Originally Posted by
choteau
I'm a fan of toeclips run loose or strapless. The "h+++++" may be a good idea, Bell makes some inexpensive ones. The earbuds on the other hand, some people aren't safe using them.
Originally Posted by
Bandera
Lose the ear buds and sing along to whatever tunes pop into your head.
Your hearing of the surrounding environment provides vital cues to your safety whether on the MUP or the road.
Missing that dump truck rumble or bell "ding" is more important than listening to Funkadelic's Greatest Hits for the 373rd time.
-Bandera
Hmmmm...so no beats?....and yeah...I can see where sensory deprivation could pose a safety issue but...I'm sure going to miss my pandora + work out + alternative channel...it shuffles the new stuff and I can't recall hearing the same song twice yet and moreover?...it motivates me...but I'll try going without and just listen to the breeze and the sweet song of those michelins! LOL!
Besides...maybe it'll help me through one of my biggest fears here regarding the toe clip/straps with the primary fear being?..."hood dogs"...we have quite a few around here and most are pit bulls that seem to come out of nowhere...fast pit bulls...ones that can run faster than I can pedal...therefore?...I'd like to have the ability to get off that bike quick and clean should the need arise as I feel I'd fair a lot better off it than on it...but if I get shook up, hang a foot and go down in such a dilemma?....suddenly I'm purina.
But without the buds at least maybe I'll hear the claws hitting asphalt and a choker chain/tags...if they're wearing such.
I gotta come up with some sort of "anti-dog" device...I've got a stun *** but it's not a taser type and would require physical contact....does anybody have any suggestions?...I was thinking pepper spray maybe?...but some of the dogs I see around here would use that for a breath freshener! LOL!
Originally Posted by
wphamilton
I prefer the unstrapped clip or half-clip to bare platforms, for the slight aid in foot positioning and retention. Most of my rides are commutes, about 3600/2000 miles for commute/weekends respectively, so I suppose I'm in the class of "occasional recreation cyclists". Upstroke torque is not something that I'm concerned with, and my feet never slip accidentally. It seems to me that those are the keys to how much we'd value the secure connection with clips/straps or clipless.
So...looks like there's a mix of preferences and the prudent things for me to do is...
1. Lose the buds.
and?...
2. Keep the clips but go strapless.
Besides...I'm not a hard core enough yet to gain much (if any) upstroke power and after thinking about it?...upstroke power with loose straps is probably a joke...so I'll leave the toe cups (for foot positioning) but remove the straps should the need for rapid egress arise.
Thanks again folks and L8R, Bill.