Half clips or PowerGrips for commuting?
 

I've been thinking about getting half clips such as http://www.outsideoutfitters.com/ps-...toe-clips.aspx or PowerGrips for my commuters. Does anyone use these? If you use half clips (or any other type of strapless the clip that you like and can recommend that would be great. FWIW: I have big feet (US 11.5), if that matters for the toe clip models.

I currently have toe clips with straps on my new bike, and while I'll get more used to it eventually, I don't like them in areas with lots of stops. But I think the half clips or PowerGrips might be a good compromise for my commuter.

if you feel the need to have your feet so firmly attached , power grips, do that.

if all you need is the ability to spin the pedal back up to restart at the traffic-light,

then the half clip may be fine .. some pedals with toeclips are easier to flip over than others,
but shoesole tread lugs may interfere..

One thing I did having the floppy nylon webbing Toe strap so common,
I stiffened it up by impregnating it with Plastidip, then it was not so floppy any more..

if you can find the toe clips with 2 loops they hold the strap open better.. they are a Mtb/90's
separated by an inch or so parallel , rather than the sprinters double strap type

holds the strap loop open, for the stuffing the toe of your shoe in.
no great need to ever tighten the strap, really..

This is definitely part of my problem with the straps. I tend to ride in hiking shoes and the tread is definitely an issue. I guess I could by new shoes, but I actually like these so I don't want to go that route. Also, I'd have the problem next winter anyway when it is time for boots.

I've got PowerGrips on my fixed-gear, and like them with regular sneakers. Unfortunately, your hiking shoes won't play well with most foot-retention systems.

I too use hiking boots at times, KEEN's other times. I use YNOT straps which I can adjust pretty easily.

Thanks for the YNOT straps suggestion. They look like they might work well for me.

+1. Thanks! I wear size 13W work boots and don't want to carry them in my backpack. I'll check these out too. How about Hold-Fast, anyone love those? I'm ok with just platforms but I've been wanting to try straps for a while.

Yeah, I love my Power Grips but the disadvantage is that they're really annoying to adjust. The extra-large ones are too big for my feet in normal shoes, and the normal ones are too small for my feet in hiking shoes (for rain/snow).

(I have size 12 feet.)

One of the things I've figured it out is that you still need a shoe with a relatively stiff sole if you want to use foot retention and pedal with the balls of your feet. I use New Balance M565s, which work pretty well. Other running-ish shoes I've tried are too floppy.

I tried Hold Fasts not long ago. I decided I didn't like anything like that for commuting because I usually can't go more than five blocks without having to put my foot down for a traffic light or a stop sign that has traffic at it. I did use them on one short tour and they were okay. I'd get annoyed having to set them up for different shoes any time I decided to wear something different. For me, in the city, platforms rule.

I don't want to start a riot here, but last year, I got the bright idea to remove the clips from my commuter and just ride au natural. Now I just get on the bike and go, and I never have to worry about fumbling for the clips when I start up again after a traffic light.

I've been riding without any clips or straps, so I know the convenience. Still, I'd like to try something else, but maybe the grass isn't always greener on the other side. ;)

My two commuter bikes have White Industries pedals and Bruce Gordon half clips and they are the best combination I have ever tried. They are pricey but they work great. Bruce Gordon even make a version for big boots. Checkout his website.

^ Yeah, I think I feel about the same as you do. I'm gonna give straps a try soon just to see what I'm missing, but I've never had a problem with platforms and I think I'll wind up sticking with them. MZ, thanks for input on hold-fast!

I have been using Ergon's pedals for a couple winters, (&) and dont even consider straps
on other than my Older sport and touring bike. City riding , just too many stops, & multiple shoe options.

Might get to put on the Keens-clones in a few weeks.. , for a day or 2 :rolleyes:

those wide velcro straps are in the public domain, so lots of other sewing persons can also get them to you .

The use of wide reflective Material over the foot seems a good option..

I use and recommend dual sided clip-in pedals: One side is platform, the other side I can clip in. Not for everybody, but it works well for me.

I use powergrips in winter and clipless in summer. the powergrips work fine with my treaded winter boots, but they aren't exactly mukluks. I can get a foot down in a hurry, too.

As always, ymmv.

I liked them when I was on wide open roads, they felt better than toe clips which I used for a time in the past. I might be tempted to try them again touring, but it just isn't worth the hassle to me to have any sort of retention system in the city.

I have used the half toe clips which makes it fairly easy to slip into when taking off in traffic. They are very good at retaining the shoe to pedal connection and they worked really well for me. I switch to clipless pedals and mountain shoes with cleats in the spring/summer months to gain some efficiency but those are a little tricky in stop and go traffic. In the winter when it gets really cold out, I switch to platform pedals and hiking boots for warmth.

I use or have used both. The metal clips can be hard on the toe your shoes, like traps, but large plastic MTB half clips on big pedals (like bear traps) are great for commuting or touring with a variety of shoes. Powergrips are excellent, but the black resin strap can make a mess out of any light colored shoe over time, and as said they aren't quick adjust so if you wear a variety of shoes they are a pain. If I was wearing big lugged soles I wouldn't use either.

I've used each of these:

◘ Delta Half-Clips
-These are Easy Mode, and great if you're completely green to the idea of toe clips. They've served me just fine, even though they lack the true gripping power (the point of which is to keep you from having to press down to keep feet on the pedals after a downstroke) of "real" toe clips. I'd still use them if they were my only option. As usual, not *all* shoe types/sizes are accommodated, but these worked well on my first geared commuter.

◘ Origin8 Straps
- These are "OK" for the price, but honestly I found them a little cumbersome to keep adjusted at the "sweet spot" (just enough grip to hold tight without making it difficult to slip back in). On top of that, they don't last too long if you happen to ride in inclement conditions.

◘ Sunlite Toe Clips
-These have actually become my favorite foot retention method; even though the straps themselves are cheap, I happen to have leather scraps lying around that have served as good replacements. It's not too difficult to "clip in", so to speak, and they hold *just* tight enough to do the job. On top of that, they're quite stylish, and most people would never guess they were cheap-tier clips.

◘ Power Grips
- I didn't enjoy these. On top of having to put them at the largest setting just to accommodate my big feet (in sneakers, mind you), they rubbed against the pedal arms to where you couldn't roll the pedals backwards in order to properly "clip in". They pretty much stayed facing downward the entire time, and this was my primary gripe. Even if I had purchased the X-Large version of these, it would have retained the same fundamental problem, with regards to feet as wide as my own.

As always, YMMV, but my experience made the Sunlite X-Large Toe Clips the best choice for me, above all, with the delta half-clips coming in second place. Hope this helps.

I may have the chance to go on a kind of mellow week-long tour this fall, so perhaps that would be the right situation to give them a shot. I could really see myself getting into trouble with straps in traffic. Thanks again.

All my bikes have home made mini clips. I just cut regular clips, whether metal or plastic but you can purchase actual mini clips. Been doing this for years and years and I love it that way. So long as they wrap around your toe they're not going anywhere. I would caution against doing this with soft plastic clips, you need a good rigid clip to cut, plastic or metal. I have 1 bike with soft clips and after cutting them they are less reliable. These pictured here on 2 dif bikes work great.

I didn't see it mentioned above, so I'll mention this one detail regarding Powergrips.

The metal piece which extends from side to hold the strap open wide enough for regular shoes will strike the ground in tight turns if you're using on a road bike (or any bike with a low BB). I had pedal strikes with PGs on my LHT on the very first ride, where pedals alone never struck the ground before in thousands of rides. I had to stop pedaling through some turns to prevent this. I gave up on the PGs pretty quickly for this reason.

http://biketouringnews.com/wp-conten...ergrip-007.jpg

PGs do hold your foot in place, however getting into them is harder than toe clips. I prefer toe clips to PGs overall.

i tried Power Grips. didn't like the feel and they weren't easily adjustable.

now i'm a big fan of bmx pedals w/ velcro straps:

http://www.gussetbikes.com/ison/imag...traps-rd-b.jpg

Thanks everyone for your input. I'll have to read up on some of the suggestions and try one or two of them out.