a different kind of clipless moment

[ayceejay]

I was in a bike shop at the weekend, just browsing but always vulnerable. I was having a nostalgia moment when a young assistant approached with an offer to help. I had been wondering if anyone still rides with toe clips straps and and slotted cleats, so I asked the assistant who clearly had no idea what I was talking about. I tried to explain that these were the 'clips' that 'clipless' refers to. Unfortunately he didn't take kindly to discovering there was something he didn't know so set out to convince me that no such thing had ever existed offering several alternative meanings for what 'clipless' might mean. At a certain point it felt as if I had drifted into a parallel universe that was created around 1993 and my notions of wooden soled Duegi shoes was totally alien here. It was an odd and frustrating feeling and the more I tried to explain the further away from understanding he became, so please be kind: does anyone still use toe clips and slotted cleats or did they never exist and I invented the whole thing?

 

[Amanda P]

They certainly existed, and I used them for years. Not any more though.

Had a similar experience with a computer tech. He spent ages looking for a utility program to fix something on my work computer. I asked him what he was trying to do, then just did it in DOS while he was fooling about. He was quite upset. Bless.

 

[broadway]

You can still buy them, so some people still use them. I have them on one of my bikes.

I also found a cheapish set in a bike box I got from Halfords last year, so i assume they must have been supplied with the bike, but not fited.

 

[Matthew_T]

I was sat in the car today with my dad stuck at some lights and saw a guy walking with a bike on the pavement. He had flat pedals with straps. No idea why he wasnt riding his bike though (although he was on the pavement so he might have just been abiding by the law).

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yeah - I still got toe clips and straps on one bike (and all the spares in a box - new old stock). Long time since I used those slotted cleats tho'. They never really stayed nailed onto my cycling shoes back in the day

I might be an old timer but these new fangled clipless things are better.

 

[Octet]

Yep, I've got a set of toe clips and fabric straps which came with my road bike.

To be honest though, I used them about once but gave up after that.
I just couldn't get my foot back into the strap once I had taken them out. Furthermore, because of the weight distribution, the pedal normally flips when I stop and it is just a pain to try and kick it back with your foot, reach down to try and adjust the strap, and to try and force your foot in whilst still pedaling.

I would of thought people would be more familiar with a toe clip and strap, rather than a clipless pedal? None of my family knew about clipless when I mentioned them, they all thought I was referring to the straps.

 

[Hover Fly]

You can even get them to fit modern drilled shoes.
http://www.yellowjersey.org/tocleat.html

 

[biggs682]

still and only use toe clips , but be aware i picked up a pr of spd shoes for £2.50 at local car boot yesterday and i have a pr of double sided pedals ready to go ..... so watch this space

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Still got a couple of pairs of Lyotard 460D(??) in the shed
I used to use them for cross in the early 90's before going to SPDs - they've also got the double toe-clips (ie; 2 pairs riveted together)

There's also a pair of the pre-SPD Sidi's somewhere

You know the ones, a 'ridged' sole', in blue/black, with a velcro secured flap over the laces

 

[matthat]

I use Toe clips but without the straps on them! They are quite a strong plastic pair on 2 of my bikes, It gives me something to push on but also just a side movement out. Like @biggs682 I have just acquired a pair of peddles off ebay for £8 which my sister has collected for me so just waiting to rendezvous with her soon, I'm now on the look out for some shoes in either a 12 or 13.