Hi all,

The only real problem with my new Downtube IXNS folder is the slippery pedals. I rode to work in the rain today and the problem was, of course, much worse. It could be that I'm used to clipless pedals... So:

I thought of putting on a pair of clipless pedals but decided it would take too much away from the casual character of the bike.

My question: Can different shoes help much? Like skater shoes or something similar? Has anyone tried that? I've been using running shoes till now and the results haven't been great.

Thanks,
Sotirios

Try the BMX or downhill MTB style pedals. They have little studs on them. Paired with a soft rubber soled shoe it should be plenty grippy. The crank brother 5050 seems nice.

it's the pedal, not the shoes. barba is right, try BMX. I went with the "Campus" pedal, one side almost like a BMX pedal, clipless on the other.

Same here! I switched to the "Campus". It's the best of both worlds. As a matter of fact I use them on almost all my bikes.

*cough* Clipless! *cough*

Just get some SPD's and a recessed-cleat shoe, and you're all set. You can also go for the bike sandals, and put your regular shoes in your bag or whatever. I don't know if you currently ride clipless, but for me now that I'm used to clipless I really hate using normal pedals.

FWIW I'm not a fan of those "one side platform, one side clipless" pedals. The clipless side tends to face up --which is great if you are riding that side, a pain if you're using the platform side.

FWIW... I'm thinking of trying Power Grips, which is supposed to work with any shoe, require no hands and give nearly as good traction as clipless. Somone else on this forum said she had them and liked them. I haven't tried them yet, so YMMV.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I actually already ride clipless. I have 2 other bikes with SPD pedals so I wanted to keep this folder simple. I was also hoping to keep the folding pedals since they seem to make the bike a bit more portable. They have little studs on them so I figured they should be grippier!

I think I'll try different shoes first. If that doesn't work I might just end up putting clipless pedals on it. The platform/spd pedals sound interesting. I've also seen cheapo plastic clip-on platforms that can clip into one side.

I'm a little worried about going into upgrade mode though... It usually never ends!

I'm sure such a thing exists that's an SPD on one side and a normal mtb sort of pedal on the other. Then you get the best of both worlds...

(I'm actually currently looking into ways of retro-fitting SPD cleats into nicer shoes - ie Converse Allstars or Adidas Superstars...)

They are called campus pedals. Performance often sells them cheap.

You would need a serious way to reinforce the sole of a Chuck T to not rid them apart using SPDs. The other issue would be that the cleat would not be recessed at all. It would likely leave an odd metal pivot point under foot and wear the cleat faster. If you manage to get a mod that works, please post it. I would love to see the results.

I love my power grips. Had to get extra mounting brackets to put them on my MDK FD-2 folding pedals, but they are awesome. check out the pick of my bike in the downtube thread and you'll see the power grips on it.

Piece of sheet alu under the insole is my notion. It's possible they'd still be recessed if I cut enough out of the bottom.

I've got an old pair of shell toes just dying to be SPD - I might get the scalpel out and will report back if things are going well...

Powergrips are pretty cool. I used them for quite some time but now I ride clipless.

On my folders I use these MKS EZ- Cube clipless quick-release pedals. I still get the small size fold by popping the pedal off . Plus I can slip in the MKS quick release platform pedals if I want to go clipless-less.

If you can live with a pedal sticking out when you fold the bike, the campus style pedals will be much cheaper.

+1 here.

I've been riding clipless since '91 (Look, Time, SPD and clones, and now Eggbeaters). Riding in platforms feels really weird, as my tendency is to pull back and up at about 5 o'clock in the pedal stroke, and so with nothing to hold it in place, my foot comes clean up and off the pedal. Proof of wasted power.

Clipless or clips n straps or Power Grips, you really should have something to keep your foot in place on the pedal, if not for safety, for better pedaling efficiency.

I just had another pair of Campus pedals installed on my second bike. So far, I still haven't found anything better.

I'm curious if anyone's tried the Crank Bros mallets. They seem like they'd provide clipless, but also some platform for when heading to the store or whatever. My folder is also my around-town bike, so I'm not always going to want to clip in.

Yeah I've had Mallets. The eggbeater wings sticks up above the platform part, so not all that great for using normal shoes. Unless you take a scalpel to the sole and cut out a recess for the wings to sit in...