Rite of Passage

As I have been literally "gearing up" for the Sea to Sea ride, and getting more and more immersed into the cycling world, I accepted the inevitability of having to get clip-in cycling shoes and pedals (ironically, called "clipless pedals"...I can explain if you're really interested, which you're likely not), which means that your feet are attached to the bike. Why in the world would you want to do that? (one of my original questions) Well, the claim is that your pedaling motion becomes much more efficient this way, ie, you are not only pushing down on the forward stroke, but pulling up on the back stroke. Also, the cycling shoes are very stiff on the bottom, which also acts to improve power transfer.

Okay, I guess that makes sense, but I still wasn't totally convinced that I needed to get them. So, I went on a Google mission to read all that I could about clipless pedals, and site after site poured forth testimonials from cyclists who really felt a difference when switching over, and were glad they did, wished they'd done it sooner, etc. That was the "pro" side. The "con" side was that almost every testimonial also included at least one anecdote about falling while learning to get used to being clipped onto their bike. Gee, that sounds like fun... Most of the articles I read didn't even try to cover up the likelihood of falling, rather discussed it in terms of being an eventuality. Some recommended getting used to the pedals on an indoor stationary trainer, or riding around a grassy field for the first half hour, practicing clipping and unclipping... Many also half-jokingly cautioned the reader that there was a good chance that "the fall" would happen at a moment of maximum "embarrassment impact," such as around a bunch of experienced cyclists, or at a busy intersection.

My Sea to Sea partner, Suzie, made the leap a couple of weeks before I did, and sure enough, fell twice on her first day, badly scraping her elbow and knee. I finally stopped procrastinating and got outfitted with new shoes and pedals a few weeks ago. I heeded the advice of my bike shop guy and most of the internet sources and practiced on my indoor trainer the first night, just getting used to the feel of engaging the clips, and kicking my heel out to the side to release them. Didn't seem too bad... I next took the bike out into my U-shaped driveway, and practiced going around and around in circles, stopping and unclipping every now and then. No falls. Whew...maybe I had worried for nothing. The next day, I made my first road trip with the new pedals, and could really feel a difference, especially going up hills. At first, I was constantly conscious of the pedals, and hyper-vigilant about unclipping my left foot before each stop. Gradually, I've gotten much more used to them, and the unclipping has become more of a reflex action. Ride after ride, no falls, and I thought I had passed through the initiation unscathed.

Until last Thursday.

I went out for a quick ride that evening, a nice 12-mile, hilly loop that takes me past my favorite "alpaca corner" at about the 8-mile point. I was having a great ride, and came sailing down a hill up to the corner itself, and prepared to stop before making the turn. I guess I wasn't paying quite enough attention to how much the road banks at that spot...I rolled up to the corner, unclipped my left foot, and in a split second my center of balance tipped ever so slightly to the right, and I was down! This is where all of the internet articles and bloggers were dead-on right: it was peak rush-hour, and this usually tranquil, rural intersection was filled with at least a dozen cars moving through or waiting at a stop sign. I unclipped my right foot as fast as I could, pushed the bike off me and stood up, with blood dripping from my right elbow and knee...a number of good samaritans were calling out to see if I was "OK", and I smiled and waved as if to say, "It's nothing..." (in the words of Monty Python..."It's just a flesh wound!") I tried to remount and ride nonchalantly away, but realized that my seat was twisted badly to the side and I had to stop and fix that. One woman actually turned her car around, came back to where I was and offered me a Band-Aid, which I would have accepted if it could have patched up my wounded pride...

So, I've been duly initiated. I AM officially a biker, with the scabs to prove it...