Today I became an official member of the clipless club. Not because it was my first time, second ride actually. Not because I felt the power coursing through my feet and driving me forward at a greater speed than ever before. No it was because I fell over due to being clipped in.
I stopped at a mini roundabout on a hill to give way to a car. Went to restart and gave half a pedal rotation with the clipped in foot as I put the other foot on the pedal. Pushed down with said foot and missed clipping in and the foot slid off the pedal. Lost all momentum and felt over to my left. Fortunately no cars were coming so I wasn't splatted.
For those who saw the recent announcement of my new MK3 received at Christmas. The handlebar tape was scratched, saddle picked up a slight tear but the frame was unharmed. Big sigh of relief!!!
Here's to many more miles and and a few less falls.
I used to have Campag ProFit Centaur pedals - single-sided road pedals, and were a horror to get back in. If I miss-timed it, the pedal would spin very quickly and would be a devil to align horizontally to clip in.
Now I I have the same, but Chorus. The bearings are completely different in that they have three quality bearings in there rather than the basic two. Also they don't spin uncontrollably and align very easily. They are FAR easier - and I've never had any trouble, even on a steep hill.
Ive done the timber thing a couple of times now, what usually gets me is going round a corner and meeting a HUGE hill ahead, losing all momentom very fast before I can change gear and TIMBER..... Happened twice now.
I do try to unclip my left foot whenever I come to a roundabout or set of lights. Its the sudden hills that get me every time though!
Mine are double sided, they're shimano double sided SPD's. The problem was that I lined up wrong and didn't put the cleat in the pedal. So the nice flat, stiff sole of the shoe slid off and down I went.
Did anyone else find the feeling of the smaller pedal surface odd when they first switched? I'm still trying to get the cleats in the right position but I was just so used to a big platform under my foot.
robwa10 wrote: Did anyone else find the feeling of the smaller pedal surface odd when they first switched?
Yes. For long rides SPDs are great but for traffic jamming I prefer BMX pedals with cross trainer type shoes. The nearest thing to velcro in a pedal and you can walk normally.
The worst combo were old style straps and shoe plates. I once stayed clipped in and could only get out by staying on the floor, loosening the straps and holding the pedal while physically manhandling my foot out. Might as well have put a wingnut through my sole straight through the platform!
glueman wrote:The worst combo were old style straps and shoe plates. I once stayed clipped in and could only get out by staying on the floor, loosening the straps and holding the pedal while physically manhandling my foot out. Might as well have put a wingnut through my sole straight through the platform!
That would have been great in the middle of a roundabout! I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt during that event but reading it now I probably would have paid money to seen that happening. It sounds like one of those events when your mate does something that hurts him but the whole event is so comical that you can't help him cause you're laughing to hard.
Sorry glueman if I've brought up painful memories. I honestly would have, and still regularly do, laughed at myself.
I recently retrofitted old-style pedals for that very reason. My problem was always getting clipped back in. And it would always be at lights behind a long line of traffic. I read lots of people complaining about getting out of the peals, but mine was always getting into them
Mine were Look Keos, btw, which seemed doubly stupid because I could't walk in the shoes when off my bike, but rather had to hobble around, take a spare pare or apply fiddly covers to the cleats.
And I didn;t really notice an improvement in peddling. But then again, maybe that's just me being rubbish.
Anyay, my roadbike had neat little aluminium pedals now and my shins (and pride) fewer scuffs.
Last edited by Gotte on 5 Jan 2009, 6:46pm, edited 2 times in total.
Some of the early clipless systems with naive riders were almost as bad. I heard of one incident where a rider piled into a parked car and had back and neck injuries at least partly because the shoes never released.
My favourite system for that platform feel were Look pedals but they were impossible to walk in. I'm one of those people who keeps clips and straps on a couple of bikes quite happily and doesn't feel at any disadvantage except on fixed when the ability to pull up on the hills is priceless.
It's been a while since I fell off due to staying clipped-in too long. However I seem to have come full circle!
While on my second mountain biking trip last week, I tried to jump over a stream and managed to unclip my left foot unintentionally, raking my shin off the pedal and my 'undercarriage' against the stem!
I find clipping easier than unclipping personally.
I think you do need to be fully focused as I find I am more likely to have a problem when I'm tired and not thinking too fast and also if I am wearing a rucksack in which case the extra top weight seems to bring you to earth more quickly.
Mine first was pretty spectacular being at the port of St Malo when having shown my ticket and passport to the Ferry company I was immediately faced by passport control whereupon, cursing, I stopped to get my passport out again without unclipping! The look on the gendarme's face as he came to pick me up was priceless.
The downside is it ripped the seat off the very comfortable Claude Butler saddle. Not only did it make getting home rather uncomfortable but also brought me to earth again in Portsmouth. Again not fully concentrating.
I never could find a replacement saddle so now have a Selle but I'm not sure how comfortable it's going to be.
there's madness for you! Never, ever done it. MamTor or mam nick always feel more attractive
..or White Horse Bank - very pictureseque compared to rather bleak Winnats.
I don't know how people re-cleat on Winnats as the grade has no let up that I can remember. [smug/] Fortunately I have always done it on a triple and never needed to find out.[/smug]
Had 2 interesting episodes with clipless pedals.
When fairly new to them started to ride through a flooded road wich became to deep so tried to turn round slowly without putting my foot down in the water but forgot to unclip, splash in afoot of water and still clipped in.
Other time one of the bolts holding the cleat in the shoe came loose so that turning the foot didnt unclip. Had to unlace the shoe and take my foot out to get off the bike.
