Both feet slipping simultaneously
 

I’m getting back into cycling with the same bike after caregiving for several years, a Motobecane Fantom CX 2008 edition modified for long commutes and long distance rides. Recently I rode about four miles to get back in the swing of things. I’ve had toe cages with the straps pert near from the beginning, same ones, rare problem once in while a foot would slip out and no biggie. However this time both feet slipped out out the cages simultaneously three times over the four miles. That concerns me as unsafe.
Any ideas how to rectify that?

You say your foot slips out. Why ? Because you pull back and the strap isn't tight enough to hold your foot? Does the strap stretch? Or slip in the buckle? Break? Do you tighten the strap after getting rolling and putting your foot in? What shoes do you wear?

A lot of questions because until we know more, we have to either guess what is happening or spout generalities. I've been using toeclips and straps for half a century with little issue but: I ride with quality toestraps pulled tight (and I treat that leather with Snowseal dressing) and wear cleats that fit over the pedal cage. Even if I"m wearing street shoes, I pull the straps tight. And yes, I still fall over when I forget to loosen the straps. I also ride at times in conditions where pulling a foot out would be a life-changing injury. Whereas the "oops! I forgot to loosen" always happens at a standstill.

Admittedly they’re the same shoes and straps I used back in 2008. Perhaps it’s time to replace both. I’ve been out of circulation for years.

I don't tighten down my straps anymore and don't have problems. It just could be ya need ta get back into the Groove again.

I ounce was standing a long time at a light with my bike. When the light turned I quickly jumped back on and missed first my right them my left pedal and gave myself a real good solid whack to my testicles as I slammed into my top tube. Two cars beside me had tears from laughing but both rolled thier windows down to offer assistance. Sometimes its just your turn...

Get some MTB platform pedals with pins in them and a pair of shoes with grippy soles.

I never tighten the straps, and just use flat bottom tennis shoes, never an issue. Platform pedals with the pins work quite well too.
Tim

what pedals & shoes did this happen with?

I have not used clips in over 30 years but when I did I never had them very tight. Maybe just from not really knowing how to set them up properly. Are you saying that you have them so tight you can't get your foot out? You have to loosen them at a traffic light stop?

Yes. I use toeclips and straps on all my fix gear bikes. I never want want to pull a foot out on a 40+ mph descent. Never. That will have that foot or achilles heel or calf damaged for life by the impact of a sledge hammer. (Never mind how the rest of that probably crash plays out.) I raced back in the day. Straps tight. You loosened them after crashes so you could stand up. For those of us with poor gymnastic skills, more road rash, fewer broken bones.

Reaching down to loosen is so ingrained I often touch my clipless shoes at lights when I ride my geared bikes! (Oh yeah, I don't have to .")

It's hard to imagine how your feet slip off the pedal backwards. About the only thing I can imagine is that you must be letting your heel fall as you push down on the pedals or you are doing more pulling on the upstroke than pushing with the other foot on the downstroke.

Maybe just your calf is out of shape letting your heel fall and needs to get stronger to compete with the other leg muscles powering your bike. Possibly a way too low saddle might contribute some toward this.

Is your cadence real high when this happens? 80 rpm and better as a routine cadence is when I realized that I really needed clipless. Though I was flat pedals at the time. Never used traps or clips.

​​​And as zandoval said, maybe you just need to get back in the grove.

What he said. I only rode off-road, using flats with pins for many years. Then, when we moved,bought a road bike. Everyone said that my flats with pins were not for a road bike. Now, I'm no pro racer but no slouch and I tried clipless but never felt comfortable on them. And never cared for toe clips. Well, to some they may not look "right" on a road bike but they work for me. And several others that noticed them on my bike, tried 'em and put them on their bikes!

What I think I’ll do to start with is just replace the toe straps first and see how that works being that’s the cheapest. Then look at shoes and pedals. I’m on a fixed budget.
I appreciate the input so far folks and I’m glad it’s stretching my mind back into the groove of cycling.

I ride with toe clips and straps but no cleat. A number of years ago I picked up some smooth rubber soled semi-rigid touring shoes.

I keep the straps just loose enough to get my shoe out but not so loose that the shoe, with velcro straps, easily slips.

John

When i stop, I always put my right foot down, never the left. When I rode with rat traps, clips, and straps, I'd put my left foot in the clip, tighten the strap, and thread it through the buckle. Yeah, tight enough that it's impossible to pull my foot out. I'd get going a few stroke with the right pedal upside down and with a loose strap, then flip it and put my foot in the clip, coast for a little bit while I reached down and tightened that strap. I did not thread it through the buckle. With trad straps and buckles, all I did was reach down and touch the right buckle to loosen it, then pull my foot out as I came to a stop. Which does sound like a bit of a PITA, which is why almost everyone uses clipless pedals now.

Worked very well, though the tight straps had a tendency to make my feet cold in inclement weather. I wore soft rubber soled shoes, so that the rat trap pedals made grooves in the soles after a few hundred miles, which reduced the strap tension necessary.

DItto for me. My feet do float quite a bit, but never backwards or off the pedals. Probably just need to work on your (OP) technique.

i guess when i had toe clips i just did not know how to really use them. i always had them loose enough so i can get my foot out. so during an emergency stop how does that work out? i suppose it is a well understood unlikely risk.

Ditto. I used to use slot cleats along with clips and straps many decades ago when I raced, but never when I toured or for any recreational riding. This works fine to me to this day and slippage as described does not occur. I do have one bike with SPDs, but frankly I see no advantage over clips and straps.

Never had that sort of a problem. Hopefully hard braking will prevent the whatever it is, and you'll be rolling slowly long enough to reach down. As mentioned above, when one goes down with clipless, the stress on the connection will cause the bike to part company with you. Not so with clips and straps. After everything stops, you have to loosen the straps to get your feet out. This is not a big drawback. At least you're not tumbling. And hopefully you've kept your knees in and hands on the bars and you've just lost a few $100 in fancy clothes. Flesh heals, as they say, Campy goes not. So far I've not broken a bone cycling, just a few ribs skiing fast.

As often happens , there is the search for 'The Right Way'.
Right Way for you may be different from someone else. Racers tightened straps so tight that even if they 'gave' just a bit, you wouldn;t come out of the clip and cleat combo.
Then there are those riders who might never pull on the strap to even get them somewhat around the shoe... Then there were trackies who used 2 straps per pedal and hauled up on them until it was painful...
'Right' is what works/worked for you.

But I gotta asked the OP, HOW can one pull out of both pedals, backwards/upwards/downwards (or some other variation) at the same time, if one is actually pedaling. - unless you stop the pedal stroke and deliberately pull both shoes backwards or up and out (or both in hyper dorsiflexion or some other combination).
Given that the OP is pedaling as most do, simultaneous (without purpose) just doesn't seem possible.
And he hasn't really explained how this happened... SO, it didn;t happen...
Ride On
Yuri

2007 Fantom Cross rider here. I use toe clips on all my bikes, with MTB shoes with no cleats. I never tighten straps, but like the security of the "cage" to keep my feet securely on pedals. Your technique may be the issue, but shoes with rough tread pattern might help. You could tighten the straps, but then you have to remember to loosen one before stopping. Sounds like you are pulling up on pedal, in which case tighten straps or go to "clipless" pedal and shoe system.

Yes!!

Bingo!
I wear Giro Rumble shoes with most of the bikes, Diadoras with the Bianchi, because of shorter toeclips. I keep the straps just loose enough to let me jerk a foot out, as needed.
I really really really miss my old Avocet Touring II shoes, with their transverse ridges in the rubber soles and internal steel shanks. Those are still my favorite touring, commuting, and general purpose cycling shoes.

My feet were in horizontal plane while cycling so I’d say no upward or downward pressure was there to keep them in place. Anyway I just finally went out a few minutes ago and rode for about a mile and half with new toe straps in place and no problems whatsoever. So I’m feeling much safer in cycling again at 66 y/o. I want to do the Seattle To Portland again, it’s been a few years.
Thanks everyone for your sharing and input. It got these squeaky gears inside my head moving again.