Falling off

[cooper_coleraine]

Yesterday I fell off my bike. I am very old almost 88 years I.stopped using clips and pedals.because I had become very slow in getting m y feet out of the clips. On a number of occasions I fell over. I now use Vibram soled boots with touring pedals. Yesterday I lost contact with my pedals and fell over heavily
I was shaken and bruised but with no bones broken. I also wear a small rucksack because I was having difficulty swinging my leg over my Ortlieb panniers. Has anyone had a similar experience? The rucksack contributed to my fall.

I shall now use a small saddlebag and my small Karrimor front panniers on a old Jim Blackburn high loader .does anyone know where I can buy elbow and knee protection?
As I lay on the grass composing myself after feeling shaken up, for a moment I contemplated retirement. I am pleased that.this thought has gone away!

Help and encouragement please.

Thanks

[slowster]

My sympathies, and at "almost 88 years" my admiration. I hope the bruising fades soon. I had a comedy fall last year (in my case entirely due to my own stupidity), and it reminded me how close the difference may be between standing up afterwards and feeling a fool versus ending up in A&E with a broken wrist or fractured hip.

What pedals do you use? If you were using traditional cage type pedals with toe clips, and are still using them now without toe clips, I suspect that may not be a particularly grippy combination with Vibram soled boots. If they are walking boots, the lugged soles will result in a limited amount of contact with the thin pedal cage, which will not be helped by the hardness of the rubber of those soles.

I think the most grippy pedal is a flat MTB style pedal with lots of surface area and pins. A downside of that type of pedal is that the pins may gash shins/calves if you are careless or even just plain unfortunate. I prefer not to use MTB style flat pedals, because I am occasionally careless enough to gash my legs with even ordinary pedals, but I think one of the best for surface area contact and grip is the MKS Gamma. It was originally made by MKS for Rivendell (whose name for it is 'Grip Monarch'). Rivendell also commissioned another manufacturer to make extensions which bolt to the side of the pedals and provide even greater surface contact area, but they appear not to be available from a UK retailer at the moment.

https://freshtripe.co.uk/mks-gamma-pedals/

https://freshtripe.co.uk/mks-x-rivendel ... dal-wings/

Grip could be increased further by using shoes/boots with a relatively flat rubber sole, but I am not familiar enough with that type of footwear to suggest any particular make or model.

[Jdsk]

....does anyone know where I can buy elbow and knee protection?
...

I'd turn to the MTB world, eg:
https://www.evanscycles.com/helmets-pro ... rmour-pads

Jonathan

[Nearholmer]

Have you had your balance checked by the GP?

My mother had a few minor tumbles from her bike at c82yo, and the subsequent investigation of her balance actually put an end to bike riding, which wasn’t good. The issue wasn’t her inner ear, but something to do with foot muscles/tendons which weren’t responding properly. She eventually began to totter a bit when walking, and had to have operations on both feet to sort them out.

[fatmac]

Knee & elbow protection from a skate boadring store....

If cycling becomes too dodgy for you, give kickbiking/ big wheel scooter a go, this is how I get most of my exercise these days.

Check out https://www.funon2wheels.co.uk/store1

[rjb]

Time for a recumbent trike maybe.

[Galactic]

It won't help prevent any falling off or over, but have you considered a step through or a mixte frame? So much easier than getting a leg over the top tube, and also easier to dismount during a sudden stop. A trike might also be a good (and fun!) way to safely continue cycling if you're worried about balance and reaction times.

I'm glad you've managed to banish thoughts of retirement from cycling. The way things are going with me I shall have to give up cycling long before I'm almost 88 and I can't bear to think of that day. So I'm enjoying it while I can, and I take great encouragement from older posters such as yourself who are still getting around on two and three wheels. So thank you for posting.

[DropperPost]

does anyone know where I can buy elbow and knee protection?

If you want elbow and knee pads for continuous use on long rides, you definitely don't want hard plastic ones like skateboarders use. Hard plastic pads are designed to slide down the steep, concrete surface of skate parks. They would be horrible to use on long bike rides, as the hard plastic would eventually dig into your soft flesh and hurt like hell.

The solution is a pad which is filled with a 'non-newtonian' fluid, i.e. something that is soft and flexible when you're pedalling along, but suddenly stiffens into a rubber block when you fall off. I'm sure there are loads of mountain bike brands that now manufacture this type of knee/elbow pad but, to get you started on your search, I use one of the top mountain biking brands (POC) who have named their version of this type of pad 'VPD.' I've been using them for many years, and you can definitely wear them all day without any discomfort other than a bit of sweat, but they'll save you if you come off. Here's their product page, which specifies which pads are VPD: https://poc.com/en-gb/categories/cyclin ... protection

[cooper_coleraine]

Thanks for your helpful words and encouraging thoughts. Yes I have seen my GP
And I do have nerve damage to my feet.
Probably trench foot. This affects my balance when walking but the doctor says the damage cannot be reversed but it is not getting worse

Thanks

[GideonReade]

Time for a recumbent trike maybe.

Cripes! Indeed harder to "fall off" - I'm only 63 and I think I'd struggle to get out of one of these.

As I'd be stuck in it, I'd need two bottles* for every ride.

* Work it out for yourselves...

[JohnR]

If you've got disc brakes then fitting a size smaller wheels makes it easier to get a foot on the ground if you feel you are going to topple over.

[pjclinch]

Time for a recumbent trike maybe.

Cripes! Indeed harder to "fall off" - I'm only 63 and I think I'd struggle to get out of one of these.

As I'd be stuck in it, I'd need two bottles* for every ride.

* Work it out for yourselves...

Not all 'bent trikes are particularly low to the ground. Check out e.g. the Kettwiesel which has a relatively high set seat compared to a typical "tadpole", and various of the latter have quite high seats for easier access.

On a "normal" bike, a rolling (dis)mount makes it much easier to clear luggage etc. compared to climbing aboard (or off) a stationary machine.

A bar-bag or basket is another place to put things.

My general runabout is a Moulton which is much easier to step over than a standard diamond frame, without losing frame stiffness.

Pete.

[AndyB1]

Glad to hear that you are continuing to ride and are bruised rather than broken.

Would MTB strapless plastic toe clips (that bolt to the front of the pedal) help keep your feet in position but allow them to come off the pedals easily when required? I have used them for a long time on a range of pedals. SJS sell them, under £5 a pair.
And flat bottomed shoes with not too much grip (so they can not snag on the pedals).

Zefal strapless toe clips

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/images/prod ... /20629.jpg

[hercule]

These pedals use grip tape which might be kinder on your shins than pinned MTB pedals… with a suitably sticky sole material they might work for you.

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/ergon-pt-pedals

[pjclinch]

These pedals use grip tape which might be kinder on your shins than pinned MTB pedals… with a suitably sticky sole material they might work for you.

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/ergon-pt-pedals

I used to have these on our kiddyback triplet, where a comedic SPuD non-release keel-over was not an option I wanted to entertain with two small folk in the stoker seats. The only real downside to speak of was they're not the most comfortable option in open-toe sandals which I wear a lot of the time, but that's not exactly sky-falling-in stuff.

Pete.