Toe Clips - anyone using them?

[hackbike 666]

I usually change my cycle shoes but I have been known not to on rare occasions.

I did get tired of ruining perfectly good pairs of trainers using cycle clips though,but have been using clipless pedals for years.Even on fixed wheel.

 

[marinyork]

How do they ruin them hackbike 666, does the cage pull on the leather/plastic, scuff or what?

 

[hackbike 666]

The sole of the trainer is bitten into by the pedal edge,cuts through them eventually.

At least it did.Don't know how long I have been using SPD's...is it ten years?

At the time I was desperate for a solution and was working on modifications myself and then I discovered SPD's.

 

[marinyork]

Hmmm, interesting. I was thinking of getting toe clips for a mate as I don't think he'd ever get SPDs but might get something out of toe clips. Best not to mention wearing down issues, I can hear the grumbles now .

 

[wafflycat]

How do they ruin them hackbike 666, does the cage pull on the leather/plastic, scuff or what?

Toeclips can scuff the tops of shoes and if you have the toe clips tight, as they are supposed to be, you can end up squashing the top of the shoe a bit.

 

[ed_o_brain]

I'm an avid fan of SPuDs.
They are easy to clip in and clip out of. (I did try toe clips/straps a few times.. never did get on with them).
They do encourage better pedalling technique.
Compared to flatties, they are faster on a sprint and they also make you tire less quickly on longer rides.

But, when going from flat pedals to SPuDs (or even toe clips and straps for that matter) I think it takes some time to get the full benefit of them. Pedalling (or rather spinning) will improve by some margin straight away, but I think goes onto to improve gradually much more over time.

I think the muscle groups used also need time to retrain. When I first used SPuDs, I was a little disappointed. I've been riding a couple of bikes with normal flatties just recently, including piloting the tandem, and I miss using them. Working so hard on the down stroke on flatties seems so alien to me. I also find it really tiring. And it's really annoying when my feet slip of the pedals!

My stoker got some SPD pedals and shoes for Christmas. Her pedalling technique has improved so much so, we are tearing along the flat on the big ring nearly everywhere we go. And when she puts the effort in, I feel like I'm doing her a real disservice because I can't reciprocate so much by mashing the pedals.

I'm nervous about putting SPDs onto the front of the tandem, but I dare say I will try it sometime soon for a solo ride. My shoes do have a recessed cleat, but after about twenty months of everyday wear, they are about knackered. I can't afford another set right now, so I'm going to use another pair I have but unfortunately the cleat is not recessed into their sole. I don't think a protruding cleat will provide enough grip when I put my feet down to support our tandem - more so in the wintry weather. Whilst we are discussing the virtues of toe clips versus clipless pedals, what does the panel think?

 

[skwerl]

But whatever system you settle with, they are a distinct improvement over platform pedals, with or without toeclips. If they weren't folk would simply go back to using the older system

Hmm. Can you explain why keirin riders use clips and straps then?

 

[tyred]

I can see what the advantages of clips/clippless pedals would be but as I cycle mainly for leisure and also enjoy hill walking and the like, I often combine the two and it suits to have a comfortable pair of boots to walk in rather than a pair of shoes specifically for cycling. I have tried toe clips but struggled to get used to them. I've never had any problems with my feet slipping of the pedals while wearing hiking boots but it can happen with trainers.

 

[wafflycat]

Hmm. Can you explain why keirin riders use clips and straps then?

They may well do in Japan (stgrong on tradition?)

But if watch it on a track over here for example you'll see that they do the normal track foot system of clipless and then a strap over the top of that.

http://www.nsw.cycling.org.au/Images/Newsletter/Images/worlds.jpg

 

[MartinC]

I use clipless pedals a lot and they're excellent. If somebody invented a clipless pedal that allowed me to pull the pedal up wearing any shoes then I could put them on all my bikes.

 

[hackbike 666]

Im quite happy with SPD's I think I took to them like a duck to water although I did fall off a few times and as waffly would say made myself look a berk.I remember I had pair of shoes with clips which when I clipped in I couldn't get out.(not really compatible)

I also remember falling off in the middle of the Leyton High Road on match day for the same sort of reason of not being able to get out fast enough.

 

[skwerl]

Improved efficiency.

how come? surely wafflycat's example of uk riders using clipless with straps is more efficient?

 

[peejay78]

i use toeclips for round town, and on my vintage bikes. anything longer, i.e my commute, club run, audax, ventoux, etc, it's clipless all the way.

if i had just one bike i'd have a pair of both and change them as and when. takes 2 minutes.

 

[ed_o_brain]

how come? surely wafflycat's example of uk riders using clipless with straps is more efficient?

I think it's because track racers are wanting there feet to be as secured to the pedals as possible.

Without the straps, I think there's a chance they can pull out of the pedals on the up stroke.

I know I can do this with SPuDs when accelerating hard on my fixed, but as I'm not in the business of winning races, it doesn't bother me and I learn not to accelerate so hard.

I understand other cleat systems make it harder to pull out, but I'm quite happy with SPuDs for now. They are cheap, readily available and suitable for all my bikes.

 

[wafflycat]

I think it's because track racers are wanting there feet to be as secured to the pedals as possible.

Without the straps, I think there's a chance they can pull out of the pedals on the up stroke.

'Tis possible indeed.

WCMnr, in his much younger days, was at the Manchester Velodrome, doing a spot of track work. On the velodrome bikes they had Look pedals. For kids, they had the settings quite loose. WCMnr, was, however, very used to using clipless and on the start of a race, managed to be pulling away so hard, he lifted his foot straight out of the pedal... smack - straight down on to the boards.... He has strong leg muscles...