JimF22003

Sure, but not everybody (see what I did there?) agrees you are "correct."

It's just a little harmless hyperbole to say "everybody falls". Clearly it's not literally true. Almost no (see what I dd there?) categorical statements are literally, 100% true.

That's why they invented the phrase "you are the exception that proves the rule."

No rudeness intendended here, umd. I love ya, truly. Everybody (see what I did there?) has their little pet peeves. This appears to be yours.

As sure as the sun rises in the east (usually?) if somebody says "everybody falls in clipless" I can predict that you will always say "not me" or "not everybody."

umd

Not "everyone" thinks it's hyperbole. Many people do feel that it is inevitable. In the real world, "nobody" that I ride with has fallen because they have forgotten to unclip. To act like it is so common that only a handful of people haven't is just ignorant. My pet peeve is incompentent morons thnking they speak for "everyone".

XTR

Eventually clipping out becomes natural, and after you do it for 10 years you will get to look foolish when you ride an old bike with toe straps and you try to rotate your foot out, get tangled and fall over. Well, you might, I mean, it could happen.

It is all about muscle memory. Do it long enough and you don't think about it.

VPR

I dont quite understand, what is so negative about what I said? Its simply my opinion, you are the troll to post that,

if you disagree simply say so but dont start your bs as if you know me

Beaker

Not necessarily, I think it's best to pick what feels natural. I always lead off with my right foot, so that one stays clipped in.

kgabike

Actually, if you think about it, based on the criteria of an unexpected fall, it would probably be better to unclip on the left. Because an unexpected fall to your clipped in side would take you to the right, away from traffic.

Having said that, I think it's more important, as Beaker said above, to unclip the foot you're comfortable with, if you have a favorite. I actually use either one equally, depending on the situation and where and how I'm stopping.

That's the ultimate. I think a lot of people assume that when you come to a stop you have to unclip at the same time. So it's a race to make sure you're unclipped before you stop and if there's some kind of hang-up, then panic mode starts. But I just as frequently unclip after I come to a stop as before. Because stopping and unclipping are really two separate things and the more you can learn to do them independently, the less likely you'll ever have a problem. It certainly helps to be comfortable clipped in at a dead stop to keep panic mode at bay, which is half the battle. I know it's not uncommon for me to come to a stop, unclip, start to put my foot down, and then see the light turn green and clip back in and go without ever touching the road.

pacificaslim

+1

When I switched to clipless pedals I was so paranoid about the clipless pedals because of all the people who claimed that "everyone" falls. But guess what? Just as I had never fallen in years of riding with straps, I never fell with clipless either. I think the "everyone falls" people should chill out a bit and accept the possibility that many people can handle clipless pedals without "forgetting" or failing to unclip on time. And then motivate people to do so instead of dooming them by making seem ok to fall.

hurley1718

I picked up my bike yesterday, and I fell. The worst part about was that it happened when I was putting my bike away. I was just practing some more with clipping and I couldn't get my right in and down I went in my yard. However I didn't fall when I was riding around my neighborhood, and I had to clip in and out a lot because of the stop signs.

merlinextraligh

Ok, we can apparently rule out #1, since you seem to be serious that you actually have platform pedals on your Wilier, and ride it in sandals so you can stick your foot out.

And we can rule out #3 because Brandi would have posted a pic by now.

Thus, I'm sticking with #2. Its an abomination to take an expensive high end racing bike, and put platform pedals on it. The pedals are grossly inconsistent with the intended purpose of the bike, and are not suited for using the bike the way the bike was intended to be ridden.

If you want to ride a high end racing bike, get pedals designed to work with such a bike.

If you want to ride around in your sandals, with platform pedals, get a beach cruiser.

DeweyJuice

It's common for this to happen. I would practice stopping and unclipping. It will become natural. This is only an "issue" when the bike stops. You shouldn't need to unclip or accidentally unclip while riding. If you crash you'll unclip "naturally".
I think that little panick attack that happens when you come to a stop and are about to fall over should help you learn to unclip better. I know my wife had some issues at first and she was overly worried about the pedals and shoes. But after a few rides she's doing just fine.