DIY double toe straps?
 

Why are double toe straps so bastardly expensive? Made by Gucci? Hide from endagered species? I think they should not be too difficult to manufacture... I'm interested if anyone has done a DIY home version?

I agree thats why I am still using nylon :(

Leather's not too much more expensive than nylon ($10 versus $5), but doubles start at like $40 or something stoopid.

Well I broke a cheap leather single strap in a sprint and almost killed myself so I figure the expensive doubles would be the way to go or nylon since it is realy strong. I remember seeing them for like $90 or something?

Doubles are laminated leather. There's a plastic layer between two layers of leather, so it's not as simple as just stamping a form from stock leather.

Laminated singles are still only $15.

two single straps threaded thusly through the pedals:

And one terrible photo. Ouch.

gets the point across, doesn't it, ****o?

Some used to have metal instead of plastic also. It depends on who makes them I like double straps not using two seperate ones suck IMHO>>> It didin't work out for me.

S/F,
CEYA!

Is there a problem with the front strap slipping forward? (seems easy enough to prevent in some manner, but I wonder if that should even be a concern).

i've had that happen a couple times, but it's easy to fix, and doesn't pose a huge threat to getting stuck in the chain. i usually use an old strap for the fronts, because it already has a shape to it. when i get a new pair of straps for the "normal" position, i just rotate the old ones up to the front and cinch 'em down. it's a nice setup because there ends up being less pressure on the one strap, and i don't worry about snapping a strap, or my clips as much anymore.

it also depends on how wide your shoes are, i guess.

well constructed double straps are worth the money. i know a messenger who used one pair for 7 years before one broke on him. i have a pair on my bike. i find that leather straps are better in general; they hold their shape better.

Oh but think of those poor animals

still, if they cost nearly 100 they'd better be genuine Panda ;)

Today's Japanese toestraps are much better than anything the Italians or French ever made 30 years ago. They have a plastic laminate that makes them almost unbreakable, and the buckles are stronger metal and fastened on the better ones with two solid rivets instead of one. They last forever and a day.

Choice of a double vs. one or two singles depends mostly on the pedals you're riding and your particular foot shape and pedaling style. Some riders can cross two singles across each other to avoid painful pressure on the top of the foot.

If you like to use PD-7700 SPD-R pedals instead of traditional slotted-cleat ones, you have a dynamite system to which you can add a toe strap (or two, if you really feel the need). Theo Bos and many of the top worlds sprinters use a single strap these days in conjunction with PD-7700s. The pedal/cleat connection takes a lot of the stress off the strap and lets you have a little float, which slotted cleats just don't give you. Check www.businesscycles.com or www.bensbike.com for the best selections of toe straps. Bensbike sells a lot at slightly lower prices on eBay.

thanks!

you can get some single-strap SILVAS on ebay that are triple-layered with a chewy metal center. mmmmmmmmmmmm... :D

pair 1:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7126044664

pair 2:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7126047375

Actually I had a cobbler here in town cut me some custom toe straps. I showed him an old toe strap, and he cut a few pieces of scrap leather for me. It was really cheap, and he even riveted the buckle on. The cobbler was a nice Sicilian man, and he knew a little about bikes!
Granted its not any laminated leather but i've never had a problem with straight leather toe straps...
I've been riding a pair of 20+ year old single leather non laminated toe straps, and they're fine!

Those ones on ebay look pretty good.

However, if you had access to leatherworking equipment, you could buy an old belt from a thrift store and make double straps out of it. Cut, rivet, done.

This is what I was thinking... maybe I'll get them punked up with a few pyramid studs :D

wanted to bring this back up and see if someone could post a photo of a properly run double toe strap -- hopefully run through an MKS rx-1. I'm mildly stuck trying to figure it out.

thanks

pull pull pull. yell out the f word. twist twist twist. pull more pull more pull more. yell out the f word. pull again. wiggle back and forth and back and forth. pull pull pull. done!

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...chmentid=14476
thems mine. Now another variation is to put one strap through the back of the pedal BODY (as you would normally lace a single strap) and then the other strap would go through the slot in the back of the pedal CAGE. Make sense?

yes, but i think i prefer your way. because i love you. also, we have the same color straps.

and one more question -- what is the little piece of black leather, a square with 8 clits cut in it, for?

also, isn't it a somewhat common practice to twist a few times when threading through underneath? perhaps just a way to shorten the straps if you have smaller feet, as a way of keeping length down but also to prevent slipping and such.

s2sxiii,

There are several ways to run doubles, depending on your pedals and in particular how your foot is shaped. A lot of people don't like two straps running parallel, because one of them ends up cutting at an angle into the top of your arch, and with good laminated straps today (and they come with much better buckles these days, too), there's not much need for more than a single if you get a good strap to begin with. The best singles I've found are the Kashimax (which unfortunately is ludicrous at about $90 a pair now) and the MKS Fit-alpha tan ones (which you can get from Bensbike on eBay for $39 a pair). These are laminated, have great buckles, and will last you for years with no stretching or breaking -- when they wear out, the leather is literally worn away. I prefer the MKS Fit-alpha tan ones to the black ones because the latter have a black suede finish which seems to get cut by the buckle more.

One important thing to note about toe straps (both double and single) -- they come in varying lengths. The Kashimax have the longest straps, followed by the MKS Fit-alpha (which are still about an inch shorter). Some of the rest are too short for anyone over a size 8 or so so check them out before buying.

Back to mounting doubles on RX-1 pedals: I have to ask why you want doubles on such a lightweight pedal. If you're going to blow out a good laminated single, you're likely to pull the backplate on RX-1's. It's like putting Paris Roubaix wheels on a super-lightweight time trial bike.

Anyway, the strap gets fed (with help from a pair of needlenose pliers), down the outside of the pedal between the angled black extension of the rear frame and the silver body, then through the slot in the frame (this is where you need the pliers). Feed it up through the tab that points forward and has a slot in it and then back down to go through the pedal body slot on the inside. Bring it up inside the black bent tab on the inner side of the rear frame, thread it through the loop in the toe clip, and to the buckle.

Here's where you have options. Some riders prefer to put the rear strap in this position and run the front strap similarly right in front of the pedal axle. Others put the front strap in this position and simply run the rear strap in and out of the two horizontal slots on the back of the rear pedal frame. This moves them further back where they hold your foot more effectively and potentially avoid clamping on your arch the wrong way.

In either case, you can either run the rear strap (wherever it's located) through the loop on the toe clip (which is the traditional method), or let the toe straps cross each other coming up the inside of the pedal, have the front strap move to the rear and get the toe clip loop, and then have each strap connect to the opposite buckle (front strap to rear buckle, etc.). This may be better for your arch and it and it definitely clamps down well.

What you're trying to accomplish here, if you're a serious track sprinter, is two things: First, to keep your cleats in your rear pedal frame, and second, to keep your forefoot down flat on the pedal so it doesn't flop around. The former is the key one since modern shoes have better sole shapes that take care of the latter problem pretty well. Again, plenty of superb sprinters and kilo riders don't ride doubles any longer. Also, by the way, many track riders are now riding without toe clips. They worsen overlap with your front tire, they have to be bent around to avoid tearing up your shoes or poking into the top of your feet, and for some pedals they are almost impossible to find now. All a toe clip does is suspend the toe strap out there conveniently so your foot can flip in. With modern laminated toe straps, they tend to stay upright on their own (old strictly leather ones became limp as a noodle), and if you need to stomp on your pedal (like in an uphill start from a stoplight) you don't have to worry about them dragging on the pavement. It's worth a try.

If you want the best of both worlds, you can mount a pair of straps to most clipless pedals -- that's the new trend in track racing. Much more versatile, and you don't have to have your toe strap clinched down so tight because it's the only thing that keeps your foot from coming out of the pedals.

give it to your dentist - she/he will know what to do with it. Just keep an open mind, okay?

I have never had this problem with laminate straps, only the straight nylon/leather ones.

my dentist is the former neighborhood bully. He lived next door, and once hung my best friend from a fence by his underwear. I don't like my dentist, and i can't have an open mind about him.