Originally Posted by
79pmooney
I forgot in my post (#30) that I still use toeclips on half my bikes. But it is neither to be "old school" nor to have street shoe friendly pedals. It is all about saving my butt. There is one crash I have never done and I hope to expire from other causes before it happens. Pulling one foot off the pedal going downhill on one of my fix gears at 35 mph and 175 RPM. (42 X 17, my usual gear.)
I have uncleated a few times at high speeds with traditional slotted cleats, toeclips and straps. But (the huge "but") my foot always stayed on the pedal! Never got that high speed whack on my ankle that would be yet another lifetime injury/sore spot. (Road riding fix gears means weirdly enough that us old guys can hit RPMs the best pro track sprinters, the cheetahs of the bike world, can never achieve.)
Ben
I often try to spin a little more on my commute. After going up Harlem Meer in Central Park, I shift up one or two but leave it there. Then try to spin out the gear on the slight downhill. I may look stupid, but I think its good to remind the legs what fast spinning is. Also can be a good position check to see that you're not bouncing on the saddle, etc. Hopefully, fast spinning will not become "old school."