Helmet and clipless

[Biker Joe]

After 61 years of riding bikes I've finally resorted to wearing a helmet and going clipless.
I've had a number of crashes over the years and never suffered any head damage but after a lot of deliberation I went out and got myself a helmet. Why? No single reason really. Partly wife pressure, partly seeing the majority of other riders wearing them (perhaps a big part), partly due to possible compensation issues in case of an accident and partly a feeling that I've got away with it this long, it can't last.
Tried the helmet yesterday and was quite surprised that I didn't notice that I'd got one on. So there we go!
Also I went out and purchased Shimano M520 pedals and cleats (SPDs) and a pair of Shimano SPD M077 shoes. I think I jumped the gun a bit on the M520 pedals and perhaps should have gone for the M530. for the extra support. Just have to wait and see.
I haven't tried the clipless setup yet. Going to do that today as part of a recovery ride so I can take my time getting used to them.
Quite excited really. Something new to try out.

 

[tyred]

Perhaps you will need the helmet when you have a clipless moment...

 

[Leaway2]

Good luck with the SPD's. I love 'em. I always wear a helmet on my commute, but not other times. At least you can choose whether to wear or not.

 

[fossyant]

You know what's going to happen, you'll have a clipless moment and bang the helmet on your hand as you panic !

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Everyone has a reason for wearing a helmet, i was never going to wear one until peddling along a road and came across a group of teenagers walking home at 6am in the morning, holding bottles of beer and swaying.
As i approached i was fearfull of one jumping into the road or worst still, so picked up speed, as i came upon them, the load mouth one at the front squeeled and shouted "hey look at the baldy" .
After years of being follically challenged i thought i had got used to being a baldy but owww ,, getting hit with the bottle would have been a better option , so it was either a woolly hat (to warm in summer) or a helmet.
Now i can approach drunken teeneagers with head held high, and just have the "hey fatty" remarks to contend with.

 

[Lanzecki]

I know people always say "clipless moment" and ive seen the videos on youtube but really, im a newbie to cycling abd i still find it hard to see how anyone woukd have such moments? I was put off by clipless as everyone said, you will falk off trust me. Well three months on and still no fall, sureky if you have a modicum of sense and an ounce of balance, any "clipless moments" can be avoided! :-) TOUCH WOOD

HAHA. I give you a week after saying that.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

I know people always say "clipless moment" and ive seen the videos on youtube but really, im a newbie to cycling abd i still find it hard to see how anyone woukd have such moments? I was put off by clipless as everyone said, you will falk off trust me. Well three months on and still no fall, sureky if you have a modicum of sense and an ounce of balance, any "clipless moments" can be avoided! :-) TOUCH WOOD

It gets you when you least expect it.

I have been lucky and not had one as yet, BUT i was on my own coming down off the moors when a call of nature was required, i was looking for a quite place to stop and upon seeing a spot slammed the brakes on and spun round at the same time to check no cars where coming down off the moor.

So there i am stopped and it was only then i thought Feet/Peddles , in a mad panic i just got one foot off and to the ground before i tipped over to the point of no return, so since then i can understand how others can do it on a road bike, on a MTB on the moors well thats a different story.

 

[Eribiste]

Biker Joe's story sounds very like mine. When I was riding my now departed Pashley I never wore a funny hat, but when I rushed out and bought the Boardman, the very next thing I bought was a hat for nutting the kerbs with. The bike came with toe clips which I lived with for about a week before going for clipless pedals and shoes. So far, I've found that wearing the hat looks and seems right with a hot-shot roadie, and the click-in pedals are a pleasure to use as my feet don't slip when trying hard and (with the bindings on the lowest tension) getting in and out is easier than the fiddle-faddle with the toe clips.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I know people always say "clipless moment" and ive seen the videos on youtube but really, im a newbie to cycling abd i still find it hard to see how anyone woukd have such moments? I was put off by clipless as everyone said, you will falk off trust me. Well three months on and still no fall, sureky if you have a modicum of sense and an ounce of balance, any "clipless moments" can be avoided! :-) TOUCH WOOD

You've not met the p* fairy's cousin have you? I suspect you may well do soon after poking her with a stick like that

 

[Biker Joe]

Well, I got out and tried out my new peddles and shoes and ,I must say, I was very impressed.
After a very short while I was clipping in and out with no problems at all. I think I made a good move (and buying the peddles and shoes was a good idea too).
The shoes are very comfortable and everything feels very secure.
If I do get a 'clipless moment', I hope it's somewhere quiet with no one about. Sod's Law, however , says it will happen just as I'm
passing the local school and the kids are coming out creasing themselves up with laughter.
So I'm happy.
Oh, and I wore my new helmet.

 

[Biker Joe]

I know people always say "clipless moment" and ive seen the videos on youtube but really, im a newbie to cycling abd i still find it hard to see how anyone woukd have such moments? I was put off by clipless as everyone said, you will falk off trust me. Well three months on and still no fall, sureky if you have a modicum of sense and an ounce of balance, any "clipless moments" can be avoided! :-) TOUCH WOOD

Oh dear, you shouldn't have said that.............. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear........ no,no,no,............deary, deary me.

 

[DooDah]

I know people always say "clipless moment" and ive seen the videos on youtube but really, im a newbie to cycling abd i still find it hard to see how anyone woukd have such moments? I was put off by clipless as everyone said, you will falk off trust me. Well three months on and still no fall, sureky if you have a modicum of sense and an ounce of balance, any "clipless moments" can be avoided! :-) TOUCH WOOD

I would like to think that I have some sense and balance, but I too have had a clipless moment, and some months after buying them. I was due to meet my wife at a cafe in a town near to us, I arrived early, so I thought I would wait in the car park. I came round a parked car just ready to unclip, when my front wheel went on a small drain cover which flipped up under the weight. This stopped my bike dead before I could unclip. I did manage to unclip one foot, but I was already falling the other way. Unfortunately, this all happened in front of about 40 people enjoying their Sunday morning coffee.

 

[Crackle]

Everyone has clipless moments even after years of using them. Perhaps they're just moments really, rather than clipless moments. mine was last year, approaching some temporary traffic lights and I slowly dawdled up to them, head down checking my gears and wot not.

When I looked up the farking things were right in front of me. I hit them with my front wheel, stopped dead, managed to embrace the light as I went down and succeeded in turning it 90 degrees but not in staying upright. I landed in a heap but was up even faster than I went down trying to look nonchalant. Luckily there was no one around, so I put the traffic light back in place and buggered off smarting: It happens.

 

[DooDah]

I knew i would of got a reaction, its just when you see sll these clips ofvidiots on youtube!

Agree with you on that.

 

[Rob500]

Also I went out and purchased Shimano M520 pedals and cleats (SPDs)

Hi Joe. I have the M520's myself and think they're great. Good luck with them.