Originally Posted by
16Victor
Lace the strap through the clip first, then down and around the inside of the pedal. This lets you pull up on the clasp with one finger, making for easy loosening.
When working the strap through the pedal, put a full twist into the strap. This prevents the strap from slipping and moving the clasp.
Keep your cleats a wee bit loose on the shoes for the first few times out. This lets you twist your ankle to relocate the clip on the shoe, so you can find the best position without knee pain.
Wear gloves, so that when you fall at a stop sign, you won't scrape your palm.
I'm not seeing this (toe straps installed "backwards"). I would think it would be hard to tighten them, and a bit awkward to loosen.
Originally Posted by
rootboy
how I route the straps
This is how I do it as well, though I switched to clipless a year or so ago. Thumb on the buckle to release; pull straight up to tighten.
I have a nice and relatively new set of Cinelli straps. I had noticed they were incredibly hard to tighten or loosen. Since I don't have the pedals on the bike now (clipless), I took a look at them and discovered the rollers were not turning. Still haven't fixed them which is a shame because they are nice straps (Binda-like).