toe clips and straps OR clickpedals

[black'n'yellow]

i'm leaning towards straps and toe clips i think, more versatile and useable,.

One option is inherently safe - the other option is inherently unsafe. But you have decided to go for the inherently unsafe option..?

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Only a few rides so far on SPD's and I think they are going to be just fine.

I am endeavouring to think further in advance when approaching junctions to get one foot unclipped and ready to put on the ground if required and I am starting to get the hang of this.

I find it easier to unclip a pedal when my leg is extended at the bottom of a stroke. Not so easy at the top of a stroke. Is this normal?

I do find it tricky to clip in when setting off - normally I end up scrabbling about on the pedal until the thing locks home. Presume this will get better with practice?

Also, my one dodgy moment was when very slowly going steeply uphill I had to stop suddenly - I was totally confused as to what to do when I could not get my shoe unclipped under load. Fortunately a telegraph pole was on my left and I managed to lean against this to stop the impending fall. Any technique suggestions please?

Not the most intuitive pieces of kit to use in fact I think for the newbie they are potentially dangerous, but I will persevere!

 

[Psycolist]

One option is inherently safe - the other option is inherently unsafe. But you have decided to go for the inherently unsafe option..?

Would you care to elaborate on 'unsafe' I've seen far more comments about people being unable to undo or clp into the clickpedal than I have about people not being able to remove thier feet from a toe clip or get thier toe back into it again ! A most unhelpful post.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Agree ....nothing any more unsafe about toe clips than clipless. .
People used toe clips quite happily for decades without problems. SPD's are great and I wouldn't swap back .....but the O should not be made to feel that they are the only option by SPD evangelists. Toe clips with loose straps will stop his feet sliding about and give extra security, they can be worn with any shoes and will cost a lot less than kitting up with SPD's

 

[hoopdriver]

Does nobody find that the clickpedal (SPD or clipless) option inconvinient in so far as having to wear a specific pair of shoes on to go out cycling. The double sided option mentioned by 'shouldbeinbed' sounds like an good compromise. Just been browsing the site, several comments on other threads about 'getaway' being tricky with clickpedals as well, not to mention the extra expense of having to buy pedals as well as shoes !

I certainly do. It is flats and toe clips for me. i like to be able to get on my bike and go, not dress for an occasion.

 

[hoopdriver]

Agree ....nothing any more unsafe about toe clips than clipless. .
People used toe clips quite happily for decades without problems. SPD's are great and I wouldn't swap back .....but the O should not be made to feel that they are the only option by SPD evangelists. Toe clips with loose straps will stop his feet sliding about and give extra security, they can be worn with any shoes and will cost a lot less than kitting up with SPD's

+1

 

[sean8997]

I use M540's on both my cross bike and fixed, use MTB shoes for my cross and touring style shoes on my fixed as these allow for walking about town when I go shopping on my bike

 

[lulubel]

I've just ordered my first set of SPD shoes and pedals. I've opted for "single sided" pedals, which have one side you can clip into, and the other side is flat, so you can use any shoes you want with it.

I'll report back with how I get on.

 

[defy-one]

A520
M520
M530
M540

Can anyone explain the difference to me,all very confusing. The only difference i can make out is the M540's are double sided,so i can use spd shoes or normal shoes?
Added the question here,as i think it will help the OP out as well

 

[black'n'yellow]

Would you care to elaborate on 'unsafe' I've seen far more comments about people being unable to undo or clp into the clickpedal than I have about people not being able to remove thier feet from a toe clip or get thier toe back into it again ! A most unhelpful post.

Comments about people having problems with SPDs comes from their not knowing how to use them - not from any inherent safety issue. Competence is the key. My kids (8 & 11) have been on SPDs for about 18 months and use them without issue. Assuming you are competent in using SPD-type pedals, they are not unsafe in any way. The risks are far more variable and unpredictable when using clips and straps, for obvious reasons, depending on shoe type, pedal type, how tight the strap is, how the pedal hangs, the environment around you when you are trying to insert your trainer/walking boot/oxford brogue/croc/flip-flop into the pedal cage - and just the sheer pointlessness of clinging on to an obsolete pedal type when there are so many better options available.

If you insist on having flat pedals, try googling 'power grips' - infinitely safer than those ridiculous toe cages.

i like to be able to get on my bike and go, not dress for an occasion.

By the same logic, you would walk up Snowdon in whatever you happened to be wearing at the time..? Dressing for the occasion would not be expedient..??

 

[Eribiste]

I'll be able to tell you my opinions of SPD clipless this weekend. I've sold a bicycle that had ordinary pedals on it, bought a bike with toe clips on, and immediately rushed out and bought a set of SPD pedals because the toe clips are already proving a bit of a fiddle-faddle.

On the plain pedals, of course there's no problem with getting feet on and off, but I did find myself slipping off them in the wet, especially when applying a bit of effort. The toe clips on the new bike are ok, and I've got the hang of flipping the pedal round to poke my left toe in pretty well. They certainly stop the slipping foot thing too.

I'm changing to the clipless partly out of the reasoning that I've read on this very forum, partly out of curiosity, and partly because (and this is a bit wierd) I dig the click, click sound I hear when clipless equipped cyclists make as they start off. Who says I'm a fashion victim? I'm also expecting them to be easier and quicker to engage than toe clips.

The pedals I've chosen are Shimano A530, which have a plain side and an SPD clip side, so I've got the best of both worlds with those, probably. The shoes have the cleats recessed too, so I can walk a little on them when fetching a pint of Thatchers Black Rat energy restoring elixir.

I must just have a bit of practise of unclipping in a hurry before I go too far though......

Right then, I've just been out for a blast on my new clipless road rocket, and I have to say I'm a convert to clipless now as I found them a pleasure to use. At the moment I've got the retainer tension set to minimum to make sure I can unclip with ease and I've had no problem at all, including a trip through busy Evesham c/w traffic lights and inattentive car owners.

The average speed is up a bit too, even though I had a couple of 'chain drop' moments to slow me down a bit. I'm glad I made the change, I find clipless much nicer than using toe clips.

 

[Dangermouse]

I think its really down to how far you ride without unclipping, if its in town and you have to put a foot down every 2 or three minutes for lights, then toeclips are perfect and safe so long as you dont tighten them but if your commute is out of town and you are pedalling for a long distance say over a few miles without stopping then clipless is the way to go, personally I couldnt go back to pedals with straps whether I am commuting or out training..........even getting off my chair at work, I tend to twist my foot away before standing up, as for unstrapped pedals.........NOOOOOO I have the scars on my shins to prove those things are satans answer to cyclists

 

[Zakalwe]

Brogues, stilettos, football boots, running flats, cycling shoes... All these types of footwear have a specific purpose, and you wouldn't really want to be mixing and matching these for each situation. A cycling shoe is much more practical and comfortable to wear when cycling than a pair of Reeboks, and it's generally the case that to wear a pair requires a clipless pedal so for me this is a far more compelling reason to jettison traditional clips than any other argument. That said, I had more incidents with clips than I have with clipless - I've had feet slip out the back when giving it the beans, sometimes both, and as a result got far more acquainted with my top bar that I expected that day.

 

[Psycolist]

Well thankyou everyone, except Black'n'yellow, for all your comments. Certainly the clickpedal has many supporters and maybe , in the future, I may try them out. However, I did visit my LBS today and invested in some straps and clips. After a very short fettle, and fitting them back to front, muppet, they were ready to go. I took to them like a duck to water. The sprung buckle makes adjustment for different shoes very easy, and they seem to be just as easy to use with leather, smart shoes as they are with trainers. What with wanting to try them out, as well as test thier usability and comfort as well as try out my different shoes, I covered over 30 miles around my home town with them. I deliberatley stayed in an urban, stop start enviroment, as I thought that was the best test for them. I dont want to tempt fate, but I didnt have a single issue with getaway or stopping, so am very pleased with my purchase. As for black'n'yellow, you have never visited Snowdon I take it, because many people do make the walk to the summit wearing everyday holiday clothing and footwear, but they are not timing themselves as to how fast they get there, they are enjoying the experience for what it is, a day in the country. Others, crosscountry runners, fell runners, marathon runners, those training for iron man competitions, may well dress specifically for the occaision, using special clothing and footwear to enhance thier performance. Horses for courses, I usually take a picnic on my rides, not a stopwatch.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Well thankyou everyone, except Black'n'yellow, for all your comments.

Slightly discourteous - you've singled me out why, exactly..?

As for black'n'yellow, you have never visited Snowdon I take it, because many people do make the walk to the summit wearing everyday holiday clothing and footwear, but they are not timing themselves as to how fast they get there, they are enjoying the experience for what it is, a day in the country.

Whoops - you've fallen over your own arrogance there. The fact that they do that does not make it any less stupid. You've obviously never seen the mountain rescue boys stretchering idiots off the mountain wearing their 'holiday clothes' because they missed the weather forecast that day. And you evidently have no idea where I live either, although I note that you live in mountainous Essex - if I told you I lived a bit further west than that, you might begin to understand that climbing Britain's second highest peak is not exactly a 'day in the country'. Anyway, it doesn't suprise me that you have completely missed the point - so never mind. I've offered you good advice and all I get in response is rudeness. People like you don't deserve replies here. Ignorance is bliss mate - you must be in heaven.