happycheapskate

This thread is a spinoff of a thread closed by immature hipsters because it was "old."

Solution: Immature hipsters, go chew on some other threads.

If you enjoy toe clip pedals, and have advice, products, or shoes to use with this system, please share, kindly.

My first "real" road bike came with toe-clips and nylon straps. I got a lot of use out of them but eventually gave them away because of the difficulty in finding cycling specific shoes. I have had several kinds of clipless pedals, and I generally liked them, for all the jerks who will just say "go get clipless" (so you can "clip in", right? hahhaaha), but most of the shoes were clownish looking (the word r3tarded is banned? hahhaaha. That's r3tarded) clods that made you "duck walk" when you got off the bike.

The best "clipless" shoes I ever used were some Cannondale sneakers with SPD cleats. They were comfortable, but HEAVY, EXPENSIVE, and somewhat annoying, with the metal cleats dragging on the ground.

Some people like to use shoes that don't have holes in the bottom, metal cleats that drag and wear out and damage floors, and that have regular rubber soles on the bottom.

Even if you have a $10,000 15 lb carbon space shuttle bike and $150 "clipless" clip in pedals with the dorky wonder shoes, sometimes you might want to ride a more standard bike and go on a bicycle tour or a charity ride or maybe just kill some time on a vacation.

I'm all for 15lb carbon bikes, aero wheels, and banana shoes with the ski bindings, but I also like other kinds of bikes.

happycheapskate

Anyway, I bought some Chrome brand shoes that I read about on a fixed bike forum. They look pretty cool. I hope they aren't too heavy.

I got an "infraction" for this.

Don't tell cliquish posters who complain about your interest in obsolete bicycling products, that they are "dick"s or "rude f#ckers" or you will get an infraction. If you tell enough dicks or rude # you will probably get banned.

So that is why I just started a new thread for people who like old style stuff.

re: "zombie threads"

StephenH

I'm using clipless now on my Sojourn. It seems to be worthwhile for the riding that I do. Generally, if you do more riding than stopping, they're worthwhile.

Prior to that, I was just using platform pedals. I have some non-cycling shoes from REI that had fairly stiff soles that worked well for that. I haven't tried them with toe straps and all. They are "North Face" brand, but are shoes, not hiking boots or anything.

My Worksman still has, and will have, platform pedals.

fixedforever

Hey thanks happy, although I only ride fixies, I don't think I will post much in the ss/ fixed forum. Seems like a bunch nonsensical bully macho crap, and just plain rudeness or something going on in there. Too bad... I just love my fixies and don't have time for idiots. To me it is just the kind of bike I love, not a damn fashion piece that they seem to think it is in that silly forum full of screaming brats! I prefer to ride with toe straps and have found great cycling specific shoes for toe straps you can wear on and off the bike. I prefer to use power grips. I just like to be able to stop and walk sometimes, in a store, a bar, art gallery, shopping and so on, hence, I never switched to clip less. The shoes would be silly and useless off the bike that go with with clip less while I am out casually riding. I am an artist and photographer, and get off the bike a lot also while riding to paint or take photos. If you are a serious athlete training, or want to really just ride to work out and you are coming home after clip less is fine..I don't ride that way. Bontrager street and chrome shoes work great for toe straps. I am new here (not to cycling) and love this site...that is all except the fixed/ss forum...jerks...sigh... Oh well. So far everyone else in all the other forums has been great and I think I will make some new friends on here. I don't care what you ride or why. To me if you ride you you are a friend. Big smiles!

fietsbob

Sidi touring shoes Diadora Carnac and several other companys made nice touring shoes, walkable. stiff..
Europe the target market, rare in the states..
with a stiff 3/4 insole anything comfortable that won't hang up getting on the pedal will work

wahoonc

Most of my bikes have toe clips a few use platform pedals, one bike has power grips as an experiment.

I usually wear a pair of stiff soled bike specific shoes that were made by Avenir some 25+ years ago. I was smart and bought two pairs at the time. I am just now starting on my second pair. Any stiff soled shoe should work. There are some very nice leather shoes out there too, but they are pricey.

If I were still racing or riding at those levels I probably would buy clipless pedals and shoes, but I don't, and can't see the point in them for the style of riding I do now.

Aaron

fixedforever

There is also the specialized Sonoma. I have a pair of those as well. I have a pair of Answer racing. These shoes look like skateboarding style, and look great as regular street shoes off the bike like the Chrome shoes do. Both pairs are cycling shoes made for toe straps with a cut out available if you go clip less. So do the Bontrager street I mentioned previously. I own all of the shoes I have mentioned and love them all. I am actually winter cycling now and wearing Northface winter boots. No toe straps, just rat trap style pedals on my low geared old road bike I converted to fixed, but that is a whole other topic lol. As far as the fixed/ss forum, I have noticed that the 40 plus crowd on there they have a sticky for are a nice bunch. Nice to know not all are giving my kind a bad name lol.

nelson249

I use strapless toe clips on my commuter machine so I can wear anything on it from sandals to combat boots without a problem. I save clipless pedals for my recreational machine and even then I wear shoes with a recessed cleat so I can walk around normally.

DX-MAN

I've done the clip-and-strap bit; I've done Power Grips. I've done platforms/flats. Now I do clipless. It works for me. Whatever works for you, works for you. Ride on, and enjoy it.

The local "leader" of the annual Ride of Silence rides a Cannondale hardtail MTB with toe clips; the guy trackstands, in the saddle, at every stop; never puts a foot down until the ride is over. I envy him that skill, as all my practice has resulted in a trackstand of less than 15 seconds.

Bottom line:

I DO NOT HAVE TO CONFORM TO ANY OTHER'S IDEAS ABOUT RIDING A BIKE.
NO OTHER RIDER HAS TO CONFORM TO MY IDEAS ABOUT RIDING A BIKE.
Just be safe, and don't run me over.

(Almost forgot: hipsters can floss out my dingleberries.)

BarracksSi

For clips n' straps, at the very least I try to use a shoe that doesn't have deep tread or lugs on its sole. If the sole catches on the pedal, and I've just flipped it up but only the tips of my toes are on the platform, I have a hell of a time scooching my foot forward without simultaneously pushing the clip and flipping it back upside down (or it just falls upside down again thanks to the weight of the clip).

This is half the reason I want to convert my city bike to clipless anyway. Besides, I don't have to use SPD; Crank Brothers and Time cleats are both supposed to be lower-profile.

Rumpled

I have two bikes and only one set of SPD pedals. The other gets platforms, toe clips and straps.
I use Performance/Forte MTB shoes with recessed cleats. They work just fine on the platforms with no hangups or other issues.

surfrider

I've got size 14 (USA) feet, so neither clipless nor toe-clipped pedals work. Two road-worthy bikes with Crank Bros 5050s and an MTB with Sun Ringle Zu-Zus, all BMX-style pinned platform pedals used with 'court-style' shoes (tennis, racquetball, or indoor volleyball shoes). Also have a crusier bike with uber-cheap rubber block platform pedals. Ride what you like, what gets you on the bike and out the door.

JanMM

Bata Bikers were great shoes for casual riding with toe clips. I went through 2 or 3 pairs of them.

The Shimano shoes I wear now with clipless pedals are much better for walking than the Bata Bikers were.
When I ride to work (in the SH shoes), I walk a block and a half to my office, where I then change shoes.

wahoonc

I think I may have had a pair of those Bata Bikers in their day...

Aaron