Foot position

[ChrisV]

Excuse my newbie questions ...

... I am, after all, a newbie!

I put toe clips on my pedals, and found that I'm pushing with the front of my foot. Before, it was with the middle, but now it's like the sensation of walking on tiptoes. I can feel it much more in my calves than I did.

Is this right? Is it a matter of getting used to it?

 

[Apollonius]

Two possibilities come to mind.
Have you been used to pedalling with your instep - that is the arched part of your foot? If so the toe clips might have moved your foot to pedal with the more effective "ball" of the foot.
The second possibility is that your toe clips are too small. In ancient times they came in three sizes, as I recall. Maybe they still do.

 

[ChrisV]

I've ridden 636 miles with the arch part - it may take a bit of retraining!

 

[Profpointy]

Two possibilities come to mind.
Have you been used to pedalling with your instep - that is the arched part of your foot? If so the toe clips might have moved your foot to pedal with the more effective "ball" of the foot.
The second possibility is that your toe clips are too small. In ancient times they came in three sizes, as I recall. Maybe they still do.

to echo Apollonius, you "should" be .pedalling with the ball of your foot on the pedal, not the instep - but not your toes either - so if the latter, your clips are indeed too small.

 

[Apollonius]

I suggest you go for broke and adopt the radical re-training approach. Get yourself some proper pedals and shoes with cleats. You will not look back.

 

[ChrisV]

I think that's where this is going.

Won a second hand set of pedals for £5 on eBay, but may just 'go radge' and buy new pedals/shoes.

Trying to get my foot back into clip after stopping is a nightmare!

 

[Profpointy]

I think that's where this is going.

Won a second hand set of pedals for £5 on eBay, but may just 'go radge' and buy new pedals/shoes.

Trying to get my foot back into clip after stopping is a nightmare!

Proper clips ins, at least in SPD / mountain bike types are a lot easier than toe clips and straps, but do entail "special shoes"

 

[Apollonius]

Do some research before going any further. Clipless will definitely help your pedalling style and that will help you avoid twisting knee injuries and the like (at least they will when you have them adjusted right). (I am suspecting you might be riding "knees out" too. Forgive me if not so.)
Most people favour the mountain-bike type SPD which are cheap and easy and can, with some shoes, be easily walked on. The more hard core of us (ahem!) favour the road type SL pedal (also SPD, but these are the plastic road type.) The best buy are the simple double-sided SPD type. Avoid the "clipless one side / flat the other" type. They are always wrong side up.

 

[ChrisV]

What are the main differences between SPD and SL?

(This is my research ...)

 

[Klassikbike]

SPD -> MTB
SPD SL -> Road bike

Spd have more float and are easier to clip out (Can be usefull in a difficult trail). Better for shearing of mud.
SPD SL are stiffer. Not so nice to walk with but a tad more effective for road riding.

Sometimes people also use SPD's on roadbikes I guess its all down to preference.
Cleats also exist in different types with different amount of float and release functions.

 

[vickster]

What are the main differences between SPD and SL?

(This is my research ...)

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/clipless-pedals-faq.74358/

You probably don't need to read all 53 pages

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Two possibilities come to mind.
Have you been used to pedalling with your instep - that is the arched part of your foot? If so the toe clips might have moved your foot to pedal with the more effective "ball" of the foot.
The second possibility is that your toe clips are too small. In ancient times they came in three sizes, as I recall. Maybe they still do.

Toe clips are still available in multiple sizes, I've got XL's on my fixed, my geared best bike has clipless.

 

[Globalti]

Toe clips are a bit of a nightmare really; SPDs will really improve your cycling efficiency but you WILL fall over the first three times you come to a stop until your brain learns to unclip.

Even using SPDs set at their lightest spring tension will be better than nothing because they will hold your feet in the correct place.

 

[cyberknight]

SPD -> MTB
SPD SL -> Road bike

Spd have more float and are easier to clip out (Can be usefull in a difficult trail). Better for shearing of mud.
SPD SL are stiffer. Not so nice to walk with but a tad more effective for road riding.

Sometimes people also use SPD's on roadbikes I guess its all down to preference.
Cleats also exist in different types with different amount of float and release functions.

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/clipless-pedals-faq.74358/

You probably don't need to read all 53 pages

Upshot , with stiff enough shoes not really any real world difference but you dont walk like a duck in spd .

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Toe clips are a bit of a nightmare really; SPDs will really improve your cycling efficiency but you WILL fall over the first three times you come to a stop until your brain learns to unclip.

Even using SPDs set at their lightest spring tension will be better than nothing because they will hold your feet in the correct place.

Theres nothing wrong with toeclips, I've been using them for over 25 years, for the last 4 years I've had toeclips on one bike and SPD's on another and found almost no difference between the 2 systems.