Bike Forums - Pedals With Toe Clips: Who Uses Them? How Tight?

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- - Pedals With Toe Clips: Who Uses Them? How Tight? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/827179-pedals-toe-clips-who-uses-them-how-tight.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by E.S. (Post 14393915)

+4.

Never tried clipless. I ride with running shoes and clips loose enough to slide my shoes in and out effortlessly. Works great and is cheap. :)

I've seen enough bicyclists fall over at stops when they couldn't remember the motion to unclip their shoes that I'm not interested. I've also ridden a lot with platform pedals that have pins. I prefer wide MKS touring pedals with toe clips, and I have the straps just tight enough to keep my feet in place but still allow easy retraction. The clips keep my feet in place very well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ira B (Post 14416743)

+4.

+5...I just added Power Grips on my SS today, and the difference between half-clips (no straps), full-clips, and this is phenomenal! They stay tighter than regular clips, but getting your feet out is a snap! And, of course, I don't have to buy a specific shoe type/cleats to go with it. :thumb:

Quote:

Originally Posted by provisional (Post 14391345)

I commute ~30 miles round trip and use pedals with toe clips. I like riding with the clips tight, to the point where I need to reach down and loosen the clip to get my foot out. That's obviously extremely unsafe, but I've found that I pedal faster and more comfortably with the clips tight.

I recall recently hearing that to have the maximum efficiency, the toe clips need to be very tight. Years ago I had toe clips and never really felt that comfortable with them. When I had them snug I always had issues getting my foot out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surrealdeal (Post 14392099)

I tork mine down to the point that I got to loosen one when I approach a stop or an unsure situation where I might need to put a foot down in a hurry. Over the years the motion of reaching down and loosening the strap has become second nature to me. In an all-out emergency I could get my foot out if I had to but nowhere near as gracefully.

I am riding on a 22 year old pair of Nike cycling shoes with integrated cleats that have been worn down to nothing; the end is in sight. I do ride pretty hard and fall under what a previous poster referred to as a good candidate for clipless. I'm leaning in that direction, my thoughts are to Mtn shoes with recessed cleats as opposed to road as I will want to be able to walk a few steps in them here and there.

Then you need 'touring' shoes not mtb shoes. Touring shoes have a deeper recess to allow the spd cleats room to clear the ground so one doesn't 'click' while walking around. The trade-off is that the soles of touring shoes are softer than mtb shoes. Lake, Cannondale, etc. make good touring shoes.

Also, make sure to get cleats than are more thin than normal from shoe to ground/street surface. That will help to avoid ground strike in your shoes as well. Just a mm or 2 makes a big difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Chaos (Post 14424887)

Ha, I am one of the FALLEN too.. ;) I commute on all my vintage bikes, and they all have toe clips. However, one day I took my Litespeed Classic on my commute because I wanted to hit the bike trail when I got off from work. Low and behold, I am downtown in traffic, and I come up what I thoght was smooth pavement, but it was a curb. I am clipped in, and over I go!! :D

Speaking only for myself, on commuting, I am using toe clips. On bike rides, then I go with my clipless. I need to have my feet ready in traffic..