Which quad gate clips are better: Soma or All-City?
 

I'm looking to purchase a set of quad-gate toe clips but want to make sure i select a comfortable, fitting pair. I wear sz 8 sneakers and currently use size md MKS single clips and they fit me perfectly. I've narrowed down to either the Soma Oppy XX or the All-City Crayton toe clips (roughly the same price.) It seems they are pretty much identical except the All-City one has a bridge near the top connecting the 2 sides where the loops are and the Soma set doesn't. How does that affect comfort? I was wondering if fellow members have experience with either/both of those toe clips and could give me some opinion on which toe clip I should go with.

Soma Oppy XX:
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...w6B-hrjofaxphQ

All-City Crayton:
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...6WZoUaAvRBR9dr

I wear a size 8 as well, and I use the medium All-City's. Haven't tried the Soma's. That extra bridge just makes it look that much more secure. But the Soma's COULD be a little more comfortable because you don't have that extra bridge digging into your foot... I don't know, though. There's probably not too huge of a difference in feel, but I just like All-City as a brand better than Soma, lol.

Plus, I hear the Soma's break easy. I always though they were the same clips, just minus that extra bridge.

I'm pretty sure they are both the same clips with different logos.

Clips breakage is totally user error; the strap holds your foot in place, not the clip.

^This.

Also, those clips - while having one minor difference other than the logos - are most likely made in the same factory.

For the umteenth time, traditional toe clips and straps were never intended to be used with sneakers. They were intended to be used with classic rigid soled cycling shoes with slotted cleats such as shown in the attached pic. If you wear soft soled shoes like sneakers and want some sort of foot retention, then your best bet are wide soft straps w/o clips, such as the Bikeage ones, combined with some sort of BMX pedal.

...and track bikes were never intended to be used on the street. Just because it's not its intended use doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. I'm pretty sure if people had to wear specific shoes with clips and straps, they would just go with clipless shoes/pedals.

Using sneakers with toe clips / straps is ineffective, uncomfortable and can lead to failures such as described herein. I didn't say it shouldn't be done, just that it doesn't work well, because toe clips / straps are not designed to be used this way. When I began racing bikes eons ago, toe / clips straps and cycling shoes with slotted cleats are what we used, because that was the only system available. As soon as clipless systems such as Look became available, most competitive cyclists switched to this system. Today, toe clips / straps are just a fashion statement.

I guess using track bikes on the street is a fashion statement too... if you were looking for something more effective you'd ride a geared road bike...

With this logic, at least.

OP wasn't asking about the effectiveness of toeclips/straps/sneakers as a whole, but the comfort of these specific ones. Which, I'm rather sure are NOW somewhatintended for sneaker use. Otherwise, NO ONE would buy them. Just as some track bikes are NOW somewhat intended for street use...

I've used both, and found the Somas more secure/rigid, but that's not because of the clips. It's because I was using laminated leather straps versus thin, synthetic leather straps on the All-Cities.

Get whatever clips you can afford, and invest more time and effort in finding good straps. In the end I find cheap plastic clips to be just as good as steel, as long as you've got quality leather to hold your foot in. The clip is just there to keep your foot from sliding forward and to keep the straps from flattening down on themselves.

Even the aforementioned BMX pedal + fat velcro straps combo works well, despite completely doing away with the clip.

Dude, MbruceL: What are you even trying to argue? All TT said was a fact, they're not effective with sneakers.

P.S. Track bikes on the street are totally a fashion statement.

OP asked which were more comfortable. I didn't see the point of TT saying neither and that anyone who uses them is doing it as a fashion statement.

That would be like, in a thread where someone asks which Track bike is best for road use, some one saying "a road bike". It just seems silly.

And like 3 posters after that talked about clip breakage. TT just clarified why. If you got butt hurt about him saying they're a fashion statement, just chill out, it's not that serious.

If you get mad at that, you'll blow your mind if you're on here more often. lol

Is it just me or is there always a debate about something in every single thread on this forum? Just wanted to get some opinions on which of the above 2 toe clips make the better choice, but instead I see a warzone in here. I suppose I'll go with the All-City choice.

Hmmm origin 8's are exactly the same as all city's....

Not sure what sort of cluster**** I'm encountering here, but. . .

I have origin8 quad clips and they are great, I wear a size 12 and got large ones off of amazon.

As for the clip/strap debate, I use gr-9s with toe clips and straps, am I doing something wrong by wearing sneakers when I ride? Didn't think so. Please tell me how using powergrips or any of those other ugly velcro things would work any better than gr-9s with double straps.

And Eighth Inch. They're all the same damn thing.

I had the somas,they work fine.I'd get whatever is available local.

It is true that almost all of those above mentioned toe clips are the same, but the Soma ones are the only clips without the bridge where the gates are. I created this thread to see how that factor affects comfort from those that have experience with those clips.

Just so happens I was at Universal Cycles in Portland last Saturday comparing these two clips - the Soma's (marked L/XL) are actually slightly larger (like maybe 5mm 'deeper' for your foot to stick in) than the All City's (marked L). Ended up getting the Soma's - haven't gotten any riding in on them yet so can't speak to the comfort issue.

Foo Dont even start. The internet was a database for the arpenet to further more communicate with out 4x4 collisions.. Why the hell you on here son?

In my experience Soma cadges, the doubles especially= overpriced-poo.

don't buy into this whole double-strap tip, they're just not worth it

Just to add some fuel to the fire, I have my toe clips set up right now so that the outside strap isnt buckled. I still get better foot retention, and better upward pulling power then clipless. Is it a fashion statement, idgaf. Does it feel good when i ride and make getting in and out easy, yes. Will i snap my clip? Oh no, ill have to find new ones. Snap. You know what i hate? People that wear "skate" shoes just because they are comfortable and cover your feet. Lamers. ;)

They are made in the same factory. Slight variations. Stamped CKC on the bottom. Sometimes you can find cheaper ones under different brands (ie; FUBAR on ebay)

Fwiw, I just ordered the bikeage v1.5/odyssey kit. I will see if I can learn to like them better then the mks track with single strap I am using now. I didn't know I was wearing them for fashion reasons. :) I really thought that a strap you can tighten must by definition be better than one you can't. Looking forward to trying these out, and since the pedals are plastic, I don't expect them to be too much heavier then the mks petals with metal clips. I hope the OP gets the best clips for him.