Just bought my first road bike. Removing toeclips?

Bustacapp

Just bought an entry level Carrrera roadbike and loving it. However the one thing that I dislike is the toeclips. I have the straps open to their widest to help me get my foot in and I never tighten them, therefore negating any benefit? I find it difficult to negotiate junctions etc because of no confidence and find myself 'treading water' at traffic lights. Is it adviseable to remove the clips altogether or even fit BMX pedals?

Graydawg

I would remove the toe clips and swap them all over for SPD's if you can....

At least you can unclip from them without the risk of twisting or breaking an ankle in toeclips...

You can pick up a set of clipless pedals for about £30 and a pair of shoes for a £50.... I can't ride without being clipped in now!

rolf_f

Graydawg wrote:

I would remove the toe clips and swap them all over for SPD's if you can....

At least you can unclip from them without the risk of twisting or breaking an ankle in toeclips...

You can pick up a set of clipless pedals for about £30 and a pair of shoes for a £50.... I can't ride without being clipped in now!

Or better still pick the pedals up for £20 (Shimano M520 with cleats) and the shoes for about £20 if you can time things for a Lidl or Aldi bike stuff sale.

Rulebritania

I took me TDF back to Halfords who swapped the pedals for me new SDPs. MMM shinny

estampida

if your thinking of putting on flats, beware you dont clip the front wheel with your feet

or maybe

http://www.pedalconsumption.com/archive ... traps.html

slowbike

Bustacapp wrote:

Is it adviseable to remove the clips altogether or even fit BMX pedals?

Depends what you intend to do ..

years ago my foot slipped off a flat pedal as I was accelerating hard - it then proceeded to go through the front wheel - get caught in the spokes and stopped the wheel as it hit the forks ..
Result was that I went over the top - luckily no cars right behind - ended up walking home as I'd bent the forks, damaged the wheel and had a sore foot ...

I now have just a cage on my non-road bike and SPDs on my road bike (I prefer the shoes with the tread)

declan1

Rolf F wrote:

Graydawg wrote:

I would remove the toe clips and swap them all over for SPD's if you can....

At least you can unclip from them without the risk of twisting or breaking an ankle in toeclips...

You can pick up a set of clipless pedals for about £30 and a pair of shoes for a £50.... I can't ride without being clipped in now!

Or better still pick the pedals up for £20 (Shimano M520 with cleats) and the shoes for about £20 if you can time things for a Lidl or Aldi bike stuff sale.

I got some decent Muddyfox shoes for £20. They are excellent in my opinion. Also M520 pedals for another £20 and the best upgrade I've made to my bike!

MichaelW

Using the toeclips with lose straps is more efficient than plain platform pedals. It enforces correct foot position, prevents you slipping off the pedal and adds a bit of grip to help you spin faster.
Getting in and out takes a little training, once you have mastered the "flip" you should be able to get your foot in under any conditions. You remove your foot directly back, not sideways. I can get my foot out in an instant, ie during a sudden wipeout. If SPD users could do that, there would be no such thing as clipless moments.
Using a toeclip with tight straps is no longer a sensible option, it isnt safe when compared to SPD. If you want the best efficiency, go SPD.

I have used lose toeclips for decades and never had a problem with them. You need to select a shoe with the right amount of grippiness, no side mouldings and clean upper with wear-resistant material in the right position.
Nylon straps can twist, leather ones hold their shape better.

If you are not happy with toeclips, then just unbolt them and use plain platforms.

jimmies

I bought some cheapish pedals that have a normal pedal and a spd side and a set of Shimano shoes. The difference using the cleats is quite alot over the mini toeclips that came with the bike and I still have the option to just jump on the bike if I'm just taking a little trip to the shops.

simon_masterson

Graydawg wrote:

I would remove the toe clips and swap them all over for SPD's if you can....

At least you can unclip from them without the risk of twisting or breaking an ankle in toeclips...

You can pick up a set of clipless pedals for about £30 and a pair of shoes for a £50.... I can't ride without being clipped in now!

Thousands of miles later I haven't broken or twisted any ankles. That's called 'user error'.

I get that the clips and straps that come with a modern road bike aren't as nice as my trusty Christophe clips and Chossy straps from the '80s, but they are a pretty rudimentary device. Unless they're the wrong size for your feet and/or the straps are too short, they should work fine. And it's not like a set of MKS clips and some nylon straps are at all expensive; about £20 for the lot.

But you don't negate all benefit from having the straps loose. Simply having your feet held in place rather than sliding around is a benefit. You can pull up on them too. Having old-style cleats and double straps (which you would tighten) as racers would when clips and straps were the standard will maximise their potential of course, but that's obvious. I never tighten my straps, and until recently I only used tatty old trainers. I'd race anyone on here over it!

Try them and you won't want to ride without ever again. I know because I was convinced that I wanted to take mine off as soon as I brought my first adult bike home. Thankfully the cycling mentor in my life convinced me to give them a go, and of course he was right.

They are much better for road cycling than plain platforms, so don't take them off unless you're going to replace them with clipless pedals. This would be a worthwhile upgrade but do not be fooled into thinking that you are 'too good' for clips and straps!

simon_masterson

MichaelW wrote:

Using the toeclips with lose straps is more efficient than plain platform pedals. It enforces correct foot position, prevents you slipping off the pedal and adds a bit of grip to help you spin faster.
Getting in and out takes a little training, once you have mastered the "flip" you should be able to get your foot in under any conditions. You remove your foot directly back, not sideways. I can get my foot out in an instant, ie during a sudden wipeout. If SPD users could do that, there would be no such thing as clipless moments.
Using a toeclip with tight straps is no longer a sensible option, it isnt safe when compared to SPD. If you want the best efficiency, go SPD.

I have used lose toeclips for decades and never had a problem with them. You need to select a shoe with the right amount of grippiness, no side mouldings and clean upper with wear-resistant material in the right position.
Nylon straps can twist, leather ones hold their shape better.

If you are not happy with toeclips, then just unbolt them and use plain platforms.

Excellent post!

rjkflyer

A couple or three of thoughts from a newbie (well to taking cycling more seriously that is...).

1. My hybrid originally had toeclips and I had some incidents - obviously down to my inexperience, but never liked them. In the way/harder to extract from quickly.
2. Slipping on wet pedals IS an issue and as one poster has explained, quite nasty. If you don't want any sort of clips/tether, you might like to look at the BMX pedals which have small grub screws in them. I used them for ten years before going SPD and NEVER slipped once. Shimano PD-MX30 - brilliant.
3. Now cycling more seriously (well, 50 miles per week), have moved to DOUBLE-SIDED pedals. So I have SPD on one side - and what a difference they make to improving the efficiency and feeling of security on a ride - and flats on the other so I can cycle down the road for a pint of milk without having to get my cleated shoes on. Shimano PD-T780.

Re the cleated pedals, I went for the easier-to-release cleats (the SM-SH56 version - which btw comes with the double-sided pedals) and they work a treat. Absolutely no nasty moments.

simon_masterson

I know that they can get in the way.

But if you can't get your foot out you have the wrong clip, the wrong shoe, the wrong strap, or you have the strap too tight. And that's being generous. As said I've used scrappy trainers with my clips. I've used chunky outdoor shoes too. Lately I've been using a pair of Shimano MTB shoes (for which I have the corresponding pedals that I haven't installed yet). Not once have I had a problem getting my foot out. Not even close.

I realise that I push the issue like a street evangelist on drugs, but the fact is that newbie road cyclists so often assume that clips must be rubbish much as they often dismiss anything they think is 'heavy' or 'MTB' rather than 'Road', and so on.

Bustacapp

Simon Masterson wrote:

I know that they can get in the way.

But if you can't get your foot out you have the wrong clip, the wrong shoe, the wrong strap, or you have the strap too tight. And that's being generous.

I have no problem getting my feet out. I have the straps loose as hell. It's getting my feet IN the buggers!! They are always pointing downwards in such a way that they need to be flipped back. At traffic lights I try not to take my feet out for fear of getting stuck at the lights trying to get my feet in again!! These 'double sided' pedals sound interesting though.

declan1

Bustacapp wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

I know that they can get in the way.

But if you can't get your foot out you have the wrong clip, the wrong shoe, the wrong strap, or you have the strap too tight. And that's being generous.

I have no problem getting my feet out. I have the straps loose as hell. It's getting my feet IN the buggers!! They are always pointing downwards in such a way that they need to be flipped back. At traffic lights I try not to take my feet out for fear of getting stuck at the lights trying to get my feet in again!! These 'double sided' pedals sound interesting though.

You can just get some Shimano M-520s, and you can purchase a platform 'insert' that clips into one side just like a shoe.

slowbike

RJKflyer wrote:

and flats on the other so I can cycle down the road for a pint of milk without having to get my cleated shoes on. Shimano PD-T780.

You can still ride spds with normal shoes if all you're after is a short ride up the road - not as good as the doubles you've got but if you don't want that normal pedal one side it doesn't preclude you from riding without the shoes on.
Bare feet might be a little painful though !!

Graydawg

declan1 wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Graydawg wrote:

I would remove the toe clips and swap them all over for SPD's if you can....

At least you can unclip from them without the risk of twisting or breaking an ankle in toeclips...

You can pick up a set of clipless pedals for about £30 and a pair of shoes for a £50.... I can't ride without being clipped in now!

Or better still pick the pedals up for £20 (Shimano M520 with cleats) and the shoes for about £20 if you can time things for a Lidl or Aldi bike stuff sale.

I got some decent Muddyfox shoes for £20. They are excellent in my opinion. Also M520 pedals for another £20 and the best upgrade I've made to my bike!

Muddyfox ones - are they from Sports Direct? I am gonna go check them out as they seem to look like a bargain!

Bustacapp

these look ideal!


http://www.bikeradar.com/gallery/articl ... 7648?img=1

declan1

Graydawg wrote:

declan1 wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Graydawg wrote:

I would remove the toe clips and swap them all over for SPD's if you can....

At least you can unclip from them without the risk of twisting or breaking an ankle in toeclips...

You can pick up a set of clipless pedals for about £30 and a pair of shoes for a £50.... I can't ride without being clipped in now!

Or better still pick the pedals up for £20 (Shimano M520 with cleats) and the shoes for about £20 if you can time things for a Lidl or Aldi bike stuff sale.

I got some decent Muddyfox shoes for £20. They are excellent in my opinion. Also M520 pedals for another £20 and the best upgrade I've made to my bike!

Muddyfox ones - are they from Sports Direct? I am gonna go check them out as they seem to look like a bargain!

http://www.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-mb ... oes-149024

I actually purchased from their ebay shop (I think it had cheaper postage to the Highlands), but the shoes are excellent.

Graydawg

where abouts in the highlands are you? I'm in Inverness so was thinking on popping down to the local store to try before I buy

declan1

Graydawg wrote:

where abouts in the highlands are you? I'm in Inverness so was thinking on popping down to the local store to try before I buy

I'm near Invergordon haha! I saw them in the Inverness shop (the one next to the train station) the other day, and they have a few different models so you could even try them on!