[mattsz]

Gizzo, shorten those laces!

Haven't dropped mine yet, but I came damn close once - astride the bike, I pushed it forward off the center-stand.  I decided, rather than just let the springs smack the stand back upward, I'd ease it up with my left foot on the "step-on" lever.  That was fine, until the stand came all the way up and the toe of my boot, with my foot still on the center-stand lever, became trapped between that lever and the end of the already retracted side stand.

The bike began to tip to the left, and I couldn't put my foot down!  As mentioned earlier, some bicyclists with clip-on shoes know this feeling.  I managed to twist out my foot just right, and just in time, to catch the bike, and myself - but it gave me a scare!  I'll not do that again...

[longstrokeclassic]

I have a knot in my bootlaces located between the bottom 2 eyelets. This keeps the left and right ends of the laces the same length every time I put my boots on. The laces knot at the 7 & 5 o'clock for left and right boots respectively. A bit OTT/OCD  perhaps, but it is an ideal solution to keeping large loops of boot lace permanently out of harms way whilst riding.

[1 Thump]

Pullet up, shut down dismounted, bike fell over. Forgot to put the kick stand down.
 Not quite the impression I was planning to make.

Haha. Did that one my Vespa once.

[Farmer_John]

The bike began to tip to the left, and I couldn't put my foot down!  As mentioned earlier, some bicyclists with clip-on shoes know this feeling.  I managed to twist out my foot just right, and just in time, to catch the bike, and myself - but it gave me a scare!  I'll not do that again...

That's a skill set that should only happen once. Just get in the habit of lifting (or twisting) as you approach your stop. Prepare for the worse, hope for the best.

[KD5ITM]

Over 24,000 miles in 5 years on a bicycle and I can proudly claim I've only falling over 3 times by forgetting to unclip. I fall over more each ride on the mountain bike because I tried going up a steep incline just to get stalled by a tree root and fall over I go lol.

[Farmer_John]

Over 24,000 miles in 5 years on a bicycle and I can proudly claim I've only falling over 3 times by forgetting to unclip. I fall over more each ride on the mountain bike because I tried going up a steep incline just to get stalled by a tree root and fall over I go lol.

That's 4800 miles a year. How do you find time to drive?  Or ride? Or work?

[KD5ITM]

Last year I did 80 miles shy of 6000 miles. I usually average between 120 and 160 miles per week depending on how far I go on Fridays which is my day to go long distance. This year I want average as much because the first three months of the year I worked a lot of overtime at work. I was only able to average about 75 to 100 miles a week. When you rode race you have to get into miles to get in good training.

[Farmer_John]

Last year I did 80 miles shy of 6000 miles. I usually average between 120 and 160 miles per week depending on how far I go on Fridays which is my day to go long distance. This year I want average as much because the first three months of the year I worked a lot of overtime at work. I was only able to average about 75 to 100 miles a week. When you rode race you have to get into miles to get in good training.

Been there, done that. Was a crit bitch when younger.

What cat?

[Uncle Billy]

I started on a moped when I was 13, that's 60 years ago.  In all the time since, except for a million or so in-the-dirt episodes on Yamaha and Bultaco
enduros and a Yamaha trialer I've dropped a bike 3 times: Twice by riding off with the side stand down (1966, '65 T-120R Bonneville, Biloxi, Mississippi, mashed the headlight, bent the bars, miscellaneous scratches; 1980 or so, '73 Yamaha RD250, somewhere out in the country near here, totaled the speedometer and right side mirror, bent the bars again, misc scratches;), and once because I let it lean too far holding it up in a parking lot (1988, '84 VF750F, don't remember where, bent the front brake lever which is still bent).  I'm either very lucky or very, very lucky.

[KD5ITM]

I haven't been able to do a full season of road racing so I'm only just a cat 5. Not enough races or points to move up this season

[Farmer_John]

I haven't been able to do a full season of road racing so I'm only just a cat 5. Not enough races or points to move up this season

Dude, that's a lot of saddle time for the citizen class...just sayin. Cat5 you don't need to even carry a USAC freakin license!  Most cat5 races are made up of non licensed mountain bikers!

[KD5ITM]

Yes, I have to buy a one day license. The way my work schedule is, I never know if I'm working a regular 40 hour week or getting 30 hours overtime. So it makes no sense to buy the full year license. But yes I do have to buy a $10 license for each race.

[gizzo]

Friend of a friend got mugged for his bike in the city one day. They knocked him down and took the bike off him. Unfortunately the pedals didn't unclip and they dragged him along for a bit too. Got some nasty road rash. Lost the bike, too.

[KD5ITM]

I've never had an issue with someone trying to take my bike. But it could easily be done.

[KD5ITM]

I find it easier to make the loops in the shoelace shorter when you're making the knot and if necessary triple not or even quadruple knot the shoelace to make the loops small enough that they stay tucked under the pant leg.