FiftySix

It's as simple as where do you want to pay your health insurance deductible? In the equipment or in the ER?

I think I need to gear up like the Michelin Man now.

Carbonfiberboy 

I rode toe clips for several years, long before there was an option. IME they are vastly more dangerous than clipless if you strap them down. If you don't, they're pretty useless, keep you foot located on the pedal, but that's all.

I only know one guy who got injured with clipless. He was my dentist at the time. Broke his wrist in the parking lot the first time he rode the bike. Need I say more? I do kinda get why dentists have this reputation. I don't know anyone else who ever had a problem. Thing to do is to keep the adjustment screws backed all the way out until you feel completely comfortable. It's fairly easy to just rip your foot out of SPDs if you have a mental blow-up. I did that once as I came to a sudden stop when the gravel patch turned out to be bottomless.

The problem, if there is one, is that when stopping, unless one is practiced or careful it is possible for one's CG to suddenly be on the wrong side of the bike, just as one is about to put one's foot down on the other side. One needs to move the front wheel away from the foot side at the last instant, which is already natural for most folks.

gthomson

For those who are not confident in going clipped in, I saw these pedals which are flat with grip to wear with regular shoes on one side and then SPD clip in on the other side. I can see their benefit in many ways but I think the are marketed towards the commuter who needs to wear a regular shoe to work but then want to clip in on the weekend. Also good for a beginner who might want to get used to biking clipped in but only in safe environment but then ride with out them along city streets. For the price, not a bad idea.
They are called iSSI FLIP II SPD pedals and can be found on Amazon.

vane171

I confess, in all those years riding with toe clips, I never tightened the straps but keep them just snug enough to be able to slip in/out without much fuss. Only tightened them when I was much younger and then I think I did that because that's what you were supposed to do, not that it was needed or useful in some way. Even with straps not tight and not pulling on them on the upstroke (at least not that I could tell), I always had a feeling I could do pretty good job of round pedaling when I focused on doing so. Having the toeclips just made me feel safer in some situations that my shoe wouldn't slip forward on the pedal, maybe even completely off it.

You can sort of pull up on the upstroke even without being clipped in or using toe clips by keeping the pedal sloping forward. The second quadrant of the upstroke is probably inefficient anyway even if you are clipped in, except for well trained bicyclists.
I think or believe, those cyclists that can do things like jumping up curb sideways, either one wheel at a time or both wheels together, can do it with flat pedals. If I recall right, when you learn to do things like that, you should start with flat pedals anyway.

As to embarrassing fall, I had one such when I was in my teens, I was on a totally empty road and there was this gentle left curve and due to some inattention or what, I went straight through it into a ditch and flew head over handlebars. It was embarrassing even when nobody was around to see it. Luckily, no damage done, I just straightened the handlebars holding the front wheel between my legs and was able to ride away.
A bit later in life, I took beginner judo lessons which means countless falling, being thrown and throwing you partner, and the idea is to automatize spreading the body weight on large area. In judo you use one hand to swing it with force into the mat just before body contacts it to take off some fall energy that way into it but in road situation if you stall clipped in, best is to keep hands on handlebars as said above, or if at speed and you fly off the bike, best it to curl up like a hedgehog and hope for the best.
This last I tested once when a car driver didn't notice me while he was making a left turn and I demolished the bike against his front wheel and went flying over the hood of the car and curled up in a ball I made countless rolls down the road before coming to a stop unharmed except for some minor bruises.

Iride01 

So based on one incident given by the OP you have decided that the OP should not ride with clipless?

I thought the OP wanted advice on how to fall which I would assume is slightly independent of whether clipless, toe straps or simple platform pedals being used.

Mountain Mitch

The OP talks about taking a number of falls. Only the last one cause him to require knee replacement. And he attributes it to clipless pedals. So, yeah, he wants advice about falling and my advice is ‘don't fall’. And the easiest way to get there is to give up his useless and apparently dangerous (to him) clipless pedals. He says he really enjoys riding his flats on his other bike.

So many people ride clipless not because it helps them but because it’s the thing to do. I rode clipless for years. I gave it up and I’m glad I did. It makes no difference to my speed or control but I find not having to use the cleats and pedals has increased my enjoyment in riding. YMMV.

Iride01 

I guess my objection is you make the implication that I ride clipless just to be a "follower".

Never in my mind was the idea that clipless let me put more power into my pedal revolutions as you allude to in referencing your link. The only reason I went clipless is that I was pedaling faster cadences and needed something to keep my feet on the pedals.

If I look at the times I've fallen on a bike, overwhelmingly they were bikes with platform pedals. I didn't go clipless till in my 50's.

btbeth

A "crash" thread is a good time to remind people to make sure their tetanus vaccine is up to date (every 10 years). There are all sorts of little metal pieces on the road, and you may get one of them imbedded in your skin as you skid across the tarmac. Also, you can get one at most places that have flu vaccines in the fall and right now there are no lines (as everyone awaits the vaccine we all really want!).

Chuckles1

Sorry for your injury. I use pedals with toe clips on all my bikes, as i'd hate to break a hip just because i forgot to unclip at a stop sign. And i don't tighten the straps. I just like the secure feeling of some but not to much constraint against slipping off the pedal.

rob214

like most clipped in roadies I fell a couple of times so what's the cure? unclip while coasting to a stop not unclip at 0 mph. when you know your stopping unclip and coast to a stop not hard to do or remember really. I'm not trying to be mean or sarcastic, I've learned and that's how I do it and I don't fall anymore.

sch

My nightmare was a flat at 38mph just before hitting a 90° sweeping L turn, recall sliding down the road on my side
wondering if I would stop before hitting the metal railing. Mostly skin rash and two ruined wheels.
However the most unrecoverable falls in my experience are when stopping in a group and unclipping and put the
foot down only to realize you are off balance to the other side, nothing you can do except hope the nearby
cyclist is close and big enough to stop your fall. This has happened twice in the past 28 yrs.

Trike is best solution, low rider 2 wheel bent another, my bent seat is 15" off the ground.

BlazingPedals

When it comes to falling, it's best to do so from a trike or a lowracer.

rydabent

While I am 82 and really have no balance problems, and have never fallen while on a bike ever, I ride a trike around town. It is just easier staying clipped in. There is the added advantage of not wobbling into traffic when you start off. Additionally they are safer with a side wind that tries to push you over into traffic.

As another member stated if your concern is great, maybe a trike would be the solution to your problem. Besides they are really fun and easy to ride.

fietsbob

I was walking by drunk bicycle home, Saturday night a fortnight ago & it fell over..