Comments on: Humiliation

By: Ryan Schmid

Ryan Schmid — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:17:34 +0000

On one of my first rides with clip less pedals, I rolled up onto a sidewalk to push the button for the cross walk. The curb was abnormally high, at least 150% the height of a typical curb. At any rate, I pushed the button too hard, literally pushing myself off the curb. Feeling my entire body/bike falling sideways into a very busy street, I of course panicked and was unable to unclip. I ended up falling clear to the ground, and leaving a very deep bruise in my left hip. I was obviously extremely embarrassed. A guy waiting at the bus stop started walking toward me. Annoyed and wanting to avoid talking about the ridiculousness of my mistake, I tried to ignore him…then it happened, he said after watching the entire episode, "Hey man, have you got any change for the bus?" Indignant that he had the nerve to ask me for money after observing my blunder, I said no and rode home.

By: Unknown

Unknown — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 22:14:48 +0000

My company gives me a check for unused vacation and sick time. Comes in handy this time of year.Sounds like you’re developing mad fixie skills. I just may have to build my vintage Batavus into one, just to kep up with the blog-Jones. Or Fatty.As far as drivers go, the most dangerous seem to be teen girls on cell phones or OLGAMF’s in land barges. Maybe we need to turn to Chuck Norris for help.Boz

By: Paul Beard

Paul Beard — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:50:18 +0000

Trackstanding for tayfuryagci:It’s easiest to learn/practice where the road cambers/banks to the curb (has a slight slope down from left to right). You can even practice on a very slight uphill road.Practice w/o clipless pedals so you can quickly put a foot down if needed. Essentially, roll as slow as you can until your about to stop and point the front wheel to the left (uphill) and resist the bike wanting to roll backwards. You shouldn’t have to flail the front wheel around – it’s the effort of pedaling but not moving uphill that is zen of trackstanding.It’s also easier to only apply the front brake when stopping to track stand. If the road is sloped/cambered, your leg will then resist the roll-back and you don’t need the brakes.I learned trackstanding on a 10-speed so I didn’t find the fixie much easier or different.

By: Paul Beard

Paul Beard — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:29:31 +0000

I always shake my head at people that won’t use clipless pedals because they think clips and straps are easier. At least with clipless there is a (slight) chance to unclip if falling over. Unlike trying to reach for the strap to release…I went from Look pedals to Speedplays and found out at the wrong moment that the release doesn’t work the same. Look – kick out heel and release. Speedplay – kick out heel and roll outside of foot down or you’re learning how much the pedal floats without releasing.My latest move was to change spd cleats then discover when stopping that they wouldn’t release. I had to adjust the pedal with an allen key while I was attached just to get out from under the bike.

By: Unknown

Unknown — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 15:34:54 +0000

As fun as sharing our humiliation is, ought we to maybe help out the lurking newbies who are now terrified of clipless pedals? I hope this isn’t threadjacking, if it is, Fatty, please feel free to shower me with condensed essence of bike gloves the next time you see me. My lessons learned include: On a regular bike with a freewheel, clip one foot in, spin that pedal up to one or two o’clock, take one stroke forward and hop on the bike and into the saddle, coast a little and clip the other foot in when the cleat finds the binding. Just noodle your foot around on the pedal until you feel the front of the cleat engaging the binding, then step down firmly on the pedal. If it’s taking a while to seat the cleat into the binding, don’t freak out, just pedal with one leg until you can coast again; or pedal smoothly with your loose foot on top of its pedal, and then clip in once you can start coasting again. For stopping, as in all safe riding you should be concentrating and scanning the road to anticipate stops and intersections and gravel, and when you start to slow you should clip one leg out *early* before you grab a handful of brake. Double-sided SPD pedals seem easier to learn on than Look style pedals, which I prefer to ride now but which are single-sided and require a little more fussing to clip into. For fixed gear junkies – where I’m a NOOB – I know the same two o’clock method is often discussed, but I usually find it easier (with double sided SPD pedals) to just start pedaling away with my feet on top of the pedals, and clip in when I get the chance. The two o’clock method requires an agile hop into the saddle. Also, does anybody use Look pedals on their fixie, and if so, how is it?

By: Unknown

Unknown — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 14:37:36 +0000

I went clipless last year(late bloomer I know) with some egg beaters and thought they were ace. There are about 5,000 at my company and I unfortunately picked the morning rush to ride my Giant Yukon in. At the turn in I had to stop due to traffic and the first-timers-unclip-itis hit me :( With plenty of co-workers around I flop to the pavement and the worst part was I couldn’t unclip for what seemed like an eternity. I’m a clyde too so here’s this fat guy flopping around on the ground stuck to his pedals. I can get used to clipping in but I still can’t stand the position of the pedal to the foot. When running clips on my roadbike I guess I had the pedal much further toward my toes. I might just go back to clips.BTW excellent blog. I know you make good coin at your job but if you ever get tired of it I’m sure you can get some writing gigs.

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 13:52:41 +0000

The same thing has happened to me in the freezing fog here in Seattle. I take it real easy when its below 38 degrees and I know we’ve had fog. Its tricky going from sunlight into the shade. Clear one second, sheet ice the next. Glad you’re ok.

By: Unknown

Unknown — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 13:08:46 +0000

I’ve had a few crashes (but only a few) with clipless pedals, but my proudest moment was crashing with clips and straps. Yep – I’m that good. This was in the very early 90s and I had been riding pretty seriously for a few years. I hadn’t upgraded to clipless yet, so I was riding with straps and cleats. I was living in Boulder at the time and I was coming home after a couple hours of riding. I hit a big intersection (Valmont and Foothills for those who care) and got stopped by a light. This is a big intersection – there’s 6 total lanes of traffic on Foothills and 4 on Valmont. While at the time I could do a trackstand until I got bored (Fatty and Tayfur – it just takes practice – I eventually could do one no-hands on my mountain bike), I’d loosened the strap and pulled my foot out as I was tired and didn’t want to take any chances. The light’s pretty long. Eventually the light turns and the left turn light comes on for my road (both directions). The turn light goes yellow – I roll forward a bit, putting my foot in and wrenching down on the strap expecting the light to go green any second. Note I’m still rolling forward, now just entering the intersection and the light hasn’t changed! Aaarrrgggh! The oncoming traffic is getting a longer turn light!!! In a panic, I hit the brakes to avoid being run over. Coming to a stop quite that quick, I wasn’t prepared to trackstand at all and immediately tipped over. Now the real embarrasment – if I’d had clipless I could then unclip my foot and get up. With the strap, I had to try and reach down, under me and the bike, to my foot to release the strap enough to get my foot out so I could get up. It felt like it took about 1 century or so to do so. Thankfully none of the many pro riders or ANY other rider was around to see my "graceful" fall.

By: Unknown

Unknown — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:24:26 +0000

For my first attempt at clipless, I had the foresight to set them up in the garage. Leaning against the wall, I carefully clipped one foot in, then tried to unclip. Too tight. I tried a bit harder. Still couldn’t unclip. I gave my foot a big wrenching twist. Click! My other foot clipped in, just as I started to lean away from the wall. I crashed to the floor. Total miles between installing the pedals and crashing – zero.

By: AO

AO — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 05:02:58 +0000

i’ve not (yet) had the misfortune of falling over due to failure to unclip.i did once lay my brand-new motorcycle (CBR600F4) down as i turned left across two very busy lanes of traffic during the morning rush hour. i remember looking at my bloody knee, but not feeling any pain. i also remember the complete humiliation as traffic came to a stand-still as i quickly ran over and struggled to pick the bike up and push it to the shoulder.at least you have the excuse of icy conditions. mine occurred on a perfectly sunny summer morn on a perfectly clean, gravel-free street.