Unclipping on a hill

[iggibizzle]

I should have said more of a costant smooth rotational movement rather than 'pull up'. Although I do push and pull at same time if it's a hill of doom.

 

[slowmotion]

I've got SPDs and have always set the release tension to the absolute minimum without ever unclipping accidentally. If I anticipate that I'm grinding to a halt on a steep hill (or on the flat for that matter), I unclip in good time. I'm not racing so I don't see the point in leaving it to the last second.

 

[Boon 51]

Nothing to do with unclipping but always make a mental note of the road ahead and keep one eye on driveways and turn offs as these can be a good escape route to stop and the last resort a grass verge to come off as it s a bit softer than tarmac..
PS.. Lower gears can mean the difference to staying upright or not..

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks - not sure what happened with me, just think I ran out of steam and was probably at a snails pace before unclipping but if I had done it earlier I would have lost even more power. Do you unclip at top or bottom pedal position?

Er, I have never thought about it - I just do it! (Thinks back to last hilly dismount ...) Right, I push the left pedal over the top of the pedal stroke and start to twist my heel out as the left crank is roughly horizontal so my foot is coming off the pedal at about the bottom of the stroke.

That works every time if I do a planned stop. The only times I have been caught out have been unplanned stops, such as the example I gave above when a stupid motorist selfishly drove into the bit of road that I was about to ride up!

Another suggestion ... It helps to have really low gears on your bike to reduce the likelihood that you would have to dismount in the first place. With the low gears on my road bikes (26/28 and 28/29) I am ok up to at least 15%, can usually get up 20%, and only start to struggle on long stretches steeper than that. (Ah - beaten to it by @Boon! )

 

[Dogtrousers]

Slightly OT, re-starting on hills is one thing that I really like about double sided SPDs. With toe-clips on a steep hill start if you don't catch the clip with your non-starting foot first time then you'd probably have to complete the hill with one toe-clip upside down, as the hill may be so steep as to prevent you from faffing around to catch the clip once started.

 

[cbs]

My wife has had issues with unclipping and has indeed fallen over on a hill before. To my credit, I went back to help her up and didn't even snigger...

She started out with SPDs, and did manage to get used to them, but changed to Look pedals and found them to be just too stiff, so we swapped and I have the Looks and she has my old and rather worn SPD-SLs. She also injured her knee a while ago (has had surgery on it towards the end of last year), so twisting to get out of the clips was a problem at the best of times. What I ended up doing was shaving some plastic off the cleat so that it allowed an easier release, and that has really helped. It's quite hard to explain, but as the cleat rotates, it is shaped to slide easily off the pedal. If anyone really wants to see, I can try to take a picture - just let me know...

That side (her right side, as that is her unclipping leg of choice) is now really easy to unclip, although it still needs to be twisted and is solid when pedalling normally.

 

[jim55]

Louise - try shimano multi release cleats (sh-56) before you bin the whole spd thing .i had a few near topples ( well a few full topples as well) with the standard single release cleats( sh-51) but now I have the multi release I feel a lot better,Iv never unclipped when I didn't mean to,imo there's just enough hold to position and keep your foot on the pedal but release with almost any sort of twist.
Theyv def made me a lot better and now I don't even think about unclipping, an all round better option ( for me - and u by the sound of it)

 

[Louise Harley]

I've got SPDs and have always set the release tension to the absolute minimum without ever unclipping accidentally. If I anticipate that I'm grinding to a halt on a steep hill (or on the flat for that matter), I unclip in good time. I'm not racing so I don't see the point in leaving it to the last second.

I didn't intend to leave it till the last minute but didn't want to admit defeat too early so only stopped when I couldn't pedal anymore. Not sure when I should have done it then?

 

[Louise Harley]

Er, I have never thought about it - I just do it! (Thinks back to last hilly dismount ...) Right, I push the left pedal over the top of the pedal stroke and start to twist my heel out as the left crank is roughly horizontal so my foot is coming off the pedal at about the bottom of the stroke.

That works every time if I do a planned stop. The only times I have been caught out have been unplanned stops, such as the example I gave above when a stupid motorist selfishly drove into the bit of road that I was about to ride up!

Another suggestion ... It helps to have really low gears on your bike to reduce the likelihood that you would have to dismount in the first place. With the low gears on my road bikes (26/28 and 28/29) I am ok up to at least 15%, can usually get up 20%, and only start to struggle on long stretches steeper than that. (Ah - beaten to it by @Boon! )

Not really sure what my gears are as my bf changed the triple set I had previously to what he calls 'man' gears

Louise - try shimano multi release cleats (sh-56) before you bin the whole spd thing .i had a few near topples ( well a few full topples as well) with the standard single release cleats( sh-51) but now I have the multi release I feel a lot better,Iv never unclipped when I didn't mean to,imo there's just enough hold to position and keep your foot on the pedal but release with almost any sort of twist.
Theyv def made me a lot better and now I don't even think about unclipping, an all round better option ( for me - and u by the sound of it)

Thanks Jim, I don't really want to give up on the clipless pedals so might well give these a go. Was worried that you could unclip by accident easily though

 

[Louise Harley]

Nothing to do with unclipping but always make a mental note of the road ahead and keep one eye on driveways and turn offs as these can be a good escape route to stop and the last resort a grass verge to come off as it s a bit softer than tarmac..
PS.. Lower gears can mean the difference to staying upright or not..

Thanks I choose the grass verge on Sunday and hence no injury to speak of only a bruised pride! was first club run with 6 guys

 

[Mo1959]

All this talk of falling with clipless makes me glad I am happy with my grippy flat pedals and trainers. Knowing my luck I would break my hip or something if I fell over with them.

 

[iggibizzle]

I didn't intend to leave it till the last minute but didn't want to admit defeat too early so only stopped when I couldn't pedal anymore. Not sure when I should have done it then?

Well, before you stopped and couldn't pedal anymore would have been a start I seriously think going to flats might be the biggest help

 

[ColinJ]

Not really sure what my gears are as my bf changed the triple set I had previously to what he calls 'man' gears

Pah - I was a man the last time I looked and I use tiny gears when I have to!

(Admittedly, I am using them less often as I get fitter, but it is good to have them in reserve for 'special occasions'.)

It sounds like you would have been better to have kept the triple. I have triples on both of my road bikes and my mountain bike, and I use all of the gears.

 

[cazwood]

I use one of the spinning bikes at the sports centre to practice. They've got flat pedals and straps on one side and clips on the other. The spinning bikes are very stable and it's easy to practice. This is while there isn't a class on, of course.

I don't use them in spinning classes though, nobody else wears them and it seems a bit ott for where I go spinning.

 

[vickster]

Pah - I was a man the last time I looked and I use tiny gears when I have to!

(Admittedly, I am using them less often as I get fitter, but it is good to have them in reserve for 'special occasions'.)

It sounds like you would have been better to have kept the triple. I have triples on both of my road bikes and my mountain bike, and I use all of the gears.

Indeed, don't let your boyfriend dictate what or how he thinks you should ride, when it's you at potential risk