Yesterday I was working oh so hard to have my first fall clipped in on my bike.
*As a side note, maybe I should fess up to the fact that I have already fallen, way before I even got my pedals..??*
Anyhow, for the life of me, I don’t know why but my left foot was having tons of trouble clipping in and out yesterday. I would keep missing the clip, sliding my foot across the pedal and having my leg shoot out so everyone around me would know that I just completely missed the clip. It was kind of like in high school when people would kick the back of your foot as you were taking a step, causing you a major big step forward that would make you look like a goof. As I approached an intersection I tried to unclip my left and it wasn’t working. I was running out of time so I unclipped my right. Except my bike started to lean left. I tried to plant my right foot on the ground, my left was still clipped in and my bike was swinging out into a big wide arc. I just held on tight to the brakes trying to get the wheels to stop moving and swinging out. How I stuck that landing, I don’t know as it took me a good 20 seconds of imbalance before I was sorted out. Of course there were cars waiting across the intersection watching this all go down. As soon as it was time to roll I tried to power off with my left and clip my right foot in…disastrous… Totally missed the clip, wobbled on the bike…looked like a total dork riding through the intersection. Sigh… It was a fantastic ride though!
*As for the fall, it happened on this day, the day of record snowfall. I was approaching an intersection at the end of the bike path. The snow was covering the walkway and my tire must have caught a groove as I was trying to come to a stop. I very slowly just started leaning to the right and just wound up on the ground. Luckily no one saw that one happen!*
If a cyclist fall and no ones sees it, is it truly a fall? Ha, sounds like you might need to adjust those clips.
At least you are “getting closer”, I’m too nervous to try clips, if I fall I wouldn’t get up, that’s for sure!!!
LMAO at Ken….
I got my bike fitted this morning but after a run and a swim I was just too tired to go out again on the bike… but to be honest I am completely scared of riding outside because of said clips… I will be bruised and hurt tomorrow, me thinks lol
-clearly, you’ve got some handling skillz – there’s no way i would have saved that one! would have taken a digger for sure.
agree w/ ken – if it was that hard to get in maybe you need to adjust the cleats.
also – if clips and cleats are brand new, its always a bit tough. i sit on my bike in our front hallway & hold myself up on banister clipping in & out, in & out – over and over again to help loosen things up a bit.