I just got into (serious)riding this year. I started back in April with a fixie and absolutely loved it but recently purchased a used Niner RLT and it is an absolute dream to ride…..
So I was doing a 18 mile ride this past Friday and everything was going great. I was 13 miles in when I was getting to a stop light and clipped out of my SPD pedals.
I should mention that I have new “gravel shoes” and while I have 3 different pairs of velosambas these adidas gravel shoes are tricky af to clip in and out of and I was having trouble from the moment my 18 mile ride started. At one point I even contemplated pulling over and changing the brackets I was using to see if that helped me clip in and out easier (tension was already dialed).
So anyway, pulled up to this stoplight and was waiting for the light to turn once it did I pushed off a little and then clipped in first to my non drivetrain pedal and had no issue but then I tried to clip in to drivetrain side and my foot missed the clip in and the crank teeth ended up gashing my heel (luckily it missed anything vital).
I titled this post the way I did because I wanted others opinions on this matter.
Was this a mistake that I could have avoided, if so then please drop the sauce?
Should I go drivetrain side first when clipping in ?
Is this why all cyclists wear knitted socks (not sure how effective socks would have been)?
Should you always gear to the hardest one so the chain would be protecting anything that it would touch?
I can only imagine this is a fantasy to a 1x owner but please let me know your thoughts.
Hope the pics aren’t to graphic and I should be back to riding after the stitches come out in 7-10 days 💪🏾
by PRME_1
6 Comments
Genuinely, I think you just got unlucky
Maybe have an experiment with cleat position on the shoe, make sure nothings getting in the way and maybe just practice a bit more clipping in and out with those shoes
So you’re unclipping both of your feet at a stop? Why not just keep the right clipped in and only unclip your left?
Most of the time I’m in the big ring, unless I’m going uphill and stopped, but even then I always keep my right foot clipped in and just unclip from my left. Then when I start moving forward, push down with my right foot to start moving, move the left foot to start the clip / position it, start the clip in with my left foot and push down to finish it.
Gnarly injury though, hope ya heal up fast.
new fear unlocked
Sounds like you really mashed your foot trying to clip in, or otherwise got off balance and your foot came off pretty violently. It should be a smoother / gentler thing to get clipped in.
Personally I’ve always prefered really low retention force on any clipless setup. Easy in and out makes life easier and I have never accidentally unclipped.
When stopping / starting, clip/unclip with either side depending on angle of the ground or where the curb is or where traffic is, etc. You can usually just get a rolling start with the clipped in foot and then sort of “feel” for the other cleat to get into the leading edge of the clip, then push the cleat in when you’re pretty low down in the pedal stroke and without too much force, so even if you miss, your foot likely won’t even slide off the pedal. Again, low retention force helps here.
Bad luck, I got my chamois stuck between my saddle last week at a red light
At least you’re healed, I didn’t even realise what you experienced was even possible.