OK Got my SPD Shoes

[Angelfishsolo]

Might as well worry about slipping gears and being hit from behind, or a p*&Cture that causes a skid. In my VERY limited experience, clipless moments are teething issues that are soon relegated to the sphere of 'stories to tell others'.

Everyone seems to joke about 'clipless moments, but has anyone fallen to the right and into the path of an approaching vehicle. This possibility stops me from going clipless.'

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Oddly enough I stop with my right foot on the ground 99% of the time. I am right handed BTW.

Also; thanks very much for the kind words.

 

[briank]

Everyone seems to joke about 'clipless moments, but has anyone fallen to the right and into the path of an approaching vehicle. This possibility stops me from going clipless.'

Never heard of it happening, though until your post I'd never wondered why.
Guess it's because if you unclip your right foot you stand on it, if you've unclipped your left foot but find your weight going to the right you will instinctively shift the weight of you left leg outwards to redress the balance, and if you've failed to unclip altogether then, in that moment in which you realise that nothing other than Newton being wrong is going to stop you toppling over, you can throw your weight one way or the other. I had the "luxury" of a couple of clipless moments with grass on one side, in one case a steep grassy bank: it didn't seem difficult to control which way to ditch it. Little comfort to your palms of course if you've tarmac all around, but reassuring against the nightmare scenario you mention

 

[peanut]

Everyone seems to joke about 'clipless moments, but has anyone fallen to the right and into the path of an approaching vehicle. This possibility stops me from going clipless.'

no never because we drive and cycle on the left in this country riders always instinctively put their left foot down first.As you pull up you should be naturally leaning towards the kurb or the left and its natural to pull the left foot out first too.
Also the curve or 'camber' of the road surface generally ensures you fall towards the left

 

[ianrauk]

Oddly enough I stop with my right foot on the ground 99% of the time. I am right handed BTW.

Also; thanks very much for the kind words.

+1
always right foot and also right handed/footed

 

[ianrauk]

no never because we drive and cycle on the left in this country riders always instinctively put their left foot down first.As you pull up you should be naturally leaning towards the kurb or the left and its natural to pull the left foot out first too.
Also the curve or 'camber' of the road surface generally ensures you fall towards the left

Sorry totally disagree with this. To say riders always insinctively put their left foot down first & to say it is natuaral is wrong. In my experience of commuting & watching other commuters, and for those in my cycling group, most cyclists use their dominant foot to unclip, whether it's their left or right.
People using clipless find their own way which is natural to them, not what others practice or do.

 

[BentMikey]

I think if you can't stop at will putting either foot down, then you need to practice more. It's important to be equally able on either side.

 

[peanut]

Well curbs are on the left in the UK and I have always found it sensible to stop next to the curb and pavement when getting off my bike rather than in the middle of the road . Stepping down with the right foot forces your body to lean into the passing traffic and puts your foot under their wheels.
I know which makes more sense to me
besides I have thought it logical to get onto a bike from the left hand side with my back facing the oncoming traffic. Its easier to start cycling with the flow

To say riders always insinctively put their left foot down first & to say it is natuaral is wrong. In my experience of commuting & watching other commuters, and for those in my cycling group, most cyclists use their dominant foot to unclip, whether it's their left or right.

 

[zacklaws]

When I first started with clipless a month ago, I fell off to the right. I was practising clipping in and out with my left foot repeatedly after practising with my right thinking how easy it is and could not see what the problem was and all the fuss was about when all of a sudden I lent a bit to the right and wobbled whilst unclipping my left and down I went. Never even got chance to think about unclipping with my right as it felt so unnatural to do it that way. Fortunatly I was not going fast so no damage caused

It must have mentally scarred me for life because even now when I get my other bike out without clipless pedals I still go through the motions of unclipping if I think I may have to stop.

 

[peanut]

It must have mentally scarred me for life because even now when I get my other bike out without clipless pedals I still go through the motions of unclipping if I think I may have to stop.

don't worry we have all been there. Thats why most experienced cyclists unclip long before stopping so that if anything like gravel or stones or a sudden manouever causes you to get out of balence when stopping you are ready for it.

 

[pinkkaz]

Well curbs are on the left in the UK and I have always found it sensible to stop next to the curb and pavement when getting off my bike rather than in the middle of the road . Stepping down with the right foot forces your body to lean into the passing traffic and puts your foot under their wheels.
I know which makes more sense to me
besides I have thought it logical to get onto a bike from the left hand side with my back facing the oncoming traffic. Its easier to start cycling with the flow

Also, if you have your left foot on the ground whilst stopped then it means you start pedalling again with your (stronger) right foot, which makes more sense to me. I always like to speed off as fast as possible and it's much easier for me if that's with my stronger right foot!

 

[mickle]

don't worry we have all been there. Thats why most experienced cyclists unclip long before stopping so that if anything like gravel or stones or a sudden manouever causes you to get out of balence when stopping you are ready for it.

I don't. But I'm sure I used to. I think once you've been using them for a while the time between 'clipping out in anticipation' and 'clipping out the moment you need to' shortens until it disappears all together. I can get my feet off the pedals just as quickly as if they were flats and I have my spring tension cranked right up.

 

[peanut]

I don't. But I'm sure I used to. I think once you've been using them for a while the time between 'clipping out in anticipation' and 'clipping out the moment you need to' shortens until it disappears all together. I can get my feet off the pedals just as quickly as if they were flats and I have my spring tension cranked right up.

good for you Mickle .Sounds like you are quite the expert now.
Myself I can still come off clipped in even after 15 years of using them. I was reminded of this a couple of years ago when a bunch of novice cyclist's stopped dead in front of me on gravel. Try unclipping on gravel when you've just skidded to a dead stop
Before you answer I already know you could do this as well

 

[briank]

If you ride a tandem( yes, I know but bear with me) and you're trying to do the kind of sopisticated stop/start in traffic which involves only the pilot unclipping one foot () and both backsides staying in respective saddles, then you unclip from the high side - the left if there's a curb in range of your foot, but probably the right if there isn't, given the camber of the road.

 

[swee'pea99]

I had a clipless moment off-road when my daughter suddenly stopped dead right in front of me and my front wheel just overlapped with her rear wheel. Fortunately my fall was broken by a big soft patch of nettles.