voyager1

What is the trick into getting into these blasted things. I have tried for about 20 mins on a couple occasions and I could get one foot into one of them but dang it if I could get the other foot into the other. The darn thing just spins around my foot or I miss getting it into it. I have tried YouTube for a video and for the life of me can't find one.

So what's the trick?

fietsbob

I use fairly smooth sole shoes .. favorite pedal Campagnolo road, steel , with a flip tab on them..

the toe strap stiff, not floppy.. and a trick I adopted from old cyclocrossers , who raced toe clip pedals, before Spud pedals invention..

a ramp cut from another old toe clip was added inside the front pedal plate from axle lets the shoe sole toe slip easily into the toe clip..


BTW they put both feet in at once, immediately after remounting from barrier jumps and run ups.. pedals at 3: and 9:00..

these were typically double sided pedals.. Lyotard 460D a classic...




...

McBTC

I use pedal flips...

surak

Here's what mostly works for me: put one foot in, start pedaling with the other foot on the reverse (platform) side, then lightly slide the uncaged foot backwards to rotate the pedal, then put the foot in. Don't put too much pressure on the pedal as it's rotating, otherwise it'll keep spinning. I have the straps very loose though because I don't really care for them -- I'm just using them until my new clipless/platform combo pedals arrive.

fietsbob

I was Describing essentially a pedal flip inside the pedal .. double sided pedal grippy enough..


another trick,

I cut the toe strap , bolted the portions on. so mud from shoes wont build up on top of the strap..


Preferred them <c> NR, on my long bike tours because i can wear loosely fitting shoes , comfy insoles .

so foot blood circulation un constricted..

Spud shoes would come off your foot as often as release, if as loosely fitting..




....

BobbyG

+1

Retro Grouch 

Do you have a good place where you can practice?

I think that's one of those "the harder you try the more elusive it gets" things. Practice till you get frustrated. Then put the bike away for awhile and come back to it when you're fresh. My bet is, once your not feeling pressured, you'll just pick it right up.

providencebikes

Throw them in the trash and get clipless , get mountain or street style cycle shoes. I never had one trouble with toe clippers its hard to explian i just tap it with my toe and slip my foot in ...

canklecat

Toe clips with straps are a pain in the neck if you're wearing walking or running shoes with wide toe boxes and thick grippy soles. In other words, pretty much any walking/running shoe that's comfortable to walk/run in.

Toe clips were designed for use with cleated smooth soled shoes with very stiff soles, often with steel or other inserts for stiffening. Touring shoes were less rigid, pretty similar to bowling shoes with more rigid soles. Smooth leather, no grippy rubber edges to snag on the pedals, toe clips and straps.

If you have some dress type shoes (be careful not to scuff them) or casual leather shoes like moccasins or deck shoes, try those around the block. You'll probably find them easier to slip in and out of toe clips.

There's at least one company that still makes a nylon or plastic cleat that can bolt to new style clipless shoes without the recessed insert. I considered those for my Scott Pro Road shoes, which are similar in styling to my old Detto Pietros. But, nah, I went with Look delta cleats and pedals. They work better. No need to reach down to cinch or open a strap quickly in traffic. Less constriction on the toes -- to be effective the straps need to be cinched down, which can interfere with circulation to the toes.

But if you prefer to walk and ride with the same shoes, get SPDs and mountain bike type shoes. Most of my cycling friends who started with road type shoes, cleats and pedals switched to mountain bike pedals and shoes. But I seldom ride my road bike in traffic where I need to unclip a lot or walk, so the Look and similar cleats/pedals are fine for me. I still prefer platforms and comfortable shoes for casual rides, errands and combining riding and walking.

79pmooney

I've been making my own for years. I make them a little bigger tha hhwat you have and out of 1/2" x 1/8" steel flat bar. (They have to be strong. The day will come when all your weight is on it if you ride fix gears in traffic.) Because these large weights rotate teh pedal down,making pick of that tab hard, I weight the front of the pedal with heavy washers.

The big tabs are a blessing on the fix gear in hills. Yes I lug another excess ounce of so of weight. But just one stop midway up the hill and missed pickup will cost me the rest of that day with the next very hard pedal stroke with no speed at all. And reliable, quick starts in traffic makes for much more fun riding.

Ben

h8m3

I'm thinking of getting pedals with straps