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-   -   why do some prefer straps to clipless? (https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/302903-why-do-some-prefer-straps-clipless.html)

Boss Moniker 05-28-07 07:25 AM


Originally Posted by SugarPILL
can you take a pic of them, or take a look what model they are, I have been looking around for some. If you can wear them through a school day, those are the ones fo me.

Shimano Sh-M037, although the reviewer at this site says they're not so hot for actual MTB-ing, and I'd prefer velcro and a stiffer sole for road biking, they're perfect for commuting and doing everything in between. And my cleats don't rub. Looks like they're a little hard to find, I suspect they're not produced anymore.

lima_bean 05-28-07 08:20 AM


Originally Posted by morbot
hardly relates to this conversation though, since hardly anyone advocates riding only platforms. he'd have still been fscked if he was in clips & straps, id imagine.


He would have been OK in powergrips probably though =p

BeerBiker 05-28-07 08:39 AM

I like clipless, a lot. It's like anything else, you ride them long enough and engaging/disengaging become second nature, no matter what system you run. I've run SPDs, Speedplays and most recently Eggbeaters. Speedplays are the easiest as far as engaging and disengaging, but the cleats suck for walking on. SPDs are the best for walkability and my favorite shoes for riding and walking around in are Shimano SPD sandals. They aren't the best for power transfer, but they are very comfortable for walking around in... They're a decent compromise in power transfer and comfort. They make touring shoes that are comfy to walk in, as well. To me, the only real downside of clipless is the cost.

Mark

canice 05-28-07 09:14 AM

i just switched to spds from clips + straps, and i can't believe i didn't do it sooner.

geraldinho 05-28-07 10:06 AM

for the same reason some prefer fixed to ss... its all preference. Unless you ask every single person, you're not truly going to know why.

doofo 05-28-07 10:16 AM

then all we need to do is to get every single person to post in this thread...

worthy endeavor i think

LóFarkas 05-28-07 11:09 AM


Originally Posted by blickblocks
Because I'm not a Sunday cyclist. I ride to get places, and I need to walk when I get there.

I've been wearing SPD shoes on about 200 days per year for the last 3 years. That's a fair bit of walking around, and I have not been swallowed by a black hole or anything - yet.

Of course there are more comfy shoes to walk in than SPD, but most of the time I don't notice it at all. If you walk a lot, it's obviously not going to work. Normal in/out of buildings etc. aren't bad at all.

DoshKel 05-28-07 11:13 AM

I don't feel comfortable riding clipless. If I ever start racing, maybe I will learn to use clipless, but for around town and training rides... I love them staps :).

doofo 05-28-07 12:15 PM

i am with lofarkas

comfort and fashion vary by individual

but i walk all the time in clipless shoes and ive never broken a bone doing it

if you can learn to ride a bike you can learn to walk in clipless mountain biking shoes too

garagegirl 05-28-07 12:39 PM

I prefer riding clipless, but my job requires me to be on my feet all day. Even with really comfy adidas minretts, I still have to change my shoes when I get to work. So- my commuter bike gets clips and straps (soon to be powergrips). I'm also getting a pair of real mtb shoes with stiffer soles for long rides. The minretts suck on anything over 20 miles.

doofo 05-28-07 12:44 PM

hey folks who ride clips and straps

do your feet sweat when you ride
?

i am happy to change my shoes and socks when i get to work

i wonder if my feet are extra sweaty or something

i never ride slow sweat up a storm and dress accordingly

am i dirty
?

taken67 05-28-07 01:33 PM

My Sidi MTB shoes are plenty comfortable for the bar/friend's house. As for work, I just leave a pair of shoes there. I don't think anyone has mentioned pedal clearance as a plus for clipless.

BeerBiker 05-28-07 03:04 PM


Originally Posted by garagegirl
I prefer riding clipless, but my job requires me to be on my feet all day. Even with really comfy adidas minretts, I still have to change my shoes when I get to work. So- my commuter bike gets clips and straps (soon to be powergrips). I'm also getting a pair of real mtb shoes with stiffer soles for long rides. The minretts suck on anything over 20 miles.

Truthfully, I keep a pair of shoes at work for my commute days.

Mark

KrisPistofferson 05-28-07 03:05 PM

Converse All Stars.

queerpunk 05-28-07 04:00 PM

I love riding with clipless pedals.

I do not, however, like hanging out in clipless shoes. There are plenty of times when I spend a whole weekend on my bike, and my feet start to hurt and feel tired. Wah, wah, wah.

Also, ****in' around and whatnot - less fun with clipless. I find clips and straps to be better for ****in' around, easier to pull out of when that no-handed one-foot-on-the-front-wheel trackstand goes awry and sends you up that exponential disaster slope (leaning, leaning... FALLING!).

Same goes for stupid skid attempts.

nexus6 05-28-07 06:09 PM

clipless is great for commutes and long rides, but for the week end ride to the shops or cafe for lunch, straps and sneakers are better. i've swapped back and forth a couple of times - i like both.

kyselad 05-28-07 07:49 PM

For the sake of redundancy, I'll chime in. Clipless is a fantastic ride. Any decent, modern pedal simply will not disengage unpredictably, and unclipping becomes second nature. For both reasons, I feel infinitely safer with clipless than in clips. Clips just take more time to wiggle out of; otherwise, they're set too loose to provide much of an advantage. But that's just for riding, and as others point out, that stiff sole sux on land.

If your commute is long enough or you're big on how your ride feels, go clipless. Get mountain or touring shoes so you can walk moderate distances -- you're not out racing in lycra, so the extra shoe ain't slowing you down. Keep a pair of regular shoes at your destination, because you don't want that stiff sole all day. If you don't put in crazy miles and/or you're not super-fussy about your ride like I am, clips are fine and far more versatile.

radcopter 05-28-07 09:01 PM

i go back and forth. i get tired of wearing my clipless shoes around (and slipping on those marble lobby floors downtown), so i switch to the clips. then i get tired of the extra hassle they add (not as much power, the frustration of not being able to get your foot in), and i switch back to clipless.
i used to be terrible at skidding and skipping with clips, but it gets easier the more you use them. i still get a little sketched out trackstanding at lights, but that fear is slowly receding.

willypilgrim 05-28-07 09:12 PM


Originally Posted by aussie_SS
It's Kinky.............and they cost a lot of money when MKS is stamped on them

?
20dollar pedals and 12 dollar clips?

chillywater 05-28-07 09:15 PM

As a MTB rider I always depended on my Times, loved them. Liked Look style on my roadie. I ride brakeless and would never ride brakeless with any clip system, they do unclip from time to time(I'm thinking railroad tracks and roots). And I just ride for fun and commuting so I like to wear comfortable shoes for off the bike which accounts for at least half my time.

soze 05-28-07 09:59 PM

I recently got on the clipless bandwagon, and I'm not going back. I love it. I ride Eggbeaters with a pair of Specialized Riata MTB shoes. I think if you want to be able to walk decently you should go for MTB shoes, they have a little grip to their soles.

Clips/straps would dick over my nice shoes so I'd end up bringing two pairs anyway.

Kol.klink 05-28-07 10:10 PM

ive actually gotten very used to converse allstars, at first they really suck but, i have to say now any other shoe just feals cumbersom

Six jours 05-28-07 10:56 PM


Any decent, modern pedal simply will not disengage unpredictably...
Eggbeaters and SPDs must not be decent, then. Unless you count that a good sharp upward yank will release the cleat is "predictable". :p

babychris 05-28-07 11:04 PM

I like clips and straps for what just happened 10 minutes ago...

as I was coming up to my apartment, I started to wheelie, I soon started to wheelie too much and went over, pulling my feet out in time and catching myself. if I had clipless, I would of probably fallen.

Avian 05-28-07 11:19 PM

I just have two bikes. One clipless for longer rides/commuting (I leave a pair of shoes at school and at work) and one clips and straps for messing around in.


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