First experience with clipless pedals...
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Blitz posted 2 years ago.
It is even worse when there are lots of onlookers. You just look like a big geek going over sideways.
Who needs a man when you have a Kuota Kalibur to wrap your legs around.
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Ken B. posted 2 years ago.
Early in my first ride with clipless, I pulled up to a traffic light, which was red, so I stopped. Started falling to the right, reached out to grab a large pole, but there was a sign on the pole. The dull metal edge of the sign cut through my glove and sawed deep into the web between two fingers. But I didn't fall. Rode another fifteen miles, then washed the blood off the bike.
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ggalvao posted 2 years ago.
It's always like that. Another thing is the feeling you get of being 'virgin-like' trying to find where do put the shoes on in order for them to get fixed on the pedal, lol.
My Blog: http://ggalvao.trifuel.net/
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ShellKG posted 2 years ago.
Boy can I relate! When I first got my clipless, I crashed so much that my kids nicknamed me 'Crash'. The name still sticks!
Your first time wasn't even that bad! I had a similar experience, but I went all the way over and into a ditch... people looked at me very funny when I was riding back home with blood dripping down my leg!
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RV posted 2 years ago.
Practice in a trainer to make sure that you foot releases easily.
Then just take it out in a safe area and practice starting and stopping - it quickly becomes second nature - And yes everyone has those embarassing moments and topple over...
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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Adrian_Wong posted 2 years ago.
hey,
i had similar problems too when i first got my clipless like 3 mnths back. Was totally embarassing to fall on one side when there is a bus beside u . Best thing is your college pals are all on that bus...totally embarassing man. =P
Anywya , i agree with what RV said. If u hv a trainer pracitce on the trainer clipping and unclipping. If you do not have a trainer yet practice on a safe road clipping and unclipping or even in a park.
OR
U can try clipping one side of your shoe without mounting on your bike and juz learn how to clip and unclip. Do it a few times to get the hang of it.
Lastly, once u r comfortable perhaps when u hit those busy roads anticipate those traffic lights or juncitions. Unclip one shoe before u reach the lights/juncitions. So u would not panic if u hv to stop at the very last minute.
Hope this helps.=)
Dreams cost NOTHING! Go for it DO IT! :)
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Matt Hill posted 2 years ago.
A clipless pedal crash is like a 'Right of Passage' for cyclists. I happens to some degree to all of us and the start... and sometimes later on too!
We had a thread going where heaps of people wrote about their comical clipless pedal stories --> it's a good read :p . It just lets you know that you're not alone :)
Link to thread: Comical Clipless Pedal Stories
Don't worry, you'll get better and feel more comfortable soon. And before you know it, you'll never want any other sort of pedal!
WELCOME TO THE SPORT OF CYCLING!!!
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thehitman posted 2 years ago.
Yeah, falling over at the stop light seems to be a universal experience. Lots of laughs! And I've gotten stuck in the wrong gear while going uphill --- a couple of times shifting into the tougher gears before figuring out my mistake --- plenty more laughs!
Nowadays, I always clip out early on one side, whenever there's a possibility that I might have to stop. You never know when your shoe will "stick," --- and an extra second is the difference between being able to kick your leg out and more laughs. ;)
thehitman
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain
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Tri Hard posted 2 years ago.
Are you less of a triathlete if you haven't fallen off because of your pedals?
Some how I have managed to avoid any pedal related falls.
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Atropos posted 2 years ago.
Heh, good stories guys. I don't feel so bad anymore, but the season is young and I imagine I'll have other "close calls" as time goes on...
I do find that I automatically clip out before I know I'm going to have to stop. All the stories of people falling over make me very cautious with these things.
Actually, I have a question about pedal life. My right leg is twisted in a wierd way (which makes these clipless pedals a little annoying), but I have a hard time unclipping, and it feels kind of like I'm forcing the cleat off the pedal when I unclip.
Can I damage these things if I'm not careful clipping in and out, or are they pretty rugged and designed to take that kind of abuse?
I don't want to have to drop another $150 on pedals if I can help it...
[URL="http://lincolnp.blogspot.com"]Sprinting to Ironman
The breakdown that happens at the seven-hour mark often starts 200 meters off the beach
--Gordo
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Triguy98 posted 2 years ago.
Lessen the tension on the cleat retaining mechanism. The falling over while clipped in is called turtle-ing. Make sure you have some tension is your leg when unclipping, just sort of a heel kick out, like you're kicking the car of the butt wipe who just about side swiped you.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
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robinsl posted 2 years ago.
Try unclipping one foot and then when you pull up, fall the other way!!! Happened to me more than once, and do you think I could get the other foot out in time?....
[COLOR=RoyalBlue][FONT=Arial Black]robinsl
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o2Ripper posted 2 years ago.
Quote regarding clips. "Those are those who have fallen, and those who will fall" ;p. Ive fallen TWICE! haha. Similiar to the experience above, going up a hill, took a turn at the top of the hill, couldnt exactly get that far, then BOOM, into a ditch. ;p Oh well, battle scars. haha.
-Branden
"Its an addiction"
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glbrum posted 2 years ago.
I fell when I first got mine. I felt relieved that I had gotten it out of the way. Luckily it was just in my neighborhood. A few more practice sessions and you should be fine.
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Nell1217 posted 2 years ago.
I got mine the day before a 50 mile bike ride-bad idea. I practiced the day before and fell once. I figured I shouldn't fall anymore. Was I wrong! After climbng a large hill we stopped to wait for the others and as I was stopping, I forgot that I had clipless and fell over and sprained my left wrist pretty bad, that wsa at the 10th miles. A few miles later my wrist swelled and turned black and blue. I fell a few more times without injury. But then I was at a stoplight, I had slowed my bike down and it came to a complete stop and I fell over. The driver in the car had a worried expression. I stood up bloody knee and all. The last fall occured at mile 47. I was extremely tired with only haven eaten a banana at the beginning of the ride (big mistake) I fell over, don't really remember how, probably from exhaustion. And busted a blood essal in my right hand, made for a very painful last 3 miles. Because I had spriained my left wrist I was putting more weight on my right. But now with a busted blood vessel it hurt just to touch it. I arrived home bloody, black and blue and hungry. Since then I haven't fallen. I hope that is it, but I am sure that there will be some more classic moments!
]Face your fears and live your dreams,
Take it all in,
Yes, every chance you get.”
- Jon Blais ALS Ironman 2005
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magicno5 posted 2 years ago.
I wiped out the first time I got mine as well. I was living in Manhattan after college and I just got my new bike and I was going up 83rd street to central park from my apartment. The light turned red, I stopped next to a cab, tried to unclip, fell onto the cab and smashed my head on the cab's side mirror. All I could do was laugh because of the weird looks that the cab driver and another onlooker gave me. No serious harm done but it must have looked really amusing. I wish I had a tape of it.
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Clydesdales have more fun!!!
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robinsl posted 2 years ago.
magicno5 wrote:
The light turned red, I stopped next to a cab, tried to unclip, fell onto the cab and smashed my head on the cab's side mirror.
The key to this of course is to get into the habit of unclipping before you come to a stop. I read this somewhere before I got my first clipless pedals, and so spent quite a deal of time getting used to doing this. Didn't stop me forgetting occasionally, but once you are into the habit, falling is a lot less likely.
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senortodd posted 2 years ago.
i didn't have any problems riding with cliplees pedals.
Well I just put on the clipless medals even though I had them for a while on thursday. So on friday because I was going for a ride with a new group from the bike shop on saturday, i wanted to get good with them so i wouldn't kill myself. i spent 45minutes inside just snapping in and out and trying to balance. i fell against the bed but that doesn't count. after working up my courage i tried them outside, i just rode around the house a little ways but I was fine, barely even a wobble. The fall that i was worried about thanks to trifuel didn't happen during the 2hr ride on sat. i was very happy except for the fact that it was 95 degrees out there. No problems so far with my pedals :p
PS Yeah TriHard thats the way to think about it. As to whether we are more or less of a triathlete.... leave to the judge(the clock).
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ggalvao posted 2 years ago.
I only fell once because I was riding with those nylon strings (I don't know how u guys call it in English) and later on I switched to clipless and everything went fine.
My Blog: http://ggalvao.trifuel.net/
I just got these on my new bike, and had my first near-fatal experience with them today.
...well, not fatal, but horrible :p
I was climbing this very steep hill and didn't know what gear the new bike should be on to do it. About halfway up I was going too slow and couldn't recover. My bike stopped dead, and I was balanced right in the center, unsure of what way I would fall. Panic set in as I tried to pull my feet off the pedals to reach the ground but couldn't.
After what felt like an eternity (and was more like one second) I remembered how to get out of the pedal and got my left foot down just in time to catch myself.
Apparently everyone falls once when first using these things, but I hope this is as close as I get. That moment was scary enough for me :o
[URL="http://lincolnp.blogspot.com"]Sprinting to Ironman
The breakdown that happens at the seven-hour mark often starts 200 meters off the beach
--Gordo