This worked for me (maybe not for others) but figure out your dominant leg and unclip first with the non-dominant. When I clipped out with my dominant leg, that's when I realized it wasn't going to work and I always fell.

Is there a better leg to un-clip with? Or is it just personal preference?

Personal preference, I suppose. Or whichever one doesn't cause you to fall. :D

Kayceee: how do you initiate the clipping in process? Maybe your technique is incorrect?

Here's what I do. On a flat road. My dominant leg/foot is left (I kick a ball with my left foot). At a red light my RIGHT foot is clipped in already. My right foot is positioned at around 12-1 o'clock. Light goes green, I stop down on my right foot powering me forward. Once my right foot is at 6 o'clock I stop pedaling, then I clip in my left foot while the left pedal is at the top (12 o'clock).

If I am unable to clip in immediately and I feel that my bike is slowing down, I will pedal with my right foot only ONE FULL ROTATION to gain more speed then clip in.

The main thing is keeping ur forward momentum going of you're falling over while clipping in.


If you're falling over while unclipping coming to a stop, then you have to work on your balance and self awareness. (Ie// if u unclip your left foot then you dismount to the left and don't lean to the right)

If you're struggling in getting your foot out of your pedals, then you might not know the exact angle in which your cleats come out or the release tension is too tight.

You have SLs on your shoes so just kick your heel outwards in one QUICK motion. You shouldn't be pushing it until it comes out. You force your heel outwards quickly snapping the cleat out
.
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This is key! When i first started sometimes I would go a few rotations before managing to clip in lol

or sometimes I couldnt get my foot out in time so I just turned right at the light instead hahah good times

i usually keep my left clipped in and right out, so that if im on the road i can rest on the right leg on the road/sidewalk. clipping in isnt as big of an issue now, tension is already lowest, its more of like 604cef said, the awareness and balance, i have no issues clipping out of the pedal, is the aftermath that gets me lol, the balance to the right. i guess just practice more.

do you guys clip out and sorta get out of the saddle and lean to that side? or get off the saddle and sorta standover the top tube?

^ It looks like kayceeee is using SPD-SL's, not SPD. And those yellow ones are the ones with the 6 degree float (as opposed to the no float red cleats).
I do agree though, play with the tensions and just practice. Or really practice your track stand. :fullofwin: Or look for a pole/newspaper box/fixed structure, if available, to grab onto at a red light, then you don't have to unclip.

Yeah I have the spd sl I think. What ever the shimano 105 pedals are lol. And it came with the yellow cleats.
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I don't really get the difference between the two that you listed?

If you are "out of your saddle and lean to one side" do you mean that your ass is still "above" your seat but your ass is not touching? And you're leaning? For me that would be impossible unless I lean farther than 45 degrees. My seat is high. I am never sitting on my seat with my foot/toe touching the ground to balance waiting for a light/traffic etc. My seat is properly adjusted really high. You shouldn't be able to comfortably be sitting full on your seat and touch the ground balancing comfortably.

When I'm stopped, I'm off the seat, not hovering above. I am standing over the top tube with one foot clipped in.

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There is no way I could touch the ground and be above the seat at the same time. When I come to a stop, I unclip my dominant side, move forward of the seat (Above the top tube) and come to a rest on the dominant legs. The other leg never gets unclipped, until I want to get off :p

I'm with dukes, I leave my dominant leg (right) clipped in to balance the bike while my left is unclipped during stops. Guess its just personal preference. I'm definitely off the saddle completely, but I could go eitherway with my hybrid as the saddle isn't way above the bars like a roadie.

Left clipped in and right clips out. It just makes sense for me because that's also the side with a sidewalk if you were to stop at a light.
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first time i rode clipless was when i bought them at the shop and told them to install the pedals for my ride home :badpokerface: i remember i had panic attacks rolling up to a red light lol "OMG. OMG. OMG. UNCLIP! UNCLIP!!!!...." /tip over.

lol yes that's what I meant sorta. I'm trying to get comfortable with un clipping and then leaning to the unclipped side and standing over the top tube.
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I usually leave left clipped in, right foot free and on the curb, which allows me to stay seated because I'm lazy :P

I use MTB clipless pedals and shoes, so I'm not sure how much different the mechanics and effort are for road clipless pedals

I personally do not clip out on the right to rest on the side walk/curb. This is how I found out the hard way that I'd lose balance and fall over. :okay:

Same here. I stay clipped in left side mostly, right side to rest on curb so I can sit. Better yet I'll lean on a pole or mailbox so I can stay fully clipped in! :fullofwin:

I think mountain bike shoes aren't as rigid as road shoes...

MTB shoes have a little bit more flex compared to road shoes.

Mtb shoes are stiff enough for me and I'm used to the feel of the pedals. Its nice having 1 pair of shoes that I can use for both bikes. And they are also easier to walk around in off the bike too.

I was trying to track stand at a light today and lost my balance. Lucky I was able to eject at the last second. Would have been so embarrassing in traffic.

As hard as it is to justify spending more coin on Rapha apparel, you can't ignore their product support and customer service!

In november I bought a pair of rapha full length leg warmers ($85 incl 4 day shipping). I use them all the time for my long rides. Couple days ago I noticed a loose thread that started to ladder down one of the seams. It hasn't fallen apart yet, but highly annoying since it's quite new.

I contacted Rapha on Saturday with a brief description and some pictures. Today, they've arranged for DHL to pick up the leg warmers, express it to London, they're going to repair (or replace) the leg warmers, and then send it back to me.

No shipping expense out of my own pocket.

So win!

^Nice...


Downloaded Strava on my phone today. What a wicked app compared to Sports Tracker.

Today's goal was just to see how fast I could go. Quick Sprint around Stanley Park. I almost died. I bow towards those 30km/h+ guys.

Bike Ride Profile | 2013-03-11 near | Times and Records | Strava

^added u to strava

Strava rocks. I like their segments. It's pretty cool being able to compare ourselves to other riders.

It's awesome that I get to see my times improve and compare it to those I follow etc.

My goal for the next few weeks is to get my prospect point climb under 3 minutes :D
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That'll be a good goal for sure. By that point today I was just wasted. The mountain bike with slicks was keeping up with me. Ha

Is the Prospect Point climb the big S curve uphill? Felt like dying after doing that one
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From the map, that is what i'm seeing.