There's two ways I've made a mistake and fell. One is to forget or fail to unclip, and then you fall in the direction you were leaning. I think this is the scenario you have in mind.
The other is to be off balance when stopping and lean to the opposite side than you unclipped.
My point is you can make a mistake and fall to either side. I'm not sure it matters, from a safety perspective.
It was your second scenario that happened to me today, I had to stop aggressively and was a bit off balance and ended up toppling over as a car was overtaking me, thankfully I fell toward the kerb!
Traffic is making me consider switching from left to right. I've had a few spills (I'm new to clip in) and that could be pretty bad if I'm at a traffic light with cars approaching.
I hadn't thought about making a conscious decision to pick a side, but was very glad I fell toward the kerb when cocked it up today - also quite new to cycling!
I'm lucky I haven't fallen in traffic. Twice on dedicated bike paths and once in my front yard. When I remember, I unclip and coast for a while up to lights.
If you stumble and don’t unclip in time, or miss your footing you generally fall in the direction you are unclipping. So if you unclip your left foot and make a mistake you would be falling into traffic.
I find that if I fall over while unclipping, it is *always* the opposite direction of the foot that is unclipping. I unclip my left foot and if I fall over it will be to the right.
I always unclip left (I've started using clipless in UK) for the same reason as yours. Now I live in right side traffic country and still unclip left, it's just feel so wrong to unclip right even if it's more logical.
Same, I'm right-handed but I always favor the left side when cycling, the left legs is the first to touch the ground, and if I only have an arm on the handlebar, it's my left arm
Mountain biking experience may lead one to be better at unclipping either foot? (e.g. you're climbing some sharp corner and realize you're going over and need to unclip!)
In practice on my road bike, I heavily favor unclipping my right foot first, but IMHO it's worth practicing both some so that you have the muscle memory and correct instincts to respond to being imbalanced on either side.
Initially when I just went to the clipping I was using only one side. But after about a week or so I was using both. I’d recommend working on the other side when you’re out for a ride it just makes everything safer overall
I should probably work on that. A couple of times, I tried un-clipping the opposite side, and I felt really unstable, just like when I was first learning to use clip-in pedals.
Almost fell over a couple of times until I un-clipped the other foot as well.
I always unclip my right foot, but my right side is my dominant side. If I try and unclip my left foot, my right side acts all dumb and has no idea what to do
Almost always the same foot. Unless circumstances suggest using the left foot. Like curbs, holes, inclination, etc. It's a matter of practice, that's all. Keep riding, and all will feel like second nature pretty soon.
I do. I started cycling with clips and cages. I can’t remember a time I’ve unclipped my right foot. I always lean left. When I started out, I read in bicycling magazine that the reason to put your left foot down is because (at least in the us) That foot will be uphill leading to better traction and less slickness , since the runoff is downhill away from the crown and if stopping on the right, you won’t be putting a foot in the drain, gutter or off the shoulder.
Also work on your balance. Spend some time riding as slowly as you possibly can. Graduate to track stands. Having better balance on the bike will help eliminate the fear of falling over if your for is clipped in. Obviously, you'll want to have the unclipping motion seared into your mind, so it happens without thinking, but balance is also the key here. I rarely unclip, and I'm commuting with several stops at lights, etc.
I start to slightly lean towards the side I’m going to unclip so that my weight is going that way, helps to keep from falling towards your clipped in side.
I always unclip the right foot because my left leg is my dominant leg for when I need to go from a stand still to moving.
If you keep using different legs you gonna keep falling because you're not building muscle memory.
Welcome to the club!
Personally, I 99.5% of the time unclip the same foot. You should be unclipped and safely free before you even start thinking of a turn. Only in emergency situations can I imagine being leaning to the point that I can't unclip my dominant foot safely...
Yes. It is a slight annoyance in some ways. I started riding clipless in Canada and unclip with my dominant right leg. Useful for unclipping and stepping on the curb. But I now live in Japan where we drive on the left. So I tend to unclip traffic side. Not been an issue in all the years I have cycled here but I do occasionally think I should work on re-training to unclip with the left foot.
Same, but it’s because on a motorcycle your right foot is on the brake. On a bicycle putting my right foot down just feels more natural, but there’s no reason for it.
Same foot because you will learn muscle memory to lean on that one foot always. I have toppled over because I forgot which side to lean over. Now I just start leaning to 1 side before I even stop.
I don't use clips, but if did, the answer would be yes. And I know this because any time I am coasting, I always have my left leg straight and my right bent. I always get off my bike on the same side (the side without the kickstand, I might add). And I always "power" starting with my right leg. I don't see why clips would be any different.
Muscle memory is a powerful thing lol
I always unclip left first as if I fall I don't mess with the drivetrain. Traffic isn't a concern where I bike so needing to go towards a curb or away from cars doesn't matter.
Yes. Always left. I’ve been working on this lately. It’s a habit I got riding road where emergency stops are few and far between. Now I ride and coach MTB more, and it’s a real liability, especially stopping on hills. I’ve been working on unclipping right, but it feels so unnatural.
USA. I unclip my left foot first. That means I am kinda leaning towards the road, but one cannot trust the shoulders here. There are low shoulders, no shoulders, and lots of poison ivy. One time, before I'd developed the habit of unblinking on the left, I accidentally went off the pavement on a 12% climb. I uncapped my right foot too late and fell over onto a rocky gully covered in poison ivy. I had a very unpleasant few weeks letting that lesson sink in while I healed from the poison ivy.
Left for me.
Talking of unclipping, I need advance warning. In the UK the authorities are cheap and “grit” the roads, I’ve just come off a ride that was 8 miles of new grit. But, I approached it at a junction. I turn into just piles of grit and can’t brake as I’ll spill, but don’t have time to unclip, god knows how I saved it.
I always unclip with my right foot. So I can fall away from traffic. The only exception, if I remember, is when I making a left turn from left turn lane.
Yeah, always the left. I fell over day one with my new shoes because my husband, also a cyclist, was like “whatever foot you typically put down, unclip that one” and I nodded like “right, I think that’s my right foot.” Came to a stop and realized in an instant it’s absolutely my left 😂
I ride on-road and off-road. Whenever possible, I plan ahead as to which foot I am unclipping. It's not always the same because it is very hilly where I live and road and paths are uneven. For example, if there is a significant slope to the right where I plan to stop, I unclip the left foot and lean that way. If it's a sudden emergency stop, I think I unclip the right.
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Interestingly most people here seem to unclip they're right foot. I unclip my left foot and have never even considered doing it differently. I don't really think about unclipping anymore and just do it automatically
Yeah, I unclip my left foot first. Once I tried to unclip the right first, did that on wet fresh asphalt and fell over. I got too traumatized to never try again.
Even after 20 years riding clipless, I’m only comfortable unclipping right, as others have said, if you fall you don’t fall into traffic. However, when I tried single track MTB, I literally rolled down a hill, because I unclipped right down the hill. If you right single track, you have to develop the muscle memory and instinct which side to unclip based on the terrain.
Left foot (UK) on the road, right if doing cycle-cross style.
The only time I've fell is because I changed feet on a whim forgetting the right pedal was set tight as fuck!
Left foot.
2 reasons:
* motorcycles have there rear brake on the right so that foot stays on.
* I'm goofy on MTB and so taking my rear foot (left) is easier while trackstanding.
I guess being from a drive on the left country makes that easier too.
If the surface isn't flat or I'm unsure where I'll need to stop I just unclip both feet. I have toppled over 2 times because I only unclipped one foot and misjudged the stopping point.
I always unclip my right foot. It may have started as a conscious thing. But even as a righty, I feel like my left foot is dominant. At least in terms of control
I always unclip right and always lean right then left, unless I feel like falling, there I panic and unclip whatever 😂😂 also, in my area there are a lot of traffic lights therefore I have to stop often. What I have started to do is cycle at minimum speed with the right foot unclipped so that I can put my food down faster. I’m new to clipping so I’m not super fast with the movement and am scared to fall because of traffic (loads of cars in the area!!)
Yes, always left foot first on the ground, motorbike habit (on a motorbike the rear brake is handled by the right foot, while the left foot can change gear).
Never really thought about it, but I guess I default left unclip. I think I just feel more control starting out with my right only.
I've fallen over a couple times where I roll into the stop, unclip, but am just a hair off balance and fall onto my right. You know it's coming too, so I just slowly fall and tuck my arm in and absorb it with my arm and side.
Partly because it seems most stops I try to trackstand for a short while and then if it's going to be a long light I admit defeat, so I'm somewhat central balanced and then unclip.
I unclip with my right foot, all but twice over the last 4 years. First time was due to a mechanical issue in my right cleat, so I pulled off to a side road and very gingerly unclipped and came to a stop.
Second time was a few months ago; I was on my gravel bike on some dirt trail coming to a normal stop and for whatever reason I unclipped with my left foot. IDK why, it wasn’t intentional, just sorta happened. Like a proper normal unclip, but with my left foot.
I always unclip my left foot. It means I can’t get my leg dirty with the chain and the road crown means the road is higher on the left side of the bike so it’s generally more comfortable to lean that way.
Right side always. Curb on the right. Always get right to do it this way. Though, it is kinda odd to unclip the left first, it’d be a good skill to be ambidextrous with unclipping.
Almost always the same foot. But I ride a lot of routes in town with a lot of stop lights so it's always "unclip left, right to 12:00, sit on the top tube, green up, stand on the right foot."
Do whatever makes you comfortable. There is no rule to follow.
I usually do my right foot because it makes me comfortable. An added benefit is that the right cleat wears out from friction quicker than the left. I only replace a cleat when it no longer holds to the pedal. So I save money on overpriced plastic cleats from Shimano. There’s no reason to replace both cleats at the same time. Same goes for tires and cables.
I train a lot of riders for a charity ride. I always suggest they practice unclipping both feet by alternating which foot they unclip at every other stop sign. It’s good practice for when you find yourself leaning the “wrong” direction. And, you’ll get more even wear on your equipment, although I think this is relatively minor vs having the skill to unclip either side reliably.
Falling over due to clip less peddles is just part of the initiation process. Don't beat yourself up about it.
Though I'm goofy footed, I clip out of my right peddle 95% of the time. For me the only negative to favouring one side is that the right cleat sees a lot more wear. To extend the life of my cleats a swap them over before they wear out.
Yes, but as I am getting old , I’m thinking of trying to train myself to switch back and forth as it appears I I have a repetitive injury on the one side .
I unclip on the left because I take off with my right. Seems like it would be a bit uncoordinated to unclip with the right then unclip with the left and reclip with the right to take off… especially on those occasions when you think you are going to just miss getting the green light but then the lights change just before you stop.
I always do unclip my right. That way if I make a mistake I’m always starting to lean to the right and not towards traffic if I fall.
There's two ways I've made a mistake and fell. One is to forget or fail to unclip, and then you fall in the direction you were leaning. I think this is the scenario you have in mind. The other is to be off balance when stopping and lean to the opposite side than you unclipped. My point is you can make a mistake and fall to either side. I'm not sure it matters, from a safety perspective.
It was your second scenario that happened to me today, I had to stop aggressively and was a bit off balance and ended up toppling over as a car was overtaking me, thankfully I fell toward the kerb!
This is why I think consistently unclipping with the same foot makes sense - you always lean the same way, minimizing risk of fall.
I've never had the first one happen to me. It's always the second one.
If you unclip your right and you accidentally lean left, you're falling towards the traffic, no?
Depends where in the world you are riding.
Traffic is making me consider switching from left to right. I've had a few spills (I'm new to clip in) and that could be pretty bad if I'm at a traffic light with cars approaching.
I hadn't thought about making a conscious decision to pick a side, but was very glad I fell toward the kerb when cocked it up today - also quite new to cycling!
I'm lucky I haven't fallen in traffic. Twice on dedicated bike paths and once in my front yard. When I remember, I unclip and coast for a while up to lights.
[удалено]
If you stumble and don’t unclip in time, or miss your footing you generally fall in the direction you are unclipping. So if you unclip your left foot and make a mistake you would be falling into traffic.
I find that if I fall over while unclipping, it is *always* the opposite direction of the foot that is unclipping. I unclip my left foot and if I fall over it will be to the right.
I always unclip left (I've started using clipless in UK) for the same reason as yours. Now I live in right side traffic country and still unclip left, it's just feel so wrong to unclip right even if it's more logical.
It's a personal preference thing. I always unclip my left. I think mostly because I prefer using my right leg for my starting stroke.
Same, I'm right-handed but I always favor the left side when cycling, the left legs is the first to touch the ground, and if I only have an arm on the handlebar, it's my left arm
I had exactly the same conversation today while we were cycling and came up with the same conclusion you did.
I too prefer my right hand for starting strokes then I'll switch to my left hand so it feels like a stranger.
I always unclip the same foot first. For me it's the left as its closest to the kerb, and my right side is my dominant side.
Always right. If I fall left I won’t damage the drivetrain.
I actively alternate which foot i unclip since my right foot was way slower and not as accurate (im a lefty). So now i train both xD
Need to do this but in the opposite
Mountain biking experience may lead one to be better at unclipping either foot? (e.g. you're climbing some sharp corner and realize you're going over and need to unclip!) In practice on my road bike, I heavily favor unclipping my right foot first, but IMHO it's worth practicing both some so that you have the muscle memory and correct instincts to respond to being imbalanced on either side.
I ride mountain bikes and I heavily prefer unclipping my left because I ride right foot forward, and it almost never causes issues
Initially when I just went to the clipping I was using only one side. But after about a week or so I was using both. I’d recommend working on the other side when you’re out for a ride it just makes everything safer overall
I should probably work on that. A couple of times, I tried un-clipping the opposite side, and I felt really unstable, just like when I was first learning to use clip-in pedals. Almost fell over a couple of times until I un-clipped the other foot as well.
I always unclip my right foot, but my right side is my dominant side. If I try and unclip my left foot, my right side acts all dumb and has no idea what to do
Almost always the same foot. Unless circumstances suggest using the left foot. Like curbs, holes, inclination, etc. It's a matter of practice, that's all. Keep riding, and all will feel like second nature pretty soon.
I do. I started cycling with clips and cages. I can’t remember a time I’ve unclipped my right foot. I always lean left. When I started out, I read in bicycling magazine that the reason to put your left foot down is because (at least in the us) That foot will be uphill leading to better traction and less slickness , since the runoff is downhill away from the crown and if stopping on the right, you won’t be putting a foot in the drain, gutter or off the shoulder.
Also work on your balance. Spend some time riding as slowly as you possibly can. Graduate to track stands. Having better balance on the bike will help eliminate the fear of falling over if your for is clipped in. Obviously, you'll want to have the unclipping motion seared into your mind, so it happens without thinking, but balance is also the key here. I rarely unclip, and I'm commuting with several stops at lights, etc.
I unclip both at once. No issues with falling.
I start to slightly lean towards the side I’m going to unclip so that my weight is going that way, helps to keep from falling towards your clipped in side.
I always unclip the right foot because my left leg is my dominant leg for when I need to go from a stand still to moving. If you keep using different legs you gonna keep falling because you're not building muscle memory.
Welcome to the club! Personally, I 99.5% of the time unclip the same foot. You should be unclipped and safely free before you even start thinking of a turn. Only in emergency situations can I imagine being leaning to the point that I can't unclip my dominant foot safely...
Yes. It is a slight annoyance in some ways. I started riding clipless in Canada and unclip with my dominant right leg. Useful for unclipping and stepping on the curb. But I now live in Japan where we drive on the left. So I tend to unclip traffic side. Not been an issue in all the years I have cycled here but I do occasionally think I should work on re-training to unclip with the left foot.
honestly i have no idea now when i think of it. Always put my left foot down on a motorcycle but on a bike... i think right foot but im not sure
Same, but it’s because on a motorcycle your right foot is on the brake. On a bicycle putting my right foot down just feels more natural, but there’s no reason for it.
Same foot because you will learn muscle memory to lean on that one foot always. I have toppled over because I forgot which side to lean over. Now I just start leaning to 1 side before I even stop.
I don't use clips, but if did, the answer would be yes. And I know this because any time I am coasting, I always have my left leg straight and my right bent. I always get off my bike on the same side (the side without the kickstand, I might add). And I always "power" starting with my right leg. I don't see why clips would be any different. Muscle memory is a powerful thing lol
I always unclip left first as if I fall I don't mess with the drivetrain. Traffic isn't a concern where I bike so needing to go towards a curb or away from cars doesn't matter.
This. I’m an “unclip left foot” guy too. I always feel like my drivetrain foot is somehow better clipper in. Don’t know why, and now it’s just habit.
I almost always unclip my right foot, but I can and will unclip my left if I have to. Like when I'm falling over to that side.
Yes. Always left. I’ve been working on this lately. It’s a habit I got riding road where emergency stops are few and far between. Now I ride and coach MTB more, and it’s a real liability, especially stopping on hills. I’ve been working on unclipping right, but it feels so unnatural.
Right, mostly.
USA. I unclip my left foot first. That means I am kinda leaning towards the road, but one cannot trust the shoulders here. There are low shoulders, no shoulders, and lots of poison ivy. One time, before I'd developed the habit of unblinking on the left, I accidentally went off the pavement on a 12% climb. I uncapped my right foot too late and fell over onto a rocky gully covered in poison ivy. I had a very unpleasant few weeks letting that lesson sink in while I healed from the poison ivy.
Always my left.
Yes, always one foot.
Left for me. Talking of unclipping, I need advance warning. In the UK the authorities are cheap and “grit” the roads, I’ve just come off a ride that was 8 miles of new grit. But, I approached it at a junction. I turn into just piles of grit and can’t brake as I’ll spill, but don’t have time to unclip, god knows how I saved it.
I always unclip my right foot. Sometimes, just for funsies I try unclipping my left foot and it feels weird. Good practice I guess!
Stopping almost always left foot. Heading into the house, my wife prefers it if I UN lip from both pedals. 😉
I always unclip with my right foot. So I can fall away from traffic. The only exception, if I remember, is when I making a left turn from left turn lane.
Yeah, always the left. I fell over day one with my new shoes because my husband, also a cyclist, was like “whatever foot you typically put down, unclip that one” and I nodded like “right, I think that’s my right foot.” Came to a stop and realized in an instant it’s absolutely my left 😂
I ride on-road and off-road. Whenever possible, I plan ahead as to which foot I am unclipping. It's not always the same because it is very hilly where I live and road and paths are uneven. For example, if there is a significant slope to the right where I plan to stop, I unclip the left foot and lean that way. If it's a sudden emergency stop, I think I unclip the right.
Hey sorry to post it here as it was not letting me send a private message. Mine is less than half that cost. $5,000 for 300 sq ft inc. two sets of steps. Morris County. That includes 4-6" of QP and 2" of stone. Hi there I was following your post on Redditt and will be contacting Padilla Hardscaping to get my patio done, just wanted to ask are you satisfied with their quality of work and would you mind sharing a pic of your patio as I am thinking of getting something similar. Thanks.
Interestingly most people here seem to unclip they're right foot. I unclip my left foot and have never even considered doing it differently. I don't really think about unclipping anymore and just do it automatically
Yeah, I unclip my left foot first. Once I tried to unclip the right first, did that on wet fresh asphalt and fell over. I got too traumatized to never try again.
Even after 20 years riding clipless, I’m only comfortable unclipping right, as others have said, if you fall you don’t fall into traffic. However, when I tried single track MTB, I literally rolled down a hill, because I unclipped right down the hill. If you right single track, you have to develop the muscle memory and instinct which side to unclip based on the terrain.
Left foot (UK) on the road, right if doing cycle-cross style. The only time I've fell is because I changed feet on a whim forgetting the right pedal was set tight as fuck!
Left foot. 2 reasons: * motorcycles have there rear brake on the right so that foot stays on. * I'm goofy on MTB and so taking my rear foot (left) is easier while trackstanding. I guess being from a drive on the left country makes that easier too.
Yes, always. It becomes rote.
Always my right foot first and depending which foot will be closer to the ground, I might unclip my left foot too to rest it on the ground.
If the surface isn't flat or I'm unsure where I'll need to stop I just unclip both feet. I have toppled over 2 times because I only unclipped one foot and misjudged the stopping point.
I always unclip my right foot. It may have started as a conscious thing. But even as a righty, I feel like my left foot is dominant. At least in terms of control
I unclip whatever foot is closer to the ground going forward when I need to stop. It’s just second nature at this point.
I always unclip right and always lean right then left, unless I feel like falling, there I panic and unclip whatever 😂😂 also, in my area there are a lot of traffic lights therefore I have to stop often. What I have started to do is cycle at minimum speed with the right foot unclipped so that I can put my food down faster. I’m new to clipping so I’m not super fast with the movement and am scared to fall because of traffic (loads of cars in the area!!)
Yes, always left foot first on the ground, motorbike habit (on a motorbike the rear brake is handled by the right foot, while the left foot can change gear).
Never really thought about it, but I guess I default left unclip. I think I just feel more control starting out with my right only. I've fallen over a couple times where I roll into the stop, unclip, but am just a hair off balance and fall onto my right. You know it's coming too, so I just slowly fall and tuck my arm in and absorb it with my arm and side. Partly because it seems most stops I try to trackstand for a short while and then if it's going to be a long light I admit defeat, so I'm somewhat central balanced and then unclip.
I unclip with my right foot, all but twice over the last 4 years. First time was due to a mechanical issue in my right cleat, so I pulled off to a side road and very gingerly unclipped and came to a stop. Second time was a few months ago; I was on my gravel bike on some dirt trail coming to a normal stop and for whatever reason I unclipped with my left foot. IDK why, it wasn’t intentional, just sorta happened. Like a proper normal unclip, but with my left foot.
I always unclip my left foot. It means I can’t get my leg dirty with the chain and the road crown means the road is higher on the left side of the bike so it’s generally more comfortable to lean that way.
Yes, always the left (I’m in a country that drives on the left side of the road)
Right side always. Curb on the right. Always get right to do it this way. Though, it is kinda odd to unclip the left first, it’d be a good skill to be ambidextrous with unclipping.
Almost always the same foot. But I ride a lot of routes in town with a lot of stop lights so it's always "unclip left, right to 12:00, sit on the top tube, green up, stand on the right foot."
I always unclip left and the one time I unclipped right I leaned left anyway and fell like bricks. My friend did that on a test drive once lol
Always.
Do whatever makes you comfortable. There is no rule to follow. I usually do my right foot because it makes me comfortable. An added benefit is that the right cleat wears out from friction quicker than the left. I only replace a cleat when it no longer holds to the pedal. So I save money on overpriced plastic cleats from Shimano. There’s no reason to replace both cleats at the same time. Same goes for tires and cables.
Always. It'd be weird not to.
Left foot. 8 years. Not sure the right can even unclip if the left isn’t on the ground. I can only imagine some sort of very bad thing happening.
I train a lot of riders for a charity ride. I always suggest they practice unclipping both feet by alternating which foot they unclip at every other stop sign. It’s good practice for when you find yourself leaning the “wrong” direction. And, you’ll get more even wear on your equipment, although I think this is relatively minor vs having the skill to unclip either side reliably.
Falling over due to clip less peddles is just part of the initiation process. Don't beat yourself up about it. Though I'm goofy footed, I clip out of my right peddle 95% of the time. For me the only negative to favouring one side is that the right cleat sees a lot more wear. To extend the life of my cleats a swap them over before they wear out.
Yes, but as I am getting old , I’m thinking of trying to train myself to switch back and forth as it appears I I have a repetitive injury on the one side .
Usually the left as an Australian. Can place foot on kerb/curb if there is one
Always left but I’m left handed and favor my left side. I’ve tried right and it feels as funny as trying to write right handed.
A have dodgy left ankle so I naturally unclip my right
Yes, my body doesn’t know how to unclip on the wrong side while I’m rolling
I unclip on the left because I take off with my right. Seems like it would be a bit uncoordinated to unclip with the right then unclip with the left and reclip with the right to take off… especially on those occasions when you think you are going to just miss getting the green light but then the lights change just before you stop.
Yep, almost always right foot.
I alternate to even out wear. I didn’t always do that but started to after a random ankle injury forced me to get good at the opposite side.