Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - Clipless for street and track

I haven't use clipless shoes/pedals yet but I plan on doing some track riding really soon and figure I'll probably end up going this way. It would be nice to be able to use the same system on my street fixed gear and my track bike. I'm not too terribly worried about price...I need a system that won't shoot me out when I'm skidding on the street since I don't run a brake.

If you want to be able to walk around off the bike buy some MTB shoes/pedals. If you want the most secure and best power transfer buy road. I have both and ride MTB shoes/pedals on the street and road shoes/pedals on the track and for longer distance road riding (fixed or geared).

MTB pedals: Time ATAC, Crank brothers eggbeaters or Shimano SPD

Road: Look or Shimano

Road shoes will be fine. What's the deal with float. I absolutely don't want my feet popping out while whip skidding on the street (not that I do that often and not that it's a problem on the track). Do I need more or less float? I've read that I need to tighten them down quite a bit.

Time ATAC. No adjustments, no tightening, just ride. You need to use an MTB shoe with them though. I raced on ATACs on the track last season and use them in the street as well. Only time you'll ever accidentally pull out during a skid is if the cleat is beyond worn out. They're also the most respected clipless pedal among the courier crowd if that means anything.

As an added bonus, if you ever decide to try out cross or MTB, you'll have a really legit pedal/shoe setup already in the bag.

Depending on the velodrome, they may not let you use (or at least strongly discourage) MTB pedals for track racing.

I have been using MTB peals for the last couple months at the track with no issues so far. I just make sure I increase the spring tension on my SPD's. Mind you, I'd probably look into a road SPD if I could afford two different systems, but for the time being it has just been easier for me to keep one set of shoes with the same pedal system.

Is the reasoning behind that based on not holding the foot in as well as a road style pedal?

I'd recommend Time ATACs for this. When I was first starting track this is what I used, never popped out on the velodrome or on the street.

If you do end up going SPD make sure to use the black cleats (single release) to avoid unwanted pop-outs under load. You'll also have to ratchet up the tension so they're nice and firm.

Most important thing is remember check your cleats regularly for wear and change them when required.

Depending on the velodrome, they may not let you use (or at least strongly discourage) MTB pedals for track racing.

Weird. Didn't know this. Due to pull-outs in a sprint or something?

Yeah. About five or six years ago (maybe longer now), a guy was racing at Kenosha with SPDs when he unclipped in a sprint and took a serious header. He was wearing a helmet and everything, but it didn't matter. I wasn't racing back then, but from what I understand, it confirmed what all the old-timers who run these places feared about MTB pedals, regardless of how warn out the shoe/cleats were.

but that can happen with road pedals, too. blaming the category of mountain pedals seems a bit misguided.

(anyway, i'd also suggest time atacs for all-purpose duty. i used them on the track when i only had mtb shoes. now i use look delta-style road pedals)

I can see that happening with SPD somewhat. I switched to Time ATAC from SPD because of a number of unclips at the wrong time off road. For me Time ATAC for MTB shoes and the old Delta Looks for road. I have eggbeaters too, but haven't had a chance to put any mileage on them yet with the great winter weather.

Time ATAC. No adjustments, no tightening, just ride. You need to use an MTB shoe with them though. I raced on ATACs on the track last season and use them in the street as well. Only time you'll ever accidentally pull out during a skid is if the cleat is beyond worn out.

This is true as well for the Crank Brothers. I have never ridden ATACs, but have Candy SLs for street/road and Mallet for MTB/Winter. I have never gotten a pull out during a skid, ever. In the past year, I only had 2-3 clip outs only when pulling hard, put with to much lateral, during a climb. You can switch the cleats around for a tighter release angle.

They're also the most respected clipless pedal among the courier crowd if that means anything.[/quote]


This said, I would love to ride ATACs :) I have seen a couple and the system looks perfect. I would think they might be a tighter fit, giving less float, put this is just a visual impression.

For street fixed I would recommend both. For track, I think clips and straps are the way to go. The contact, clips over foot, vs foot over clip with clipless, provides a totally different connection to the drivetrain, forward and lateral. On the track, you are slanting through the curbs, this is why I would privilige straps. Just my 2 cents ;)

i have seen, first hand, too many broken Crank Bros pedals to think highly of them.
Their customer service/repair/warranty has been top notch, but I've seen a lot of pedals fail.

For track, I think clips and straps are the way to go. The contact, clips over foot, vs foot over clip with clipless, provides a totally different connection to the drivetrain, forward and lateral. On the track, you are slanting through the curbs, this is why I would privilige straps. Just my 2 cents ;)

This is terrible advice. You've clearly never raced track, so stop talking out of your ass.

i have seen, first hand, too many broken Crank Bros pedals to think highly of them.
Their customer service/repair/warranty has been top notch, but I've seen a lot of pedals fail.

Exactly. Their pedals fail so often that without good customer service, their whole company would go under. Also, it seems to me that riding a brake-less fixed gear on pedals which has a zillion degrees of float would be a very bad idea.

This is terrible advice. You've clearly never raced track, so stop talking out of your ass.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge, he could have been referring to some DA PD-7400's or that MKS slotted cleat setup. I think we both know a few people swear by those systems over anything else... as for me I think I'm going to give SPD-SL's a try this summer.

I think going to try slotted mks cleats the next time I go to the track. I already have rx-1's and custom nuevo's. It's better than the Chuck Taylor's I wore last time :)

I think my advice was misinterpreted, didn't mean to talk out of my ass :O.

What I wanted to say is between CrankBros/ATACs or straps/pedals, I would recommend the latter for track, and not a system that allows float. I only privilege these types of clipless for street or offroad. For a clipless system for the track, I would go with a stiff road cleat design such as the Looks previously mentioned. Obviously, track specific DA or MKS are meant to be ridden on the track, but it's a steep investment for a specific application, so I'd wait to be more serious about track riding.

I don't understand your rejoinder, but there are a number of clipless systems which have 0° float, or allow for adjustable float. Slotted cleats are an option, but to recommend this system to beginners looking to get into track racing is lunacy. To go on to suggest the riders of clips and straps have "a totally different connection to the drivetrain" demonstrates ignorance.

Beginners should ride with whatever they have that is safe, and have fun. However, I must add that I recently switched to DA 7400's and they do seem to be a totally different thing than the Ultegra SPD-SL's that I was using. I would concur that the connection just feels another level more secure and better for power transmission. Of course, it's just how it FEELS to me, no science to back it up....

To go on to suggest the riders of clips and straps have "a totally different connection to the drivetrain" demonstrates ignorance.

Having your foot tied from under to a single attach point does feel different than having your sole rest on a pedal's platform, yes.

Having a strap tied around your foot, and a clip over your toes, does feel different, yes.

Getting out of straps from behind, vs clipping out laterally does feel different, yes.

Pulling up on a pedal, clips vs clipless, does feel different, yes.

When I say a "totally different connection", how much difference can there really be, between pedalling and pedalling... I'm just trying to interpret the nuance between clips and clipless. If you see absolutely no difference, make it your opinion, as this is mine. My ignorant experience is just that of riding mostly clipless for the past 10 years, 100-200km per week, so sorry about that.

If you want to be able to walk around off the bike buy some MTB shoes/pedals. If you want the most secure and best power transfer buy road. I have both and ride MTB shoes/pedals on the street and road shoes/pedals on the track and for longer distance road riding (fixed or geared).

MTB pedals: Time ATAC, Crank brothers eggbeaters or Shimano SPD

Road: Look or Shimano

Good advice. I use SPD-SL on all my road/track/TT bikes. I've got the tensions closed to maxed out on the track bike, in the middle on the road bikes and a bit looser on the tandem. Never pulled out when I haven't wanted to.

Also, you don't have to monkey with different shoe/cleat alignment issues. If it's right on one bike, it's right on all of them.

Also, you don't have to monkey with different shoe/cleat alignment issues. If it's right on one bike, it's right on all of them.

And that's the way it is for me, with clips and straps on all my road and track bikes still. ;) Except for the Cinelli M71s that I used for road TTs.

It always seemed to me when I was racing that there was always some clipless schmo pulling a foot on the bell lap, forcing me uptrack on the back stretch. Look, Time, Aerolite, Keywin--I've seen those cleats up close when I least expected them. But I'm only speaking of old technology here. Maybe the cleats on the new stuff never wear out and the springs never weaken.

I was forced to switch to clips and straps in order to ride with one of the track clubs here in Japan. It's their rules. I was reluctant, for many of the reasons mentioned, and mostly because I didn't want to have to use two different shoe/pedal systems. I thought the SPD-SL's were good enough, and most likely, they were. But now I will never go back to a clipless system for track! The difference is hard to quantify, but the connection feels more secure and it just feels faster. I will reiterate that it's a FEEL thing, so no hard facts to back this up. I'll keep using the SPD-SLs on my road bike, mostly for convenience and safety-- it's a ***** to get out of tightened-down DA 7400's quickly. Meaning, you can't!

Old timers will still tell you that clips and straps are the best for power transmission. I can't explain why, but after trying them, I can't argue with this. I especially noticed the difference on standing starts. Of course, your mileage may vary.

And that's the way it is for me, with clips and straps on all my road and track bikes still. ;) Except for the Cinelli M71s that I used for road TTs.

It always seemed to me when I was racing that there was always some clipless schmo pulling a foot on the bell lap, forcing me uptrack on the back stretch. Look, Time, Aerolite, Keywin--I've seen those cleats up close when I least expected them. But I'm only speaking of old technology here. Maybe the cleats on the new stuff never wear out and the springs never weaken.

I'm glad that stuff works for you, but that's one era of cycling that I'm happy to do without. I've nailed cleats to crappy leather soled shoes that never fit right and had to take Cristophe XL clips to the anvil to try and make them not gouge a hole in my toe because the Europeans apparently had no concept of a size 13 shoe at the time. And then there's the strap cutting off circulation to your toes to deal with also.

I am totally grateful I can buy a pair of Sidi Genius 5s in narrow that fit like a glove, bolt on a cleat and be riding along in 10 minutes.

And poorly maintained clips & straps are just as likely to fail as poorly maintained clipless. I remember guys breaking toe straps and the result is about the same as pulling a cleat. Isn't that why you're using double straps on the track?