Did you fall off the first time you tried clipless pedals?

I go for flat pedals after years of clips. not while racing obviously

went form clips to flats when i twisted my ankle and the twist to release hurt have stayed on straps since..thinking of giving the cleats a try again..

I'm thinking of putting on the straps and clips before long. I like clipless but just for going to the pub/shops riding with clips and straps would be much better.

I got my first set when I was about 15 for christmas - my mate got some too and we went out on boxing day. All the roads were heavily iced over (we had real winters back then) and we spent about ten minutes repeatedly falling off whilst riding up a hill, then sliding halfway back down again on the ice as we desperately tried to unclip. We still remember this to each other to this day!

This was on Onza clipless pedals (with elastomer springs). Shitest pedals ever...

Had a stupid unclip fail this evening. Stopped, unclipped one foot and then found my other foot just would not detach from the pedal and in the confusion just fell to the ground. Struggled to get back up as my foot was still fucking clipped in.

Turned out one of the allen bolts on the cleat had fallen out, so as i was trying to unclip my shoe was turning but the cleat was staying in place.

Not sure when i lost the bolt but once I realised I started laughing. Concerned pedestrians were asking if I was alright - probably more freaked out by someone who falls off a bike and then starts laughing like a maniac than my actual fall.

I then went to Evans by Chalk Farm station. Asked one of the staff if they had the correct bolt and got "Nah mate, we would not have one of them, we could possibly order one in for you."

Luckily I ignored that moronic fuckwit and walked further into the store, and got accosted by a member of staff who is another titanium bike fiend, got chatting about bikes, explained my problem and he went back to the mechanics area and returned with the correct bolt, gratis.

In two minutes both the lows and highs of customer service demonstrated.

I had exactly the same whilst cycling around cornwall a few years back. Popped into a BMX shop and they magically had the right bolt, the fella even offered to put it in for me, all for nowt. Left a happy chappy

Careful with the 'accidental' re-clip...

only time I have ever fallen is clipping out a second or 3 too early, resting foot back on pedal and it 're-clips' back in... then the Zero mph fall, and look like a total twat...

Had a stupid unclip fail this evening. Stopped, unclipped one foot and then found my other foot just would not detach from the pedal and in the confusion just fell to the ground. Struggled to get back up as my foot was still fucking clipped in.

Turned out one of the allen bolts on the cleat had fallen out, so as i was trying to unclip my shoe was turning but the cleat was staying in place.

Not sure when i lost the bolt but once I realised I started laughing. Concerned pedestrians were asking if I was alright - probably more freaked out by someone who falls off a bike and then starts laughing like a maniac than my actual fall.

I then went to Evans by Chalk Farm station. Asked one of the staff if they had the correct bolt and got "Nah mate, we would not have one of them, we could possibly order one in for you."

Luckily I ignored that moronic fuckwit and walked further into the store, and got accosted by a member of staff who is another titanium bike fiend, got chatting about bikes, explained my problem and he went back to the mechanics area and returned with the correct bolt, gratis.

In two minutes both the lows and highs of customer service demonstrated.

The same happened to my friend who I was cycling to Paris with. We got lost in Poissy stopped at a junction and he just started to fall in slow motion, couldn't get up so I had to help him and 20kg worth of stuff to the curb so he could get his foot out of his shoe.
Once this was sorted we both decided to make sure our bolts in the shoes were tight.

Had this a little while ago (the one bolt fail issue)

tightened it up like a mofo so I could ride home and then decided I wasn't going to put off buying a new pair of shoes any longer and paid up.

Over the last summer a lot of my friends have got into cycling.
On Wednesday night a few of us went out for a ride.
I'm getting dropped on the first climb.
Not a chance.
leap onto the pedals.
chain explodes.
Instead of calmly unclipping and stepping off the bike i sit in the saddle madly peddling for 5 seconds before gracefully toppling over in front of the car behind.
I am pinned under my bike for a good minute trying get unclipped watching my friends cycle off up the hill.
self disappoint

Every time I try and get up off the couch.

it was probably my own fault

Generally i grease and tighten to torque spec for everything, but had a new pair of the mission workshop shoes and wanted to try them out so just fitted cleats to them without torque wrench or grease. Strangely an over tightened but not greased bolt is more likely to come undone than one that is greased and tightened to correct spec. As I have grease and torque wrench at home I could probably have avoided this.

Still not as bad as a friend of mine who finds that the cleats rip out of his carbon road shoes every 4-6 months. He works in the cycling trade so should know better, but just tightens everything as far as he can by hand. He is an utter bastard so gets a new pair of carbon shoes each time so can afford to be more of an oaf than me.

Note to self - follow manufacturers instructions properly.

I still chuckle to myself when I remember the fall. Right shoe unclipped, start leaning to the left and then attempt to unclip and put left foot down, foot does not disconnect and I just fall over, did not even get a hand out to stop, luckily my bingo wings swung into action and padded the fail/fall.

Not the first time. But I did stack it two weeks later riding really slowly pissed on critical mass on cobbles. I sort of stalled and fell over sideways really slowly.

Drrrrrrrrrrrrrredge.

Just fitted some SPD pedals to my go-everywhere bike. Have had some fitted to my track bike for some time...I rather predictably fell over on the very first trip home from the bike shop - in the middle of Old Kent Road, no less - despite them being looser than a very loose thing. Have since ridden it around and managed to stay upright.

Spent about 15mins circling around the block getting the tension right and unclipping from various positions throughout the pedal stroke, managed to get by ok....

tl;dr version:

Got clipless pedals, shall fall off tomorrow.

I've fallen over twice in the last month from standstill, don't even have the excuse of clipless, just incompetence... before that must be at least ten years, hope this isn't a new phase.

Falling over is the new standing up.

Twice today. Kind of enjoy the feeling when you're 45 degrees and resigned to your fate. Time stops, you let go and feel free for a second

Been on SPDs for a week now, first time ever, no incidents (yet), during normal commute in heavy traffic, haven't been couriering as usual though so that'll be the real test,

I made it about a month before I went down, and of course managed to do it right infront of everybody on ride east. Apparently no one saw it happen though, don't know how I got away with it!

dont have any real difficulties with it. theres always the odd time when youre tired and somehow brain and feet dont engage together.
remember one time not dis-engaging properly at lights end of Regent street, ending up on the deck, then the cabbie behind me getting out and looking at the front of his vehicle saying didnt damage my cab didya? and I was on the floor! twat.

Oh I was riding along regent street and I forgot to unclip and I thought I made such a hollabaloo ... It was soo embarassing.

I made it about a month before I went down, and of course managed to do it right infront of everybody on ride east. Apparently no one saw it happen though, don't know how I got away with it!

was it you falling by the bin not to far from Thames Barrier? :)

On the other hand, got my spd's for 3 weeks now, no accidents yet... but i'm waiting :)

Rumbled. Yep, that was me realising how loose my shoes were and how tight my cleats were all at once!

Yeah, its that painful mistake you make at your first traffic lights with clipless, roll up - stop and then realise you cant take your feet out and face plant! Good way to learn quickly!!

not a real problem, bought a Langster (fixed) went to shop to pick it up. got the shop to fit my SPD's rode home having never ridden a fixed gear before. only moment was in trafic going downhill, I tried to coast and did a great impression of a bucking bronco ride. stayed on took deep breathe, then never looked back.

no problems yet. only been clipless about 3 weeks.