Can't stop falling when riding with clipless pedals! Need stopping tips!

[drewski]

i remember when i first switched to clipless pedals around 1990. i had already been racing using toe-clips and straps where you need to loosen up prior to stopping (anybody still use those things?).

it was the end of a long ride and i hadn't had to clip-out during the whole ride. came on a red light and was slowing down. i reached down to loosen the toe-strap on my left pedal . . . WAIT! where's the friggen toe strap?!?!?

i coast to a halt and while still fumbling around my shoe (not even remembering i had clipless pedals yet) fall over to the left in slow motion. car next to me opens window and asks if i need some help. "Nah, new pedals." i replied as he drove off and i untangled myself.

to add to my embarrassment, i was wearing the full kit for my racing team!

 

[grdylan]

Have you considered adjusting tthe tightness of your pedals so they are easier to clip out of.

 

[Spider1977]

My last zero speed fall was posted on this thread on 30 July. Happy to say that I haven't had one since and now feel competent to clip out in an emergency.

I did have one more incident, but I was doing about 50 to 60 km/h at the time and it wasn't my fault the front wheel slipped on the railway track. Ouch!

 

[garywray]

I always clip out of the same leg. I make sure I am going fast enough before doing so and far enough from the stop to get braking under control. As I roll to the stop I lean to the unclipped leg that is already hangind and ready to touch the ground. I would also make sure your peddles are not adjusted too tightly which would make it hard to turn your foot out. If you clip out at the bottom of your stroke you might try at the top but you want to be sure you are going fast enough. You can always clip out and then move your shoe forward a little so you are still on the peddle but not clipped in. Go to a park where the grass is soft and practice it until it comes second nature to you. If it takes 500 times then so be it, it would be better to get it right then to have a closed head injury. Hope this helps...GW

 

[hybrid hijinx]

Originally posted by jonstagg
Two suggestions:
1) Unclip way in advance if it looks like you're going to stop and hold your foot just above the pedal, so if you don't have to stop you can just push it back in.
2) If you have unclipped on the left and start fall to the right push your handle bars to the right. This will cause the bike to move to the right and help you to fall back to the left. It works!

the second tip is just what i'm looking for. i fell over last night and i was just trying out the pedals. i'm new to the whole pedal clip process and just bought me some new pedals for my gary fisher hybrid. did one round on the cul de sac and as i approached my driveway, i unclipped my right foot then my left and started leanin to my left when all of a sudden, my left foot clipped in again... OUCH!!! but one thing is true though, it will unclip if you fall... learn from your mistakes they say and im never gonna forget!