Today I joined THAT club
Discussion
I'm a fully paid up member of the club. The most noticeable incident was on my first ride with SPDs, I was very conscious of unclipping well before I came to a halt. As I was approaching a set of traffic lights they changed from green to red. No problem, I thought to myself, I unclipped my left foot and as I came to a stop, leaned right, I ended up on the tarmac, right foot still clipped in, left foot unclipped and waving about in the air as I tried to pick myself up.
Done it a few times over the years 
Most recently a few weeks ago after hopping on and off the bike pretty often having to walk parts of a very muddy ride due to lack of grip. I had noticed it getting harder to clip in and out as the mud and clay built up on the shoe and pedal, but not really thought much about it until I ran out of traction and momentum halfway up a slippery climb, couldn't get the clogged cleat unclipped and had a comedy slow-motion topple into the mud as the front wheel slid out from under me. At least nobody was there to see it!
I've backed the tension off a bit now...
Most recently a few weeks ago after hopping on and off the bike pretty often having to walk parts of a very muddy ride due to lack of grip. I had noticed it getting harder to clip in and out as the mud and clay built up on the shoe and pedal, but not really thought much about it until I ran out of traction and momentum halfway up a slippery climb, couldn't get the clogged cleat unclipped and had a comedy slow-motion topple into the mud as the front wheel slid out from under me. At least nobody was there to see it!
I've backed the tension off a bit now...
Centurion07 said:
Any new members? 
Out on a ride on a Sunday with my brother few months ago. Saw my Uncle outside the rowing club talking with a few of his friends, We stop to chat. Realised my feet were still attached to the pedals, desperation ensues trying to get free of them. It didn't work and... joined the club. Fell sideways, tearing my headphone cord in the process. It's a strange sensation, that's for sure. I think I even held on to the bars the whole way down. Had 4 silver haired blokes laughing their b
ks off at me on the floor.Back at the Battle on the Beach I learned that cleats and sand don't mix. Could not get my feet to unclip for all the fighting in the world. And when you then find yourself on the floor, it'd even more difficult to try and get unclipped to stand up again. Had to take a shoe off once then kick the crap out of it to get it to release.
I've never spent so much time falling off a bike as i did for that one weekend.
I've never spent so much time falling off a bike as i did for that one weekend.
All my cleats went in the bin!
Last time I used them I was riding on a byway when I came across a woman gassing on her mobile phone with 2 kids and a dog blocking the entire width of the byway, I slowed down and unclipped one foot ready to stop, she noticed me a pulled the kids to the side so I clipped back in but as I passed her the dog cut across infront of me.
I did a lovely emergency stop but somehow forgot I was clipped in so I tipped over to my right, I was waiting for the crunch of my shoulder on the ground but came to a controlled stop at about 45 degrees with my shoulder nestling perfectly between her ample boobs!
That was the last time I used cleats, at my age there is no power advantage and I don't race so no advantage to me, I do a lot of steep climbs on narrow roads which results in frequent hill starts which are a nightmare with cleats!!
Last time I used them I was riding on a byway when I came across a woman gassing on her mobile phone with 2 kids and a dog blocking the entire width of the byway, I slowed down and unclipped one foot ready to stop, she noticed me a pulled the kids to the side so I clipped back in but as I passed her the dog cut across infront of me.
I did a lovely emergency stop but somehow forgot I was clipped in so I tipped over to my right, I was waiting for the crunch of my shoulder on the ground but came to a controlled stop at about 45 degrees with my shoulder nestling perfectly between her ample boobs!
That was the last time I used cleats, at my age there is no power advantage and I don't race so no advantage to me, I do a lot of steep climbs on narrow roads which results in frequent hill starts which are a nightmare with cleats!!
I’d been on 40 or so mile social ride without incident, finished the ride and had a coffee in a cafe.
After the coffee and chat I got on my bike, clipped in on the left, swung my right leg over and toppled to the left.
I somehow managed to land on both knees on very hard and sharp tarmac. It drew blood.
Nobody really saw me but there’s something a bit rubbish about falling off when stationary and not fully clipped in anyway.
Look Keo blades fwiw. I have been experimenting with SPDs but don’t think they are any easier.
After the coffee and chat I got on my bike, clipped in on the left, swung my right leg over and toppled to the left.
I somehow managed to land on both knees on very hard and sharp tarmac. It drew blood.
Nobody really saw me but there’s something a bit rubbish about falling off when stationary and not fully clipped in anyway.
Look Keo blades fwiw. I have been experimenting with SPDs but don’t think they are any easier.
Always unclip approaching a junction - left leg only. Seems to work.
However - I am a member several times over.
New pedals is a good cause, as are new shoes with new cleats.
Upgraded the shimano spds to Nukeproof Horizons, which is a spd/flat combo. Means I can use them as a pedal until I'm clipped in. Makes me happier unclipping early for junctions and less of a faff clipping back in as you can leave it longer when pulling away at a junction.
Can also confirm it is easier to unclip when horizontal and little old grannies are asking if you're ok. I won't divulge what the rest of the high street were doing but you can probably guess
However - I am a member several times over.
New pedals is a good cause, as are new shoes with new cleats.
Upgraded the shimano spds to Nukeproof Horizons, which is a spd/flat combo. Means I can use them as a pedal until I'm clipped in. Makes me happier unclipping early for junctions and less of a faff clipping back in as you can leave it longer when pulling away at a junction.
Can also confirm it is easier to unclip when horizontal and little old grannies are asking if you're ok. I won't divulge what the rest of the high street were doing but you can probably guess
IJWS15 said:
Been using them for about 4 weeks now, a couple of close calls but not joined yet.
Trying to build up the automatic reaction to unclip but one day . . . .
I've been using them 5 years.. still not fallen - have come close but always managed to get foot out of pedal in timeTrying to build up the automatic reaction to unclip but one day . . . .
Been clipped in for prob 17 years now. I had a very nearly 3 weeks ago but I think its been 3 years since my last. Stopped at some temp lights and fell over, I got back up and didn't look behind me. I know damn well the 5 or 6 cars would have been wetting themselves laughing, I know I would have 
. I tried flats for 3 months and couldn't get on with them and went back to clipped.
. I tried flats for 3 months and couldn't get on with them and went back to clipped. Joined this club about 20-something years ago. Practising with some seasoned clipless friends around the Wye Valley, my front wheel got caught in a wheel rut. Balance duly went awol and I hit the deck still connected to the bike. Oh, how we all chortled. Well, they did anyway whilst I just lay there asking why I was trying to do something that was designed to make cycling harder.
Feels odd now to not be clipped in.
Feels odd now to not be clipped in.
The Mad Monk said:
Centurion07 said:
I'm 38 now and don't bounce so well anymore!
Wait until you are double that and more besides and then see how much it hurts!I was riding through a newish estate & mistook someone’s driveway for the cycle path, the U turn I attempted was too tight & toppled over sideways. Glad they weren’t home. Nice gouge in knee that took months to heal. Some blood on their block paving which probably caused them a degree of headscratching.
I tried out SPDs last year, didn't get much chance to practice, then went for a weekend away riding in Devon.
Before we even went on the trails, I managed to fall off in the car park, landing in the only puddle, with about 20 witnesses. On the way to the trails, my mate pulled his brakes on, I went to slow down, remembered I was clipped in too late and fell into a ditch, hitting my knee on the only rock in the ditch. That was a year ago and my knee is still playing up (it was already injured, that just seemed to make it worse). Yeah, not the best riding trip. Flat pedals and grippy shoes suit me a lot better.
Before we even went on the trails, I managed to fall off in the car park, landing in the only puddle, with about 20 witnesses. On the way to the trails, my mate pulled his brakes on, I went to slow down, remembered I was clipped in too late and fell into a ditch, hitting my knee on the only rock in the ditch. That was a year ago and my knee is still playing up (it was already injured, that just seemed to make it worse). Yeah, not the best riding trip. Flat pedals and grippy shoes suit me a lot better.
Nearly mowed down a gentleman of a certain age on his road bike near Leith Hill last weekend, wobbling at the mouth of a junction to my left, which I was approaching at speed on my mountain bike (also an SPD user). The junction was very shallow for me, but he was waiting for a gap to pull out up a hill. He started to wobble, corrected but now straddling both sides of the road, then went down hard. Just as I was committed to going past him. Queue much heavy XTR brake action, a couple of mm of rear tyre tread going up in smoke and a heroic dive round him lying prostrate right in the middle of the bloody road!
He was embarrassed, but probably grateful I hadn't had to try bunny hopping over his head
I've had a few 'offs' riding offroad and not being able to unclip quickly enough - mostly it's onto reasonably soft surfaces (like beds of stinging nettles!) and thankfully usually just one of my mates to laugh their arse off at me! I find the security of being clipped in for downhills outweighs the risk - just!
He was embarrassed, but probably grateful I hadn't had to try bunny hopping over his head
I've had a few 'offs' riding offroad and not being able to unclip quickly enough - mostly it's onto reasonably soft surfaces (like beds of stinging nettles!) and thankfully usually just one of my mates to laugh their arse off at me! I find the security of being clipped in for downhills outweighs the risk - just!
Signed up to the club.
About to go off and a neighbour pulled me over to give me a kids fishing net - another story altogether!! - I simply forgot I was clipped in.
I’ve only been using clips a few weeks
I fell sideways like Del Boy in the famous sketch at the pub bar hatch.
Neighbour didn’t know I had clips and just looked at me with a WTF expression.
About to go off and a neighbour pulled me over to give me a kids fishing net - another story altogether!! - I simply forgot I was clipped in.
I’ve only been using clips a few weeks
I fell sideways like Del Boy in the famous sketch at the pub bar hatch.
Neighbour didn’t know I had clips and just looked at me with a WTF expression.
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