Why not try the clips with the straps a bit loose? That way when you feel uncomfortable, you can just pull your foot out the back. As your skills improve you can tighten the straps for greater efficiency.

Hello, and welcome. I started in on vintage bikes with a '74-'75 Motobecane too. I usually cycling specific hybrid type shoes. They are rigid on the sole for energy transfer, etc., but I can walk around all day in them. Anyway I've tried to clips with straps very loose and, despite practice I still have to look down to get my second foot in. Seems very fiddly. I bought Velo Orange half clips and have them on some classic looking MKS Sylvan Touring pedals and have no problem just simply riding. Don't even have to think, and my foot knows right where to go.

I think I'm going to try the clips and see how I do with them. They arrived without the leather part, so they seemed complicated and possibly advanced. Thank you all for chiming in, I'll try to be more specific next time I ask a question.

i just bought a pair of Shimano click'rs - almost a zero learning curve with these - easy clip in and clip out due to lighter spring action. but i have no experienced any accidental unclipping. Depending on your riding style this could be a good starter in clipless for you - i cycle in the city mostly and i am not racing or jumping boulders - was a good experience as i have never tried clip or clipless before.

the pedals were a bit clunky Shimano PDT400 Clickr Pedal - weighs like a ton because of the dual sided clips - platform-ish but i do like them.

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Good deal, go for it. Keep in mind that I have NO experience with modern clip in pedals - all my bikes are toe cages/straps (well, one bike has PowerGrips). Part of my issue is that I'm actively riding 6 bikes and cannot afford all those pedal sets and specialized shoes. And I like the C&V look of classic pedals. So what works for me.

The road bikes (79 Mirage, R600, Nishiki Int'l, Raleigh Pro) all have classic steel/alloy quill pedals with steel cages and leather straps. I find it easy to bend the steel cages closed a bit so they fit my shoes well, hole the strap loop open, don't scrape the ground with the pedal flipped over and position the balls of my feet right over the pedal spindle/axle. There are different length cages and I've settled on the one length that works for my feet.

I've found that leather straps hold their open oval shape better than nylon web straps so I can slip into the strap loops easily. I have them set so I can just slip my shoe in - not tight and not loose. Takes some trial and error but once they are set they stay there. My foot does not move around on the pedal. I can push down and pull up to use the whole pedal cycle.

I've settled on one pair of 'indoor soccer shoes' for all my riding. Stiff inner sole (with added ABS stiffener) and the outer soles do not flare out like running or cross training or casual 'sneakers' do. With the outer sole being the same width as the leather uppers these shoes fit the pedal/cage/strap quite nicely. I've done a lot of miles with these shoes and they are very comfortable all day long. And I can just get in the car and drive with them on, go into resturants, use the 'gentlemans' at a gas station and all other normal walking. I like these.

Plastic (ex Wellgo) pedals are OK for mtn bikes and I have them on my mtn bikes but they are low mileage gear. I had plastic pedals on my Cannondale R600 and did alot of miles on them. They wore out. The bearing outter races egged out the plastic seat and the pedal started to wobble. I maybe could have epoxied the seats in but decided it was time for good pedals so just put the plastic on the shelf. Got a pair of really nice Suntour pedals instead.

A beginner can easily leave the straps off the cages while they get used to fipping the pedal up and getting under way. You can even work on bending the cage closed a bit so it does not scrape the ground. Once you have that set and can flip the cages up into place easily you can then install the leather straps and get those set right. Few decisions are forever. Experiment and see what works for you. As someone once said "everything is just something somebody made up. If it doesn't work - just make up something else". Find the [MENTION=404739]RAMJ84[/MENTION] solution.

Keep us posted and show us photos of that Super Mirage and of your pedals. Great bikes.

I've always liked the leather straps too, although the nylon ones may last forever.

The strap buttons are handy to grab onto, but not particularly common here in the USA.

I did change to plastic clips at some point. I thought they were less likely to scratch the shoes than the metal clips.