Falls Church – Leesburg Pike incident involving curb cut

[elbows]

Relaying some info on an event involving the spouse of a coworker.

On Sunday, 10/9, a cyclist was attempting to enter the sidewalk from the road to cut through Rite Aid and minimize travel on Route 7. This is the location (in front of the party supplies store, near the wooden bridge). The curb cut (?) is about an inch or so. He did not turn sharply enough, caught his wheel while being clipped in, and went down, breaking his right arm such that surgery and hospitalization were required. Passersby provided assistance.

Topic

[mstone]

The best way to dismiss an anecdotal hypothetical is with another anecdote, but that way lies madness.

For myself, I find that my knees are happier if I’m clipped because otherwise I tend to let me feet move around too much on the pedals and get into weird angles. The accidents I’m really afraid of involve being smashed by a black SUV and neither shoes nor helmet will make one damned bit of difference.

[huskerdont]

Yes, much prefer the mountain SPD clips. I just use the road ones on the nice bike that I wouldn’t get to ride enough if I didn’t occasionally do a commute with it. I keep thinking I’ll swap out the pedals, but then I’d have these extra shoes.

Minor worries compared to the black SUV–unless that black SUV is coming at me at an intersection while I’m fumbling with the cleats.

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

@Steve O 147558 wrote:

I have never met anyone who switched to clipless, got used to it, and then went back.

Well you know one person who did that: me! I went back to and much prefer using flat pedals because of several close calls I had due to being clipped in, and the versatility of footwear i can use without having to go buy tons more specialized duplicates of sandals, sneakers, and boots.

I think id only use clipless on one of my bikes again if I were to start racing, climbing big mountains, or singletrack downhill for easier hopping over obstacles.

[vvill]

I prefer to be clipped in but like flat pedals for certain situations:
– practicing MTB skills
– really cold winter rides where I may have to suddenly put a foot down, and where I like having a waterproof winter boot (I don’t own any winter cycling shoes)
– short casual rides

I do use pinned pedals for the MTB practice/winter rides.

I do keep all my pedals at lightest setting (if adjustable) and when I run road pedals on the fixed gear, I use the “light action” SPD-SL pedals.

[hozn]

Yeah, being clipped in is generally far more secure to me. I know that if I am curb or log hopping, I would much, much, much rather be clipped in. I started learning to bunny hop on flat pedals (because I started mountain biking on flat pedals), but I can’t do that at all anymore.

I would also suggest that stopping hard can be safer clipped in because you can keep your weight back *without* risking feet coming off the pedals. I have gone over the bars and taken the bike with me, but many more times I have stopped hard enough to lift the rear wheel off the ground without going over the bars.

But agree with the “whatever makes you feel safer” advice.

I do prefer flat pedals (or not clipping in to my SPDs) for (1) practicing wheelies (I have not mastered this at all!) and (2) unicycle.

[Author]

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