Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - clipless pedals on a fixie

So I got Specialized Langster couple month ago for commuting, and all was good for a while. Lately I find the toe straps increasingly annoying. I have shimano spd-sl's on my road bike, and was thinking of putting an old set on my fixie. It seems about as safe as having toe straps. Any dangers that I am not aware off?

Thanks.

This has been discussed about a million times, please search.

There's no danger. Using clipless pedals on your fixie is no different than having them on your road or mountain bike......or any other type of bike, for the matter. :)

I use SPL-SLs on a fixed gear. I have a strong preference against toe straps and I am much more comfortable with clipless.

If anything it's less dangerous, since the release is faster and easier. The only reason I don't run clipless on my fixies is because I like riding around town in regular shoes.

I run Dura Ace , 105, and Eggbeaters on three of my fixed bikes. MKS GR9's on one for when I don't want to wear funny shoes.

As far as being able to walk around, which is a very important feature, I use eggbeaters on all my fixies with plain looking touring type shoes which are almost as comfortable as wearing sneakers.

As far as being able to walk around, which is a very important feature, I use eggbeaters on all my fixies with plain looking touring type shoes which are almost as comfortable as wearing sneakers.Are you talking about the Shimano touring shoes? If so, how are they? I've been meaning to pick up a set for just that very reason.

Are you talking about the Shimano touring shoes? If so, how are they? I've been meaning to pick up a set for just that very reason.

Yes, I'm currently using Shimanos which are very similar to their low end mountain shoes and they're reasonably comfortable to walk around in all day long.

The best part about SPD-SL's over even the MKS Sylvan Tracks are the extra ground clearnace you get.

i might put spd's (not sl's) on my fix because instep makes adapters for them. i'd like to ride clipless to work, but around town and to bars and such i'd rather have clips and straps.

Good thing about Shimano SPD-Sls is that they are wide enough, specially new version, to be used as regular pedals for shorter trips.

Good thing about Shimano SPD-Sls is that they are wide enough, specially new version, to be used as regular pedals for shorter trips.

I wouldn't do it on a fixed gear though.

I run standard SPD's and love them.

I still think using the word "fixie" should be a bannable offense.

i'm running regular spd's on my fixed.
right now my setup isn't top notch, just some cheap $5.00 single sided pedals that the lbs sold me and a new pair of 661 shoes.
if you're looking for a comfortable pair of shoes though, check out Lake's newest spin/touring shoe. incredibly comfortable and actually not space-shoe looking.
and no, i wouldnt go back.

I ride with double-sided mountain bike Shimano SPD pedals on both my fixed gear bikes.

Very expensive on one bike and very cheap on the other, and they both work just as well.

I like the double-sided pedals 'cause I can clip into them while accelerating across an intersection without even thinking about it.

I wear Shimano MT-40 Mountain Bike shoes, and I walk around in them and forget I have them on my feet.

I wouldn't do it on a fixed gear though.


Why not, as long as you aren't going brakeless.

wait?
i'm brakeless, and clipped. whats wrong with that?

wait?
i'm brakeless, and clipped. whats wrong with that?Cleat and sole haven't pulled themselves apart yet...? :p

EDIT: Wait, clipped as in not clipless?

eh, they're gettin there for sure!
i suppose that could be an issue.... (looks up and scratches head...)

Why not, as long as you aren't going brakeless.

Even with a couple of brakes on there, I still wouldn't want to do it. Primarily because of the lack of coasting and if you slip off the front of the pedal it'll rip the crap out of your achilles. Maybe I'm just a wimp.

Cleat and sole haven't pulled themselves apart yet...? :p

EDIT: Wait, clipped as in not clipless?

Using "clipped" as a description for riding clipless should also be a bannable offense.

So should using "clipless" as a description for riding without toe clips.

Bah.

I ride spds but time atac pedal seem to be very popularover here, esp amogst breakless riders.

Eggbeaters on every bike. They are very quick on warranty repairs too. (ive only had to have 1 pedal repaired)

atac's are the jam, i recently started using them. they're very easy to adjust to your riding style. i set it up so i have the least amount of float (you can swap cleats from shoe to shoe to set that), and the highest spring tension on the right, and second highest on the left (i usually clip out with my left foot first.) they've been treating me well. my only complaint is the amount of times i've fallen while goofing off doing backwards circles has increased dramatically :)

I have had Eggbeaters, Looks, SPDs, and Time ATAC. My favorite, especially for Fixed, are the Time ATAC. They are by far the hardest to unclip from. Which may sound bad, but you want have to worry about doing it on accident. At first it worried me a bit, but I have gotten use to it and love them. SPDs and Eggbeaters had way too much float. Looks are nice for road bikes, but I would worry about unclipping on a fg.

Using "clipped" as a description for riding clipless should also be a bannable offense.

So should using "clipless" as a description for riding without toe clips.

Bah.

oh the rules! (puts back of hand on forehead)

SORRY. edit: clipless for clipped.

I accidently unclipped from my eggbeaters on on 3 seperate occasions, and it just overall made me wary of coming unclipped so Ive set them aside for some new Looks. Its odd getting used to the single sided pedal and having to put covers on the cleats to walk through the office. But overall they feel so nice once youre clipped in.

Theres nothing wrong with clipless on your fixed gear, but the swapping your shoes everytime you wanna go somewhere can get old.

When I first started riding SPD's, I clipped out twice, mostly because of experimenting with how weird I could get on the pedals.
I also fell over a few times because I couldn't figure out how to unclip at the last instant.

However, since the early days, an inadvertent clip-out, or a zero-speed fall, seem remote to improbable.

Same with shoes failing.

The last pair of shoes I retired for general rattiness had plenty of safe life left in them.

A person riding clips and straps (on a fixed gear bike, as opposed to a coasting bike) has a much higher probability of a pedal-related accident than does a person riding clipless.
Further, unless a clips and straps rider straps in like a Keirin race, he cannot possibly have as efficient spin as a rider with clipless pedals.

I rode clips and straps on geared bikes for years, and my oldest son continues to ride clips and straps on a geared bike, out of preference, but he straps in so tight he can't get out without reaching down and loosening the straps by hand.
An efficient, safe fixed gear ride on the street requires clipless pedals and shoes.
Fixed gear riders who insist on riding clips and straps sacrifice either safety or efficiency.
One or the other.

A little reality, please.

When I first started riding SPD's, I clipped out twice, mostly because of experimenting with how weird I could get on the pedals.
I also fell over a few times because I couldn't figure out how to unclip at the last instant.

However, since the early days, an inadvertent clip-out, or a zero-speed fall, seem remote to improbable.

Same with shoes failing.

The last pair of shoes I retired for general rattiness had plenty of safe life left in them.

A person riding clips and straps (on a fixed gear bike, as opposed to a coasting bike) has a much higher probability of a pedal-related accident than does a person riding clipless.
Further, unless a clips and straps rider straps in like a Keirin race, he cannot possibly have as efficient spin as a rider with clipless pedals.

I rode clips and straps on geared bikes for years, and my oldest son continues to ride clips and straps on a geared bike, out of preference, but he straps in so tight he can't get out without reaching down and loosening the straps by hand.
An efficient, safe fixed gear ride on the street requires clipless pedals and shoes.
Fixed gear riders who insist on riding clips and straps sacrifice either safety or efficiency.
One or the other.

A little reality, please.

seems like good, sound advice there. makes sense to me. i've got my first set of clipless pedals on the way (crank brothers candy sl) and i'll be getting some shoes sometime this week (having trouble deciding between specialized taho and nike kato). can't wait to get started. :)

i'm on spd's too. something i like is the ability to adjust spring tension- my left foot is as tight as it gets since that's my pulling foot for skids, and right foot is fairly loose for when i'm falling over after failing at trackstands.

You can tighten spring tension on a lot of different clipless pedals. It is nice to be able to fie tune the tension, if not just to make you feel safer.

I ride spds. I've never had a problem with my shoes but I did pull one of my pedals apart. The screws came loose and stripped so the whole clip came out of the pedal.... Nashbar has graciously offered to replace them.

An efficient, safe fixed gear ride on the street requires clipless pedals and shoes.
Fixed gear riders who insist on riding clips and straps sacrifice either safety or efficiency.
One or the other.

A little reality, please.

i have been riding clipless for close to a year. i like it. but i'll probably put clips and straps back on one of my bikes very soon. why? just tired of wearing clipless shoes everydamnwhere i go.

when i do, i'll do exactly what i did before - reach down and pull them tight when i get on. when i get off, reach down and touch the buckle to loosen them. it requires some coordination, but is totally doable.

If you're accidentally unclipping more than usual, it might be time to replace the cleats. Those things don't last forever. If you're using SPDs, you might want to use the single release cleats to cut down on accidental unclipping.