A few questions on straps
 

I just got some basic leather straps with toe cages on the front. they are great once I am in them. My problem is how much of a PITA it is to get my left foot in the cage while moving. Sometimes I get lucky and the pedal flips just right and I can slide in, but usually I have to ride for some distance with one foot on the underside of the pedal while trying to get in them. I do not have them very tight either.

Are there better straps or toe clips to consider in this situation?

I commute and am not interested in clipless, so let's just eliminate that option.

Practice man. I had trouble learning at first, but as you practice more it becomes very second nature.

I rode around SS with my clips and straps for a while, and that allowed me to just get used to getting my pedals flipped over. It was easy to make the small adjustments when I switched to fixed after that.

That being said, I have the MKS GR-9's on one of my bikes, and it is much easier to slip my feet into the clips as compared to the Sylvan tracks I have on my other bike.

yep, practice.. i'm getting better. i have old school metal cages which scrape on the ground when upside down so i have motivation to not ride them far like that. the worst is starting at an intersection or something where you dont have time to mess around

It takes a little while to get used to it, and the kind of shoes that you wear make a difference as well. Pedal choice factors in too.

On my old pedals, the little hook that catches your shoe to flip it over was really big and my shoes were mostly flat so it was suuuuuper hard to get into them, but on my newer pedals have a smaller hook. You may want to consider trying different shoes or pedals if it's really bad.

But overall there's a different technique to every pedal I think and you'll get used to yours right quick. Just keep riding :thumb:

Yeah, get your trackstands down and this becomes less of a problem :) However, sometimes you still go down cause the light you stopped at is rocky / uneven / etc, and it becomes a problem.

Ok, I have no problems with that. I try and get on the narrow edge of the pedal and flip the it so it slides on to my foot, but sometimes I miss. Actually 90% of the time I miss..lol.

I do need to practice my trackstands as well. Some of the lights I hit go for 2-3 minutes and I can't hold the track stand.

What kinda pedals? I upgraded to some fat BMX platforms and ran some straps and it made things easier.

I am thinking about that very idea! I have some BMX pedals and could try it. I currently have standard wellgo cage pedals and they are sharp, so they resist my foot sliding in.

I also have an 80's steel race frame so I am not sure how BMX pedals would look on it.

That is my dilemma currently. I'm going for a more classy look and unsure if I want to run BMX platforms.. perhaps the other members could offer a bit more insight.

I just invested in hold fast and bmx pedals and it's made such a difference from the cheap pedals/straps/cages my LBS gave me when they built my bike up. I haven't had any experience with anything outside of these two though, so I can't really suggest anything else.

Do you have any pictures of your bike with those pedals?

Look at my sig - I run bmx pedals and Burro straps which are exactly like Holdfasts

I like your bike a lot. I may be able to pull this off with mine as well. When you stand up and pedal do you get the same type of resistance as with toe clips...even with no cage blocking the front of your feet?

Traditional clips have no function other than holding a strap open so you can insert your foot (and anyone riding fixed with clips and no straps is an imbecile). It's the strap that secures your foot to the pedal.

Also, I'm just going to leave this here:

http://www.retro-gression.com/produc...twisted-pedals

:innocent:

When I started riding with clips I just went to a parking lot and rode back and forth practicing. Was frustrating as hell for the first day, but after that I just got it. I still can't clip in great with my left, but I just never unclip that side. I have found that, even though contrary to most, I can clip in better when I have a little speed. So if I have to put my foot down, I end up riding on the underside for a quick second and pick up some speed. Then I can flip it over and slide right in, even with my broken flip tab thanger.

clips without straps still allow you to pull up on the pedals and also help keep your feet in the proper position. i had an old road bike 10 years ago without straps and the clips provided some benefits

obviously clips by themselves don't provide much foot retention though which is important for FG

On a bike that's not fixed gear, yes. Running just clips when riding fixed is like having no foot retention.

I officially endorse this product - TT

yeah, that's what i said :lol:

I hate toe clips -- check out Power Grips (other companies have variations). They're light, easy on/off, etc.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=207860

I have had 0 problems with my straps. Had em for a year and provide great foot retention. I would love to go clipless, but straps appealed to me because I can ride in some regular vans and not have to carry a spare set of shoes. One day I want to try clipless, it seems to be the most effective form of foot retention.

Uhmm..wow thanks man. I think you may have just sold me with your post. The cheap clips I have are just cumbersome. Combined with the sharp as hell cage pedals, they just make it way too hard to easily slide in the straps and go.

I also think I have some Odyssey Twisted pedals at my house as well. So I'd just need some straps.

Another issue with cages that concerns me is that a lot of them seem to hit the front wheel, or at least look like it. Is this normal? I tried one bike with cages and when I turned the cage was rubbing against the front wheel - hence why I was sold on the straps. I'm a clips noob, but is this supposed to happen?

I do have a little of toe overlap on my bike, but that's just inherent in my type of frame. It's never caused any problems though. I can't think of a situation where I've ever need to turn that sharp...even weaving through traffic and potholes.