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Toe Clips - Why?

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Toe Clips - Why?

Old 09-23-04, 03:03 PM
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westman2003
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Toe Clips - Why?

I've been communting to work for about 3 months now. Round trip of 26km. Being new what is the advantage of toe clips? Also, are there models or types I can remove quickly in case of a crash or when I need to stop in traffic?

Greg
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Old 09-23-04, 03:07 PM
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I ran with toe clips for about 2-3 years when I was younger, and the only advantages is price and to a lesser extent, convienence. They can be enlarged to fit your winter boots when you ride to work in winter. I would still go with clipless pedals anyday though!
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Old 09-23-04, 03:10 PM
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Hey Jayroc

Thanks for the reply.

I see you are from Calgary, me too.

I live in Hidden Valley (just north of Nose Hill Park and across Country Hills Blvd) and commute to SAIT.

How about you?
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Old 09-23-04, 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by westman2003
I've been communting to work for about 3 months now. Round trip of 26km. Being new what is the advantage of toe clips? Also, are there models or types I can remove quickly in case of a crash or when I need to stop in traffic?

Greg
I ride with clipless pedals myself and haven't used toeclips in quite some time. I've heard some folks have had good luck with power grips:



You can attach them to any platform pedal and it looks like you can swing your heel out to disengage quickly.
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Old 09-23-04, 03:23 PM
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Hey there are clipless pedals that have just regular pedals on the backside... so you can lock in when you know you can ride for a bit, or go to the "lockless" pedal for a quick on/off when needed. Toe clips require that you reach down and do a release, clipless allow for faster exits.
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Old 09-23-04, 03:37 PM
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Originally Posted by genec
Hey there are clipless pedals that have just regular pedals on the backside... so you can lock in when you know you can ride for a bit, or go to the "lockless" pedal for a quick on/off when needed. Toe clips require that you reach down and do a release, clipless allow for faster exits.
I have pedals with toe clips, and when I'm commuting I just leave the strap a little loose. That way I can get in and out of them without having to reach down and unstrap anything.
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Old 09-23-04, 03:38 PM
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I use clipless all the time, even in spinning classes. But I've tried spinning with the standard toe clips they supply and it is PAINFUL! My foot is never over the pedal far enough so all the pressure is closer to my toes. I hate it. Clipless all the way for me.
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Old 09-23-04, 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by d2create
I use clipless all the time, even in spinning classes. But I've tried spinning with the standard toe clips they supply and it is PAINFUL! My foot is never over the pedal far enough so all the pressure is closer to my toes. I hate it. Clipless all the way for me.
Exactly why clipless are better... the load is distrubted over the entire shoe, not just across one narrow area.


I have pedals with toe clips, and when I'm commuting I just leave the strap a little loose. That way I can get in and out of them without having to reach down and unstrap anything.
...sure that works, but then you never get the full advantage of having your feet fastened to the pedals... you can never "pull" the pedals as fully as you will pull right out... almost, but not quite. Have ridden both with toe clips and clipless. Clipless rules!
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Old 09-23-04, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by john5211
I have pedals with toe clips, and when I'm commuting I just leave the strap a little loose. That way I can get in and out of them without having to reach down and unstrap anything.
I used to commute with clips/straps and switched to clipless. I found clipless to be much easier to get in than straps.

I started with double sided clipless with no platform (shimano 520's). I recommend them as I have tried ones with platform (harder to get in) and one side platform the other clipless (you fumble to get the right side up)

Al
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Old 09-23-04, 05:07 PM
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Originally Posted by westman2003
I've been communting to work for about 3 months now. Round trip of 26km. Being new what is the advantage of toe clips? Also, are there models or types I can remove quickly in case of a crash or when I need to stop in traffic?

Greg
I commute 26.5 km everyday to work with pedals w/ clips. So far, they are great on the road, but having them fit properly(aka tightly around my running shoe) sucks. I have fallen 3x, twice in traffic at lights because I either leaned the wrong way after unclipping one side, and falling the opposite side I unclipped from, or couldn't get out in time at a stop.

I can't wait to get clipless, because they appear to be much easier to get out of(hell, yer not "strapped in" to the things) and the performance of clipless is much better apparently.

If I had a choice, I would have started with clipless.
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Old 09-23-04, 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by genec
...sure that works, but then you never get the full advantage of having your feet fastened to the pedals... you can never "pull" the pedals as fully as you will pull right out... almost, but not quite. Have ridden both with toe clips and clipless. Clipless rules!
Yeah, I agree that in terms of performance clipless pedals are superior ... my point was just that if you have pedals with clips it's not hard to set them up so that you don't have to unclip stuff at every stop sign (and in my experience you don't really lose a lot of performance).

In my case my bike came with toeclips, and I'm not willing to pay a bunch of money to upgrade to clipless pedals and add the hassle of having to change my shoes every time I go to work. On the other hand, if I currently had regular pedals (no clips, no place to attach a shoe/cleat) and wanted to upgrade, I would probably get some clipless ones.
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Old 09-23-04, 11:05 PM
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Havin raced with clip style and know others who raced clip style, and I still ride clip (and clipless) style-you CAN pull the pedals with the clip style just as you can with the clipless. The reason most people think you can't pull the pedal is because they don't wear the proper shoe for a clip pedal! The proper shoe had a cleat (plastic cleat was better then the metal cleats) with a grove or slot about 3/16th of inch deep that allowed the rear cage of the pedal to go into; then you tightened down the strap. Most people also assume that in order to keep your foot from coming out you had to crank the strap down so tight your feet turned blue after just 5 miles-again all myth. IF that were true then why didn't the older racers who used clips complain about their feet being numb or cold from lack of circulation especially after long century rides? And when they are properly adjusted you can pull your feet out of the pedals as fast as a clipless design without even having to reach down and loosen the straps first. In fact the clipless design is not even as strong as the clip style; why do you think track racers still use the clip style? Because they were breaking the clipless style. Even with the clip style they have to use a double strap for added strength that the road racer never had to bother with.

The PowerGrip thing in the photo is not a true clip style, that's just an attempt to make a quill style pedal strap any kind of shoe on it.

I'm not saying that clip style are the best; what I am saying is that most people today either never tried the clip style or did not have the proper foot wear to make it work the way it was intended, because the proper foot wear has been increasely impossible to find at majority of the LBS's since the clipless style arrived back in the early 80's. Also the clip style allows you to go riding in any shoe you want without first having to attach a special platform...of course once you attached the platform you loose all and any advantage clipless design has; whereas with a clip style your not going to clip into the cage but at least you still have the toestrap on.

And John 5211; you just got your first road bike back in September so how would you know how the true road bike clip style pedals and shoes were like back before the early 80's?

And Lufty back in July you admitted your not a very experienced rider so how can you answer this question with anykind of knowledge? And it sounds like most of your riding was on MTB's. And then you say you rode clips and straps 20 years ago (back in the early 80's I assume), so which is it for you-inexperience or experienced? Assuming the later you probably didn't use the proper shoes-a lot of casual riders never did.

And D2Create; spinning on a gym bike with clips provided by the gym is not even closely related to road biking so that's just a poor example we don't need to explore further.

And Jayroc you sound too young according to your bio to have had experience much in the way of proper clip style pedals and shoes.

I'm just saying that unless you've raced in them and used the proper equippment then you guys really don't have the right information to give out which is more then obvious by the negativity displayed about the clip style. If I was to upgrade-which will happen when I get a new bike-I will go clipless, but not because it's far superior.
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Old 09-24-04, 06:09 AM
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Go clipless if you can. Personally I don't have the cash yet so I just put some toeclips on my bike. Hard to beat $6.
If you're running with normal pedals without toeclips now, it's a safety issue for me. Without toeclips, my feet would slip off the pedals in the rain, particularly when trying to take off from stops in traffic. There's nothing like being first in line at a stoplight with an F350 behind you and have your feet slip off the pedals when it goes green. Yikes.

As far as escaping from the toeclips, if you're not wearing cleats, you should be able to slip out quite fast. Not quite as fast an escape as clipless, but still shouldn't be a problem.

It's funny, people keep telling me they think toeclips are dangerous because you're "trapped" in case you fall. When's the last time you fell? I'm over 40, and I don't think I've fallen since an unfortunate wipeout when I was 22 and stupid. Accidents do happen, but in general you're better off keeping your feet on the pedals so you maintain better control than being able to bail fast.
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Old 09-24-04, 10:59 AM
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Toe clips, compared to a plain platform pedal are much more efficient, they keep your foot positioned correctly, they allow you to stand on the pedals safely, and you wont come off the pedals when you kit a bump.
Compared to clipless systems, toe clips are not quite so efficient, but you are not limitted to cycling footwear. For racing or sport riding, you should be using clipless systems.
You do need to setup your toe clips "properly" which is not with the strap cinched tight. This is not safe, therefore not proper. Just because old-time racing cyclists used to do this doesnt make it allright for a commuter mixing it in traffic.
I use a Christophe steel clip of the correct size (S/M/L), on an MKS sylvian pedal. Leather, rather than nylon straps, will retain their shape for better entry. Use a shoe with a clean profile, and avoid knobly soles, these will trap your shoe.
I find that my pedalling efficiency is good enough for an 800 mile tour with no foot ache, yet I can remove my foot **during** a fall on ice or wet grass. How many clipless riders can honestly say they can unclip once a fall has started. If they can, why do so many riders report falling over.
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Old 09-24-04, 09:49 PM
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All good points. I also like the Christophe toe clips, loose. You can ride with any shoes. Once you switch to cycling shoes with the toe clips you'll notice improved power due to the efficiency of rigid soles. Switching to clipless pedals boosts it even more and makes riding a pure joy. For short range commuting I would use toe clips just for convenience. Yes, you can crash harshly with clipless pedals, but the improved power gained makes the risk worth it for road riding.
For trails I switch back and forth depending upon the demands presented on paticular trails. Some days you just don't feel like augering into the dirt.
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Old 09-24-04, 10:09 PM
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Have used all 3 systems: toeclips, powergrips and clipless.
Prefer toeclips.
Have raced with toeclips with the proper shoes and beat the guys with clipless and have the medals to prove it.
We are lucky to have these choices and we each have our preference; what ever works for you!
Pedal on!
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Old 09-24-04, 10:42 PM
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If your feet start hurting, go to the clipless IMMEDIATELY...it's cheaper than DR. appointments.
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Old 09-27-04, 09:08 PM
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Right now I live and work in the southeast. I'm a technician for a heavy truck company(wierd eh?). I love to commute though. what do U ride? I used to have a stumpjumper, but it got stolen. u?
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Old 09-27-04, 09:54 PM
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My ignorance will abound here but here goes. I’m using sidi shoes with eggbeater candies cl’s, I had shimano and changed, are these what you’re calling clipped pedals? I’m riding the joker Ellsworth and have taken some real hard falls/pavement eating time. Yes, my fault, but… so should I go with just a flat pedals? (I know this is an open ended question and it would depend on many different variables)
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Old 09-27-04, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by cjmelton
My ignorance will abound here but here goes. I’m using sidi shoes with eggbeater candies cl’s, I had shimano and changed, are these what you’re calling clipped pedals? I’m riding the joker Ellsworth and have taken some real hard falls/pavement eating time. Yes, my fault, but… so should I go with just a flat pedals? (I know this is an open ended question and it would depend on many different variables)
Your eggbeaters are what is referred to as "clipless". They take some getting used to, and in general this type of pedal is adjustable to make them easier to get in and out of. Clips, or toe clips are the ones that look like flat pedals but have a cage that your toe goes into and a strap that's adjustable. They can be ridden with regular shoes, but there are actually shoes made specifically for them. They have some of the benefit of clipless in that they do hold your feet in the proper position, and you can get more efficient pedaling than with a flat pedal. They can also be easier to get out of than clipless, at least until you get used to the clipless. They can be a bit awkward to learn to get into at first. Flat pedals are not as efficient because you only get power on the down stroke rather than all the way around, it's easy to have your foot in the wrong position, and they are easier to slip, which can be very dangerous. They are OK for very casual riding, but either of the other types are better for any more serious riding. I don't know that I'd want to try toe clips offroad.
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Old 09-27-04, 10:09 PM
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thanks twahl
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Old 09-27-04, 10:17 PM
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If your legs and feet aren't hurting and you're not racing you probably don't need them.
If and when you do get them, be sure to get a shoe that's easy to walk in and multi-release cleats that are like a ski-binding (easy to get out of).

Happy cycling
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Old 04-07-09, 12:07 PM
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I use toe clips with my MTB currently. I just making the switch to an old Bianchi road bike that I picked up for $120. At first I am going to go with toe clips on the road bike. Down the road I may upgrade but for now I can't justify paying to get shoes & pedals.

Like a previous poster mentioned I just leave them a little loose so it is easy to get in and out of them.
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Old 04-07-09, 12:43 PM
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I originally got toe clips to keep my feet from slipping off the pedals in the rain. I had rubber coated crappy stock pedals and they got slippery, and I was wearing pretty flat sneakers.

I eventually switched to SPD clipless, and rode with that for 3 years. Right now I'm back with toe clips and don't really notice much difference.

I'm going to actually switch back to straight platforms soon, even though I have a good set of SPD pedals and good cleats on my shoes. I have some good Wellgo platforms that are good and spiky and they grip my shoes.

With the toe clips, I'm not looking for any "mechanical advantage", I'm just trying to keep my feet on the pedals, so I leave them quite loose. I can step into them in a second with no looking and honestly I can't tell the difference between them and SPDs except I need a different motion to get out.

I'm sure this means that I'd be a horrible racer. I don't care, because I'm not trying to race. I'm just going to work and back.
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Old 04-07-09, 02:48 PM
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Ok, I think everyone responding completely missed the question.

I think the guy was actually just asking about using flat pedals vs anything like toe cages, clipless pedals, etc.
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