I'm not seeing this (toe straps installed "backwards"). I would think it would be hard to tighten them, and a bit awkward to loosen.

This is how I do it as well, though I switched to clipless a year or so ago. Thumb on the buckle to release; pull straight up to tighten.

I have a nice and relatively new set of Cinelli straps. I had noticed they were incredibly hard to tighten or loosen. Since I don't have the pedals on the bike now (clipless), I took a look at them and discovered the rollers were not turning. Still haven't fixed them which is a shame because they are nice straps (Binda-like).

Here are two cycling shoes made specifically for use with toe clips -

http://www.dromarti.com/images/droma...torica_MED.jpg

http://www.dromarti.com/index.php?ma...products_id=16
(This shoe also comes in black with red stitching. I have a pair of these shoes, and they work great.)


http://www.quocpham.com/products/img/fs0905_01.jpg
http://www.quocpham.com/products/img/fs0905_03.jpg

http://www.quocpham.com/products/fs0905.html
(This shoe also comes in black.)


When riding with clips, I adjust the straps so that they are just a little loose. That way, my feet can be removed easily, but when riding, the straps are tight enough to make pedaling efficient.

Both very nice, but the Dromartis are way out of my league price wise. However, those Quocphams are nice and somewhat affordable. One question if I may Fred, how firm are those soles on the Quocphams? Thx.

You actually pull up on the straps?

I have the Dromarti's, so I don't have any personal experience with the Quoc Pham's. However, here are some reviews I found -

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/catego...shoes-10-37647

http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2009/...m-fixed-shoes/

http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2011...quoc-pham.html

I hope that this helps.

Sure, why not? I pull up on the clipless pedals I have too as my foot comes around on the upstroke. There's no reason to not get as much power as one can out of the setup, and the straps can handle it.

I used to pull up on the upstroke, but not anymore. I'm slow as granny now.

+1 - trap pedals are pretty in photos, but belong in a box.

The best place for clips:

http://thewritersguidetoepublishing..../trash-can.gif

A great deal Fred. Thanks

Yep, not the norm. But I'm left-handed, and used to doing things the wrong way :). Regardless, it's how an old friend who got me into serious cycling some 30 years ago set me up. It's the only way I've done it since. I pull out on the strap more than up. I dunno, maybe they held better for him. Release is dead easy. Stay with whatever way works for you though!

AFA pulling up, I pull back moreso than up.

And rootboy, I can't see the clips and straps for the distraction of an obviously NOS NR crankset.

Better your knees than mine.

I avoid "pulling up" for this reason. I've heard from a few folks whose opinion I value that it is a detrimental practice..with clips or clipless. I snug my straps down just enough to have a secure fit, but do not use them to pull during the pedal stroke.

The relative safety of straps vs clipless may be commensurate with personal adaption. I've never used clipless, although I have a box of shoes and some SpeedPlay parts around somewhere. But I've used clipless pedals since I was twelve years old, and they are as natural to me as walking. Sure, you can pull on them, but I cannot see that they are as efficient as clipless. They have other advantages.

The only time I got in trouble with straps and clips was when I used quill pedal cleats on some Shimano shoes. I ended up turtle in the middle of an intersection. Besides, I could never get the damn cleats to stay fixed in one place on the shoe.

I always try to pull up on my pedals whether they're clipped or clipless. That's how I try to maintain a nice, smooth spin on the flats. I also pull up a bit on short steep climbs to get me over the top asap. Not sure if they designed all clipless pedals to pull up on though, as I remember feeling the rear clips on my PP76 pedals lifting up on me when I pull up on the pedals...which scared the heck out of me when they did so as I think it would result in me crashing if I did pull off from them.

Chombi

Please ... more on this!

LOL, quill traps are rather dangerous, but hey, what else to ride on an otherwise pc rig?

Once i pulled up at a red sign and this absolutely stunning girl was rapidly talking in Italian on the phone, on a modern Ridley with some expensive looking kit. The light turns green and she starts of at a very brisk pace, but me being a macho idiot hung on to her back wheel. So it's my turn for a time in the wind. Everything goes smooth, I add a dollop to the speed and she effortlessly followed. Enter the turn. We had a sudden sharp turn in a residential area, and coming in at a good clip, we banked hard. Way too hard. I totally forgot i wasn't on my eggbeaters that day. My Campagnolo quill scrapes the deck and I almost spiral into a disastrous crash, but I managed to save it - barely. She spurts ahead, muttering something jocose in Italian, leaving me with nothing but a very, very hurt sense of pride and a nick on my pristine Record pedal.

Italuminium,
So, I guess you didn't get her number? Ah well. Any woman who talks on a phone while riding is worth a look only. :)

Try to avoid the desire to simply start pedaling with the clips facing down when getting up to speed (the technique I often used as a kid). This will quickly lead to a lot of scrapes at the top of the clip.

Practice track stands. I don't even like to take my cleats out of clipless pedals at lights if I can avoid it (Look cleats are expensive, made of soft plastic, and wear out rather quickly when in regular contact with the pavement).

I'm a believer in the "pedal in circles" philosophy. This is one of the mantras espoused by Eddie B (Edward Borysewics, former U.S. Olympic Cycling coach) in his classic book, Bicycle Road Racing. However, I don't try to pull "up" so much as I try to pull "back" with my calves and hamstrings. At least thats how I visualize it in my head. I'm not sure that anyone contributes much to the pedal stroke from about the 9 o'clock to the 1 o'clock position.

And this is why I use Crankbros and mountain shoes.

I agree with Goucho. Instead of trying to pull up, try to visualize scraping mud off your shoes as you pedal. Works with toe clips or clipless. 40 years of riding and no knee problems plus I haven't died from being clipped in with either system. Dangerous? Hardly.
Also, I tried for a long time to learn to trackstand. When i finally got on a fixed gear I learned almost immediately and then took that to my road bike. So, start with a fixed gear if you want to learn to track stand.

I understand the backwards scraping pull, but then there's that dead upper rear quadrant of your spin if you don't finish with a (forward) pull up on the pedals..... Come to think of it, the "pull up" we are talking about is never really a straight pull up as the pedaling circle would not let you do so anyway. it's only going up at the transition point between the third and last quadrant of your pedaling circle.


Chombi

From what I was advised, it saps your energy and isn't good on your knees (specifically the tendons, for which it is an unnatural action)