Shoe plates

[Ian H]

This Dave Marsh photo brought back memories of the days before clipless pedals.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can fondly remember those!

Riding a new pair of shoes without plates so the rear cage plate left it's impression on the sole of the shoe, then aligning the slot on the plate with it and banging the tacks in over a last. Along with sticking tubulars onto the rims it it was one of the rituals all racing cyclists learnt at an early stage.

 

[Sharky]

Me too

 

[ColinJ]

I got back into cycling in 1989 and bought a pair of shoes fitted out like that. In my second year back I tried riding up a local killer hill, with my shoe plates slotted onto my pedals, and shoes held in place by toestraps. It didn't go well...

That must be by taking a tight bend on the inside? Overall, that is a fairly ordinary climb. I think it would be like measuring the bend at the top of the 25% ramp at Rawtenstall Bank (a.k.a. Mytholm Steeps), Hebden Bridge, on the inside of the bend. That is probably 45% too...

View attachment 649255
... but nobody in their right mind would ride that tight in to the edge of the road. Deliberately, that is... I had one idiot motorist overtake me on the bloody bend, thus stopping me swinging wide - I fell off!

I could not get my feet off the pedals and toppled to my left, fortunately landing on the grassy bank rather than those cobbles!

 

[Bristolian]

I could not get my feet off the pedals and toppled to my left, fortunately landing on the grassy bank rather than those cobbles!

I had a similar experience at a traffic light in Deal once; couldn't get either foot out of the toe clip and fell over. A quick look round to see if anyone had noticed revealed two policemen in a Panda car (remember those?) behind me laughing their heads off At least one of them had the decency (eventually) to get out of the car and pick me up.

 

[Jameshow]

Mine were very similar plastic cleats that worked the same.. My shoes were thin leather affairs! Not sure what happen to them!

 

[Drago]

I had a similar experience at a traffic light in Deal once; couldn't get either foot out of the toe clip and fell over. A quick look round to see if anyone had noticed revealed two policemen in a Panda car (remember those?) behind me laughing their heads off At least one of them had the decency (eventually) to get out of the car and pick me up.

In Deal? It's rough as there. You're lucky the coppers didn't rob you of the bike!

 

[Webbo2]

I had a similar experience at a traffic light in Deal once; couldn't get either foot out of the toe clip and fell over. A quick look round to see if anyone had noticed revealed two policemen in a Panda car (remember those?) behind me laughing their heads off At least one of them had the decency (eventually) to get out of the car and pick me up.

I too have had the pleasure of this experience but without the coppers. I also had it in more recent times with worn SPD plates which I know don’t release very well.

 

[rogerzilla]

Absolutely lethal things. Planned stops were ok as you had time to reach down and flick the buckle open. Unplanned stops often meant toppling over.

 

[Dogtrousers]

My mate who I used to go touring with had those because he was a proper cyclist. I just had Winfield trainers and toeclips.

He never fell over due to being clipped/strapped in but I do recall him falling on his arse on a grassy bank because of the leather soles.

 

[Colin S]

I remember using these on fixed wheel Hack bike.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Absolutely lethal things. Planned stops were ok as you had time to reach down and flick the buckle open. Unplanned stops often meant toppling over.

I never had a problem, nor with clipless.

 

[Flite]

Absolutely lethal things. Planned stops were ok as you had time to reach down and flick the buckle open. Unplanned stops often meant toppling over.

Used them all the time as a nipper. Just got used to them.
Definitely the only girl in our snobby High School to have shoe plates on my regulation winter shoes.
Summer sandals didn't need them as they had ridges in the soles.
Needed them to get up the big hill home.
Think I've got to 5 posts at last!
Waves to Roger - didn't recognise your avatar

 

[rogerzilla]

Used them all the time as a nipper. Just got used to them.
Definitely the only girl in our snobby High School to have shoe plates on my regulation winter shoes.
Summer sandals didn't need them as they had ridges in the soles.
Needed them to get up the big hill home.
Think I've got to 5 posts at last!
Waves to Roger - didn't recognise your avatar

That's the Beast of East Hanney - a giant cat who took a liking to my bike on the way back from a camping trip years ago!

 

[ColinJ]

I never had a problem, nor with clipless.

The Milk Race once went up the steep Hebden Bridge climb that I posted about above. Here's what happened...

The Milk Race came up this way some time back in the 1980s but the route choice wasn’t a complete success. Not all the riders had low enough gears to get up the steepest part of the hill and so some of them just ground to a complete halt. This was the era when riders’ shoes were strapped to their pedals which meant they couldn’t easily put a foot down when they stopped. Instead they simply toppled over sideways bringing down with them most of the rest of the peloton. Once they’d stopped many couldn’t get started again on such a steep ascent and so the spectators at the top of the climb were entertained by the sight of many cyclists trotting up the hill with their bikes slung over their shoulders.

[Link]