Having had clipless pedals for nearly a year, and been smug about the lack of dramas to accompany the learning process... today as I pulled up at the lights in the middle lane in one of the busiest intersections in Cardiff (Wood Street into St Mary's Street), I simply left unclipping too late.
So in front of dozens of drivers, and possibly a hundred or more pedestrians, I slowly toppled over to my left and became horizontal in the road with the bike on top of me.
Some people laughed.
I practice Aikido, so the fall itself was as natural and painless as sitting down, but less effort. I was glad when the light turned green, though five minutes later when I was locking up the bike I overheard passers-by still talking about it.
Daniele -- Apple Juice www.apple-juice.co.uk Chapter Arts Centre Market Road Cardiff CF5 1QE
though five minutes later when I was locking up the bike I overheard passers-by still talking about it.
whoops... I've not done that yet, thankfully. At least you can have the last laugh, when all the tubby laughers keel over with coronary heart disease and never get up again?
"Tony B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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D.M. Procida said:
though five minutes later when I was locking up the bike I overheard passers-by still talking about it.
whoops... I've not done that yet, thankfully. At least you can have the last laugh, when all the tubby laughers keel over with coronary heart disease and never get up again?
hth,
Tony B
Having a laugh WITH heart disease patients is to be recommended, laughing at them however is a bit [censored]... It's not just "tubby" people that die from heart disease.
So in front of dozens of drivers, and possibly a hundred or more pedestrians, I slowly toppled over to my left and became horizontal in the road with the bike on top of me.
SPD crashes are quite common when off road - I don't always get time to twist out of the clips. Also I tend to run them a bit tight so I don't come out in tense situations.
If you don't have SPD crashes, they are not tight enough. If you do have SPD crashes they are too tight.
Having a laugh WITH heart disease patients is to be recommended, laughing at them however is a bit [censored]... It's not just "tubby" people that die from heart disease.
yeah, sorry - few too many vinos last night (hic). Still, a laugh's a laugh ;-) eh?
So in front of dozens of drivers, and possibly a hundred or more pedestrians, I slowly toppled over to my left and became horizontal in the road with the bike on top of me.
SPD crashes are quite common when off road - I don't always get time to twist out of the clips.
I have done this off-road once. Only once, and then when grinding to a halt on a steep uphill.
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Also I tend to run them a bit tight so I don't come out in tense situations.
What advantage does "a bit tight" bring you, apart from the crashes.
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If you don't have SPD crashes, they are not tight enough. If you do have SPD crashes they are too tight.
Rubbish. SPDs are only too loose if you are regularly unclipping when not intended.
So in front of dozens of drivers, and possibly a hundred or more pedestrians, I slowly toppled over to my left and became horizontal in the road with the bike on top of me.
SPD crashes are quite common when off road - I don't always get time to twist out of the clips.
I have done this off-road once. Only once, and then when grinding to a halt on a steep uphill.
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Also I tend to run them a bit tight so I don't come out in tense situations.
What advantage does "a bit tight" bring you, apart from the crashes.
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If you don't have SPD crashes, they are not tight enough. If you do have SPD crashes they are too tight.
Rubbish. SPDs are only too loose if you are regularly unclipping when not intended.
- Nigel
And I have had some real near misses when that has happened
I had an embarrasing incident too. Being outside my house only made it even more embarrasing!
I was just ready to pull away and I put all my weight on one pedal. Suddenly the chain slips putting all that effort onto one side if the bike and tips me up. I was rolling too slowly to correct my balance and my foot was stuck in the pedal so I slowly tipped up in front of my neighbours. I had a nice big cut on my hand to show for it too. :o
"Tony B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Timfy said:
Having a laugh WITH heart disease patients is to be recommended,
laughing at
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Quoted message said:
them however is a bit [censored]... It's not just "tubby" people that die
from
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Quoted message said:
heart disease.
yeah, sorry - few too many vinos last night (hic). Still, a laugh's a laugh ;-) eh?
bfn,
Tony B
But of course .... I only fall out with people face to face!!!
My reply was a little bit up my own [censored] but I'de just got back from a cardiac ward after visiting my dad (who will be absolutely fine) and as such a little touchy on the subject.
PS I don't drive at all and yet I still find (non injurous) self inflicted accidents amusing........ must be an overweight thing :-)
What advantage does "a bit tight" bring you, apart from the crashes.
It means he doesn't "come out in tense situations". Unintentional pulling out of an SPD can vary in seriousness from a slow start from a junction to coming off in a particularly painful fashion. On a recumbent trike, the area in between is populated by varying levels of Achilles tendon damage.
If you can unclip, then they are loose enough. I would always suggest running them loose while you get used to them, then getting them as tight as you can tolerate.
It means he doesn't "come out in tense situations". Unintentional pulling out of an SPD can vary in seriousness from a slow start from a junction to coming off in a particularly painful fashion. On a recumbent trike, the area in between is populated by varying levels of Achilles tendon damage.
If you can unclip, then they are loose enough. I would always suggest running them loose while you get used to them, then getting them as tight as you can tolerate.
On a recumbent trike, the possible consequence of an unintended uncleat can include the leg being sucked under the trike at speed, leading to very nasty injuries indeed. Given that when I'm on the trike I only need to uncleat when I'm actually getting off, I have the cleats on the trike set at max.
-- Mark, UK
"The Internet was a better place when you had to TRY to get on it."
It means he doesn't "come out in tense situations". Unintentional pulling out of an SPD can vary in seriousness from a slow start from a junction to coming off in a particularly painful fashion. On a recumbent trike, the area in between is populated by varying levels of Achilles tendon damage.
If you can unclip, then they are loose enough. I would always suggest running them loose while you get used to them, then getting them as tight as you can tolerate.
On a recumbent trike, the possible consequence of an unintended uncleat can include the leg being sucked under the trike at speed, leading to very nasty injuries indeed. Given that when I'm on the trike I only need to uncleat when I'm actually getting off, I have the cleats on the trike set at max.
<fx:hands up at back of class> I've done that, albeit wearing sandles, and it abrades all the skin from the tops of your toes and upper foot. In case you handn't noticed that, it also bends your kneed at a bad angle and crushes the calf muscle against the seat.
Eatmorepies <[email hidden]> whizzed past me shouting
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SPD crashes are quite common when off road - I don't always get time to twist out of the clips. Also I tend to run them a bit tight so I don't come out in tense situations.
I use M cleats (multiple release mode) - they come out when you fall off sideways as well as when you twist. I've never ended up in a ditch with my bike still attached to my feet... touch wood.
-- Sue ];(🙂
What goes down must come up again - Confucius' Law of Mountain Biking