Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - toeclip discomfort

i just started using clips and cages about a week ago, and ive noticed that my toes tend to get shoved in that little space in the front. is this just a cross we have to bear, or am i doing something wrong. not that there is much to mess up (insert shoe, pedal until youre done, remove shoe), but are there any suggestions out there for making the ride just a little more comfortable?

what size shoes- what kind/size clips - what kind of shoes...

size 13 sambas, XL cristophes (or however you spell it, im never sure)

Ive noticed some slight problems, I had very VERY bad ingrown toenails, i needed to have surgery. Kept me from playing scoccer in high school aftrer having training in germany ughhghghgh horrible let down. My toes are starting to hurt agian. No sign of surgery I might switch diff shoes, i hope thats the case. I also might switch clips.

from what kind of clips to what kind of clips?

size 13 here too. Works well with MKS LL clips. No issues so far. Make sure you tie your shoes properly otherwise you will slide forward inside your shoe and it will suck regardless of toeclip brand.

yeah, ive noticed some slippage while riding. i think some tightening is in order.

metal toeclips kill my big toe/nail, especially with chunky skate shoes. I don't know how you guys do it. (I ride clipless)

mks pedals and clips (Large I think) here...size 13 addidas (low profile shelltoe types without the shelltoe...a little more skate shoe typed/bulky than sambas)...no problems whatsoever...

i rode clipless forever (mtb and roadie), but i got tired of walking around bars or wherever with my clipless shoes on. and now i dont have to bring extra shoes to work. i like the 'security' of clipless (crashing is less scary with clipless), but being able to just hop off the bike and walk normally is a huge plus for me. plus, i like the way it feels. if youre going to ride fixed, and have that whole connection to the bike thing, it seems like riding with toeclips adds to it. even if it crushes your toes. its a small price to pay for me. at least, so far. when the nail falls off, i might reconsider.

It really should not hurt. Play with your setup it will work out.

how much bending can steel toe clips take? I am thinking about taking needlenoses to mine, and make the toe part a little more roomy.

i rode clipless forever (mtb and roadie), but i got tired of walking around bars or wherever with my clipless shoes on. and now i dont have to bring extra shoes to work. i like the 'security' of clipless (crashing is less scary with clipless), but being able to just hop off the bike and walk normally is a huge plus for me. plus, i like the way it feels. if youre going to ride fixed, and have that whole connection to the bike thing, it seems like riding with toeclips adds to it. even if it crushes your toes. its a small price to pay for me. at least, so far. when the nail falls off, i might reconsider.
You might try strapless (aka 'mini') clips instead. They're way easy to get into and out of, and I've worn all kinds of shoes (literally everything from sandals to dress shoes to mountaineering boots) with no toe crushing or other problems.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=8044

size 13 sambas, XL cristophes (or however you spell it, im never sure)

I wear size 13 sambas and XL MKS clips. I've never had toe pain but sometimes I get pain from tight straps.

size 11.5 Chuckies and MKS LL clips / straps on GR-9 pedals.

The only problem I have is that my feet are large, the pedals narrow, and therefore the strap is way more likely to get pushed ahead along side my toe then over the top. I often gotta reach down and pull the strap back over my foot. Perhaps if I switched to Sylvans, this would improve?

my $.02-- I find aluminum campy clips more comfortable than any MKS variety I've tried.

Man you guys have big feet.

These plastic clips are more comfortable for my 13 EE's than the Christophe clips I used to use. Cheaper too.

PLASTIC TOE CLIPS (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=47919236&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1&color=BLACK&img=/media/228861.jpg&view=large&vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC)

Dogbait

Man you guys have big feet.

You know what they say....... :D :D

D

Yeah, I had a hard time finding XL toe clips... I thought I have pretty averaged sized feet... but apparently, most companies think only ogres and bigfoot have size 13 feet

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Power Grips yet. I've wanted to run them on my commuter, and finally just got a set. They work fine for me (size 13's also) and have some extra straplength to work with if I wore wider shoes (I wear running shoes most of the time). You can get just as positive a connection to the pedals as clips + straps, but without pinching your toes. The rotate-out motion to release is similar to clipless pedals.
http://www.ekosport.com/images/pg_in_action1.jpg (http://www.powergrips.com/)

I use Winwood Insteps. They are clips/straps with cleats on the bottom so you can use them with clipless pedals, and still wear regular shoes for the city. Best of both worlds, plus they look cool. Jabikes on ebay should have them in stock for $10.00. No need to buy new pedals... As far as comfort, they have way more adjustment than reg. clips/straps.

[$0.02]

i bought powergrips.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=160556&page=3&pp=25&highlight=powergrips
(read the last post)

i bought powergrips.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=160556&page=3&pp=25&highlight=powergrips
(read the last post)

what kind of pedals are you running?

i not too into those powergrips thingys, imo i just feel that you lose in power transfer with them. i just remember using something like them on a moutain bike, and not liking the feel, ended up taking them off and using platforms instead.

update-i tightened my shoes a little today, and readjusted my straps. it got a lot more comfortable.

karmical-im gonna go get mks as soon as i can. right now theyre just some wellgos with nylon straps. the cristophes were the only metal clips i could find, which is kind of weird, cos XL cristophes are kinda rare.
i liked the powergrips alright, for the ten minutes i had them. they were adjusted quite right when that screw failed, so who knows.