Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - For people that tighten toe straps after inserting foot into pedal...

How do you find is the best / fastest way to do this? I've recently gotten into this as even with cheap, weathered single straps I can get ridiculous power transfer efficiency / skid ease as compared to just having the toe straps at a constant tightness and sliding my feet in.

Put buttons on your straps

just loosen them a little bit with the little tab on the buckle. and then when you get on, they're nice and open so you can slide your foot in. then just reach down and grab the end of the strap to tighten to your heart's content.

^ ^ ^ usually how i do it. the first foot is cake, the second foot is a little tougher...

yeah, it's nice to be able to ride a couple small circles to get both feet in good and tight.

buttons for sure...

i start with one foot already tight. i tighten the other foot usually on the second spin. i just grab it and let the fixed gear do the work.

Just ride slowly for the first few turns of the crank. You should have no trouble reaching down and pulling the strap tighter.

If you really thighten the strap down like that how do you avoid 0mph crashes?

kick your foot sideways, and pull out!

make sure you cut off extra strap if you use toshis. I had one really tight and the extra flipped back and got caught in my chainring and wrestled my foot into some crazy positon.....those toshis don't brake or rip at all I was going kinda slow but it scared thae crap outta me and hurt a bit. always keep my doubles at the same tightness all the time but a button works great on my singles for sure.

If you really thighten the strap down like that how do you avoid 0mph crashes?

lesson #2 is how do you loosen straps on the fly.

Are you guys doing clips with laced or laceless shoes? I've fallen over when the laces snagged on the clip and I couldn't get out. With slip-ons, no problem. I love tightening the straps down with slip-ons.

If you really thighten the strap down like that how do you avoid 0mph crashes?

I think that's just one of those things that needs to happen to you once or twice.

Are you guys doing clips with laced or laceless shoes? I've fallen over when the laces snagged on the clip and I couldn't get out. With slip-ons, no problem. I love tightening the straps down with slip-ons.

I always ride with slip-ons. Small shoes like Sambas are acceptable but big, puffy skate shoes are an absolute no-no.

If you really thighten the strap down like that how do you avoid 0mph crashes?

Trackstand. And Blik, I have changed my shoes' lacing pattern to avoid that. I also changed the tread pattern of my shoe (shaved some off with a str8 razor) to get me a more a snug fit in my clips.

http://www.zappos.com/images/V/Vans9/12488-d.jpg

make sure you cut off extra strap if you use toshis. I had one really tight and the extra flipped back and got caught in my chainring and wrestled my foot into some crazy positon.....those toshis don't brake or rip at all I was going kinda slow but it scared thae crap outta me and hurt a bit. always keep my doubles at the same tightness all the time but a button works great on my singles for sure.

are your straps holding up ok cut? i have the toshi singles, too, and was wondering if you needed to do anything after you cut them to avoid delaming?

clipless please.

i tighten my right foot before i take off. then get my left foot in usually as soon as the pedal comes up and on the nxt rotation the strap gets tightened. to loosen i just reach down as my foot is coming up and tap the two buckles on each side. simple.

wearing tighter shoes makes a difference in feel too.

clipless please.

sorry, just isn't gonna cut it for my situation. besides, this feels better to me than the times i've ridden clipless (skids especially).

the float in clipless systems makes my knees hurt and since I already have slotted cleat shoes and am to cheap to by looks or sls to ride on the street I haven't bothered revisiting that yet

strap buttons and quick hands ftw

form-fitting straps, anyone?

what do you mean by form fitting? if you tighten them down after putting your foot in, that's pretty close to as 'form fitting' as it gets, your feet don't move at all inside the pedal/clip.

if you really wanna talk about power transfer, double traps, tightening each time, etc...you should probably avoid vans slip-ons.

don't get me wrong, thats what i ride in half the time, but there is a reason roadie, clipless shoes are almost completely rigid through the shank...

also, excessive skidding and long rides with flimsy shoes (and particularly with high ratios) can totally lead to stress fractures in the arch, general fatigue, etc.

not trying to hate here - point is, tight straps are cool and definitely help, but i've seen plenty of keirin racers on track with single straps. the shoes you wear however are a very big deal.

anyone at vans wanna put out a steel, no wait, carbon shank vans slip-on?

oh yeah, and tie yr laces under the tongue of yr shoe and tuck 'em in, this is 101, everyday, bike or no bike, morning mantra style.

any other advice for stylish and stiff shoes?

if you really wanna talk about power transfer, double traps, tightening each time, etc...you should probably avoid vans slip-ons.

don't get me wrong, thats what i ride in half the time, but there is a reason roadie, clipless shoes are almost completely rigid through the shank...

also, excessive skidding and long rides with flimsy shoes (and particularly with high ratios) can totally lead to stress fractures in the arch, general fatigue, etc.

not trying to hate here - point is, tight straps are cool and definitely help, but i've seen plenty of keirin racers on track with single straps. the shoes you wear however are a very big deal.

anyone at vans wanna put out a steel, no wait, carbon shank vans slip-on?

oh yeah, and tie yr laces under the tongue of yr shoe and tuck 'em in, this is 101, everyday, bike or no bike, morning mantra style.

any other advice for stylish and stiff shoes?



Agreed 100 percent. I got some new skate shoes to replace my old ones and was riding around with them for a few days, it was giving me knee pain like nothing else because the soles were like flip-flops. Also, I felt like I had a lot less control and it was a bit harder to skid. They were even flimsier than Vans slip ons, but I have some Vans as well and they aren't so great for cycling.

I did a little research on the topic and realized the universal answer for those who don't wear carbon-soled cycling shoes: Adidas Sambas. They're spot on... tight fit, minimal padding so it fits around your foot like a leather sock, the laces don't get caught in the clips and the soles are fairly firm. I just hate if/when the tongues rub against my shins while pedaling but this doesn't happen that often. After being enlightened on the topic I started looking at other people's choice of footwear and realized... Sambas are close to the majority as far as what messengers in my city wear, so that must be saying something.

what do you mean by form fitting? if you tighten them down after putting your foot in, that's pretty close to as 'form fitting' as it gets, your feet don't move at all inside the pedal/clip.

I mean someone should make straps out of a material that will always stay tight. Like a big rubber band.

Although they'd get stretched out.

Tucked laces look dumb. Fashion over function. :p

Put buttons on your straps

What do you mean? Can you elaborate?

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/benscycle/.mids/ToshiButtonBlue.jpg

i ride in sambas. the sole is pretty stiff, they are low profile so they fit in the clip well. get the smallest size you can comfortably fit. i have a pair in 11.5 and also a pair of 12's..the 12's make it feel like my straps are never tight.

wasn't there some talk about shot-put shoes being stiffer?

I just hate if/when the tongues rub against my shins while pedaling but this doesn't happen that often.

fold the tounge over.

wasn't there some talk about shot-put shoes being stiffer?
Riding around town in shot-put shoes is probably the dumbest idea I've ever heard in my life. You guys are hilarious.

shot put shoes are the new Vans.

I ride Sambas daily. The little suede part in the front and side protects the shoe from wearing from the clip. They are perfect. Get em.

but theyre ugly :(

and not vegan

and arent fun when they fly off your feet when trying to do shoulder rolls

http://artificeeternity.com/voltage/images/20051206_robots.jpg

and arent fun when they fly off your feet when trying to do shoulder rolls

i mean, that's basically my point as well.

wasn't there some talk about shot-put shoes being stiffer?

i have some asics discus throwing shoes that are pretty good to ride with- the only prob is that the sole is so smooth that you have to really cinch them down tight so they don't slip out.

http://www.weplay.com/throwing/shoes/HN501.jpg

who is gunna make carbon insoles for shoes. it couldnt be that hard. i want some size 10 please. or ill do it myself.

http://www.zappos.com/images/V/Vans9/12488-d.jpg

yep.. can't beat em!