i hate it. i decided to try out some clips for the first time (mks pedals/cages christophe straps) because my eggbeaters are broke and need to be sent in for repair and i cant live 4 days or whatever turn around time they have without a bike. heres the verdict:

pluses:
i can wear any shoes
i have had one very scary emergency stop (i ride breakless) where i uncliped, i doubt this would happen with the cages

minuses:
harder to get in
harder to get out
i always feel like immabout to pull out
now all i seem to want to do is push on the pedals, definitely not power throughout the whole arch of motion

after about a week i should get my beaters back, then ill decide if i should sell the beaters or sell the mks

the minuses should all be corrected with time and proper technique! you can get in and out easier by wearing slimmer, less bulky shoes and also by not switching shoes around so much when you ride. i try to always ride with the same shoes, that way i dont keep having to adjust the straps tighter and looser. if you feel like you are about to pull out you might have clips that are too small, not allowing your foot to stand properly on the pedal. also, your straps might not be tight enough. as far as the power transfer, that is something that can be corrected with A-running straps and clips of proper size and tightness, and by B-getting used to the "feel" of the ride and also perhaps improving your pedaling technique. the reason it feels less powerful is because you are using your legs more now and there is a larger degree of precision needed --- whereas the safety net of those clip-in shoes made it too easy on yourself.

stick with the clips and straps for another week! guaranteed convert!

Funny, I think I just converted from clips and straps to clipless...

Clips aren't suppiosed to be easy to get out of slim shoes with smooth soles make them even less effective. Road clips and straps where designed to be used with cleats which make it impposible to pull you foot out without loosening the strap. What you call proper technique is actually really really bad technique and just means limiting your pedal stroke by one of the weakest muscles in your leg... this had all been covered ad nauseum before anyway.

If everyone is a garaunteed convert given enough time why did the vast majority of serious riders switch from clips to clipless?

those bandwagon hopping dumbasses.

i tried that once (clipless -> clips), also ended up going back. i've got big feet (size 13), so I ordered some X-Large MKS clips, but they just didn't do it for me. yeah it was conveinient, and after some practice it was easy to clip in, but I missed the feeling of really being anchored to the pedals. now if crank bros. just made a pedal akin to the shimano M324 (with a platform on one side), i'd be oh so happy.....

I think one of the main inequalities is that when people "try out" clips, they are usually doing it with really crappy straps, and thus don't get quite the experience you should. But, when people try out clipless, even the cheapest clipless setups offer essentially the same feeling as the most expensive ones, so it's easier to get into. Too sense.

I think most people use clips before clipless though. It's usually a question of going back to thier old clips & straps for one reason or another. Also the choice of pedals and shoes has a much larger effect on the feel of clips&straps then the difference between even cheapo nylon straps and the fanciest leather ones.

I put maybe 2 years into my clips and straps before I switched to clipless. When I switched back briefly, I couldn't believe how much I hated it. I rode for about a week, and had to put the clipless back on. I can't believe how I managed to ride for so long with clips!

For me clips work best when you actually tighten the straps.

plus one. i reach down and tighten within a few strokes. i also reach down and loosen when i'm slowing to get off. i can pull out if i need to, but i'm not gonna pull out accidentally.

Indeed you shouldn't be able to slip your foot in when the straps are anywhere near tight enough. They work even better if you tighten them so you can't get out without loosening too. But thats a bit of a hassle which is why all the roadies switched to clipless.

don't use cheap straps. i've only seen one type of christophe straps and they are garbage. quality straps make a world of difference.

right, but i see a lot of people with loose straps who i'm guessing are either uncomfortable with tightening them, or don't realize that they're supposed to be all snug-like.

It was a revelation to me when I realized that you don't have to thread the strap through all of the little slots in the buckle to keep the strap on your foot...if set up correctly, you can just feed the strap over the serrated teeth, which makes it easy to reach down, pull the strap, and tighten. Just flicking the buckle loosens them enough to get out.

Maybe everyone knows this; I'd generally switched to clipless by the time I'd figured it out, but now I've got a pair of clips/straps on my around-town bike.

46 x 17 - please come and explain clips and straps to poor dutret again; thanks!

can we just copy/paste the last thread over into this one?

that'll work too!

Clips and straps only really work if you tighten down the strap pretty effing tight. It will still be inferior to clipless, but passably good.
However, if you tighten the strap, good luck when your front wheel slips out from under you in a corner on wet pavement. Mine did 3 days ago, and I managed to put my foot down and stay upright (I use SPD clipless). I was astonished that I clipped out so effing fast, instinctively. Not the first time, either.

BTW, somebody tell me WTF diffference "high quality" straps make. I only ever had cheapos. You tighten them, they stay that way. That's about what I expect from any strap... What else can a $100 leather double hipster jewel do?

The double-straps offer more coverage, which makes them feel tighter and more secure.
Also, nicer straps won't stretch our or break as quickly.

High quality = laminated and often a double-strap. Not really hipster, unless you consider track racers who use them for better foot retention as "hipsters" in your mass assumption.

My experince:
Errebi Double Strap, Laminated. Purchased Feb 02
Just this year, the leather started to separate near the non-crankarm side of the pedal. I used these for two solid years of commuting. For the past two years, they see recreational/errands use only as I ride different pedals at the track and haven't been able to commute like I used to. I prefer the versatility of shoe wear clips/straps offers. I had a set of Silva's prior to these and blew through them in 4 months.

I had two sets of ATAC pedals stolen from my bike when I commuted. No one wanted my clips/straps thankfully.

After one of my cheapo straps broke in traffic,
I got the "hipster version" straps really quick.
[165], sorry 'bout the time's, I needed something
for the track.

I would hope that it would feel better. That's one of the main reasons I don't like my (admittedly cheap) straps; they're just uncomfortable.

Yes, of course expensive leather straps last longer. But to make that longevity pay, they'd have to last 10+ times as long as a cheapo nylon, cuz they are 10 times more expensive. I don't think they do. My cheapies lasted like 2000 miles, and that's because my immensely wide shoes wore them down quickly. You won't get 30,000 miles out of a leather strap, I feel.

Let's just say you guys like the looks and be done with it. "quality straps make a world of difference" is just BS. Maybe doubles make a noticeable difference as opposed to singles.

"I prefer the versatility of shoe wear clips/straps offers." I guessed that much. One has to make a compromise.

Edit: Huh? The strap doesn't really even touch your shoes, does it? And still, its shoes. Maybe doubles are comfier. But most prolly it's the cage that matters, and the shoes you're wearing. I'd be willing to bet my left testicle that a leather single strap is not comfier than a nylon.

Quality straps = double straps