Back to clips & straps

BernieG
BernieG Posts: 27
edited April 2008 in Road beginners
Clipless doesn't seem to suit me probably due to the amount of urban miles I do and the number of stops at lights,etc.
Anyway...can anyone recommend a good pair of cycling shoes to use with clips & straps ?

Cheers

Comments

  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,719
    Are you sure you're not forgetting the bad experiences with straps and clips when looking back in hindsight? Clipless are much, much easier in urban environments generally...
  • graham_g
    graham_g Posts: 652
    I agree - I have lots of stops and lots of stops on hills. At least with clips and straps you can just carry on with the bottom of the pedal until you can easily flip it. Shimano and Six Six One do lots of shoes which are SPD compatible but have a panel over the recessed section for use without clipless pedals. This way you still get a nice firm sole. I think the best range, including plenty of sale items, can be found at Chain Reaction Cycles.
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Cate ... goryID=233
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    I commute with SPD off road pedals/shoes and use Look for the weekend and road bikes. SPD's are great for commuting !
  • BUICK
    BUICK Posts: 362
    I don't want to hijack the post, but I was just about to ask this anyway and it seems relevant - I know you can get 'old school' cycling shoes for use with clips and straps from Reynolds (they advertise in Cycling weekly and ask you to send an SAE for information), but couldn't you just use any modern cycling shoe and simply not put cleats on? Or is there a reason that would be a bad idea?
    '07 Langster (dropped one tooth from standard gearing)
    '07 Tricross Sport with rack and guards
    STUNNING custom 953 Bob Jackson *sigh*
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    On a casual basis I don't see a problem with using stiff-soled Trail shoes (off-road running shoes) with Clips/straps - something else to throw into the mix :) - obviously, you can get more suitable shoes, but Trail shoes might be worth a look - more options to mull over.
  • huggy
    huggy Posts: 242
    Make sure they are thin though, or you won't get the most from the straps if your foot isn't completely 'in.'
  • BernieG
    BernieG Posts: 27
    All good points...and thanks for the feedback
    I think what I'm after is a trainer (like a trail shoe) with a thin , stiff sole, but it needs to be a bit 'grippy'. I think the modern road shoe sole without cleats would be too smooth and might slip quite a lot. I have some trail shoes but the soles are a bit thick so to huggy's point my foot is not quite 'in'.

    Does such a shoe exist ?...I'll look at Reynolds and find out ..... :roll:
  • dazzawazza
    dazzawazza Posts: 462
    fossyant wrote:
    SPD's are great for commuting !

    I agree, especially double sided pedals.
    Much less hassel than toe clips (and safer).
  • GuyGadois
    GuyGadois Posts: 37
    Toe clips? UGH! Nostalgia is better as a memory of the past. Like everyone else said here get SPDs and a good par of shows that have the cleat under of sole so you can walk like a normal human. If you have to go back to toe clips then I would have to vote for a pair of super recrd pedals with Alfredo Binda straps. Oh, be sure you get the super record pedals with titanium spidles - hot technology back in the day :-)
    Creator of ProLog Cycling 2011 (also 2010, 2009 & 2008) - Excel based cycling log for avid cyclists
    http://www.ProLogCycling.com
  • TheBoyBilly
    TheBoyBilly Posts: 749
    Bernie, Shimano make a nice shoe that might be what you're looking for: their SH-MP56L is very similar to my Helly Hansen Jaeger (sadly no longer made) and is an ideal shoe for commuting in straps and cages as they will slip in and out easily at lights (no snagging as with treaded trainers etc.) The SH-MP66L shoe has the SPD option should you ever choose to go back to clipless. Both are on sale at £39.99 from Wiggle inc. discount so you might want to get a move on.
    To disagree with three-fourths of the British public is one of the first requisites of sanity - Oscar Wilde
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    I went from toeclips and straps and found them a complete pain, you should give clipless pedals longer to get used to mate. No looking back believe me ....
  • huggy
    huggy Posts: 242
    Maybe you should actually buy some more expensive clipless pedals, and force yourself to get used to them :)
  • feel
    feel Posts: 800
    BernieG wrote:
    Clipless doesn't seem to suit me probably due to the amount of urban miles I do and the number of stops at lights,etc.
    Anyway...can anyone recommend a good pair of cycling shoes to use with clips & straps ?

    Cheers

    I can sympathise with you - i use both spd (on my road bike) and straps (on my tourer) and when i'm on my tourer i only ever tighten one strap so that i can easily get out and i find this safer/more reassuring than my spd's in town even though i have done nearly a 1000 miles on them.
    I have a pair of old bike shoes called avocet m40 which have very rigid, thin soles which i use with the straps, but unfortunately when i googled for them i could find no trace.
    Maybe if you look for touring shoes you might get some joy.

    what about THESE
    We are born with the dead:
    See, they return, and bring us with them.
  • jedster
    jedster Posts: 1,717
    Are you sure you've tried SPDs (the MTB variety) with the release pressure nice and slack?
  • BernieG
    BernieG Posts: 27
    You boys...you won't stop until you've talked me back into my clipless...ok I get the message...I'll give my SPDs another go (nice & slack)

    :roll:

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