I don't think it takes a great amount of physical effort or skill to unclip once you remember that you cannot possibly move your foot forward, backwards, upwards even straight sideways - you have to twist your heel out. But you do all those wrong movements because of the panic and fear of falling.Lozzie wrote:No I have a size 9 ladies. My Shimanos are size 42.
It's just going to take time and Practise. Need to find somewhere I can hold myself up while practicing my right shoe unclipping.
The problem for everyone is that in the moment of panic when you suddenly realise you are falling, you waste precious milliseconds and effort trying to PULL your foot off the pedal so that you can put your foot down, when only twisting your heel outwards first will free your shoe so that you CAN then put your foot down. If the split second you fear you might fall you immediately are reaching with your hand for an object to support you, or you give in to your natural/panic reaction to try to "pull" your foot off the pedal (instead of twisting your heel out), then you will probably go down.
You have to steel yourself not to panic - hang on to the bars tight and tense up your stomach muscles - so that you can forcefully whip you heel outwards with a twisting motion, that turns into a big last-minute lunge (once your foot is free) as you stomp your now-free foot onto the ground to support you. There is time to do this even AS you are falling, and still manage to get your foot out and down. It might sound extreme, but it is your only chance once you have started to fall. It usually can be done just so long as you don't waste precious milliseconds panicking and flailing your leg around trying to get it free.
Disclaimer: I last 'semi-fell' serveral months ago going up my steep driveway and a downshift didn't go to plan - but nobody saw it so that doesn't count.
