SPD related falling off - why?

[bajs-eye]

Last week I catapulted myself from my bike after coming unclipped from one of my pedals whilst standing up on them to accelerate. Nursing my broken collar bone I am now left wondering why these marvelous devices could have let me down so catastrophically.

I am an enthusiastic commuter but figured that you roadies would be the experts in the land of clipless pedals. I have had no other indication that the cleats were too worn, but they are getting on a bit how many miles should they do?

Reasons and theories for my rather spectacular crash much appreciated.

 

[topcat]

Last week I catapulted myself from my bike after coming unclipped from one of my pedals whilst standing up on them to accelerate. Nursing my broken collar bone I am now left wondering why these marvelous devices could have let me down so catastrophically.

I am an enthusiastic commuter but figured that you roadies would be the experts in the land of clipless pedals. I have had no other indication that the cleats were too worn, but they are getting on a bit how many miles should they do?

Reasons and theories for my rather spectacular crash much appreciated.

Well! i did the exact same thing few weeks back at a training camp in a velodrome, i stood up on the pedals to start sprinting and i pulled up on the left pedal and pulled out, i went flyin over the handlebars and did about 3-4 somersaults, i went that far because i was already moving forward, i hit my knee on the handlebar. My coach then looked at the pedals and the pedals tensions was rele lose and my cleats were slightly work, the force of it unclipped my right foot so the bike didnt really go over with me although the front wheel buckled slightly.

Which foot pulled out for you? the one you push down or the one pulling up?

 

[cuervo]

Last week I catapulted myself from my bike after coming unclipped from one of my pedals whilst standing up on them to accelerate. Nursing my broken collar bone I am now left wondering why these marvelous devices could have let me down so catastrophically.

I am an enthusiastic commuter but figured that you roadies would be the experts in the land of clipless pedals. I have had no other indication that the cleats were too worn, but they are getting on a bit how many miles should they do?

Reasons and theories for my rather spectacular crash much appreciated.

Sorry to hear that.

I used to have my SPD pedals tightened almost to the limit, some friends even had problems to unclip when they tried my bike.

Now, I switched to Speedplay's Zero, for the design of the pedal-cleat I think it would be very difficult to get unexpectedly disengaged from them, after 2,300 Kms. no surprises so far (and my friends can’t try my bike because they don’t have the cleats )

 

[bajs-eye]

Thanks. Its quite re-assuring to hear that I'm not the only one prone to such surprises!


Yes it was my back foot pulling up and my crash sounds very similar in terms of impressive somersaults.

Also I'll be having a look at some different clipping systems for when I'm mended, I had presumed that there wasn't very much between them and I have mine set at a fairly low tension, which could explain a few things!