double layered double straps.

The strap should definitely touch your shoe. Its the straps job to press your foot against the pedal cage so your foot can't slip off the back and to allow you to pull up against it.

The clip is mainly there to hold the strap open so you can get your foot into it easily. You are talking about the toe clip "cage", right, not the pedal cage?

Unless I'm doing something drastically wrong, the straps definitely touch my shoes... The only parts of the strap that don't are going through the hole in the cages and underneath the pedal. My shoes aren't the thickest either, so that may be causing the discomfort, but they are the shoes I like.

Because the vast majority of serious riders don't ride fixed-wheel bicycles.

Go look at professionals that ride fixed (messengers and track races) and then count again.
Not too many clipless pedals around in those brackets and the clipless numbers will decline even more in hilly areas.

NO 46x17 --- you are wrong! "ALL roadies switched." didn't you know? every single roadie has switched. dutret proclaims: clips and straps are obsolete.

No ****, I had better stock up then

I know, I know, and they did the right thing of course, but fixed-wheel still does not equal free-wheel no matter what classifications we use. I am a firm believer that this difference influences pedal choice.

according to dutret's lame and uneducated banter -- that's the case!

Yeah, I'll throw them in the box with all the promax hubs I have aquired.

me too. not just a belief, but an accepted and well-substantiated truth!

Yeah - hipsters really know their ****. Thank god for trustfund testing...

and as far as the ATACs, glad someone I know took them.

And just to make this relevant for the OP.

Christophe straps are bottom of the barrel. The stretch and flex and snap.
Get some toshi laminated single straps. They are about $50 and well worth the money.

christophe steel clips, on the other hand, are top of the heap!

woah, let's step back a bit...and let's not use the term *professional* loosely here either:

I'm willing to bet, most messengers use clips and straps because they want to wear regular shoes/sneaks and not be bothered with cycling specific roadie shoes. (Regardless of the technical merits of either choice.) They also want something easy to get out of. I doubt messengers (or most users of clips and straps) tighten the straps on both pedals. Those that don't have those grievances, use clipless with mountain bike shoes or road shoes. Regardless, of riding fixed or not.

Regarding track riders, it seems only track sprinters have a need or desire to use clips and straps. If you look at a World Cup scratch race, most, if not all, of the riders are using clipless. Six-day racers, clipless. Then again, you may not consider these endurance riders professionals. And, the reason track sprinters use straps is because they don't want to pull their foot out during a sprint or standing start, so they tighten the sh*t out of their straps.

Now, as far as roadies and clips and straps goes, most older roadies still sport clips and straps. That's how they roll./

I, quite obviously, disagree.

good god you ****ers are good at attacking strawmen. I never said that there was no reason to use clips and straps. I agree with the OPs analysis of the pluses and minuses of clips and straps. Saying that you just need to develop "good pedal technique" is flat out wrong. The technique your talking about is really really inefficient.

Ok maybe not all roadies switched... There are still some beginers that don;t use them and a very very small number of old fogies that use slotted cleats still. These people however don't ride much. I think I can safely say that all serious roadies, all most all track racers(they use cleats anyway) and mtbers, have switched away from clips. Further all but a couple of the messengers and really talented, experienced fixie riders I know use clipless so apparently clips are not the rule there either. And yes there are some exceptions but I'm willing to bet that even amongst all fixie riders there are far more people who have switched from clips to clipless and rather then the opposite.

Even if it that wasn't the case though messengers are a cliqueish, machismo ridden bunch and they don't always choose the most practicle option.

let me reiterate the +/-es of clips and straps with soft soled shoes

+very predictable release unless a strap breaks(pretty uncommon with well cared for straps but unpredictable release in clipless with unworn cleats is too)
+can wear comfortable every day shoes
+such shoes don't look ridiculous
-cannot pull up as hard on the pedals
-cannot push down as hard on the pedals
-if shoes don't have smooth soles or strap is really cranked down to avoid the above two problems it's hard to get the foot out in emergencies.

So yes there are advantages and these advantages probably appeal more to fixie riders due to both what they generally use their bkes for and the changing priorities that the lack of friction brakes cause. However they do have serious drawbacks as well.

So, wait, why are clips and straps automatically better for fixies, especially with hills?

And why is a pedal system that allows you to transfer full power at all sections of the pedal stroke less efficient than one that doesn't?

It all comes down to preference, as far as I'm concerned, and personally I noticed a world of improvement once I switched from clips to clipless. I'm just really confused by the rationalizations for the above two arguments.

Becausse it is safer. No accidental unclipping. Especially when pitching bike sideways or doing hockey stops.
The safety factor is closely related to riding style. If you ride on the road without handbrakes straps are recommended over clipless. Riding in hilly terrain puts more strain on your foot retention system therefore you want to make sure it is secure. If you want more preaching do a search for my threads. I repeat myself about once every month.

That still doesn't mean they're better, it just means you twist your foot when you're doing certain things. If you can do them and not twist your foot, then it seems like kind of a tossup, eh?

Some things require foot twisting and side to side pressure.

Un-****ing-believable.

My fixed had clips/straps at first and I found I was way to uncoordinated to be able to chinch them up tight (or loosen them to get out). Switched to clipless and never looked back. So much easier.

Al

who actually cinches up and loosens there straps everytime they get on/off their bike? that would be a pain in the ass and pretty much pointless unless you are on the track or something.

I've only done a few mins of fixed / clipless. My impression? I could stop WAY more efficiently without managing my feet / pedal position. Not sure I'd trust 'em in a emergency or hard stop....but I've been there with loose clips too and came out all right.

Regarding strap quality-- I've had standard MKS leather and no-name cheapie leather from Ben's Bike. I bought the latter 'cause they were black and cheap ($5). I figured I'd give 'em a shot. They suck.

Not only is the leather a crappier grain, the buckle slips easily-- won't lash down half as well as the mks. And the worst part is that the buckly is attached by a single rivet and therefore pivots outward when I insert my foot....making getting into the clips difficult even when "loose". The mks set is double-rivetted such that this doesn't happen.

I gotta get some new straps.

i have those laminated rubber straps from bensbikes (i think) and at first i was super skeptical but now i love them. like $10 and no leather? win win.

i have the straps tight enough that i cant really move my foot up, so there's no slack when it comes to skipping/skidding, but i can pull out straight back with no problems

i rode clipless for awhile and while it is a much more 'connected' experience, it wasnt worth changing shoes over