Riding with toeclips

Yesterday I rode with toeclips and cleats for the first time in over 20 years. As a result I have the following observations:

- the drive to the pedal is very secure and direct

- the only 'float' was via my aching knees

- it takes a good deal of confidence to yank up the straps good and tight

- I wouldn't have wanted to try to get my shoes back in the clips after a hill start

- wooden soled cycling shoes are not very forgiving

- I can quite understand how clipless pedals gained supremacy relatively quickly

Apart from the above, all was good.

Why did people like Kelly keep going with clips. I always thought it was to protect his knees? Were earlier clipless pedals less secure? You don't see many sprinters coming adrift from their pedals these days.

Out of interest Ed, where did you get your cleats?

Iwasgoodonce":2u1x1zt8 said:

Why did people like Kelly keep going with clips. I always thought it was to protect his knees? Were earlier clipless pedals less secure? You don't see many sprinters coming adrift from their pedals these days.

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Traditional cleats have no 'float' in them at all so set up is critical. Equally, early clipless pedals also had 'fixed' cleats which was one of the reasons that in the early days Time, with their knee friendly float, were so successful. Although of course it didn't take long for Look to bring out their red cleat.

I guess the modern pro sprinters have the tension set pretty tight and, possibly, the 'fixed' cleats?

Iwasgoodonce":2u1x1zt8 said:

Out of interest Ed, where did you get your cleats?

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They came with the shoes. You can get cleats from Dromarti although they are such a daft price that the shoes look cheap by comparison.

Iwasgoodonce":y9sw80y7 said:

Out of interest Ed, where did you get your cleats?

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ededwards":y9sw80y7 said:

They came with the shoes. You can get cleats from Dromarti although they are such a daft price that the shoes look cheap by comparison.

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Spa Cycles still sell the TA Anquetil cleats for £3, which seems like a pretty good price. See http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b34s168p0

the only 'float' was via my aching knees

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I think you can get a bit of float, it depends on how wide the slot in the shoeplates are. If the pedal is a tight fit, you could widen the slot slightly or shape it like a very flat X shape.

it takes a good deal of confidence to yank up the straps good and tight

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I guess it's the thought that your foot is locked to the pedal until you can reach down and release the strap. But I think in practice, in an emergency you either have enough time to flick the strap or you haven't and you're going to down anyway.

I wouldn't have wanted to try to get my shoes back in the clips after a hill start

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Tap the back of the pedal (tab) with your foot to flip it up and insert foot, or pedal on the underside for a few revs.

wooden soled cycling shoes are not very forgiving

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A thick insole might help with comfort.

You don't see many sprinters coming adrift from their pedals these days

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But track sprinters do use toestraps with clipless pedals.



I think by the late 70s, cycling shoes usually came with their own built-in adjustible plastic shoeplates. Before that, you had to use nails to fix metal shoeplates to the soles.

fiks":2340vfbq said:

the only 'float' was via my aching knees

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I think you can get a bit of float, it depends on how wide the slot in the shoeplates are. If the pedal is a tight fit, you could widen the slot slightly or shape it like a very flat X shape.

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Yep, was planning on whittling the slot a little.

fiks":2340vfbq said:

I wouldn't have wanted to try to get my shoes back in the clips after a hill start

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Tap the back of the pedal (tab) with your foot to flip it up and insert foot, or pedal on the underside for a few revs.

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Twenty year muscle memory plus 1 in 4 isn't the greatest of combinations

fiks":2340vfbq said:

wooden soled cycling shoes are not very forgiving

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A thick insole might help with comfort.

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You're right, it might, but with the low cut, flexible backs to the 20+ year old shoes I'm not totally convinced that it won't be possible to pull your foot out easily unless the straps are circulation impairingly tight.

fiks":2340vfbq said:

You don't see many sprinters coming adrift from their pedals these days

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But track sprinters do use toestraps with clipless pedals.

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Indeed but I think, with the talk of Kelly, we were talking about the likes of Pettachi and Cavenish on the road.

I can live with the fixed cleat position - the biggest thing that struck me was how much more substantial shoe uppers have become - I have a pair of Duegis and Dettos and whilst both sets of uppers are extremely soft leather - they provide naff-all support and after 30 minutes after having cranked up my toestraps it was purgatory! My only hope is that stops on L'Eroica will be frequent!

We'll make our own stops my friend.

I'm sure I've seen what look like cleats to fit modern LOOK/SPD shoes i.e a bolt on cleat.
Be great if they do exist, I'd love to use my old Campag Pistas again.

I have a set of bolt on traditional plastci cleats. they came with some Specialized road shoes I had. The shoes also had 3 bolt fittings.
In the good old days we used to file the slots out to give some slop tothe system. Great for CX.