Originally Posted by
spelger
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 .")