Originally Posted by
jrickards
I started to use toeclips this year but after one ride in, although there were no incidents, I was uncomfortable about not being able to pull my boots off the pedal fast enough if I needed to so I removed the straps. I can't pull up if I need to but it places my foot in the right position and gives me the confidence that my foot isn't going to slide forward off the pedal if there is snow under my boot. I'm going to switch to a different kind of clip, the kind that is designed to be used without a strap because without it now, the clip I'm using is rather flimsy.
I don't run clipped/clipless pedals on my winter bike. The reason is twofold.
First, when the temps hit single digits or lower my clipless shoes just aren't warm enough and I like to wear my boots (yes, I know you can get clipless boots but they're crazy expensive.) Standard toe clips could work around this, assuming they are big enough to fit my boots, which brings me to...
Second, and most important, I've had too many instances in the winter where I need to get my foot down NOW! If my feet were restrained in any way the slight delay it takes to free them would have me laying in a snowbank. Usually I find the need to do this in deep snow where the bike hits a drift and comes to an abrupt, unexpected stop. The speeds in these situations are low so it's not so much of a risk of getting injured as it is I'd rather not be making snow angels on the cold ground.
I like clipless overall, just not for winter riding.