How to stop and NOT fall...

[rossamkraut]

So I went out for my very first ride today, I clipped in and felt like a pro....until I got to the first stop sign on my trail.

I unclipped my right foot, slowed down to a stop and as soon as I finally wasn't moving anymore I slowly tipped left, couldn't unclip my left foot in time and WHAM I was on the ground...I didn't think much of it, I hear that happens a few times when you're getting used to it...but it happened every time I stopped if I tried to leave my left foot clipped in...

Is there a secret? Trick? Method?

Help! My knee can't take this much longer!

 

[gavroche]

get rid of the clips!!

 

[ian turner]

Er unclip your left foot or lean to the right ?

 

[colinr]

Lean to the side you unclip? That'll make it a lot easier.

 

[Moodyman]

Plan ahead and take out the foot that you normally rest on.

Leave the other clipped in to make it easier to get away when lights change. I've not had any in 2 years of daily clipping, but thr incident you describe is an initiating ceremony to get into the clipless club

 

[wheres_my_beard]

How do I get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. Practice. Practice.

Practice somewhere private for 15-20 minutes, before you next go out.

Stand your bike within arms reach of something immovable, like a wall or post. Sit on your bike as you would normally, and practice clipping in and out, with both feet, while staying seated, to get used to the action and angle you need to achieve to unclip.

It is also worth practicing unclipping-to-standing over the bike, with whatever foot you normally put down, and the other still clipped in.

You only need to unclip the foot you are going to put down... do you put your right foot down when you stop??

When you stop lean the bike consciously into the leg you have planted on the ground this should stop the bike tipping the other way in all but the windiest conditions or sloping road.

Once you get the hang of staying upright you'll be grateful for sticking with clipless pedals.

 

[NormanD]

Unclip left foot = lean bike to the left about one foot before coming to a complete stop and left foot down

Unclip right foot = as above but with the right foot down

you'll soon get used to the idea

 

[Baggy]

On my first attempt I did exactlythe same - confidently unclipped my right foot and then promptly hurled myself down on to my left side
Until I'd got the hang of it I used to unclip both feet just as a safety measure and with in a few rides had got into the swing of things.

 

[gaz]

Trackstand!
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0O8ZzFuMkQ[/media]

 

[rossamkraut]

Thanks guys, I'll try some suggestions...Others are really DUH! things...of course I try to lean to the right and put the right foot down since it's the one I unclip...somehow I always end up going left though...ugh!

 

[wheres_my_beard]

I think everything said so far is perfectly valid advice.

My screen resolution may mean I am not able to read between the lines though.

 

[PoweredByVeg]

You could also try to unclip, slide forward off the saddle while standing on the still clipped in pedal, and stretch your free foot forward slightly.
Then when you stop you're not still teetering on your saddle, probably because if your saddle is at the right height, you can hardly put your feet down anyway.

Also practice with both feet, you don't want to become too reliant on one or the other

 

[Chutzpah]

The best thing I've found to do (being relatively new to this clipped in malarky and also successfully unclipping but falling the opposite way) is to keep the leg that your foot is clipped in with extended, and poke your unclipped foot out like a bike stand.

I find that if my clipped in foot isn't extended like this (i.e. in the six o'clock position) my balance seems to favour heading that way... and if I do that I'll soon be heading south.

So... in the foot I'm going to unclip, I do it when it's at the twelve o'clock position (just make sure you twist from the heel and not the toe), which leaves my other leg extended and in the six o'clock position. Extend out leg and job's a good 'un.

I'm also still in the habit of unclipping as soon as I think I might have to stop. I know that others will happily go further along the road before unclipping, but right now I'm happy to unclip early and be prepared - it's simple enough to get clipped back in if you don't have to stop.

In the first few days I also made a habit of unclipping as I went along just for practice.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[corshamjim]

If they're not like that already, get the pedal tension at the very loosest setting to begin with, and try to get in the habit of steering away from the foot you're going to put down just before stopping. If in any doubt at all, unclip both feet.

 

[david k]

how to stop and not fall?

I like to lean my hand on the wall above the urinal, do my business and shake. The gently remove hand, steady oneself, check everythings away and move on. With practice this can be seamless