Fifty Plus (50+) - Why Do We Still Call Them "Clipless" Pedals?

There once was a family reunion. Four generations were represented. The daughters were to cook the meal. The youngest was to cook the ham. When placing the ham in the pan, her husband noticed she cut off one inch from the end and threw it away. He asked, "Why do you cut off one inch?" She replied; "That is the way my mother always did it." They went into the other room and asked the mother. She responed that was the way her mother did it. Finally, they reach the great-grandmother in the dining room. When asked why, she replied; "My pan was too short!"

Just because someone made a mistake years ago by calling these pedals "clipless", why do we continue when we know better! They are not clipless, they are clipped, as in clipped to the pedal.

Toe clips. Now, no toe clips.

Older style pedals, "platforms", often had attached a curved metal clip that you slid your foot under. A leather strap looped through this clip, under the pedal and came back over your shoe. By tightening down this strap, you could secure your foot to the pedal for more power efficient pedaling. "Clipless" pedals connect your shoe directly to the pedal without the the clip-and-strap so common well into the '80's.

Some still use clips and straps and find them more than efficient enough, even missing the strap fiddling, much as others miss the fine tuning of friction shifting. By and large, most "Serious Riders" prefer clipless much as they prefer indexed shifting. Essentially either does the job and each has its own quirks. I always feel graceful and snobbishly Old World exclusive when leaning down to loosen a strap when coming to an intersection. I didn't feel so graceful when I threw my chain last summer on a climb and, unable to unstrap in time, fell over on my butt.

*Finding old fashioned cleats for clipped platforms can be a real Quest. (I have one pair of cleated shoes horded away...I'll probably die with them safely unused.)

** I never imagined, back pre-clipless years ago, that I would be talking about such pedals as other Geezers reminisce about Ipana toothpaste.

Snap on, would probably be more apropos.

I'm still refering to Coke and Pepsi as tonic so I'm probably not the right person to reflect on linguistics.

I still use toe straps, they make great tie downs.

What I don't understand is, why do people still talk about clipping in... to clipless pedals... :rolleyes:

What I don't understand is, why do people still talk about clipping in... to clipless pedals... :rolleyes:

Have a piece of pie or two while you meditate on it. Enlightenment will come.

I have arthritic toes and I need special shoes. This requires the use of old style clips. I also like to do my last mile walking as a cool down and this would require me to haul around walking shoes if I used clip less pedals and shoes.

You can clip with clipless, but clips clearly can't clip. :D

Because toe clips used the name first and are still sold. Would you prefer toe clips jr. or toe clips II?

Clipless means without toe clips. Seems reasonable enough to me.

How about cleated pedals based on what they are as opposed to what they are not?

It is an age old question but so far Retro Grouch has the best answer.

Toe clips. Now, no toe clips.

Nobody has toes?

Tradition

Because that's what they are.

I don't "clip" into clipless pedals. I "click" in or "lock" in.

my wife says its dumb they are called clipless and thus calls them clippies, actually the people at the LBS knew exactly what she was talking about, they probably laughed at us later though. but i agree "clippies" or "clippy pedals" makes more sense than clipless, there's lots of things named that way though... give me a minute to think of one...ok i can't think of any examples but there are lots im sure!!

How about cleated pedals based on what they are as opposed to what they are not?

Except back in the day, hard core riders with toe clips also used cleats... so this wouldn't differentiate the two. :D

Although there will never be a concensus on renaming "clipless" pedals; my suggestion is "click-in" pedals. When you secure your shoe to the pedal, there is a distinctive "click." Now you can ask, "Were you clicked in when you fell?"

My daughter calls them "death pedals "

Because if they called them Strapless Pedals it would give an entirely different idea?

Although there will never be a concensus on renaming "clipless" pedals; my suggestion is "click-in" pedals. When you secure your shoe to the pedal, there is a distinctive "click." Now you can ask, "Were you clicked in when you fell?"

I use Speedplay Frogs -- they don't really make a clicking sound. I suppose I could just say that my frogs were attached when I fell, but that sounds a little strange.

You can clip with clipless, but clips clearly can't clip. :D


Clearly you have never used cleats and toe clips.

Clearly you have never used cleats and toe clips.

Uh...probably for around 50k miles or more.

I just write 'em, I don't 'splain 'em. :D

I just love the "clipless" nomenclature. Of course, spreading confusion has moved from a hobby into the avocation stage.

Ours is a sport that is literally steeped in tradition but is always changing and growing.
Those of us who have been in it for a while, understand that there are oddities about how things are named, but we honor the riders that have gone before and use the terminologies that have evolved around them as a way of keeping the old traditions alive.
You may not know, or care who Alice B Toeclips is but many of us do, and we will continue to hold her in a place of honor, as will we continue to use the terms platform, clips and clipless.

It might be easier to pull Santa out of his fir lined suite and reindeer powered slay and get him into Thinsulate and a hydrogen powered Hummer.

Ours is a sport that is literally steeped in tradition but is always changing and growing.
Those of us who have been in it for a while, understand that there are oddities about how things are named, but we honor the riders that have gone before and use the terminologies that have evolved around them as a way of keeping the old traditions alive.
You may not know, or care who Alice B Toeclips is but many of us do, and we will continue to hold her in a place of honor, as will we continue to use the terms platform, clips and clipless.

It might be easier to pull Santa out of his fir lined suite and reindeer powered slay and get him into Thinsulate and a hydrogen powered Hummer.
Great post. One question. Who are clipless named after?

Who are clipless named after?



I hope no one gets the idea that I am implying that toe-clips are named after Jacky, because it’s quite the reverse. But when I think of those that were clipless back in the day, Joe Breeze comes to mind, but he was named after the passing wind. Does that muddy the water even more?

Just because someone made a mistake years ago by calling these pedals "clipless", why do we continue when we know better! They are not clipless, they are clipped, as in clipped to the pedal.

The problem started when toe clips were given that name. I could never understand why the metal part (later it was plastic or other materials) was called a clip. The strap part made sense, but clips?

Even though the terminology is already used in other sports like snow skiing, I kind of like the sound of pedal bindings. I think that describes their function better than clipless pedals.

A Clip is a device that attaches; it also implies alignment and a supporting framework.

How could that term not be more perfect to describe what a toe clip is? And clipless would then be attachment w/out the cage.

Are you now going to want to change the moniker of the paper clip?

Older style pedals, "platforms", often had attached a curved metal clip that you slid your foot under.

When I bought my German bike in Bonn this fall, I looked for toe clips to add to the pedals. Was informed by the salesman that those were no longer available since 'everyone' used clipless pedals & shoes now. So I suggested that they sell me a pair of Size 51 cycling shoes. This was not possible since hardly anyone makes that size (only SIDI).

So I had to go to 3 other shops and finally found one where the owner went into the back storeroom, rummaged through boxes & found the last set of toe clips. He didn't even have them out in the showroom...

Have not had similar problems at my LBS here in the states.

Am considering have my feet shortened so I can wear those cool clipless shoes...how much difference do toes make anyway on a bike? :eek:

A Clip is a device that attaches; it also implies alignment and a supporting framework.

How could that term not be more perfect to describe what a toe clip is? And clipless would then be attachment w/out the cage.

Are you now going to want to change the moniker of the paper clip?
WHAT ! A clip made out of paper ??? what will they think of next !

For the same reason I call my Titanium driver a wood.

Every time I explain clipless pedals to someone, I have to say.. they are actually clipped in.. but we call them clipless. Kinda ridic.

my wife says its dumb they are called clipless and thus calls them clippies, actually the people at the LBS knew exactly what she was talking about, they probably laughed at us later though. but i agree "clippies" or "clippy pedals" makes more sense than clipless, there's lots of things named that way though... give me a minute to think of one...ok i can't think of any examples but there are lots im sure!!

It why we park in the driveway and drive on the parkway!!

We don't "clip" in, we "click" in. I like "click pedals", and would consider calling platforms and clip&straps with the name "clickless" pedals.

Why clipless? Because of glorious Tradition. Same reason we English speakers didn't much adopt metrics. (By Heaven, the length of jolly King George's "foot" be good enough for any of you buggers.)

Cycling does have a Glorious Tradition that reaches down through us....excepting maybe you carbonfiber types. It's nice to keep a few namesakes around...including "clipless pedals". Certainly, we don't want to keep all traditions.....like those horrible tasting plastic bottles and baggy butt wool/real chamois shorts I recall from my newbie days.

Let's not give in totally to the "metric minded" !

Pretty rousing stuff actually.

to quote "A Clip is a device that attaches"....

If this is true, does that mean that a clipless is a device that does not attach?

Are you now going to want to change the moniker of the paper clip?


Staple = A clipless paperclip? I like it.:D

Because toe clips used the name first and are still sold. Would you prefer toe clips jr. or toe clips II?

Clipless means without toe clips. Seems reasonable enough to me.

Or clipped pedals 1.0 vs clipped pedals 2.0 ??

The great thing about toe clips and cleats is that it served a number of purposes. You could spot a serious cyclist pretty quickly. A new cyclist would have toe clips but not the cleats. The serious cyclist had both.

Also, toe clips signaled intent. I recall being with a guy who was really strong. He said that I was riding well that day and why not "pick up the pace" for the end of the ride. Whilst saying this, he was leaning over and tightening his clips for a firmer contact with the pedal during an all out sprint. It was intimidating.

Yeah. Keep people wondering just exactly what the heck you're talking about.
By the way......what's a "road bike"? I ride my hybrids, recumbent and tandem on the road, but they're not "road bikes". Last time I bought a skinny-tired, dropped bar bike (1979) it was a "sport-touring bike" as opposed to a "touring bike" or "racing bike", etc. And, that bike had toe clips (and straps, but no cleats on my feet.)
One last thing: If all my bikes use tubes with their tires, why aren't they "tubular tires"? As opposed to "tubeless"?

Yeah - but tossing a WHOLE INCH of perfectly good ham away for no good reason?

What are you guys - nuts?

Instead of "toe clips" I think the old-style "clips" should have been "toe straps." With the old straps nothing "clipped."

Clearly you have never used cleats and toe clips.

I do not know what toe clips are, but I do have a pair of Shimano R098 road shoes that I clip into my Look A5.1 pedals. Thus, I use clip pedals.

you could just call them "cage less".