Going to give clipless another try.

[Paco]

I agree with the above. Getting used to clipless can be a matter of perserverance and some bruises, but it is worth it. The first time I used them was in Salt Lake City, borrowing a friend's bike with his shoes. I fell off at the first two sets of red t. lights. Felt such a fool, but these are circumstances when you learn!

 

[guitarpete247]

I fell off for the first time today.
I stopped and twisted my right foot and out it came. Then twisted my left but it stayed attached. Very slowly I rolled onto a grass bank.
I untied the shoe and still it stayed attached firmly to the pedal but would twist. The cleat had come loose. I eventually had to take the pedal off and use a screwdriver to release the pedal. I then found the problem. I had lost a cleat bolt.
So home again.
I am now going to carry a spare cleat bolt or two.
I have read that everyone falls off 3 times as you get used to cleats. Hope the other 2 are as soft and gentle.

 

[Rob3rt]

I fell off for the first time today.
I stopped and twisted my right foot and out it came. Then twisted my left but it stayed attached. Very slowly I rolled onto a grass bank.
I untied the shoe and still it stayed attached firmly to the pedal but would twist. The cleat had come loose. I eventually had to take the pedal off and use a screwdriver to release the pedal. I then found the problem. I had lost a cleat bolt.
So home again.
I am now going to carry a spare cleat bolt or two.
I have read that everyone falls off 3 times as you get used to cleats. Hope the other 2 are as soft and gentle.

You dont need to unclip both each time you stop, if you need to stop, just unclip one as you freewheel to the stop, and use that foot to steady yourself on the ground. This way you have one foot attached when you need to pull away so when you have a clip in dissaster (which you will most likely have) then you at least have one foot attached to do most of the work allowing you to pedal almost one footed while scrambling to get the other foot back in just dont get to close to the curb while scrambling, cause then the clipped in foot cant pedal and you will fall over, like I did, right next to a bus full of spectators, hah

Im prepairing to go clipless with my fixed bike since I'm using it for training for TT'ing and need the extra efficiency of being attached where I previously didnt need it, I feel much more confident riding fixed so Im hoping going clipless on the fixed will work out better for me than my attempt on my road bike, although hitting a moving target may prove a challenge , going to roll with power straps for a few weeks 1st then move my Look Keo's over to my track bike.

 

[raindog]

I have read that everyone falls off 3 times as you get used to cleats.

I never fell off once

 

[mickle]

Clip-in pedals not clip-less. ffs

 

[asterion]

Pretty much instantaneous clipin moment with my new pedals (thanks catalanchris, ianrauk & stewlewis for advice). Pulled up at a traffic light, unclipped too late, toppled slowly onto the bonnet of a car. Then fell the other way as I forgot the other foot was clipped in too. I have a lot of stops on my commute, marylebone high street is going to be a nightmare! I expect I'll be doing a lot of pedalling with one foot unclipped for a while.
The main issue for me is getting the right side of the pedal to clip in to. Any advice?

 

[guitarpete247]

I know I didn't need to unclip both sides when I stopped but as I was going to get off at this point I found that 1 foot would not unclip. I was lucky I was stopped next to a soft grassy bank that I could roll onto and get shoe off.
It was not so much falling off as rolling onto grass.

 

[snailracer]

It seems that few riders are even aware of toe "cups", i.e. toeclips that are not intended to be used with straps. I find these are sufficient to stop my foot sliding off flat pedals (esp uphill when wet) without resorting to clipless:

http://www.jdcycles.co.uk/components/pedal---cleats--top-clips/zefal-strapless-toeclips--toe-cups

 

[guitarpete247]

I had toe cups on for last 15 years, and clips and straps on road bike at least 30, but thought it was time I tried clipless (clip-in)(whatever). Apart from not having tightened the cleat up fully I'm finding the security and increased efficiency an improvement.
I've just been out again with repaired footware and no problems. Clipped in and out no probs.

 

[raindog]

Clip-in pedals not clip-less. ffs

Weren't they called clipless because toe-clips were no longer involved?
(not that it matters a gnat's @rse of course )

 

[Mark_Robson]

Clip-in pedals not clip-less. ffs

All my SPD pedals are manufactured by Shimano and they refer to them as clipless.
http://bike.shimano.com/publish/con...l?search=clipless&searchbtn.x=1&searchbtn.y=1

 

[Chrisc]

I never fell off once

+1, close twice, very close!

 

[HLaB]

I never fell off once

Yet

 

[raindog]

 

[guitarpete247]

The only other time I have had a proper fall was when using toe clips and straps. I was cut up by a car (young lad). He then turned left in front of me on wet road. I braked but he took me around into a side road with my bike scraping, I hope, his car as he then pulled away. I was left sprawled on the deck with a pedestrian coming to my rescue. I think I would have ended up on the floor whether I was clipped in or not.
That was in 1977. Have had some close calls since then but not ended up floored.
It usually is young lads who cut me up.