murphy just got me good. I was riding up to my front door after a nice 16 mile ride. I unclipped my left foot as I was braking and then fell to my right. I couldn't unclip my right foot fast enough. Yes, I'm a newb.

Everything would have been fine if I fell one foot further away from my door. I would have just landed on the soft grass. Instead I landed right on the decorative brick boarder around my bushes that had a nice ridge on it.

Here is the picture of the damage. I did not image link it because some people have weaker stomaches than others. It is a small gash and bruised pretty bad. I have a band-aide on it now and I'm icing it.

https://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8656/p1010620a.jpg


I am still getting the hang of clipping in and out. It is going to take a lot more practice. I often have to try two or three times to clip in my 2nd foot.

On the plus side, I do like this kind of riding. Now I can apply power by pushing my foot back and pulling up where before I could only apply power pushing down. It feels like I'm using 3/4 of the crank.
Don't worry, it happens to everyone.

PS: If you think that's a bad injury, just wait till you get your first full leg road rash.
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Old 10-16-10, 05:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Blackdays
Don't worry, it happens to everyone.

PS: If you think that's a bad injury, just wait till you get your first full leg road rash.
Hoping to trigger a response?

It happens. Gloves help.
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Old 10-16-10, 05:33 PM
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I did a couple of times on my quick little ride when I rode up two pedestrian overhead crossings. When I'm out of the saddle going up a steep incline, I work my weight back and forth between the two pedals. I don't know if that is proper but it does not leave much opportunity to use more than the downward part of the cranking motion.
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Old 10-16-10, 05:36 PM
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Originally Posted by jdon
Hoping to trigger a response?

It happens. Gloves help.
I'm sorry?
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Old 10-16-10, 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by SactoDoug
I don't know if that is proper but it does not leave much opportunity to use more than the downward part of the cranking motion.
Next time you ascend, try leaning forward on your handlebars a bit. It'll shift your leverage so that you're pushing/pulling somewhat diagonally, not just standing on the pedals mashing vertically.
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Old 10-16-10, 05:48 PM
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im new as well, and first day with clips I tried climbing a hill from a standstill and before I could even get any momentum I kissed the asphalt, my feet were on the pedals when I smashed. It hurt pretty bad too! lol. good luck!
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Old 10-16-10, 06:01 PM
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when you're starting to fall over to your right, steer to the right, you might be able to save it. When you steer right, the bike falls left hard at 0 speed.

Sucks that you fell on something hard and with a ridge to it though. That injury is, well, nothing to worry about. If you ever race you'll have much worse.

Something more like this (actually from MTB crash on dirt jumps). https://i422.photobucket.com/albums/p...ger/crash4.jpg

That's actually later in the day after the crash. Immediately after I had blood running all down my face. My lip was ripped away from my gum and needed sutures. I also had some bad rash on both wrists.
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Old 10-16-10, 06:03 PM
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Welcome to the club OP..........
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Old 10-16-10, 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Ayyyyy
Next time you ascend, try leaning forward on your handlebars a bit. It'll shift your leverage so that you're pushing/pulling somewhat diagonally, not just standing on the pedals mashing vertically.
I'll give that a try. Thank you for the suggestion.
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Old 10-16-10, 06:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Flatballer
when you're starting to fall over to your right, steer to the right, you might be able to save it. When you steer right, the bike falls left hard at 0 speed.

Sucks that you fell on something hard and with a ridge to it though. That injury is, well, nothing to worry about. If you ever race you'll have much worse.

Something more like this (actually from MTB crash on dirt jumps). https://i422.photobucket.com/albums/p...ger/crash4.jpg

That's actually later in the day after the crash. Immediately after I had blood running all down my face. My lip was ripped away from my gum and needed sutures. I also had some bad rash on both wrists.

Holy cow! That looks nasty.
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Old 10-16-10, 06:29 PM
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Also try lightening the tension on ur pedals to where its easier to clip in and out. This should help till u get use to them. As long as the don't unclip when you're sprinting or climbing then the easier to get in and out the better for now. It won't be long till its second nature though but everyone falls till it is. Glad ur ok (ish)
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Old 10-16-10, 06:34 PM
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With clipless pedals, you'll have a fall or two before you get the hang of it. Remember to twist your heel outwards until it becomes second nature and keep the tension on the lowest setting so you can clip out ahead of time.
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Old 10-16-10, 06:35 PM
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Throw the bike on a trainer and practice clipping in and out over and over until it's habit. Most people have one foot they're better at getting out than the other- find out which yours is.
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Old 10-16-10, 06:38 PM
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In my case it was my right foot. I switched to platform pedals because clipless pedals didn't properly support my feet and I didn't want the hassle of clipping out every time I needed to in an urban environment.
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Old 10-16-10, 06:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Blackdays
I'm sorry?
No you're not.
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Old 10-16-10, 06:52 PM
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Originally Posted by whooosshhh...
no you're not.
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Old 10-16-10, 07:23 PM
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DId the same, Jammed some nasty cobble into my hip. 1 down, what 3 to go?

All adults, especially high powered execs who use phrases like "blue sky" and relate their time to "bandwith", should experience the sheer and utter stupidity of unclipping your left foot, then, by the power of the moron gods, lean right. Slam hard on concrete. Make it sound great. And then have some tweens ask "Dude, you ok? I can teach you how to ride a bike you know. Nice tights."
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Old 10-16-10, 09:05 PM
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not to wish you bad luck or pain, but that will most likely be the first of many injuries. i took a decent spill the other day, left knee and shoulder are healing up now.
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Old 10-16-10, 11:19 PM
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Well **** happen, that was me about 2 months ago
https://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...0901001551.jpg
Now I have a nice scar for the memories


Oh and that was a clipless fail while going uphill and my leg went right in the cogs.
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Old 10-17-10, 07:06 PM
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As long as the bike is ok, suck it up.
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Old 10-17-10, 07:10 PM
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I'm new to clipless, only about 3 weeks now. Today I got a blowout on the rear tire while riding 18mph clipped in. I'm happy to report I unclipped and came to a stop safely. Might have been worse if it had been the front tire.
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