Not falling with clipless pedals
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Tazzy » Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:38 am
Either way the concrete is harder than me and there was gonna be damage somewhere but arms and shoulders are buggers to get right when they are damaged and you need them a lot.
Unfortunately here in Tasmania we have an incompetent government who's priorities are to line their own pockets rather than give us decent health care.
I could wait up to 2 years for surgery on my shoulder, even longer if they try to 'manage' the injury for a while. They just wouldn't see my desire to paddle and ride as a high priority.
If you wait for warm conditions down here before you get out paddling or riding it will end up a long time between drinks. It's just a matter of having the right gear to guard against the elements.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Xplora » Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:50 am
I realised that I normally leave my left leg forward or down because of an imbalance in my hips/back. It's a minor imbalance, but holy moly I nearly stacked at 25 clicks trying to experiment with a right leg leading for a one inch gutter lip hop. I was so unstable! I usually have my right leg unclipped because my left side obliques are much more stable and I naturally lean the bike to the right to dismount. The other secret is to be be prepared. If you think you might need to stop, being unclipped and having to clip in is much less of a pain in the RRRs than picking your retarded carcass off the ground. Also, be VERY aware of the standover (?) distance for your front wheel. Nothing slows a bike down like stomping on the tyres
Guess who clipstacked a few nights ago
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby high_tea » Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:39 pm
My take: if you need to plan ahead to unclip, you're already gone. It'll work until the unexpected happens and then you're in trouble. For that reason, I have my release springs set as loose as possible when I ride on the road. I found that a good way to learn to unclip in a hurry was to practice trackstanding (in long grass for when, not if, I fell over). I still can't trackstand worth a lick, but I got plenty of practice at unclipping in a real hurry.Xplora wrote:First rule of fight club is do not stop while clipped in, EVER, if you are not expecting to trackstand intentionally. Have a foot out and ready, and if you favour one leg, DO NOT CHANGE THE PATTERN.
I realised that I normally leave my left leg forward or down because of an imbalance in my hips/back. It's a minor imbalance, but holy moly I nearly stacked at 25 clicks trying to experiment with a right leg leading for a one inch gutter lip hop. I was so unstable! I usually have my right leg unclipped because my left side obliques are much more stable and I naturally lean the bike to the right to dismount. The other secret is to be be prepared. If you think you might need to stop, being unclipped and having to clip in is much less of a pain in the RRRs than picking your retarded carcass off the ground. Also, be VERY aware of the standover (?) distance for your front wheel. Nothing slows a bike down like stomping on the tyres
Guess who clipstacked a few nights ago
Toe overlap, that's fun. Wait till you try it on a fixed gear bike. You can get your foot stuck. Party time. I gather that's why trackies start left foot forward: to avoid that whole right foot forward, turn right, jam foot, fall down banking thing.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby winstonw » Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:56 pm
my view on falling to minimize injury is to spread the impact along as much of your body as you can.
So don't put your arm out at a right angle when falling to the side, but put it out further and try to take some of the weight on your elbow, forearm and hand. This will allow your leg, pelvis, and trunk to take some of the deceleration impact before your upper limb. I've fallen like this 5 times now and have come away amazingly intact.
The fall that scares me most is falling to one side and you take your trunk the opposite way. I saw a guy fracture his ankle badly doing this. If you can't decleat, better to go the same way as the bike. Easier said than done I know.
The other thing to do to reduce injury is reduce bodyfat and do some bodyweight resistance exercise for your upper body and limbs - push ups, horizontal pull ups.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Chrisaus » Mon Sep 05, 2011 12:49 pm
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby DavidS » Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:07 am
DS
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby balap » Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:44 pm
I always unclip if I think I might need to stop or if I suddently have to slow down.
A couple close one when I had my left foot unclipped but my body weight went to the right.
Once was when I had to ride between road detour signs on a pavement, luckily I managed to rebalance.
I also set my SPD clips to the lowest setting (on both sides of each pedals).
Like most people, once you use a clipless you won't go back to the flat pedals.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Tazzy » Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:26 pm
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Marto » Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:37 am
.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVlFB59l ... re=related[/youtube]
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby sherlock » Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:06 pm
They should get easier to clip-in after the cleats bed in.Tazzy wrote:I've just had my first short ride with Speedplay Zero's on my bike and found them much improved over my Ultegras. Setup and installation was a breeze and I found them easier to get out of and more comfortable to pedal than the Ultegras but I need to get used to getting clipped in a little better yet. Definitely recommended going on first impressions.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby winstonw » Thu Sep 08, 2011 3:25 pm
The slightest bit of dirt can make cleat in a non event. I've got zeros in the shed and should get them out and run em with a new pair of cleats, just to see if my view has changed. Excessive and very loose float was the biggest issue for me. Felt like pedaling on ice but they say you adapt to it.Tazzy wrote:I've just had my first short ride with Speedplay Zero's on my bike and found them much improved over my Ultegras. Setup and installation was a breeze and I found them easier to get out of and more comfortable to pedal than the Ultegras but I need to get used to getting clipped in a little better yet. Definitely recommended going on first impressions.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Marto » Fri Sep 09, 2011 7:33 am
My Speedplay X2s will be harder to clip in if I have stepped in loose gritty soil, but a little bit doesn't affect clip in. Speedplay Zeros might be more sensitive to dirt as they have a more complex cleat/pedal interface. Sensitivity to dirt is a negative, but can be avoided (usually )winstonw wrote:The slightest bit of dirt can make cleat in a non event. I've got zeros in the shed and should get them out and run em with a new pair of cleats, just to see if my view has changed. Excessive and very loose float was the biggest issue for me. Felt like pedaling on ice but they say you adapt to it.Tazzy wrote:I've just had my first short ride with Speedplay Zero's on my bike and found them much improved over my Ultegras. Setup and installation was a breeze and I found them easier to get out of and more comfortable to pedal than the Ultegras but I need to get used to getting clipped in a little better yet. Definitely recommended going on first impressions.
There are many reports of the pedaling on ice feeling from new users. It feels weird, but it goes away once your legs get used to holding their preferred angle (rather than having the toe in/out angle imposed on them). My right foot 'toes out' a fair bit at the start of a ride, then it returns to just a few degrees toe out when I am warmed up properly. That is accommodated with some float.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Tazzy » Fri Sep 09, 2011 10:46 am
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Ozkaban » Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:57 pm
Anyway, after about 3 days use, I was leaving my work underground car park. It's a decent uphill ramp with a boom gate that has to be raised by a guy in the booth. I thought he had seen me and would raise it, but then I realised he hadn't and was about to unclip. Then he spotted me and raised the gate, which gave me a moments hesitation and was enough to land on my side. Beautifully embarrassing The only good news is that I took the fall directly on the point of bone just below my left knee, which while it hurt like hell for a week or so there were no scratches/dents on the bike
Still getting the hang of clipping in first go, and occasionally look like a muppet taking off from the lights, but I'm getting there.
Cheers,
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Chris249 » Tue Sep 13, 2011 8:43 pm
Clipstacked two or three times, in peak hour, in some of the busiest intersections in the biggest city in the country. Oh, and on a decent looking bike (Cervelo time trial bike). Ah well, all I could do was laugh from the tarmac, 'cause there was no doubt I looked like the biggest dork in Sydney. Thank god for doing sports that teach you how to fall!
After the third time I finally decided that while winding the tension up high may work for time trials, it's not the best for commuting. Quick learner, NOT!
The really annoying thing is that my wife has never clipstacked (or so she says).
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Mububban » Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:42 pm
After that I've had a few close calls due to emergency braking, but have managed to clip out in time thank goodness.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby g-boaf » Sat Oct 01, 2011 9:13 pm
I''m feeling better about the clipless pedals now, they don't feel as tight as they first did - and it does give you a good connection with the bike.
This message I must admit gave me a few good, knowing, chuckles as I read it before signing up. Makes you feel less stupid knowing that other people have been there, done that as well.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Comedian » Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:59 am
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby g-boaf » Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:23 pm
I still have some trouble occasionally getting the other foot clipped in once I've got going - but I keep pedalling unclipped and often it just clips in as I get going. It's probably not that elegant but I'd prefer to be moving at some reasonable speed rather than dawdling along at low speed where I'm most likely to go over.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby winstonw » Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:01 am
I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but with Shimano and Look cleats, I find when my pedal is between 9 and 3 o'clock, if I twist my heel inwards slightly, before twisting heel out, it helps make an easy de-cleat. Sometimes I'll twist heel inwards a bit firmer and de-cleat that way. People say not to due to the risk of putting your heel into your spokes, but I've never done this.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Dastirum » Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:51 pm
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby SCF » Tue Nov 15, 2011 10:16 pm
my advise from the very little experience I've had is to clip your self out well before, at least till you are use to them...and then making sure you stick to that rule.
One thing that struck me as a little odd was that no one asked if I was ok. I had two riders go past me with not even a hello. The first guy would have been about 50 meters behind me so he would have seen me fall. I'm a little surprised as I certainly would ask if I saw someone have an accident. I can understand people not wanting to lose their concentration on busy roads but on bike path is surprising. Not expecting someone to come dashing to my aid, but a simply "you alright mate?" would have been nice. I've only started commuting recently so maybe this is normal.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby teak81 » Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:03 pm
Only on grass in my backyard though.
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Re: Not falling with clipless pedals
Postby Downhill » Fri Nov 25, 2011 12:14 am
Sorry to take so long to respond to this question (hope it's still relevant).balap wrote:How to fall from a bike with the least damage to the rider?
There is a way to minimise the risk. Assuming that you are still clipped in, that you are stationary, that you are not going to be hit by a car, and that you're not going to hit anything on the way down:
Curve your body by leaning away from the fall. Try to roll along the outside of your bottom leg, i.e. ankle - calf - knee - thigh. This dispels the force over a much larger area, which significantly reduces the risk of a fracture. Roll on the soft bits (i.e. your muscles) and not on the bony bits (knee, hip, elbow, shoulder or wrist). Keep your bottom arm almost straight (very slightly curved) so that you don't land on the point of your shoulder, the point of your elbow, or the heel of your hand. If you've started falling and are past the point of no return, then don't fight it. Do it slow and go with the flow.
The good news is that this will happen almost automatically if your feet are still clipped and your hands are still on the bars. The bad news is that it isn't instinctive. It takes practice. Don't try it unless you have a good coach, plenty of space, a soft landing spot, and a disposable bike. It's better (and quicker) to learn not to fall off in the first place.
(Maybe this should be in the "Safety" forum?)
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