Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Faster with toe clips?

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Faster with toe clips?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-30-12 | 05:01 AM
  #1  
Thread Starter
Newbie
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Faster with toe clips?

Hi,
I've been using toe clips with sneakers for years and have recently changed over to clipless. It has been roughly a month using clipless and I find that my average speed per ride was much faser using toe clips that it has been with clipless pedals. Does anyone have an explanation why this may be the case? Thanks.
Smite is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 05:14 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
Community Builder
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 15,261
Likes: 1,759
From: Far beyond the pale horizon.
"Much faster"? What speeds are you talking about?

Since racers don't use toe-clips with sneakers, it could be something funny with your technique or a change in position/fitting.

For most riders, the speed difference is likely to be fairly small (not "much faster") anyway.
njkayaker is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 05:24 AM
  #3  
DropDeadFred's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,429
Likes: 1

Bikes: 2013 orca

think circles...
DropDeadFred is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 05:56 AM
  #4  
ahsposo's Avatar
Artificial Member
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
Community Builder
Active Streak: 30 Days
 
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,162
Likes: 7,459
From: The Cloud

Bikes: Retrospec Judd, Dahon Boardwalk, Specialized Langster

Originally Posted by DropDeadFred
think crop circles...
ftfy
__________________
ahsposo is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 05:59 AM
  #5  
DropDeadFred's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,429
Likes: 1

Bikes: 2013 orca

Originally Posted by ahsposo
ftfy
true
DropDeadFred is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 06:04 AM
  #6  
Bob Dopolina's Avatar
Mr. Dopolina
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 10,276
Likes: 185
From: Taiwan

Bikes: KUUPAS, Simpson VR

Did you adjust your seat height when you changed over? This could make a difference in your ability to produce power.
__________________
BDop Cycling Company Ltd.: bdopcycling.com, facebook, instagram



Bob Dopolina is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 06:11 AM
  #7  
IthaDan's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,852
Likes: 14
From: Ithaca, NY

Bikes: Click on the #YOLO

Placebo. Just like all that weight weenie BS. Think fast thoughts and be fast.

Serious answer: toe clips, more than anything, keep your foot on the "sweet spot" of the pedal. It wouldn't be called a sweet spot if there weren't performance gains.
IthaDan is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 06:26 AM
  #8  
Administrator
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,651
Likes: 2,698
From: Delaware shore

Bikes: Cervelo C5, Guru Photon, Waterford, Specialized CX

Adjust your seat height to get your old position the same as Bob suggested. Your new shoes will have much stiffer sole that don't flex so you need to get used to that. Also you need to get used to the entire upper surface of the shoe supports the movement rather than a narrow contact point of the old clips
StanSeven is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 07:09 AM
  #9  
trustnoone's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 520
Likes: 0
From: Edmonton AB

Bikes: 2011 Colnago World Cup, 2012 Eddy Merckx AMX-2

Originally Posted by IthaDan
Placebo. Just like all that weight weenie BS. Think fast thoughts and be fast.

Serious answer: toe clips, more than anything, keep your foot on the "sweet spot" of the pedal. It wouldn't be called a sweet spot if there weren't performance gains.
If you haven't done so, check you cleat placement as well. Place you cleats at the ball of the cycling shoe, roughly in the same place where your clips held your sneaker. Make sure both left and right cleats are in the exact same place (fore/aft and left/right). Do a test run. Your pedal stroke should feel natural and pretty much exactly the same as it did with the sneakers and clips (except better )
trustnoone is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 08:20 AM
  #10  
IthaDan's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,852
Likes: 14
From: Ithaca, NY

Bikes: Click on the #YOLO

Oh you already went clipless?

It's gotta be the shoes.

IthaDan is offline  
Reply
Old 04-30-12 | 08:52 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 386
Likes: 0
From: NJ

Bikes: 2009 Specialized Allez 105

You're not going fast enough because your shoes and pedals aren't cRabon
blcknspo0ln is offline  
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Rocky Gravol
Classic & Vintage
261
10-13-20 07:46 PM
MLKATO
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
71
04-20-16 08:17 PM
TripleAce
Road Cycling
59
10-01-12 04:30 PM
stronglegs710
Road Cycling
6
08-25-10 06:05 AM
spwelton
Commuting
10
04-28-10 11:02 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.