Humongous

So I'm on my way home from work with the new CAAD9 5 in the middle of downtown Ottawa.. about a block from Parliament hill when I have to stop for a red light. So I stop and realize my foot isn't coming off the pedal.. There are dozens of pedestrians & cars, busses, EVERYWHERE, most of whom were checking out my sweet-*** whip. I panic. I see a light pole 12" to my left and grab it just before teetering over.

I will NOT/NOT forget I'm using clipless pedals again.

mollusk

But you didn't fall over. This time.

Humongous

I'm going from a sloppy comfort/mountain bike w/ platforms to a roadie (an unforgiving CAAD9 no less) w/ clipless. This is a pretty huge jump for me. I think if I can stick it out another week or so, I can avoid the falling over phase... I don't want to jinx it though so I should shut up now.

seb1041

You chose a nice spot.

palu

I always just unclip before actually coming to a stop. Probably like 20 feet or so.

timmhaan

i have problems going the other way... i always think i'm using clipless.

ericthewall

I've been riding clipless for 6 months now and have yet to fall. Everyone says you have to fall at least once, but so far I have not.

kayakdiver

This time

bikeride

You might want to practice bringing that distance down to 0 feet.

palu

Why? Been doing it for years. Just a habit, I guess, but there are no negatives, so I'll just stick with it.

celerystalksme

i do the same thing...not sure if i unclip at 20 feet or 10 feet before i need to stop, but i certainly unclip a couple seconds before i come to a dead stop so i'm prepared to put my foot on the ground.

RichinPeoria

Im growing tired of this kind of stuff screw'n up my rides too...I hope I get better at it soon.

I thinking of buying a pair of Speedplay LAs too since missing the "clip in" (ie pedal is up side down) is growing old as well

bikeride

Ah, okey dokey.

Longfemur

Touch wood, but I've ridden around there since 1970, and I still do now... never fallen over once, neither with toe clips or clipless pedals. Guess I'm just lucky, or too scared to fall over... some of that OC Transpo and Outaouais bus traffic on Wellington can be deadly.

mrvrsick

---

+++

td.tony

once you get over the "forgetting to unclip" phase, you'll move on to the "unclip one foot and accidentally lean to the other side and fall over" phase.

RichinPeoria

Thanks that gives me something to look fwd to.

FrederickH

This is how 99.9% of my infrequent falls came about!!!

seb1041

+1

Don't have to fall to be killed dwtn.

Just love Rideau/Sussex intersection...

To the OP: the clipless fall will happen when you'll be used to your pedals...this confidence will trick you

rymep

That's still my problem. I'm so used to unclipping the right and stepping forward and off the saddle at lights and such that whenever I'm in the position that I need to step out with my left I forget to clip out and have had a few of those nice public falls because of it.

Rocartfe

I fell over when I changed clipless pedals and thought i would take them for a spin and adjust the tension at stops till i got it just right. I fell twice before I had to admit to the wife i would need to return home and adjust them holding onto a pole.

Humongous

LOL, that's the intersection I was at. Actually it was Rideau/Mackenzie but basically same place.

yogi13

At some point you WILL forget...like I did last week. I've been riding clipless for years.

Barely managed to get my foot clear and ungracefully stayed sort of upright.

Psimet2001 

+1 - but I usually figure it out after I have kneed myself in the chin at the start of the first couple of climbs.

Zillon

I do the same thing when I try to hop up on the curb on my commuter bike with platforms.

Usually ends up with me coming off the pedals and nailing my groin on the seat.