Stuck in cheap clip in pedals, fell to the floor :(

[Richyboy]

Was waiting at the lights (as you do as a cyclist lol) balancing the bike without feet touching floor and over I go; couldn't get out of the pedals in time and fell to one side. Got these cheap clip in pedals from chainreaction, is there an spd pedal that's easy to get out of or does this happen to everyone?

[Joey Ramone]

Happens when you instinctively try to pull your foot upwards, rather than twisting the heel to one side. In that sense, it would happen regardless how cheap or expensive the pedal was. I presume it was an SPD-SL type?

[Notorious100HP]

If t makes you feel any better I almost fell off the mTB despite using flat pedals. Got stuck on a slightly unexpectedly steep climb and the spikes on the pedals were stuck in the soles of my shoes. Just got loose in time :-D

[RicharDC5]

It will vary from pedal to pedal. They also loosen up a bit with wear.

My £20 pedals are easier to get out of than my Ultegra ones. It's down to technique and having them properly set up more than anything else.

[Watchman]

I sent my wife off on SPDs for the first time last week, only for her to return with a nettle rash after she fell into them at a stop.

I told her to practice but she's not one for taking advice.

I fell over more times than an intelligent person ought when I first tried SPDs, as though I was incapable of learning but it's second nature now.

If you have Shimano pedals then it doesn't matter how cheap they were, they're working properly.

Edited by Watchman on Thursday 29th September 22:27

[AlunJ]

Been there done that, when I first put keo's on my road bike I remember tried to stop on a hill, couldn't unclip and fell straight over right in front of a passing car who no doubt couldn't stop laughing, this all despite the fact I'd been riding with keo's on my track bike for months!

[planetsurfer]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-sh56-cl...

[mike9009]

I worked in Freewheel in Leeds (Lower Briggate at the time). I fitted SPDs to my Trek 930 after work. Cycled out to traffic lights in middle of Briggate to turn right. Fell over with loads of commuters watching. Luckily only my pride hurt.

You will soon get used to the release mechanism and feel the benefits! Try loosening the spring tension a little until you get used to them.

Mike

[egor110]

In the early 90's i was a postie in a town using a push bike.

Pulled up outside a travel agents and proceeded to get both legs of my trousers stuck in the chain , i had to bang on the travel agents window and one od them came out and released me from the chain.

Never ever going to live that down .

[E71]

Maybe try using one flat pedal, and only use the clip-in pedal on the foot you usually put down until you get used to unclipping. That way you have one foot you can quickly put down in an emergency. Don't do it for too long because the pedals/shoes might be different heights and you'll pedal slightly lopsided.

I went up and down my driveway a few times when I first started and stumbled and toppled over multiple times. No idea what the neighbours thought!

[LarryUSA]

Part and parcel of clipless pedals I'm afraid - there's another thread about this. Happened to me too shortly after first fitting them. Now whenever I approach a junction or potential stop, I unclip just in case. What gets me is trying to beat the lights and not making it having to come to a quick stop - that's when it's easy to forget!

[smifffymoto]

I always have my pedals at their weakest spring setting so I do suffer the misfortune of falling off I come unclipped without knee injury.

[richardxjr]

It's a sort of initiation

Mine was at the head of a long queue of traffic I'd just passed at a closed level crossing.

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Joey Ramone said:

Happens when you instinctively try to pull your foot upwards, rather than twisting the heel to one side. In that sense, it would happen regardless how cheap or expensive the pedal was. I presume it was an SPD-SL type?

Nearly happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I twisted and the cleat just span in place - turns out one of the cleat bolts had snapped!

planetsurfer said:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-sh56-cl...

What is so special about those cleats? The seem very expensive - you can get the pedal with cleats for not much more

Edited by jesusbuiltmycar on Friday 30th September 09:50

[sjg]

Every clipless pedal I've used has tension adjustment - they come out of the box in a "somewhere in the middle" setting, and you may want to slacken them off for an easier exit until you get used to them.

For Shimano it's a 2.5mm or 3mm allen key required and it's the one at the back of the pedal. If they're double-sided MTB pedals don't forget to do both sides.

[WaferThinHam]

I must be the only one that's yet to fall off whilst clipped in. Even when doing track stands at the lights. I have had to unclip in a hurry a few times though.

[russ]

try these they work really well for me

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-a530-cl...

[Devil2575]

I have Shimano SPD and I've not fallen over yet. I have set them to the slackest setting though. I did fall over a few times with the toe strap pedals that my bike came with though.

[JustinF]

Devil2575 said:

I have Shimano SPD and I've not fallen over yet. I have set them to the slackest setting though. I did fall over a few times with the toe strap pedals that my bike came with though.

And now you've set the counter running...

[Devil2575]

JustinF said:

Devil2575 said:

I have Shimano SPD and I've not fallen over yet. I have set them to the slackest setting though. I did fall over a few times with the toe strap pedals that my bike came with though.

And now you've set the counter running...

True

That's the thing with cycling though, falling off is inevitable. It's just a case of when and how much it's going to hurt.