Originally Posted by
Kilroy1988
I don't believe I ever suggested that they were useful for additional propulsion, and have always assumed it was about maintaining a stable footing on the pedals. However, especially in the case of many early clips that were not used in conjunction with straps, I cannot see how this benefit could be fully realized without the toes actually pressing against the inside of the clips. T'was my initial point and still the only major one I've tried to understand - at least a couple of people seem to think clips were invented not to be touched at the end, but many designs and uses seem to show otherwise.
Undoubtedly, a lot of cyclists simply pushed their feet into clips as far as they would go, particularly recreational cyclists, but this was not the practice when I started cycling. The basic fitting method was to position the ball of the foot directly over the pedal axle, which is the optimum position for both power and stability. Only after you established the foot position, did you select the toe clip length and it was always slightly longer than necessary, even if you had to shim a short toe clip. You then rode, without cleats, allowing the foot to find it's natural position, until the rear pedal plate had made an impression on the sole. This would fine tune the fore/aft position but was primarily to determine the natural angle of the foot to prevent knee strain. The impression was aligned with the slot during cleat installation. After the cleats were installed, you adjusted the toe clips to provide a for proper toe box clearance, which was about one millimetre.
Once you become familiar with the proper position, it becomes 2nd nature. Even if you're wearing running shoes and test riding someone else's bicycle, your foot will seek out the sweet spot. If the clips are too long, it doesn't matter. If they're too short, you'll be trying to jam your foot in further.
There's no reason to be riding with your toes contacting the clips, especially with cleated shoes. It serves no purpose. Any contact with the clip can lead to discomfort and you are most efficient when you are not in discomfort.
I'm not trying to be argumentative. This is the practice that was used when I started cycling competitively in the early 1970s. It's also what I used for fitting cyclists as a certified cycling coach and many of them have been quite successful.