Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Lozzie » Tue Dec 08, 2015 10:01 am
The turning the handle bars has helped a lot. I have no issues clipping in now it's clipping out. Just clip out very early (though am so good at clipping out I clip back in when I don't want to!)
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby outnabike » Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:12 pm
RonK wrote:First, if it is adjustable, set the clip tension on the pedals to the lowest setting.
Take your bike down to the local park, and practice on the grass where a fall will cause no harm.
Before starting, make sure you know which foot you are going to put down, then practice unclipping repeatedly until the action is familiar.
Then rehearse the dismount - unclip, brake to stop, stand on other leg, lean bike slightly as you plant foot.
Then start riding - do not pick too low a gear or you won't gain balance speed from the push away.
Once moving engage cleat in the other pedal. If you miss-cleat, put your foot lightly on the pedal, carefully complete a stroke then try again, or backpedal half a turn and put another stroke with the cleated foot then try again.
Repeat, repeat, repeat until competent.
I know your thring to here Ron, but I have an alternative view.
”RonK wrote:First, if it is adjustable, set the clip tension on the pedals to the lowest setting.
Take your bike down to the local park, and practice on the grass where a fall will cause no harm.
“This is a fallacy and a soft option. The correct way to get a real life expectation of clips is to get on a road and clip in then stop suddenly. You will fall over and fell lots of pain. Do it at least 3 times each side.” Or as noted… “
Repeat, repeat, repeat until competent.
Before starting, make sure you know which foot you are going to put down, then practice unclipping repeatedly until the action is familiar.
“A fallacy. Just when you think you will fall left you will fall right. If you did the above recommended procedure you would know this already.”
Then rehearse the dismount - unclip, brake to stop, stand on other leg, lean bike slightly as you plant foot.
“More explanation of the noted fallacy. Tell all that to the guys that have been riding for years and have a clip stack. I say embrace the clip stack…it is the sign of an experienced rider that can handle the pain. Other than hitting a golf ball into the scrub off the first tee, with half the club watching, where else can you so blatantly humiliate yourself.”
Then start riding - do not pick too low a gear or you won't gain balance speed from the push away.
“Correct, but straight to a bike shop to discuss decent flat pedals.”
Just a point of view of course .....
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Duck! » Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:14 pm
As trailgumby suggested, practice and become proficient with unclipping both sides, although you'll most likely develop a preferred side to unclip.
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby earlybird » Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:52 pm
On an incline, if I miss the cleat, and my unclipped foot slips on the pedal, if am always ready to pull up with my clipped in leg to keep some form of forward momentum.RonK wrote:Once moving engage cleat in the other pedal. If you miss-cleat, put your foot lightly on the pedal, carefully complete a stroke then try again, or backpedal half a turn and put another stroke with the cleated foot then try again.
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby RonK » Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:23 pm
Of course, but most of us don't share your morbid fear of clipless pedals.outnabike wrote:Just a point of view of course .....
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby g-boaf » Tue Dec 08, 2015 9:54 pm
Eventually you'll get the hang of it and it will become second nature. If your other foot doesn't clip in immediately then don't worry, just keep pedaling with the one that is clipped in until you gain speed.
Best of luck out there!
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Lozzie » Wed Dec 09, 2015 1:11 pm
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby yugyug » Wed Dec 09, 2015 11:33 pm
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Lozzie » Thu Dec 10, 2015 2:06 am
I'm giving it a month. I'm getting better it just doesn't help that my current route is on a detour so I'm already iffy from that. Plus the three stupid ass bollards that caused my finger to jam in the fence today.
I've never had the best balance and I'm TERRIFIED of falling in general (to the point I've never been able to slide in softball despite playing for years cause of that falling feeling) I need to work through this fear.
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby kb » Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:46 am
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby wombatK » Thu Dec 10, 2015 9:02 am
usually easier to unclip when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke. This lessens the angle you have
to twist your foot through and avoids throwing your knee about as you do so.
A tip I regretted ignoring was to find a doorway and practice unclipping (rotating feet counter-clockwise as necessary). That
gives you a support on each side so that you can easily recover from any mistakes. I thought a wall on one side would be enough
and of course overbalanced to the other side.
Remember, clipless pedals are based on snow quick release bindings (Look being responsible for the first). So they're designed
to come apart in a stack and aren't that difficult to get to unclip before you have a stack.
Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby bychosis » Thu Dec 10, 2015 9:24 am
Take the time to practice getting both feet out before stopping then. Practice more of the side that you have difficulty with (right side).Lozzie wrote:Thank gboaf. That's what I'm doing now by just taking it slow. I'm aboustly terrified on the bike but that will just take time. Clipping in is relatively easy now but clipping out still a struggle. I have to put my left foot down before attempting to clip or right or I go over.
I have been riding for years with clipless and it is second nature to me, however from time to time when a pedal gets a bit sticky or the cleat has twisted I find i need to consciously release that foot before stopping.
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Lozzie » Thu Dec 10, 2015 11:25 am
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby KGB » Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:21 pm
Lozzie, make sure you keep your foot FLAT against the pedal and twist your heel out. As soon as most beginners panic, they try and reef their foot off the pedal which usually means UP at an angle. That's going to make it hard to get out.
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby fat and old » Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:08 pm
Bingo!Lozzie wrote: I need to work through this fear.
Conquer the fear, then move on proudly to the next challenge
Until then, stay on cycle paths, or side street where there's no cars.
And if you can't, go flats! Bugger the cost of the pedals....you're worth more than 150 bucks!
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Lozzie » Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:12 pm
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby trailgumby » Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:32 pm
The other benefit from this is that the practice makes your clipping out muscles and tendons stronger, so clipping out is easier.wombatK wrote:A tip I regretted ignoring was to find a doorway and practice unclipping (rotating feet counter-clockwise as necessary). That
gives you a support on each side so that you can easily recover from any mistakes. I thought a wall on one side would be enough
and of course overbalanced to the other side.
Yes, this is a thing. Since my grade 2 sprain in March, my left side ankle is weaker at teh clip-out action and I am prone to getting stuck on that side.
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby wombatK » Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:02 pm
Watch a 10 month old struggle with a spoon. Some things are harder than they lookKGB wrote:Wow. Some people make it seem like rocket science - it's not that hard. Once upon a time none of us could use a spoon either right? Practice. Practice. Practice.t.
Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Trevtassie » Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:08 pm
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby KGB » Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:12 pm
I think you missed my point. It seems we both understand the fine motor skills required to feed oneself but nobody is born able to use a spoon.
I'll say it again: practice, practice, practice. Maybe then practice some more in this case since Lozzie seems to have an unusual fear of falling off and weaker than average balance skills (it makes sense that they would go hand in hand, not meaning to have a go or make fun of you Lozzie - keep trying).
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby wombatK » Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:27 pm
were. Like spoon-feeding. There are many skills in life that take practice that involves failure and
learning from it. Indeed, you wouldn't have to practice anything if it weren't for the probability of failure.
So it's not always as simple as practice, practice, practice - failure often occurs along the way.
Maybe there are some incredibly talented people out there who got it right first time with no
practice, but the OP is like a lot of us who didn't have such a fortunate experience.
Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Lozzie » Thu Dec 10, 2015 11:40 pm
My cleats are yellow and black. Shimanos.
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Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby yugyug » Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:07 am
Fat and Old said what I was going to say about the money. You can always sell them too.Lozzie wrote:Because when I'm cycling flat I can feel the difference. Plus I've just spent $150 on them
What is the difference you speak off? I used to ride clips but since going exclusively to flats, with the right pedals and shoes and a little bit of new skills, I have found no difference in capacities or performance. I can climb, sprint and bunny hop with equal facility. And there are advantages - clip stack avoidance obviously but also the ability to micro adjust the position of your feet to help on climbs, reduce muscle fatigue and avoid repetitive strain type injuries on long rides. The only significant difference I can think of is in very high cadences on the fixie or at the track and I think that's an appropriate kind of cycling for foot retention. On my road bike it's not needed. I don't ride much mountain bike but James Wilson makes a good case for riding flats on the mountain bike in his book the Flat Pedal Manifesto.
I don't want to make any assumptions about your situation, but when I have gone out in bunch rides using flats I have experienced jibes and comments, perhaps well intentioned, that question my choice. Comments like "surprised you could make it up that climb with those pedals" or assumptions that I am new to cycling. This could be interpreted as peer pressure, but I am not a teenager anymore. On one occasion I forwarded the above mentioned book to a rider and while it didn't change his choice, it stopped the comments.
Cycling is meant to be fun. There is no reason to need to put yourself in a situation for needing to 'confront' your terror. I confronted a bit of terror when I used to skydive, but that terror is intrinsic to the sport and matched by rigorous safety protocols. In your case you can simply choose to ride flats and suffer no difference in engagement to the sport.
Sometimes I think the acceptance of clips in non-competitive cycling is the biggest kool-aid situation in our community - next to thinking that tread matters on a road bike tyre, lol. Actually it's worse because there is little harm done by thinking tread does matter. In both cases there are marketing reasons for companies to act to perpetuate the beliefs.
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby rodneycc » Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:21 am
Those silver cleats sound interesting though, maybe give them a shot first. Ive only really seen the yellows and Reds mostly (which are mainly float related).
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Re: Best ways to avoid falling off bike with clip in shoes
Postby Duck! » Fri Dec 11, 2015 1:42 pm
Given it's an issue not restricted to cycling, have you perhaps considered psychological assistance to overcome your apparently somewhat irrational fear?Lozzie wrote: I've never had the best balance and I'm TERRIFIED of falling in general (to the point I've never been able to slide in softball despite playing for years cause of that falling feeling) I need to work through this fear.
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