Today I joined THAT club
Discussion
I was pretty good with mine for ages - not falling off or having any real moments.
Then I pulled the ligaments in my foot playing football and was off exercise for months.
I got walking without a limp again and no pain and thought I'd go on my bike.
All well and good just pedalling, but as soon as I tried to twist my foot to get out, a huge pain shot up my leg and my brain said 'stop twisting - that hurts'.
What it should have said was 'I know this hurts, but it'll be over in milli-seconds, whereas the pain you're going to get from falling over as you've already started to lean is going to last a lot longer'.
Luckily there was only one car at the lights with me.
Then I pulled the ligaments in my foot playing football and was off exercise for months.
I got walking without a limp again and no pain and thought I'd go on my bike.
All well and good just pedalling, but as soon as I tried to twist my foot to get out, a huge pain shot up my leg and my brain said 'stop twisting - that hurts'.
What it should have said was 'I know this hurts, but it'll be over in milli-seconds, whereas the pain you're going to get from falling over as you've already started to lean is going to last a lot longer'.
Luckily there was only one car at the lights with me.
I always seem to end up leaning/falling to the right. This is not great because it's the drive-side, and bike damage is more likely when it falls this side, but also, for me, it's bad because I have real trouble with my right hip, and so always clip-out with my left foot first, and leave the right foot in until I'm safely supported by the left.
Never had an spd off (that's me in fooked next time I'm on them then...), but aged 12 first pair of caged and strapped pedals caused much hilarity for family and friends; leaning against garage wall on bike tighten up straps as tight as I possibly can on my shiny new birthday present Peugeot Premier, attempt to ride off but realise I've left it in tenth; not enough torque in my legs to turn the cranks so just keeled over onto the drive. Large birthday audience in hysterics 
)
)I've never tried SPD's, but was put off totally this weekend. A family friend is laid up at the moment with a broken hip - He was riding with SPD's, when a van driver didn't see him and squeezed him into the curb. He was unable to unclip and fell onto his hip.
Several plates and screws later he is expected to make a full recovery, but there was talk of a full hip replacement.
Several plates and screws later he is expected to make a full recovery, but there was talk of a full hip replacement.
Did the Palace to Palace ride yesterday and it was very stop-start for the first stint in London, so constant Clipping and un-clipping....I came to a halt at one lights and was chatting away with a colleague and completely forgot, luckily just managed to uncleat on the way down and save myself total embarassment!
The noise of everyone clipping in when the lights went Green was hilarious!
The noise of everyone clipping in when the lights went Green was hilarious!
Fit first clipless pedals. Check
Loosen pedals check
Practice clipping and unclipping check
I got this.
So far I've bounced off the floor outside the chippie, then the curb outside the off licence. Half a mile From home.
Only bleeding a little and pain is a great learning aid :-)
Thank god I fitted these to my MTB first instead of something I don't want to drop! At least that's used to ricocheting off the scenery...
Edited to add another two impacts with the floor - either I'm an idiot (which I'm prepared to accept) or I'm missing something important.
Oh helpful hint - if you have double sided pedals, there's an adjuster on either $%^$%^$ side.... which means I loosened ONE side of each pedal then set off...
Loosen pedals check
Practice clipping and unclipping check
I got this.
So far I've bounced off the floor outside the chippie, then the curb outside the off licence. Half a mile From home.
Only bleeding a little and pain is a great learning aid :-)
Thank god I fitted these to my MTB first instead of something I don't want to drop! At least that's used to ricocheting off the scenery...
Edited to add another two impacts with the floor - either I'm an idiot (which I'm prepared to accept) or I'm missing something important.
Oh helpful hint - if you have double sided pedals, there's an adjuster on either $%^$%^$ side.... which means I loosened ONE side of each pedal then set off...
Edited by TheLemming on Saturday 28th September 15:38
Since this thread has just been referenced in a current thread, I thought I'd update my membership credentials. I started using SPDs a few years back and joined the club on my mountain bike, miles from anywhere in the NW Highlands. Never had a problem since.....until yesterday. Stopped at a junction, unclipped right pedal and leaned left. It's a bit of a struggle trying to unclip your left leg when you're lying on it isn't it 
No idea what happened or why, but I've rejoined the club
No idea what happened or why, but I've rejoined the club
I naturally joined the junior members club (the limited time offer) during the first week of upgrading from cages - (good tip on only having a minimum tension initially). Nice road rash for my troubles, and a beep from an impatient cabbie.
I upgraded at a later date to the standard full VIP membership by falling over across the road from a pub on a hot summers evening. Rolled with the fall and got away scot-free apart from a red face.
However last summer I received the secret 'Black card' membership.
This card can only be obtained by suggesting a spot of dinner during a ride on a lovely hot evening, pulling up at a very nice alfreco dinning restaurant with plenty of busy outside seating, cycling up beside her as we were both on the pavement while she is chatting to the waitress, then basically failing to unclip in time, slowly falling into her - and knocking her sprawling onto the floor in front of everyone.
(I did it to her again a few months later but luckily it was on the grass at a park).
I keep my distance now.
I upgraded at a later date to the standard full VIP membership by falling over across the road from a pub on a hot summers evening. Rolled with the fall and got away scot-free apart from a red face.
However last summer I received the secret 'Black card' membership.
This card can only be obtained by suggesting a spot of dinner during a ride on a lovely hot evening, pulling up at a very nice alfreco dinning restaurant with plenty of busy outside seating, cycling up beside her as we were both on the pavement while she is chatting to the waitress, then basically failing to unclip in time, slowly falling into her - and knocking her sprawling onto the floor in front of everyone.
(I did it to her again a few months later but luckily it was on the grass at a park).
I keep my distance now.
I went out on a sky ride local last Sunday. I changed my SPD SL pedals for platforms just to be on the safe side. It was a very good job I did as well. One of the guys in the pack stopped in front of me without looking or giving any warning. If I had been clipped in I would have gone down without any doubt. I keep the SPD SL's for use on the rollers / trainer and will only use platforms on road. I've got myself some platforms with inbuilt SPD's (all in one 2 point SPD / platforms) as well to avoid having to keep swapping pedals over if I know I'm going to be riding on the road after warming up on the trainer.
I did it once on my mountain bike.
My front disc was full of mud, and was sticking on. As the brake was getting hotter it was held on more and more. Cycling up a medium steep hill (but still having to use the granny gear) I was getting slower and slower, if I stopped I wouldn't have time to get my foot out, so I picked the most comfortable looking bush and mate it my home for the next minute or so.
My front disc was full of mud, and was sticking on. As the brake was getting hotter it was held on more and more. Cycling up a medium steep hill (but still having to use the granny gear) I was getting slower and slower, if I stopped I wouldn't have time to get my foot out, so I picked the most comfortable looking bush and mate it my home for the next minute or so.
The first mountain bike I got, 2nd hand, in about 2003 had SPDs already on it, so I thought "why not?". Spent about half an hour riding round the parking area at the back of my house getting the hang of clipping in and out, no problem.
Went out for a test-ride round local-ish roads. Half-way round pulled onto the pavement for no particular reason, I think just to get my bearings... unclipped on the right, fell over on the left. But not before I'd tried repeatedly yanking my left foot straight *up*, hopping the bike sideways about 5 times at an ever-shallower angle, off the pavement and onto the grass, and just before I fell my foot actually did come out and I whacked my knee into the bars. A van that had been just behind me had to stop the driver was laughing so much, accompanied by much tooting of his horn as he eventually drove off while I was rolling around on the grass clutching my knee.
I like to think of it as the cycling enthusiasts's rite of passage...
Went out for a test-ride round local-ish roads. Half-way round pulled onto the pavement for no particular reason, I think just to get my bearings... unclipped on the right, fell over on the left. But not before I'd tried repeatedly yanking my left foot straight *up*, hopping the bike sideways about 5 times at an ever-shallower angle, off the pavement and onto the grass, and just before I fell my foot actually did come out and I whacked my knee into the bars. A van that had been just behind me had to stop the driver was laughing so much, accompanied by much tooting of his horn as he eventually drove off while I was rolling around on the grass clutching my knee.
I like to think of it as the cycling enthusiasts's rite of passage...
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