(Vintage) pedals, toe clips, and straps?
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(Vintage) pedals, toe clips, and straps?
I ran Time ATACs for a long time even on my older bikes. SPDs are the bomb IMHO and MTB style shoes are a heck of a lot easier to walk in than stiff soled cycling shoes with cleats.
I started to use quill pedals again but I'd forgotten that on a long ride, my feet would get hot boxed. I could try to find a shoe with a stiffer sole. Modern MTB style shoes are pretty stiff but not as stiff as old school cycling shoes since they are designed for some walking as well.
The alternative would be to run platform pedals like new ones from MKS or vintage ones from Lyotard and others. That's what I'm going to try next. I'm building up a Mercier 300 and I'm going to try out the lyotard 23s:
The SR SP 11s, which are a copy of the lyotards, are even nicer and MKS makes fine modern platform pedals as well.
So what are you running in terms of pedals, toe clips, and straps for long distance events? What works? What doesn't work? Oh and is there a source for toe clip buttons? I guess sometimes the old ways are better, right?
This is what I am currently running but I need to make some changes because my feet started bugging me by mile 50 or so. I had a pair of MTB style Pearl Izumi shoes. The MKS deep toe clips are great for MTB style shoes though.
I started to use quill pedals again but I'd forgotten that on a long ride, my feet would get hot boxed. I could try to find a shoe with a stiffer sole. Modern MTB style shoes are pretty stiff but not as stiff as old school cycling shoes since they are designed for some walking as well.
The alternative would be to run platform pedals like new ones from MKS or vintage ones from Lyotard and others. That's what I'm going to try next. I'm building up a Mercier 300 and I'm going to try out the lyotard 23s:
The SR SP 11s, which are a copy of the lyotards, are even nicer and MKS makes fine modern platform pedals as well.
So what are you running in terms of pedals, toe clips, and straps for long distance events? What works? What doesn't work? Oh and is there a source for toe clip buttons? I guess sometimes the old ways are better, right?
This is what I am currently running but I need to make some changes because my feet started bugging me by mile 50 or so. I had a pair of MTB style Pearl Izumi shoes. The MKS deep toe clips are great for MTB style shoes though.
Last edited by bikemig; 02-09-20 at 11:53 AM.
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Most of my bikes have Lyotard 460D pedals, which I like a lot. Campagnolo Chorus is also a favorite for newer bikes, but harder to find and more expensive. And most classic quill pedals work well for me too. The Berthets are lovely to look at, but have ridge that often bothers me after a while when wearing sneakers.
In short, pedals don't matter too much to me, it's the shoes that make the difference. Requirements: a narrow and stiff enough sole, and an upper that doesn't catch the strap. Some sneakers work well, and is what I usually ride with.
My favorite riding shoes, however, are these. The thin leather soles are very comfy for walking and stiff enough for riding. The thin ribbed rubber layer keeps them from sliding out.
In short, pedals don't matter too much to me, it's the shoes that make the difference. Requirements: a narrow and stiff enough sole, and an upper that doesn't catch the strap. Some sneakers work well, and is what I usually ride with.
My favorite riding shoes, however, are these. The thin leather soles are very comfy for walking and stiff enough for riding. The thin ribbed rubber layer keeps them from sliding out.
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Concur on the Lyotard 23 Berthet's. Attractive but for peformance and for those using cleats, the pedal cleat lip is too short.
Oddly though for townie users with non-cleat, likely find the feel under the shoe sole uncomfortable.
Also, too slippery and the metal platforms are known to fracture.
Oddly though for townie users with non-cleat, likely find the feel under the shoe sole uncomfortable.
Also, too slippery and the metal platforms are known to fracture.
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My fave is the Specialized Touring Pedal, but I agree the shoe probably matters more than the pedal. I have these Hasus shoes without cleats. They have several "vintage" models available.
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...some comments on the above images:
1. Right now, about the only pedals I'm buying and installing are either MKS Urban Platforms (new), Shimano aero pedals (used...they made them for years, and come under various designations like "600", "Dura Ace", "105", etc.), MKS Sylvan ( the wider, regular ones), and MKS AR-2 (new).
2. The best straps I've found are either the old laminated leather ones from Performance (no longer available from them), and the brightly colored old Pake plastic laminated ones (also no longer available ...sometimes you can scrounge around on e-bay and find some old stock.)
3. I lucked into a whole card of strap buttons a few years back, otherwise I wouldn't use them. The ones I see for sale (like the VO orange ones are way too expensive for what they are.)
On a lot of straps, you can substitute for buttons by folding the long end of the strap over, punching it with a leather punch, and inserting the appropriate sized pop rivet. (Wait until you're sure the setup is good before you rivet the end.)
4. If you have a co-op or other used parts supply locally, some of the earlier, black woven nylon straps are stiff enough that they work well. The new ones have sucked for years.
5. On touring setups, I usually go for either an MTB toe clip, or the ones you can buy online for about 8 bucks that are made by Soma. The white ones are cheap, the chromed ones are more expensive. For road aero and quill pedals, I use a standard single gate clip. The Campy and Shimano aero clips are difficult to find any more. Again. I just lucked into a supply some years back in the appropriate size. But if you can find a set of Shimano aero pedals with the right size clips, combined with a stiff enough toe strap they are my favorite pedal. It's just hard to put all three things together nowadays, because you can't buy any of them new.
6. For shoes, I'm currently having good luck with some Pearl Izumi MTB shoes, that look like regular running shoes, with a tapered toe, but a wide last and stiffer sole. My 70 year old feet require arch supports. The best ones I've found for this are the thin nest ones they sell at REI, branded "SOLE". Sole also has an online website, where they sell them directly by mail.
...some comments on the above images:
1. Right now, about the only pedals I'm buying and installing are either MKS Urban Platforms (new), Shimano aero pedals (used...they made them for years, and come under various designations like "600", "Dura Ace", "105", etc.), MKS Sylvan ( the wider, regular ones), and MKS AR-2 (new).
2. The best straps I've found are either the old laminated leather ones from Performance (no longer available from them), and the brightly colored old Pake plastic laminated ones (also no longer available ...sometimes you can scrounge around on e-bay and find some old stock.)
3. I lucked into a whole card of strap buttons a few years back, otherwise I wouldn't use them. The ones I see for sale (like the VO orange ones are way too expensive for what they are.)
On a lot of straps, you can substitute for buttons by folding the long end of the strap over, punching it with a leather punch, and inserting the appropriate sized pop rivet. (Wait until you're sure the setup is good before you rivet the end.)
4. If you have a co-op or other used parts supply locally, some of the earlier, black woven nylon straps are stiff enough that they work well. The new ones have sucked for years.
5. On touring setups, I usually go for either an MTB toe clip, or the ones you can buy online for about 8 bucks that are made by Soma. The white ones are cheap, the chromed ones are more expensive. For road aero and quill pedals, I use a standard single gate clip. The Campy and Shimano aero clips are difficult to find any more. Again. I just lucked into a supply some years back in the appropriate size. But if you can find a set of Shimano aero pedals with the right size clips, combined with a stiff enough toe strap they are my favorite pedal. It's just hard to put all three things together nowadays, because you can't buy any of them new.
6. For shoes, I'm currently having good luck with some Pearl Izumi MTB shoes, that look like regular running shoes, with a tapered toe, but a wide last and stiffer sole. My 70 year old feet require arch supports. The best ones I've found for this are the thin nest ones they sell at REI, branded "SOLE". Sole also has an online website, where they sell them directly by mail.
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My fave is the Specialized Touring Pedal, but I agree the shoe probably matters more than the pedal. I have these Hasus shoes without cleats. They have several "vintage" models available.
#8
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I agree that the shoe is most important.
One point not often emphasized is that most people doing big miles on a bike BITD would have worn cycling shoes with slot cleats. They are designed to work with quill pedals, clips and straps; and vice versa. You know what these are. It's still a good way to go, though you might have to find a 3 bolt modern retro shoe and use an adapter cleat.
Certainly a lot of more casual recreational cyclists took and intermediate route and used Bata Bikers or Avocet touring shoes, and of course some folks preferred them even for seriously long rides like double centuries. At least stateside, it would have been somewhat unusual to use a traditional leather cycling shoe without cleats. Nowadays, looking at all these retro flashback leather cycling shoes with no cleats, you'd think that's what everyone used to ride, but nope. Even so, one of those could be a good option if you don't mind losing the full 360º pedaling stroke option. It's only a minor loss and probably insignificant if you're not racing. Of course, if you were racing, you would not be using clips and straps in the current century.
FWIW I used to run Lyotard no. 23 pedals on my touring bike. They do indeed make normal shoes more comfortable, and that's what I used for commuting, cruising around, riding trails, etc. For touring, I wore my regular racing cleats. Yeah, the lip is shallow, but it's plenty enough for touring. I had not problems at all with them personally. IIRC I used them with Duegis and Dettos. Probably not optimum for criterium racing...
One point not often emphasized is that most people doing big miles on a bike BITD would have worn cycling shoes with slot cleats. They are designed to work with quill pedals, clips and straps; and vice versa. You know what these are. It's still a good way to go, though you might have to find a 3 bolt modern retro shoe and use an adapter cleat.
Certainly a lot of more casual recreational cyclists took and intermediate route and used Bata Bikers or Avocet touring shoes, and of course some folks preferred them even for seriously long rides like double centuries. At least stateside, it would have been somewhat unusual to use a traditional leather cycling shoe without cleats. Nowadays, looking at all these retro flashback leather cycling shoes with no cleats, you'd think that's what everyone used to ride, but nope. Even so, one of those could be a good option if you don't mind losing the full 360º pedaling stroke option. It's only a minor loss and probably insignificant if you're not racing. Of course, if you were racing, you would not be using clips and straps in the current century.
FWIW I used to run Lyotard no. 23 pedals on my touring bike. They do indeed make normal shoes more comfortable, and that's what I used for commuting, cruising around, riding trails, etc. For touring, I wore my regular racing cleats. Yeah, the lip is shallow, but it's plenty enough for touring. I had not problems at all with them personally. IIRC I used them with Duegis and Dettos. Probably not optimum for criterium racing...
#9
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Most of my lifetime miles were with campy SL quill pedals and traditional cycling shoes with cleats. I wore out a lot of pairs of shoes. Detto, Duegi, and Rivat were the main ones I remember. After some experimentation, clips were always Christophe steel, straps Binda regular. I don't like the laminated extras. I can accept Christophe straps as well. Alloy clips had a tendency to break an unfortunate times. Also BITD, I used at various points Lyotard CA45 and 23 pedals.
More recently, my PX10 was my main bike for about a year. That had Lyotard CA45 quill pedals. For clips, Christophe as always. Still made and still the best. I used VO straps, which I think are excellent. I normally do not like laminated straps but found these very comfortable, secure, and well made.
For a while I tried Chrome messenger shoes. They have a stiff shank and they improved comfort a lot in that regard, and I did quite a few 80-100 mile rides with them, but ultimately they were just too hot for the climate in CA. They're also unreasonably heavy. The PX10 is currently in stasis, and I'm still deciding myself what the next shoe will be. Pedals will be Lyotard 23.
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I've struggled a bit with foot issues myself when using clips and straps.
Most of my lifetime miles were with campy SL quill pedals and traditional cycling shoes with cleats. I wore out a lot of pairs of shoes. Detto, Duegi, and Rivat were the main ones I remember. After some experimentation, clips were always Christophe steel, straps Binda regular. I don't like the laminated extras. I can accept Christophe straps as well. Alloy clips had a tendency to break an unfortunate times. Also BITD, I used at various points Lyotard CA45 and 23 pedals.
More recently, my PX10 was my main bike for about a year. That had Lyotard CA45 quill pedals. For clips, Christophe as always. Still made and still the best. I used VO straps, which I think are excellent. I normally do not like laminated straps but found these very comfortable, secure, and well made.
For a while I tried Chrome messenger shoes. They have a stiff shank and they improved comfort a lot in that regard, and I did quite a few 80-100 mile rides with them, but ultimately they were just too hot for the climate in CA. They're also unreasonably heavy. The PX10 is currently in stasis, and I'm still deciding myself what the next shoe will be. Pedals will be Lyotard 23.
Most of my lifetime miles were with campy SL quill pedals and traditional cycling shoes with cleats. I wore out a lot of pairs of shoes. Detto, Duegi, and Rivat were the main ones I remember. After some experimentation, clips were always Christophe steel, straps Binda regular. I don't like the laminated extras. I can accept Christophe straps as well. Alloy clips had a tendency to break an unfortunate times. Also BITD, I used at various points Lyotard CA45 and 23 pedals.
More recently, my PX10 was my main bike for about a year. That had Lyotard CA45 quill pedals. For clips, Christophe as always. Still made and still the best. I used VO straps, which I think are excellent. I normally do not like laminated straps but found these very comfortable, secure, and well made.
For a while I tried Chrome messenger shoes. They have a stiff shank and they improved comfort a lot in that regard, and I did quite a few 80-100 mile rides with them, but ultimately they were just too hot for the climate in CA. They're also unreasonably heavy. The PX10 is currently in stasis, and I'm still deciding myself what the next shoe will be. Pedals will be Lyotard 23.
I love the comfort of a modern SPD style MTB shoe but it is not a super happy combo with quill pedals on a long ride as they flex a bit too much or at least that has been my experience. I picked up the Lyotard 23s for a Mercier 300 I am rebuilding. If this works, I may end up using platform pedals on my long distance machines.
The MKS deep steel toe clips work with a boxy shoe so I'll run those along with a strap. I don't have a problem with nylon straps. They're cheap and take a lot of abuse. Biggest down side is that they don't hold their shape so a bit harder to get into than leather straps.
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I think 3alarmer gets the C&V BF award this Sunday for doing the right thing to this thread by putting up a lot of bike porn pics of toe clips and straps. What the hell good is a thread without pics?
This is BF so there is no monetary award, sorry; just a shout out.
This is BF so there is no monetary award, sorry; just a shout out.
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#12
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I ran Time ATACs for a long time even on my older bikes. SPDs are the bomb IMHO and MTB style shoes are a heck of a lot easier to walk in than stiff soled cycling shoes with cleats.
I started to use quill pedals again but I'd forgotten that on a long ride, my feet would get hot boxed. I could try to find a shoe with a stiffer sole. Modern MTB style shoes are pretty stiff but not as stiff as old school cycling shoes since they are designed for some walking as well.
The alternative would be to run platform pedals like new ones from MKS or vintage ones from Lyotard and others. That's what I'm going to try next. I'm building up a Mercier 300 and I'm going to try out the lyotard 23s:
The SR SP 11s, which are a copy of the lyotards, are even nicer and MKS makes fine modern platform pedals as well.
So what are you running in terms of pedals, toe clips, and straps for long distance events? What works? What doesn't work? Oh and is there a source for toe clip buttons? I guess sometimes the old ways are better, right?
This is what I am currently running but I need to make some changes because my feet started bugging me by mile 50 or so. I had a pair of MTB style Pearl Izumi shoes. The MKS deep toe clips are great for MTB style shoes though.
I started to use quill pedals again but I'd forgotten that on a long ride, my feet would get hot boxed. I could try to find a shoe with a stiffer sole. Modern MTB style shoes are pretty stiff but not as stiff as old school cycling shoes since they are designed for some walking as well.
The alternative would be to run platform pedals like new ones from MKS or vintage ones from Lyotard and others. That's what I'm going to try next. I'm building up a Mercier 300 and I'm going to try out the lyotard 23s:
The SR SP 11s, which are a copy of the lyotards, are even nicer and MKS makes fine modern platform pedals as well.
So what are you running in terms of pedals, toe clips, and straps for long distance events? What works? What doesn't work? Oh and is there a source for toe clip buttons? I guess sometimes the old ways are better, right?
This is what I am currently running but I need to make some changes because my feet started bugging me by mile 50 or so. I had a pair of MTB style Pearl Izumi shoes. The MKS deep toe clips are great for MTB style shoes though.
#13
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Your turn. What kind of vintage pedals do you like to run? Shoes?
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#15
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Yeah quill pedals with a traditional shoe and cleats is a fine combination. But I suspect most of us at this point are avoiding traditional shoes with cleats. I have a pair of Sidis still left from my racing days but I almost never use them.
I love the comfort of a modern SPD style MTB shoe but it is not a super happy combo with quill pedals on a long ride as they flex a bit too much or at least that has been my experience. I picked up the Lyotard 23s for a Mercier 300 I am rebuilding. If this works, I may end up using platform pedals on my long distance machines.
I love the comfort of a modern SPD style MTB shoe but it is not a super happy combo with quill pedals on a long ride as they flex a bit too much or at least that has been my experience. I picked up the Lyotard 23s for a Mercier 300 I am rebuilding. If this works, I may end up using platform pedals on my long distance machines.
I love my Pearl Izumi MTB shoes, so comfortable and ventilated. The soles are a bit heavily lugged to get in and out of clips and straps easily though, at least for me. Maybe they'd work better with platform pedals.
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This thread really makes me miss my old Avocet Touring shoes. As I have mentioned before, it would be great if someone would reissue a clone of those, using up-to-date materials.
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Can't imagine C+V with out Campy or MKS, no cleats as the ankle thing requires it to "float" a lot, regular oldschool clips and barely snug straps work great.
I have given it plenty of thought though and figure I will do something like this if need be.
Just add a platform inside the pedal for support made out of aluminum or stainless thin plate secured to the clip screws on the inside.
They could be drilled or slotted some so as not to be quite so visually offensive but no one will see them while riding anyway.
Here's a mock-up out of cardboard.
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I'm a huge fan of the SP-11 pedals- my favorite.
SP-11 King3 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
SP-11 King2 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
I'm also running a set of the White Industries pedals based on the SP-11s. They're really nice.
WIPedals4 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
Then there's the SP-155. They're nice as well- Kind of a toss up between the SP-155 and the White pedals.
SP-155-2 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
SP-155-3 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
SP-11 King3 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
SP-11 King2 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
I'm also running a set of the White Industries pedals based on the SP-11s. They're really nice.
WIPedals4 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
Then there's the SP-155. They're nice as well- Kind of a toss up between the SP-155 and the White pedals.
SP-155-2 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
SP-155-3 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
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#19
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I like Paturaud straps, which are nothing special in the leather or the buckle, just normal, but they have one twist that I admire: The end has a shape cut out of it that allows it to loop through itself to form the "tug", without a rivet or bolt-on button. This is not a huge advantage in function, I just think it's elegant.
These were the favorite of some of the classic constructeurs like Herse, so when they're found on eBay you're likely to be bidding against Herse fanatics, from Japan especially. But the most recent pair I got on eBay were $25, with some rust on the buckle which EvapoRust completely removed, and Leather Therapy made the leather feel like new.
The second pic is the Rebour drawing of one from 1948, but they were pretty similar through the '70s.
You can cut this shape in most any leather toast wrap if you're handy with leather. Here's a pic unlooped so you can see what the cuts look like:
Note, Paturaud "Eclair" straps don't have this cut, they are plain like most every other leather strap. So if you want the self-looping cut, avoid the Eclair model.
Paturaud also made toke lips, but they're not really different or better than Christophe or what-have-you, just expensive because of the collector's item status.
Mark B in Seattle
These were the favorite of some of the classic constructeurs like Herse, so when they're found on eBay you're likely to be bidding against Herse fanatics, from Japan especially. But the most recent pair I got on eBay were $25, with some rust on the buckle which EvapoRust completely removed, and Leather Therapy made the leather feel like new.
The second pic is the Rebour drawing of one from 1948, but they were pretty similar through the '70s.
You can cut this shape in most any leather toast wrap if you're handy with leather. Here's a pic unlooped so you can see what the cuts look like:
Note, Paturaud "Eclair" straps don't have this cut, they are plain like most every other leather strap. So if you want the self-looping cut, avoid the Eclair model.
Paturaud also made toke lips, but they're not really different or better than Christophe or what-have-you, just expensive because of the collector's item status.
Mark B in Seattle
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I like the Campagnolo Superleggeri pedal with Christophe cages and Binda straps. The shoes I wear are flat soul sneakers (canvas) . I have two sets of these pedals that are titanium spindle and two that aren’t and no difference other than weight.
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I've been running cheap plastic soled Lake shoes with Exustar aluminum track cleats and Shimano 600 (and other names as noted above) semi-platform pedals the past 15 years and probably 40,000 miles. I love the setup. Its as good as anything I raced in the '70s (and those Exustar Delta pattern cleats on modern shoes - well let's just say we would have died for them 45 years ago).
I'm not a big masher and stopped being young decades ago so take my story with that in mind. But I am a pure climber who loves to stand. This shoe/pedal combination has served me for 5 week long Cycle Oregons on a fix gear. (Yes, I did stop and flip the wheel and occasionally unscrew a cog and change it. Still, those were true tests of shoe/pedal combinations. (I did run into issues with the straps on the shoes causing issues for my feet; bone pain, blisters. I won't fault Lake. I suspect most shoe straps would have given my old feet issues on 10 mile climbs in a 42-23 low gear. (The toeclip straps have never, ever given me problems except when they were made of cheap materials, not good leather or had buckles that didn't work well.)
I remedied the shoe strap issue by cutting them off and replacing them with grommets and shoelaces. ($10 tool and <$10 grommets and laces, all from Tandy Leather). Ahhh!! I see now Lake offers laces on their cheapest shoe. What a concept! Laces on non-$400 shoes!
Ben
I'm not a big masher and stopped being young decades ago so take my story with that in mind. But I am a pure climber who loves to stand. This shoe/pedal combination has served me for 5 week long Cycle Oregons on a fix gear. (Yes, I did stop and flip the wheel and occasionally unscrew a cog and change it. Still, those were true tests of shoe/pedal combinations. (I did run into issues with the straps on the shoes causing issues for my feet; bone pain, blisters. I won't fault Lake. I suspect most shoe straps would have given my old feet issues on 10 mile climbs in a 42-23 low gear. (The toeclip straps have never, ever given me problems except when they were made of cheap materials, not good leather or had buckles that didn't work well.)
I remedied the shoe strap issue by cutting them off and replacing them with grommets and shoelaces. ($10 tool and <$10 grommets and laces, all from Tandy Leather). Ahhh!! I see now Lake offers laces on their cheapest shoe. What a concept! Laces on non-$400 shoes!
Ben
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: northern michigan
Posts: 13,317
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
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Love this thread! My road bikes all wear clips and straps with pedals of the day, except for the Cannondale Criterium Series that has something newer, anything light and durable.
The 1898 has Pirate rat traps, very light and serviceable, still work great. The 77 Colnago has Campy Superlegerro with Binda’s. The 86 Trek 760 has Superbe. Etc etc
Shoes. Here is a pic of NIB Performance Bicycle (Pacer 9 1/2) where you can see a tread incorporating a semi-cleat slot. I think they are late ‘80s shoes.
The 1898 has Pirate rat traps, very light and serviceable, still work great. The 77 Colnago has Campy Superlegerro with Binda’s. The 86 Trek 760 has Superbe. Etc etc
Shoes. Here is a pic of NIB Performance Bicycle (Pacer 9 1/2) where you can see a tread incorporating a semi-cleat slot. I think they are late ‘80s shoes.
#23
Friendship is Magic
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Bikes: old ones
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Two more examples that work for me (with wide feet.)
...this one is the (pretty cheap) MKS AR 2, which is a very wide pedal, with a very short quill. It has the additional advantage of a longer spindle that makes the pedal cage to crank arm distance greater than some other pedals.
...an example of Shimano aero pedals with those Pake Space straps, that maintain shape very well. They might be a bit too colorful for some C+V tastes.
...an example of Shimano aero pedals with those Pake Space straps, that maintain shape very well. They might be a bit too colorful for some C+V tastes.
#24
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
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Wide pedals like MKS Sylvan T or older Lyotard. Never felt comfy riding quill pedals except when in cleated shoes like my old Duegis, but don't like longer rides in those, so street-y shoes for me, or my SPD shoes that seem to go with everything.
#25
Full Member
Can't beat the SP-11s