Came off my road bike a couple of weeks ago. All I know is when the crash started, I was clipped in and when I was lying on my back in the middle of the road after escaping over the handlebars, I was no longer attached to the bike. At what point my feet became unclipped from the pedals, I truly have no idea.
All I know is the bike was about 20ft away from me when I collected everything.
Well this would be the result if you don't get it right!!
http://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/235002
From yesterdays mini downhill at FOD.
For the purposes of balance, there was a great (presumably 'set up') photo in Bryceland's column in Dirt a while back, where he talks about trying spd's: picture of him upside down with feet still clipped in and bike wheels up in the air. 😀
Anyway, your very likely to wrench your feet out the clips (multi-release cleats anyone) if your doing 30mph and your bike is doing 0mph. Much more safe than toe straps of old.
The only thing faster than me 'panic-unclipping' is me 'accidentally unclipping' with multi release cleats. Unpredictable-Death Cleats more like...
Steve Peat and Greg Minnaar. I bet they can undclip quickly at high speed.
I am pretty sure both of them have mentioned not being able to unclip contributing to crashes and incidents over the last few years, as have many elite dh racers.
Most clipped riders claim to be able to unclip instantly, and yet most of their crashes / excuses involve not being able to unclip quickly enough.
I had the misfortune of seeing a friend of mine do something along the lines of what the op is describing - he went otb on a very fast section of trail. A rock deflected his wheel which dug in like an anchor and catapulted him forward, as he flew forward he brought the bike with him and it acted like a pendulum flipping him off the trail and 30ft down a bank. He broke a few ribs and fractured his wrist if I recall. He was overtaking me at the time and the effect was as if a bomb had gone off underneath and blew him off the trail, it was savage.
Impossible to say whether his injuries would have been substantially less had he been riding flats but the crash would have been a lot less spectacular.
