Today I joined THAT club

[Steve vRS]

ewenm said:

There's the special VIP membership you can get by unclipping on the left and then slowly toppling right (or vice versa)

I did that the other week in front of my wife and neighbour after trying to startle them by screeching to a halt behind them.

Bobbins

Steve

[Fat Albert]

oh bu**er! I have put half SPD pedals on my new bike and have bought a pair of Muddy Foxes with cleats...
I have been up and down the drive a couple of times, but have not quite got the unclipping sorted yet...

Is there a view to wear just one cleated shoe initially until you get used to them, or would that just be, um, wrong?

[TonyHetherington]

Very wrong

Don't worry, you won't fall over

[MadDad]

Fat Albert said:

oh bu**er! I have put half SPD pedals on my new bike and have bought a pair of Muddy Foxes with cleats...
I have been up and down the drive a couple of times, but have not quite got the unclipping sorted yet...

Is there a view to wear just one cleated shoe initially until you get used to them, or would that just be, um, wrong?

Assuming you have Shimano 520's or 540's just make sure you wind the spring back, won't be as secure but should ease unclipping until you are used to it!

[daz3210]

Fat Albert said:

Is there a view to wear just one cleated shoe initially until you get used to them, or would that just be, um, wrong?

You could do, just make sure that when you stop you lean to the cleated side so you get used to the feeling of stopping in a cleated shoe......



I guess you are the sort who wore odd socks to school too.

[AyBee]

TonyHetherington said:

Excellent work

Did it once - through not changing down I 'stalled', thought I could make it, couldn't, panicked, then it was too late. Scuffed my seat and learnt a lesson

I changed down, didn't spin, chain went loose, feet had nothing to apply pressure to, over I went...infront of a queue of laughing traffic

[Fat Albert]

I will try them over the next week, and will report my fails here then....

[dave0010]

I did it tonight but not in the normal fashion, I suppose it's because I like to be unique.

So tonight I was only going to shoot round a few miles to mainly check adjustments I had made to the bike were for the better. At the end of my road is a set of traffic lights at a cross junction. Right on the corner of this junction is also a pub ( very busy tonight as the weather was so good the front beer garden along the road was packed) normally when I get to these lights if there red I put a arm out and lean on the pedestrian crossing button box. But as I rolled up the light I went to put my arm out right at the same time as a pedestrian was, for some reason I then decided instead or holding onto the box and possible touching a strangers hand to pull my arm back in. The problem was I had gone past "That point" and very cleverly fell onto the stranger much to the enjoyment of everyone on the pub

[Dizeee]

Well, I am contributing to this - which is a risk, as so far, no issues.

Been riding with Shimano SPD's for around 3 weeks, so far circa 140 miles. Have to say I have no issues with the unclipping, my main gripe is clipping in - not easy to do - have continued to mis clip one foot and push forward hard, slipping it and hurting my arse / leg / foot.

Practice.....

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

shipley said:

Another one here. I have several race bikes and cover about 2k miles per annum. All the gear including look pedals and have never fallen off them (yet !!)

Every morning I take the dog for a 2 mile run, well he runs and I poodle on my mountain bike with SPDs.

Yesterday morning, deep in thought as one is at 6am I didn't notice said dog come back to me, coming to a complete halt in front of the bike. When I realised he wasn't moving I was stationary and fell into a pile of nettles.

Sore as it was, I couldn't help but laugh.

Earlier we had the dog ( me) and the nettles excuse as two seperate posts.

Hats off to you.

[Gumstabber]

On the way to work today, hopped on to the pavement to cross the 3 lanes of traffic via the pedestrian crossing. Got to the edge of pavement ready to cross, failed to unclip for some reason that I still can't fathom. Fell on arse!

A nice jogger asked me if I was ok. Just my pride hurt really and a few scrapes that'll heal.

[Centurion07]

Am I the first to renew my membership since my first post?

So after covering about 100 miles last week with my new pedals, went out on sunday, about halfway round my route so not totally knackered yet, pulled up after a climb that almost killed me, went to come to a stop next to a fence to lean on, unclipped, realise I HADN'T actually unclipped and promptly fell over. Both hands still firmly on the bars. And this time there WAS someone there to see it. I was hoping his car which was inbetween us had shielded me enough that he couldn't see, but no, "are you alright?" I hear, "yes, cheers mate". At least he had the decency not to laugh till he got in his car (I don't know if actually did or not but I reckon he probably did. I mean, who wouldn't?).

Anyways, I HAD unclipped but the front part of the cleat was still hooked on. Dammitt.

Oh, and it wasn't nettles but the nice patch of long comfy grass I'd managed to aquaint myself with obviously had something in it because when I got home about an hour later, my knee was nice and red and rather itchy too.

I have now decided the optimum technique is that when you realise you might want to consider the possibility of thinking about maybe wanting to unclip, UNCLIP!

Edited by Centurion07 on Tuesday 11th September 17:22

[Zigster]

Disastrous said:

Does anyone NOT do this?? I've never used SPDs and I'm put off by the certainty of falling.

It's really irritating trying to rotate a toe clip when you're making off from a junction though so maybe they're better?

I've never done it. But I purposely leave my SPDs quite loose which has come in handy on a couple of occasions where a panic-stricken of my feet got them out in time.

[Fat Albert]

I manned up

wore both shoes! But only clipped one in whilst in the village...once out on the open road clipped the other in....all went well until I went to change up chainring and the chain shot over the top of the large chainring and onto my crank...whilst downhill with a car behind and a parked car in front.

Obvioulsy the instinct is to grab the anchors (damn you disc brakes!) but I just managed to release the brakes for long enough to unclip and then stop before I hit the parked car..

I too struggle to clip in sometimes, but i suppose that is just adjustment and practice

[antspants]

Steve vRS said:

I did that the other week in front of my wife and neighbour after trying to startle them by screeching to a halt behind them.

dave0010 said:

very cleverly fell onto the stranger much to the enjoyment of everyone in the pub

These are my favourites so far, very funny

Love the fact that rather than touch a strangers arm Dave fell on top of them instead

Don't have clips btw, and after reading this I never will.

Just out of interest, once you've fallen over is it still difficult to unclip? I have an image of you lot looking like a ladybird on its back struggling to get the right way up again

[rohrl]

Count me in. Also add me to the click-clack-oomph-flat-on-my-arse-in-middle-of-Tesco-aisle club.

I have Look Keo clipless pedals rather than the Shimano system but the outcome is the same.

Edited by rohrl on Thursday 13th September 04:13

[BliarOut]

antspants said:

Steve vRS said:

I did that the other week in front of my wife and neighbour after trying to startle them by screeching to a halt behind them.

dave0010 said:

very cleverly fell onto the stranger much to the enjoyment of everyone in the pub

These are my favourites so far, very funny

Love the fact that rather than touch a strangers arm Dave fell on top of them instead

Don't have clips btw, and after reading this I never will.

Just out of interest, once you've fallen over is it still difficult to unclip? I have an image of you lot looking like a ladybird on its back struggling to get the right way up again

No, that's the real pisser, it's remarkably easy to unclip when you're horizontal

[CoolC]

Surly someone must make a "I've joined the club" sticker

[Gwagon111]

I never clip into my pedals anymore, for this very reason. I'd rather have to shift my feet back, now and again, than take the bike with me into whichever ditch I'm heading, should I wish to renew my membership of said 'club'.

[dave0010]

by the time I was on the floor due to me twisting and wriggling I had become unclipped. This added more confusion to the persons face as to why I had decided to "sit on them". I seem to remember them saying.