Clipless?

snowjho
snowjho Posts: 108
edited June 2012 in MTB general
Why is it referred to as riding clipless when you are clipped into your pedals? I googled it and got nothing so i've decided to ask some smart people...

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    as you are not using the old style of strap and clip.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_pedal
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • MountainMonster
    MountainMonster Posts: 7,423
    Because these pedals came after a period where the toe clips were very popular. They call it clipless because they don't have toe clips, but I think it is a bit of a retarded name since you are clipped in.
    My London Road
  • snowjho
    snowjho Posts: 108
    Thanks guys. So toe clips were just the straps/cage that went over your toes. I was surprised to read that 'clipless' is a relatively recent invention.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    snowjho wrote:
    Thanks guys. So toe clips were just the straps/cage that went over your toes. I was surprised to read that 'clipless' is a relatively recent invention.
    22 years old.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • snowjho
    snowjho Posts: 108
    nicklouse wrote:
    snowjho wrote:
    Thanks guys. So toe clips were just the straps/cage that went over your toes. I was surprised to read that 'clipless' is a relatively recent invention.
    22 years old.

    Seems recent when ski bindings have been in their modern format for almost 50 years. I guess that top clips were pretty good...
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    snowjho wrote:
    Seems recent when ski bindings have been in their modern format for almost 50 years. I guess that top clips were pretty good...

    Toe clips are awful
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  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    snowjho wrote:
    nicklouse wrote:
    snowjho wrote:
    Thanks guys. So toe clips were just the straps/cage that went over your toes. I was surprised to read that 'clipless' is a relatively recent invention.
    22 years old.

    Seems recent when ski bindings have been in their modern format for almost 50 years. I guess that top clips were pretty good...
    nope they are some of the most dangerous things you can have on an MTB.

    and there is the rub. the clip and strap is from a road background.

    how long was langlauf type ski bindings around before other sking required a different type.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    nicklouse wrote:
    nope they are some of the most dangerous things you can have on an MTB.

    A lad has just started riding with us and he decided against all our advice to use his road strappy pedals and smooth soled shoes, because he could climb better. It was hysterical he fell over so many times and when he fell over he couldnt stand up again. We gave up counting after about 10 clippy pratfalls. He now has some 5Tens and MG1s and is learning all about the joys of barking his shins on the pins :lol:
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • snowjho
    snowjho Posts: 108
    stubs wrote:
    nicklouse wrote:
    nope they are some of the most dangerous things you can have on an MTB.

    A lad has just started riding with us and he decided against all our advice to use his road strappy pedals and smooth soled shoes, because he could climb better. It was hysterical he fell over so many times and when he fell over he couldnt stand up again. We gave up counting after about 10 clippy pratfalls. He now has some 5Tens and MG1s and is learning all about the joys of barking his shins on the pins :lol:

    I must admit that is one reason I don't want to go back from SPDs, my shins have never been so healthy!
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    A lad has just started riding with us and he decided against all our advice to use his road strappy pedals and smooth soled shoes, because he could climb better.

    Assume you mean clipless? So in fact not strappy at all :?

    I've used road pedals off road before, until you have to get off the bike they're no different frankly. Doesn't cover him being an inept rider, but that's not the pedals fault!
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    njee20 wrote:
    A lad has just started riding with us and he decided against all our advice to use his road strappy pedals and smooth soled shoes, because he could climb better.

    Assume you mean clipless? So in fact not strappy at all :?

    I've used road pedals off road before, until you have to get off the bike they're no different frankly. Doesn't cover him being an inept rider, but that's not the pedals fault!

    I think you missed the point. He was talking about pedals with toe clips, not SPD's
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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    snowjho wrote:
    Seems recent when ski bindings have been in their modern format for almost 50 years.
    I'm no skiier, but have friends who have skiid for many many years, and we were chatting about development one evening in the chalet.
    It would appear that they were both wrong, or that you're wrong - they claimed that modern ski bindings came about roughly in the 80s or so.
    My photos
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Was he though? I read it as using road pedals and shoes (clipless ones), smooth soled shoes aren't relevant to toe clips, that's a road-clipless thing.

    Unless he was using toe clips with road clipless shoes, when he was in fact a total moron.

    As an aside, while SPD (Shimano Pedalling Dynamics) may be 22 years old, clipless pedals as a whole were invented by Look and are nearer 30 years old.
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    njee20 wrote:
    Was he though? I read it as using road pedals and shoes (clipless ones), smooth soled shoes aren't relevant to toe clips, that's a road-clipless thing.

    Unless he was using toe clips with road clipless shoes, when he was in fact a total moron.
    road strappy pedals and smooth soled shoes

    That says toe clips with normal trainers with no cleat in the sole to me. Though I do see where you are coming from as road SPD shoes have completely smooth soles apart from the cleat sticking out.
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  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    And if he had normal trainers on why would he have issues standing up?

    Stubs, please clarify!
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    Because toe clips are a c*nt to get in and out of, more so than SPD's!
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  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I realise, but this:
    when he fell over he couldnt stand up again

    Wouldn't be an issue in trainers, whilst it could be if you were somewhere very muddy/rocky in road shoes. Unless he means "couldn't get his feet out of the pedals".
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    njee20 wrote:
    And if he had normal trainers on why would he have issues standing up?

    Stubs, please clarify!


    because he was stuck in the toe clips?
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    Maybe he was wearing his dads best winklepickers

    I can't say for sure, that's just how I read it.
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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Maybe by "smooth shoes" he meant "greased bananakippers"?
    My photos
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I really hope so!
  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    They were smooth soled cycling shoes with racing pedals with straps. Sort of thing I used on my racer in the 70s and 80s, zero grip on the soles. It was hysterically funny when he went down and he was still attached to the bike but then couldnt find any grip on the slippy ground and was thrashing round like a beached whale. I am surprised he still rides with us I would have crawled away sold the bike and never left the house again :lol:
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    njee20 wrote:
    I realise, but this:
    when he fell over he couldnt stand up again

    Wouldn't be an issue in trainers, whilst it could be if you were somewhere very muddy/rocky in road shoes. Unless he means "couldn't get his feet out of the pedals".
    I understood :?
  • snowjho
    snowjho Posts: 108
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    snowjho wrote:
    Seems recent when ski bindings have been in their modern format for almost 50 years.
    I'm no skiier, but have friends who have skiid for many many years, and we were chatting about development one evening in the chalet.
    It would appear that they were both wrong, or that you're wrong - they claimed that modern ski bindings came about roughly in the 80s or so.

    My research (wikipedia) tells me that cable bindings were generally obsolete by the end of the 60s and were replaced with heel and tow bindings the first apparently being this.

    cubco-400.jpg

    Modern bindings are still essentially based on this concept. The company LOOK were involved in the development of the modern ski binding and eventually the "clipless" bike binding.

    Interestingly ski bindings experimented with the idea of attaching a plate to the ski boot (before the boot shape was standardised) it was safer but didn't really take off with skiers. Sounds essentially the same concept of SPDs
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I know nothing about ski bindings, but these two were pointing up to what I would have thought of as a very old looking pair of skis on a cafe wall, and explaining that that's what they used until about the mid eighties.
    One guy explained that he was using them in the army though, and that it was likely they were still using them for some time after they'd been superseeded.
    My photos
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    www.ski-radar.com/forum called, they want their thread back.
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  • snowjho
    snowjho Posts: 108
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    I know nothing about ski bindings, but these two were pointing up to what I would have thought of as a very old looking pair of skis on a cafe wall, and explaining that that's what they used until about the mid eighties.
    One guy explained that he was using them in the army though, and that it was likely they were still using them for some time after they'd been superseeded.

    Its amazing watching the French army in the alps. On training they are giving rubbish acient equipment and no ski pass and expected to hike up the hill to ski back down. I can imagine they were still using cable bindings for a long while after they became unfashionable.
  • snowjho
    snowjho Posts: 108
    TwellySmat wrote:
    http://www.ski-radar.com/forum called, they want their thread back.

    Good point. I'm done! :)
  • Matt_as
    Matt_as Posts: 84
    I believe that early clipless pedals took a while to be adopted by the road cyclists (especially the pros) because they had no float and therefore gave riders knee pain. Although you would think there would be no float in a toe clip/strap set up most riders would rider them slightly loose to allow a small amount of movement during a long race and only tighten them for sections such as climbs and sprints.

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