junioroverlord

Well today I must say for the first time I made my way to work without having to unclip the whole time, I was very proud of myself. I've been trying to trackstand for a few days now and haven't quite gotten the hang of it, but I am able to slow myself to a crawl until the lights change and I'm able to cross the intersection.

Well on my way back home today the most embarassing thing possible happened. I was riding up to an intersection where the light had just turned red and slowed down and at the last minute realized I couldn't get my foot out of my toe clip, (considering I cinched the straps down pretty tight thinking, "I'm not going to have to put my foot down, I'm a fixed gear rider now!") and WHAM toppled over in front of a very nice older man, that helped me up. I really need to learn how to trackstand.

adamkell

i've done that a few times...but it was at night...in front of my house....when no one was looking

ryan_c

I did that while practicing in a park, an old Polish lady saw me fall and gave me some antibacterial wipes for my mildly bloody knee. Hurt my pride more than anything.
Now, I sometimes look forward to lights as long as I'm not in a hurry.

bostontrevor

Congrats on your no dabbing accomplishment. Soon you'll be a pro. I can't remember the last time I had to put a foot down on my short 5mi commute. I might actually be hard pressed to unclip or get my foot out in a hurry.

I can however relate that when I was first learning, I was stopped behind a car at a light thinking that I was gonna stand it out, then realizing that I wasn't, then thinking I was going to find a way to get moving again to avoid unclipping, then realizing I wasn't...All to find myself doing the classic 0mph crash surrounded by cars.

Do what I did... Take your bike over to the side of the road and inspect it furiously as if you believe there to be some sort of mechanical issue at hand at least until any motorist who might have seen your little foible is long gone.

ink1373

i ride on wellgo pedals with nice platforms on the opposite side of the spds, so as i draw up to a light, i disengage, stand on the other side of the pedal, (or at least the forward foot) then clip back in when it's green. trackstands with minimal fuss and minimal embarassment. if i have my rear foot in still i can pull up and crank hard to start up fast. just have to hope that if you start going over, it's in the right direction.

BlastRadius

That's what I do, I didn't know anyone else used this "trick".

ephemeralskin

i have time pedals and have never had trouble getting out. clips is another story ... part of the reason they freak me out.

Ceya

it takes time and practice. it is easier to do on a track bike than a road bike. I fell while i was on my Cinelli Corsa years ago . try learning on a road bike.

S/F,
CEYA!

ryan_c

I think it must be human nature to do that. I've pulled that few times, but the last time I fell I was trying to show off doing a no-handed at a light on uneven pavement, and then just fell over... in... slow... motion. I couldn't even bear to look back at the car behind me, I just sucked it up and got back on.

Ya Tu Sabes

Yes! This technique is essential for pride rehabilitation. I use it whenever anything goes wrong that is clearly my fault.

October

Yup, been there...

The very first time I rode with clipless pedals I just stuck 'em on, and away I rolled into the street. Turned a wide circle, telling my friend (who was watching the whole thing), "Hey, this isn't so hard after all..." then promptly proceeded to do a slow-mo faceplant into the asphalt, all the while trying furiously to get my feet loose and catch myself. Guess I should have backed off the tension some.

Ever since then I've ridden with the lowest possible release tension setting. Yeah, I accidentally clip out sometimes, but I always clip out when I want to. Lesson learned.

no tengo coche

Just got myself some spds this weekend. Been riding some cheap plastic clips before, which i kept nice and loose, so i could practice my jerky trackstands, attempting to ride without dismounting. I got pretty good at not having to put a foot down, but i always knew that if i needed to, i could just pull my foot out and save myself.
Only took about five minutes in the clipless before i tried reverting to the last minute dismount, only to find myself stuck and suddenly lieing on the ground in front of my house, looking around to see if any of the neighbors saw me.
The bike inspection technique is definitely an ego saver in these situations. Gotta make sure to scratch your head, and throw your hands up in confusion, because you just cant figure out why your bike didnt let you dismount normally

cogdriven 

I prefer the get right back up and take off technique. It gets you outta there, and keeps 'em guessing. A woman stopped, in a long line of backed up traffic, to let me pull out of a lot and cross the street. Had to wait for a truck coming the other way and lost it. I jumped back up, could see her, out of the corner of my eye, leaning over the wheel to see the lunatic who'd disappeared below her hood. Rode off like that was what I did to pass the time while waiting for an opening.
Raced up to a friend stopped at a light one time. I was on my roadie and wanted to do a hockey stop to impress. What was I thinking? Locked the brake and flipped it right round on the front wheel. I was bloody and banged up, but still had 18 miles to home so I got right on and rode off before I started to stiffen up. I still have a lump on my knee, but he calls me Mad Dog. If I'da pretended it was the bike's fault it would have just been an accident. Let 'em think I did it on purpose!

trystero

You get extra points for saying "Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!" as you are flying through the air.

My dad taught me that one.

progre-ss

Been there, done that. I was waiting behind a car turning right onto a residential street with cars waiting behind me and wasn't able to hold my trackstand. I couldn't unclip out of my SPDs and by the time I unclipped my right foot I fell to the left and landed on the double yellow lines. I heard the giggling of two elementary school-aged girls as my incident of un-equilibrium allowed them to cross the street.

soupless

The very thing happened to me a while back. The thing is, I decided I'd be cool that day and put my lock in my back pocket. Enter the huge bar shaped bruise on my arse. It was in front of plenty o' people as well.

bikeordie

one time i was on my way to class on my MTB and was on the side walk at the time and i went thru an intersection. back up onto the side walk on the other side and there was a pole that held the traffic lights in the middle of the side walk. so, i was late. and haulin ass and dodged the light pole only to have my front tire wedge in a rut inbetween the sidewalk and the grass. my front wheel did an instant 90 and i was thrown forward. however, this is where it gets interesting... instead of doing an endo, my left thigh corrected my front wheel and i proceded to roll about 20 feet while having my face about a half inch from my front tire. just balanced on my bars. still going full speed! finally i got my legs down and did a half waddle half running stop. i turn to my right and some dude in a car is laughing his ass off. i pretended like nothing happened. i wanted to face punch him so bad.

icithecat

NO pics please

votedean

I always bring my bike into work, at this art store, so I dont have to lock it up. After we closed one day, i was showing a fellow biker about trackstanding, and there were a few stackouts of huge drawing pads I was slowely weaving through. I stopped in between two of them and was standing, and just slowely tipped and fell onto one of the pads, he just stood there and laughed. I destroyed one of the stackouts and left some sick marks in the floor. I love skidding down isle 2 after we close.

daveIT

lmao...good idea!

South Fulcrum

Sorry that was me. Well if I had been there I would have laughed. But I would have also applauded.


[edit]
Also I would not have been in a car. Cars are bad.

pixelsponge

Yup, I too have done the zero mph fall over when I was teaching myself how to do trackstands, and it was very embarrassing, but you have to start somewhere. I usually did the whole laugh at myself while on the ground, get back up, and ride away. I think for me it was a change in shoes that made life easier. When I first started I had these things with lots of tread so it was hard to pull them out of the toe clips quickly, now I have these low profile, no tread pair that slip in and out of the clips with ease. And since I have moved on to practicing riding backward 360s I need that.

Orikal

Wait, that's top secret info...I thought I was the only one with high level intel. Awesome.

x86

People still use toe clips and straps on the road?

SamHouston

I've been guilty of that one too, keeps the red face away