Road Cycling - Embarrassing Question: I hate these $4@! toe clips

Okay, if you all read my earlier post, you know that I'm a road newbie. I ended up getting a Trek 1000, and love it, with one minor problem. I am really not the best with balance (I'm the kind of guy who would fail a field sobriety test without having had a drop of alcohol) and am even worse with coordination. Thus, I am struggling to get my feet in my toe clips. I read my Trek manual, and it suggests a method by which I place one foot in a clip with the other foot on the ground. I then am supposed to push off with the foot still on the ground, begin to pedal with the foot in the clip, and pull the other foot up and into the clip while moving slowly. Is this how you all do this (those of you that don't ride clipless)? Or is there some easier way for my uncoordinated, poor-balance self?

I have clipless pedals waiting to be installed when I feel I have a good grasp of the bike. Do you guys think they're easier or harder to get in and out of than these toe clips? Because if they're harder...man, I want to be able to do this stuff, but it might take me months of training just to be able to get in and out of my pedals. Any advice on this would be GREATLY appreciated, as I know that I really need to have some way of getting the added benefit of being connected to the pedals in some way.

I went this same route last Fall. I learned pretty quickly how to do this: the pedals automatically flip over upside down, right? I learned to hook my foot over the top of the pedal and flip it back over sliding my toes into the cage in one movement. I was afraid to be in them at first and it seemed like I'd never learn to ride like that; but I did! 4 months later, I switched to clipless and had to go thru an adjustment period with those, too. If you have a trainer, practice on that. If not, get between 2 parked cars and practice flipping the pedals over that way.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. Anybody else? Do you/did you find clipless pedals to be easier to get in and out of than toe clips? Any other recommendations on easier ways to get in and out of the clips?

Thanks for the reply. Anybody else? Do you/did you find clipless pedals to be easier to get in and out of than toe clips? Any other recommendations on easier ways to get in and out of the clips?

Thanks for the reply. Anybody else? Do you/did you find clipless pedals to be easier to get in and out of than toe clips? Any other recommendations on easier ways to get in and out of the clips?


Years ago when toe clips ruled the earth, there was a little stainless steel spring thingie that would bolt on the back of the pedal that made it easier to flip the pedal up and get your foot in. I do believe it was made by Wilderness Trail Bike for mountain biking since it was difficult enough to get your foot in a toe clip on a smooth road and even more so when the damn thing was bouncing around if you riding on off-road. Some of these may still be collecting dust in shops or at WTB.

As far as comparative ease of entering and exiting toe clips vs. clipless, I'll never go back to toe clips.

Okay, if you all read my earlier post, you know that I'm a road newbie. I ended up getting a Trek 1000, and love it, with one minor problem. I am really not the best with balance (I'm the kind of guy who would fail a field sobriety test without having had a drop of alcohol) and am even worse with coordination. Thus, I am struggling to get my feet in my toe clips. I read my Trek manual, and it suggests a method by which I place one foot in a clip with the other foot on the ground. I then am supposed to push off with the foot still on the ground, begin to pedal with the foot in the clip, and pull the other foot up and into the clip while moving slowly. Is this how you all do this (those of you that don't ride clipless)? Or is there some easier way for my uncoordinated, poor-balance self?

I have clipless pedals waiting to be installed when I feel I have a good grasp of the bike. Do you guys think they're easier or harder to get in and out of than these toe clips? Because if they're harder...man, I want to be able to do this stuff, but it might take me months of training just to be able to get in and out of my pedals. Any advice on this would be GREATLY appreciated, as I know that I really need to have some way of getting the added benefit of being connected to the pedals in some way.

Pretty much...here is how I work the clips on my diamondback:

1: stand with both feet on ground, and put my left foot (My dominant foot) into the clip. I do this by pointing my toe down so I don't have to fidget as much with pedal positioning.

2: move the now clipped left foot up as high as i feel comfortable, so th pedal has as much push as possible when i want to start moving.

3: let my right foot off the ground, causing my left foot to propel the bike. While this is happening, I point my right foot toe down and slide it into the right clip as it's coming up.

4: sit down and start pedaling

Really all it takes is a few weeks to get used to.
\

oh, and being my first week on clipless...they seem a bit harder to clip into, since you have to have not only horizontal, but forward/back alignment right as well.

If you find you have to much trouble, there are strapless toeclips that are a bit easier to get in & out of. I have a pair of LeMonds on one of my Touring bikes.

i foudn the POwerstraps to be more difficult than are the toe clips.

the key to the toe clips are to have the 'basket' large so that entry is easy.. tighten the strap after youre moving and loosen before you come to a stop... the other feet should be in and tight at all time

just go to flat platforms if you think theyre a hassle

I have clipless pedals waiting to be installed when I feel I have a good grasp of the bike. Do you guys think they're easier or harder to get in and out of than these toe clips?
Toe clips scare the hell of me. I've had my shoes captive in those things too many times.
I'll take clipless pedals any day.
I have SPD, Look, and Speedplay pedals and even on a bad day they are far superior to toe clips.

Like redfooj said having the basket as big as possible is key. I have metal toe clips on my fixie and imo they are supurbe to any clipless pedal and you can bend them to adjust the basket size. You will find that there is a learning curve for both styles and I would say that the clipless are definatlly easier to get in and out of. My shimano spd-sl style pedal is cake to get in and out of on my road bike. Also if you are using a mountain or cyclocross/ touring style shoe with a thick tread on it that can get in the way of a smoothe entry. My Sugino pedals have a little metal tab that aids in flipping the pedal around to fit in . A nice smooth dynamic motion with out thinking about often is best. You may be surprised to find that it is actually easier to get in the pedal when looking straight down the road rather than at the pedal your trying to get in...

Went thru the same steps with my new bike with the toe clips. Initially, its a hassle, esp since the 'basket' has not yet taken on the shape of your shoes. After a few weekes, the whole thing will fit you better, and you can cinch them up without problems. I use the techniques listed above...flip the right pedal using the little tab to right-side-up the pedal>>step in>>tighten>>>start rolling>>step in the left foot.

The first few times, i had to keep looking down, but you get used to the motions and the 'feel' soon enough. At lights, I let the right pedal basket drag a bit upside down on the road, cross over, and then slip in.

Have got the clipless shoe and pedals now, and hope to graduate in the next week or two, now that i've experienced having my feet held captive.

It's been a while since I used clip type pedals but I believe I just rode off with the clips hanging down on both pedals and did the flip and insert toe with both feet. Use the little tab (as mentioned above) to flip the pedal over one at a time-a little easier for me to get going this way, then tighten the straps after you are moving. Takes a little time to get used to it no matter what type you have-remember if it's easy it aint worth doing.

Clipless, clipless, clipless and clipless.

Did I mention clipless?

They're far easier to work with, easier to get out of in a hurry (when you're in traffic you might not have that extra half-second to pull out), and a more natural motion to get into. Yes, there's a learning curve, and you'll probably end up smacking yourself once or twice, but within a few weeks you'll be fine. Plus they generate more power, and isn't that really what this is all about?

PS: Clipless.

[some way of getting the added benefit of being connected to the pedals in some way.[/QUOTE]


I have toe clips on my OCR2. I'll get around to switching to clipless one of these days. In the meantime, I keep the baskets good sized, and I honestly don't cinch down the straps super tight. Ok, I know it's not as efficient or powerful, etc. but hey, I'm not exactly out there racing; I'm just a guy going out for a bike ride!

So, I put one foot into the straps and start peddling. About half the time, the other pedal comes up just fine and I'm in. If it is upside down, I can usually give it a quick twist with my toes and no worries. If it gets stubborn, I'll take a few cranks around and try again. Always get it at some point. It's not worth the fuss about it. Luckily, I do ride most of the time in an area where I'm not stopping every block.

Sheldon

when you're in traffic you might not have that extra half-second to pull out

I find it easier to wait until my date and I are on a deserted road before I get to this point to help avoid having to pull out due to traffic ;)

I use the same method outlined in your manual. It's still tricky from time to time, usually when starting uphill. In that case, I pedal through a few revolutions before clipping in. Also, I cinch them only tight enough to hold my feet, not so tight that I can't wrench my foot out in an emergency.

Of course, I'm also looking at moving up to clipless. An LBS here has 50% off shoes this weekend, and I'll probably get those this week and the pedals next month. Right now, I ride in an old stiff-soled pair of cross training shoes.

Dont bother tightening the straps, if you really need to be that efficient, you should be on clipless.
Use shoes with a fairly clean profile. Knobles and moulding can catch.
Nylon straps can often collapse in. Leather ones seem to hold their shape better.
If it is all too much, just take the things off until you are happy with the bike. A good test is if you can do a track-stand for a few seconds.

thanks to everyone for their advice...i think i've gleaned a better way to try to use the clips for now, but i also think you guys have shown me that clipless will be a lot easier to use, so i probably will get myself a pair of shoes and get my pedals installed soon

Clipless, clipless, clipless and clipless.

Did I mention clipless?

They're far easier to work with, easier to get out of in a hurry (when you're in traffic you might not have that extra half-second to pull out), and a more natural motion to get into. Yes, there's a learning curve, and you'll probably end up smacking yourself once or twice, but within a few weeks you'll be fine. Plus they generate more power, and isn't that really what this is all about?

PS: Clipless.

What he said. I think it was clipless!!!!!!

How about just riding without the clips until you're more sure of your balance?

Remember: you don't HAVE to have your feet in the clips to pedal. On numerous occassions (mostly uphill) I would pedal along with the pedal "upside down" until I had enough speed to be take some time to get into the clips. The worst thing that could happen with this method is maybe scraping the clips a bit on the pavement, but this is unlikely. The suggestion of getting between two cars is a great one. Use your toes to flip the pedal over then just slide forward...

I've found that the "flip the toes in" trick works really well -- I'd add this (pardon my ascii art)

bike front /--, bike rear

Where -- is the pedal flat part, the comma "," is the start of the toe clip hanging in the upside down position and the / is the position of your foot at the start of the flip. Start with your foot like that - with the pedal flat right at the ball off your foot and your foot at about a 60 degree angle from the ground. Next, draw your foot towards the back of the bike... this should cause the pedal to start to rotate up in a clockwise direction. The toe clip will flip up and end up partially over your toe. Push your foot foward until it's fully in the clip. If you can't get it all the way in, tip your foot to 60 degrees again and push down -- you'll have more leverage and can force your toe in.

Couple tips

1) ride with sneakers that don't have deep treads (tennis shoes as opposed to running shoes) as the treads will make it harder to flip and push because deep threads get stuck on the pedal when you're pushing into the clip.

2) I don't adjust my straps too tight and never cinch them down once my foots in. that is to say I leave a little space so I can wiggle slightly side to side for comfort and get out quick when needed. the clips will definately start to shape to you foot with frequent use.

3) Flip in on both feet, not just the second one -- that way as you practice with your prefered foot (right-handed or left-handed) you can use the other foot to hold yourself up.

4) If after a few rides with starts and stops you still don't have the hang of it, flip the pedal upsidedown and ride the bottom -- why lose a good ride just cause you don't want the hassle of the pedals ;-) Careful pedaling while turning/leaning with the clips down though -- the drag noise is startling.

Clipless are much easier. Only track racers have a need for toeclips today.

Clipless are much easier. Only track racers have a need for toeclips today.
I'll have to disagree. I feel much safer stopping my fixie with nice tight secure toe straps rather than taking the chance of popping out of clipless pedals.

People who ride to the cinema/shops/pub/party also find clips useful. It means you can choose any suitable footwear. Not all riding is sport.