My first Clipless experience

I have to say that this thread has motivated me to continue cycling on my road bike. Here is my experience:

I recently purchased a used road bike with clipless pedal. After purchasing cycling shoes, cleats and asking a bunch of questions on this whole ordeal, I went off on a Sunday morning to do my 1st ride with high confidence.

The wind felt great, the weather was awsome, and it was a great ride until I got to the 1st stop light. I completely forgot about the clipless pedals and down I went. There were a few witnesses.

Recovering from my fall with as much grace as possibles, that's when I remembered, "toe in, heal out to unclip" and off I went to continue the ride.

Then I got to my 2nd stop light and was able to unclip my right foot but bike and body leaned to the left and down I went again. I recovered from my fall and did not give a damn about grace.

I continued on the ride and every stop light I came to I kept praying for a green light but kept getting a red.

Eventually I decided to make a u-turn and headed home but not after another fall right in front of a coffee shop with many witnesses. I was to much in pain to even attempt a graceful recovery.

Humiliating aside, I fall off today while shifting my bike to a straight position at a hook turn(in Melbourne), only had my left leg down during that time, off I go, bang, the person inside the car got shock. Guess some must be laughing, but the worst part is I scratched my brand new Fi’zi:k saddle and Dura-Ace rear derailleur. Thats gonna be the last time I'm riding that bike to a city area with tonnes of traffic lights. 🙁

OUCH!! Well, that's what I call..ermmm...determination!! I'm glad you didn't get too hurt though.....I must admit I had a good chuckle at your post, but don't give up (I'm sure you won't).
Since I started this post quite a while back I've never crashed due to Clipless Pedals, it's second nature now, I even remember to clip out just in case when I'm approaching some kind of "hazard" such as Pedestrians on a Bike Path etc...it's better than waiting till the last minute...

I'm now riding Crank Brothers Quattro Pedals and when you're in these Babies you're well and truly IN Boy!! Unless you can pull your Foot out of your Shoe you're goin' down!!

Good luck!!

tinydiabla said:

I have to say that this thread has motivated me to continue cycling on my road bike. Here is my experience:

I recently purchased a used road bike with clipless pedal. After purchasing cycling shoes, cleats and asking a bunch of questions on this whole ordeal, I went off on a Sunday morning to do my 1st ride with high confidence.

The wind felt great, the weather was awsome, and it was a great ride until I got to the 1st stop light. I completely forgot about the clipless pedals and down I went. There were a few witnesses.

Recovering from my fall with as much grace as possibles, that's when I remembered, "toe in, heal out to unclip" and off I went to continue the ride.

Then I got to my 2nd stop light and was able to unclip my right foot but bike and body leaned to the left and down I went again. I recovered from my fall and did not give a damn about grace.

I continued on the ride and every stop light I came to I kept praying for a green light but kept getting a red.

Eventually I decided to make a u-turn and headed home but not after another fall right in front of a coffee shop with many witnesses. I was to much in pain to even attempt a graceful recovery.

Well I have been clipless for a few years myself.
First started out with spd and got quickly used to the unclipping.
Went for a test ride for positioning of cleats to see if my feet still got numb, pedalling along at 30km's I see this insect fly into my helmet! After being stung by a bee like that before I wasn't taking any chances. I brake and stop. Totally forgot I was clipped in and managed to unclip and stamp my left foot down. Throw my helmet to the ground and sure enough a bee flies out GRRR.

Week later I was still sussing out the positioning and I hadn't fully tightened up the screws. I see a car coming to a corner and I wasn't sure if he was going to go straight or turn. I attempt to unclip & unclip & unclip never thinking to unclip with my right leg. I come to a stop still trying to unclip and bike starts to teeter over to the left. I give my left foot a mighty flick to try & unclip and & out it comes. My left foot is firmly on the ground like a rocket. Next set of traffic lights as I firmly unclip my left foot I hear a tinkle & immediately knew the screws were loose.

Now I have got a road bike with look style pedals.
I was going thru a roundabout and a car didn't see me!!!! The car clips my back wheel buckling it. I of course come to a stop and get unclipped but I couldn't get my balance to my left side and down I crash.
Thankfully the driver stopped and was kind enough to drive me home, pay for wheel retruing which didn't work and for the new wheel.

As ***ked up as is for a driver to hit you like that, it is really good to hear that he stopped and tried to make it right again.

When I first went clipless several months ago, I did a few practice ins and outs and decided this was all well and good and went off to have some fun on a trail with my newly built MTB. Well, by the time I got back, my new derailleur had some heavy scratches, had been bent all to hell, my new hand grips had a rips on both ends, and my right knee was bleeding, and I was in a miserable mood. I must have fallen a dozen times. It's funny, but I almost always fall to my right. It took me several more rides to dial in the pedals so they released well (and to realize that I need to make them release easer and maybe I'll be able to get out when I need to). Now, I will never go back. I wish I spent a little more time getting my release reflexes, but who wants to do that kind of boring stuff when you have a beautiful day, a new bike, and trails that are just begging to be ridden? I do pay for my impatience.

I clipped in and out a few times at the LBS on a trainer while they were fitting me, but that was my only experience before riding. First, after I drove the bike home, I had to remember (from grade school or so) how to put the rear wheel back on. Not too hard. It's funny to realize that your feet are locked to something while you are tipping over, no? Personally, I only needed to fall over once (skinned knee, no big deal. scary to hear some of the scary things that have happened to people) to get the concept into my head.

Anyway, I have a question regarding clipping out and waiting at lights/stop signs etc... Namely, are there any particular guidelines to follow? I always clip out with the same leg. Any reason to alternate? Also, it seems convenient to rest the unclipped foot on the curb, but I never seem to see more experienced cyclists doing this. Any thoughts?

EliRaskal said:

I clipped in and out a few times at the LBS on a trainer while they were fitting me, but that was my only experience before riding. First, after I drove the bike home, I had to remember (from grade school or so) how to put the rear wheel back on. Not too hard. It's funny to realize that your feet are locked to something while you are tipping over, no? Personally, I only needed to fall over once (skinned knee, no big deal. scary to hear some of the scary things that have happened to people) to get the concept into my head.

Anyway, I have a question regarding clipping out and waiting at lights/stop signs etc... Namely, are there any particular guidelines to follow? I always clip out with the same leg. Any reason to alternate? Also, it seems convenient to rest the unclipped foot on the curb, but I never seem to see more experienced cyclists doing this. Any thoughts?

Hi

I find the best formula for getting out of clipless pedals is to position the foot your clipping out from at around the 9 o'clock position (clipping out with left foot, 3 o'clock for clipping out with the right), that is the left foot is out in front, this gives you the extra leverage to always get out of the pedal each time.

I've always clipped out with the left, it just seems a bit messier with chain ring and chain on the right.

EliRaskal said:

.

Anyway, I have a question regarding clipping out and waiting at lights/stop signs etc... Namely, are there any particular guidelines to follow? I always clip out with the same leg. Any reason to alternate? Also, it seems convenient to rest the unclipped foot on the curb, but I never seem to see more experienced cyclists doing this. Any thoughts?

Everyone has a predominant Foot they put down when they come to a stop, mine is my left...if you're in the US it sounds like yours is your right foot??

You should deffinately get used to unclipping either Foot as needed, so to do this, alternate, left, right, left, right etc...untill you can do it without thinking...you never know when you'll need to unclip either Foot....

It's OK to rest your Foot on the Curb but you won't always beable to...plus you have to ride into the Gutter with it's undulations and storm drains etc..
:eek:

The secret is to anticipate long before you need to stop, change down to a good gear to re-start and unclip the correct Foot (the one you're gonna rest on) before your stop...
It just takes lots of practice....

i remember 2 or 3 last milli-second extractions of my new clipless cleat clad brancale shoes before this occured...

we rolled up to the traffic light in cleveland circle (lots of co-eds around on a sunny but cool fall boston afternoon) while watching the lights, the traffic, the streetcar tracks and watching for the streetcar (light-rail that runs on the street) i completely forgot about being clipless... everything went into slow motion, i verrry slowly started to tip over and somehow stuck out a knee and then a hip and back and then there i am with my merckx in the air, trying to protect all its pricey bits, in the middle of everything... water bottle is open quite a bit and is dripping on me and i still cant get my feet out, no help from my buds as they are all leading the laughter which i can feel is coming from every passing car window, college apt. window, and the ppl on the streetcar and on the street!

that was about 20yrs ago now... dont remember getting my feet out but i remember being on my backside...

all's'miles

curby

i remember when i got my first roadbike (centurion ironman, remember the sweet metalflake black) my dad insisted on my doing it the right way, and promptly ordered me some time sports (the ugly white ones, on sale, didn't really look good with the bike) i was so light read probably 11 or so yrs old that i couldnt clip in, i just wasn't heavy enough to bend the spring. so my dad would kneel beside the bike, and hold it up by the saddle, and push my foot in while i stood with all my weight on it. i cried and cried getting frustrated that i couldnt do it myself, and will never forget the day that i finally was able to get in on my own. those were some brutal pedals to start on, but after falling plenty of times on those i don't think i've ever had another problem with any pedals. i still begin to click out a good distance from the light. if it ends up turning green all you have to do is pedal around and you will clip back in.

curby said:

i am with my merckx in the air, trying to protect all its pricey bits, in the middle of everything... water bottle is open quite a bit and is dripping on me and i still cant get my feet out, no help from my buds as they are all leading the laughter

all's'miles

curby

😄 sorry mate, I know I shouldn't be laughing ....

mine first clipness experience is not better than you a lot.

I am practice in my underground car park for atmost 30 mins with non-stop clip-in and unclip. I thought I can manage to unclip now. At the moment when I was planning to get onto the street.

A car just start slowly pulling out from the car park. I think you guys know what happening next ... :p

I unclip my right and step on the right. but the bike start going down to the left very slowly ... but I am not able to unclip the left.... geez, I fall very very slowly to the left until I hit the ground but I was trying to pull the bike up in the air, coz I don't wanna make any damage on it.

hahhhaa, the driver in that car was totally shocked!!!:o

let's see.. my LBS put me on a trainer to practice clipping in and out... but then i just had to try it while moving.. took my bike to a local park... clipped my right foot in just as a friend who came w/ me started to ask a question about my new pedals.. and boom! down I went cause I happened to put weight on my right foot.. she, needless to say was laughing hysterically at me (not being a biker person)... about 1 month later I was slowing, but not planning on stopping on a driveway and ended up stopping, unclipped the wrong foot,stepped down, then promptly fell sideways down the driveway... i was head first down the hill w/ my bottom foot still clipped in and I couldn't get out or up.... finally unclipped, righted myself just as a car came to the driveway... lol

Jaguar27 said:

Well, I finally did it, I went Clipless today...

It would be great to hear other Riders' first time experiences, was it a piece of Cake or a near death experience?

Oh this is a great thread! It's Clipless Anonymous support group! 😄

I've also had two embarrasing moments with the SPD clipless I installed on my Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006. As what I've read, my experience was similar to everyone here, the rides were fine, it was the stop that brought out the newbie...

The first one was getting home and slowing by the curb in front of the house, nodding to my neighbour who has just reversed his car into his garage I forgot to unclip. Crashed to my right side and scraped a big strip on my thigh on the curb, all under my neighbour's view... Damn!

The second one was a quick stop at a traffic light that just turned red. I stopped and forgot about unclipping, bang and down I went. Blood coming out of the right knee. Fortunately no broken bones. Again, under full view of all the car drivers. I received two toots from a hot rod... Damn!

I hope I won't have a third time. I hope my system has now been properly trained to respond as a reflex. I can't stand another embarrasing moment... 🙁

Anyway, it's good to know that I wasn't alone, and it wasn't just because of my slowing neurons that couldn't make the proper connections. 😉

Jaguar27 said:

Well, I'm happy to report that since I first posted this in Jan 2004 and around 7000 miles ago I have had NO Crashes or even a tumble due to Clipless Pedals....I just got into the habit of unclipping automatically in plenty of time even if I just have to slow down to miss a pedestrian or whatever...

😉

Gosh, I hate smart-asses like you! :p 😉

Got clipless down to an art on a roadie? no falls or bingles?
Now try it on a mountain bike riding up rocks and speeding down technical terrain. [img]cycling.net.aueek.gifOpen ↗[/img] It's mad but I tell you I had to eat humble pie once more and often!! [img]cycling.net.auredface.gifOpen ↗[/img] hahaha..

My first week with clipless was very humbling. I fell down like a dozen times and since then I haven't fell over once. They usually came in spurts - day one saw three crashes, day two none, day three one and four had one too, then 5 was none, then 6 was 2 more and sunday was none.

Everyone of those crashes, involved me coming to a stop and forgetting to clip out, and then just falling over. And it was always in a public place, with at least someone getting a good laugho ut of me.. :o