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Pedal unclipping incident

Started by D.M. Procida · · Last activity · 14 posts · 418 views

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Original section
UK and Europe
Published
12 August 2005
Last activity
14 August 2005
Original author
D.M. Procida
Posts
14
Discussion status
Public discussion
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418
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  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. "Tony B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    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.


  4. Quoted message said:

    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.

    John

  5. Timfy said:

    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?

    bfn,

    Tony B

  6. Eatmorepies said:
    Quoted message said:

    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.

    Quoted message said:

    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.

    Quoted message said:

    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

    --
    Nigel Cliffe,
    Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

  7. Nigel Cliffe said:

    Rubbish.

    FOR SALE: Sense of Humour, hardly used.

  8. Nigel Cliffe said:
    Eatmorepies said:
    Quoted message said:

    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.

    Quoted message said:

    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.

    Quoted message said:

    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

  9. 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

  10. "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

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    them however is a bit [censored]... It's not just "tubby" people that die


    from

    Quoted message said:
    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 :-)

  11. Nigel Cliffe said:

    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.

    Jon

  12. Response to :

    Quoted message said:

    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."

  13. Mark McNeill said:

    Response to :

    Quoted message said:

    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.

    Clunk click every trip, ykims.

  14. Eatmorepies <[email hidden]> whizzed past me shouting

    Quoted message said:


    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

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