# Learning how to stop suddenly with clip-ins? Learning track-stand?



## victorhooi (Jul 30, 2012)

Hi,

I ride a Specialized Tarmac, with Look Keo pedals and clip-ins.

I went on a Riding in the City course today, to try to learn better city-riding skills.

I learnt today that I have a bad habit of unclipping a second or two early when I'm coming to a stop - and my left leg is waving in the air before I plant it down at the stop.

However, apparently I should be clipped in to the last second, and only when I've stopped, do I then unclip and put the foot down quickly.

I think part of this might just be fear or unsteadiness - but they reassured me that the bike will only topple once you're actually stationary.

Also, I wasn't very good at the sudden stops - they'd call a stop, and I'd struggle to time it all correctly - to not unclip too early, and also not tumble at the last second.

Do people here have any advice or pointers, or drills that I could do to try to build confidence and skills in this area? And also learn to do those sudden stops with the clip-ins?

(I might also look at getting flat pedals to learn in, if people think that's helpful).

Ultimately, I would like to be able to master the track stand =) (Santos Bike Shop - How to do a Track Stand with Jeff Lenosky - YouTube), but I suspect that might be a way off - any other resources you guys could point to for mastering that as well?

Cheers,
Victor


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

victorhooi said:


> ... I learnt today that I have a bad habit of unclipping a second or two early when I'm coming to a stop - and my left leg is waving in the air before I plant it down at the stop.
> 
> However, apparently I should be clipped in to the last second, and only when I've stopped, do I then unclip and put the foot down quickly...


Total bull. It's perfectly normal, common, acceptable to clip out before coming to a stop. That's basically what everybody does.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

I prefer to stay clipped in as much as possible.

I typically slow to almost a complete stop, hold a mini-trackstand, and then decide to continue on or unclip.


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## Adim_X (Mar 7, 2011)

Learning track stands is a good skill, but I think waiting till the last possible second to unclip in the city could be troublesome. Maybe learning to clip in faster would be a more suitable skill to have. 
Sent from my RM-845_nam_vzw_100 using Board Express


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

victorhooi said:


> I learnt today that I have a bad habit of unclipping a second or two early when I'm coming to a stop - and my left leg is waving in the air before I plant it down at the stop.


Your mistake is waving your leg in the air, not unclipping early. Next time you unclip early (as everyone does), coast and rest the unclipped foot on the pedal without pressure. That also allows you to clip back in instantly should the need for stopping go away. This works especially well if you just unclip the spring-loaded rear and (with some slight forward pressure) leave the front of the cleat hooked under the lip at the front of the pedal


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## Cyclin Dan (Sep 24, 2011)

Yeah, unclip and let your leg just hang there. No problem with that.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Cyclin Dan said:


> Yeah, unclip and let your leg just hang there. No problem with that.


Exactly. And keep in mind that an early and unhurried unclipping is the key. If you wait until the last second, you get frantic. If you get frantic, you might panic. If you panic, you might wind up like the like the poor bloke in this newspaper clipping below. ;-)


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

wim said:


> Exactly. And keep in mind that an early and unhurried unclipping is the key. If you wait until the last second, you get frantic. If you get frantic, you might panic. If you panic, you might wind up like the like the poor bloke in this newspaper clipping below. ;-)


That's priceless, Wim. Is it for real?


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## Dave Cutter (Sep 26, 2012)

wim said:


> ...If you panic, you might wind up like the like the poor bloke in this newspaper


Hilarious! THX for sharing.

There are a few track stand videos on Youtube that teach how to track stand. It isn't that hard of a skill to learn. Like riding a bicycle... can sound complex and difficult when the process is described... but not so difficult to actually learn.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

JCavilia said:


> That's priceless, Wim. Is it for real?


Not for real. Years ago, I made it up for the April 1 issue of our local recreational cycling club ("restaurant touring club") newsletter. The yellowing newsprint and torn edges are Photoshop magic.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Track stands are easier when you're on a incline so you can work against gravity. If it's flat or even slightly downhill, it's tougher to do a track stand. So... timing to the traffic light is crucial.

Other than that... how to stop ASAP? Take up mountain biking... because after enough crashes, you learn to unclip on reflex.

P.S. Jeff Lenosky's bunnyhop demos are sick. Since he is a Northern Jersey man... he tends to volunteer his time for local events.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

wim said:


> Your mistake is waving your leg in the air...l


No. Sticking your leg out or letting hang off the pedal is a clear indication to riders behind you that you're not pedaling and something is up; you're intending to stop, you've got a cramp or some other issue. You should of course signal your intention to slow or stop, but sticking out the foot provides an additional redundant signal.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

looigi said:


> No. Sticking your leg out or letting hang off the pedal is a clear indication to riders behind you that you're not pedaling and something is up;


Never heard of this and it makes absolutely no sense to me, but I take your word for it. The indication to riders behind for not pedaling used to be, well, not pedaling. But times change and I'm not up on the currently fashionable cycling codes and signals.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Oxtox said:


> I prefer to stay clipped in as much as possible.
> 
> I typically slow to almost a complete stop, hold a mini-trackstand, and then decide to continue on or unclip.


This is what I do. As well as using either foot to unclip. 

I think getting in the habit of uncliping early makes you unconfident and more likely to panic when in an quick stopping situation.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

wim said:


> Exactly. And keep in mind that an early and unhurried unclipping is the key. If you wait until the last second, you get frantic. If you get frantic, you might panic. If you panic, you might wind up like the like the poor bloke in this newspaper clipping below. ;-)


Hahahaha, is that guy for real? "Used only by professional bike racers"? Wow that makes me feel pumped up. Rode around for ten hours, afraid of stopping and toppling over? Couldn't he have grabbed something like a tree or a street sign? That's my laugh of the day.

I had the original click-in mountain bike pedals - the incredible Shimano M737. They were great but had two glaring faults (especially for a mountain bike pedal) - when the cleats were full of mud you could neither clip in or clip out. I grabbed onto many trees to stop me from falling when getting out was totally impossible. Of course Shimano cured the problem with later pedals.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Mike T. said:


> Hahahaha, is that guy for real? "Used only by professional bike racers"? Wow that makes me feel pumped up. Rode around for ten hours, afraid of stopping and toppling over? Couldn't he have grabbed something like a tree or a street sign? That's my laugh of the day.
> 
> I had the original click-in mountain bike pedals - the incredible Shimano M737. They were great but had two glaring faults (especially for a mountain bike pedal) - when the cleats were full of mud you could neither clip in or clip out. I grabbed onto many trees to stop me from falling when getting out was totally impossible. Of course Shimano cured the problem with later pedals.


Shimano didn't fully cure the mud issue on the mtb pedals yet. It is still their weakness.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

tednugent said:


> Shimano didn't fully cure the mud issue on the mtb pedals yet. It is still their weakness.


That's really hard to believe seeing as just about all the pros use them for cyclocross. I've watched pro cyclocross live streamed for 5 years and I've never seen one of them not able to get in or out of their pedals. Can you elaborate what their weakness is?


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Mike T. said:


> Hahahaha, is that guy for real? "Used only by professional bike racers"?


Not for real, see post #10. I tried to imitate the writing style of some newspaper writer in the hinterlands who has no knowledge of cycling and is just winging it.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Mike T. said:


> That's really hard to believe seeing as just about all the pros use them for cyclocross. I've watched pro cyclocross live streamed for 5 years and I've never seen one of them not able to get in or out of their pedals. Can you elaborate what their weakness is?


Shimano weakness is still mud clearing, due to their fairly complex closed in design. With the exception of some batches of XTR pedals, Shimanos are super reliable nonetheless.

Crank Brothers are still king when it comes to mud clearing due to their relatively simple open design. I have packed my Candy C's full of clay mud and they still worked, when the rest of my mountain bike didn't. Crank Bros does if their weakness... since they are not as reliable as Shimanos.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

tednugent said:


> Shimano weakness is still mud clearing, due to their fairly complex closed in design. With the exception of some batches of XTR pedals, Shimanos are super reliable nonetheless.
> 
> Crank Brothers are still king when it comes to mud clearing due to their relatively simple open design. I have packed my Candy C's full of clay mud and they still worked, when the rest of my mountain bike didn't. Crank Bros does if their weakness... since they are not as reliable as Shimanos.


I have used Eggbeaters on my mtb for years and in mud they are totally incredible but pro cyclocrossers would not use XTR if they were not also incredible in the mud.


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