Clip-ins vs. Not... Advice?

What are the advantages/disadvantages of using clip-ins from people who use them? Thinking about switching to a two sided pedal, one block or flat, the other clipped. What say ya'll?

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 15, 2009 at 4:56am
I noticed a couple of recent threads about cleats and pedals, but those discussions are closed. Discussions about pedals and cleats tend to leave out any discussion about bad knees and/or ankles.

Tommie made many good points below. For everyday practical use, mountain bike shoes give you the advantage of a stiff sole, as well as soles that are much better to walk in than road shoes. I've never tried the eggbeater pedals, so I don't know about how good or bad they are with bad knees. Speedplay Frogs are great if you've got bad knees. Not cheap (>$100), but they only need an easy twist to engage or disengage from the pedals, as opposed to the hard wrenching movement required by SPDs. Much safer for your knees in case of a crash. Putting them on mountain bike shoes gives you a walkable combo that's better for your knees and ankles.

For a much cheaper solution without cleats, try these:
http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Bicycle-Strapless-Toe-Clips/product-rev... Easy to get your feet in and out for emergency stops. They give you almost as much of an improvement in pedaling efficiency as cleats without the learning curve. If you're looking for more pedaling efficiency at a budget price and easier on your body, this is a great way to go.

Tommie said:
I would hold off a little bit until you get clips/straps or go clipless. Let your body get used to the bike, to riding etc then consider an upgrade. The advantage of clipless systems is efficiency and reducing "hot-spots" on your foot. Basically, when you clip in or use toe straps you decide to not only push down on the pedals but to pull up (right foot pushes down, left foot pulls up---the basic concept of spinning) and are therefore being a more efficient rider. The other nice thing about clipless systems is that they require a shoe with a hard sole. The hard sole does 2 things: 1) helps to channel as much energy as possible into your pedal stroke (running shoes are not good biking shoes because they flex and absorb energy that would otherwise be transfered to your pedal-->crank-->chain-->rear wheel) 2) it also serves to distribute the force over the entire surface of your foot in order to prevent "hot spots". If this doesn't make sense try this experiment: have someone step on your foot with running shoes on then have the same person step on your foot with the heel of a pair of stilettos. Which one hurts more? Now consider that while you might be expanding the surface area by 4x for cleats you'll have that amount of force applied to the balls of your feet for a while. A small burning sensation will develop and you might even bruise your lil' piggies.



If you're set on binding your feet to your pedals (and are willing to rock the short but sometimes steep learning curve--by steep I mean that I've seen more than one person take a nasty fall at a stop light when they forget that they can't just put their feet on the ground) go for it. I'm pro-SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics). I've tried SpeedPlay, BeeBop, SPD (there are various versions), Time ATAC and a few others and always been happy with my Shimano 858s (yes, I realize they're not made anymore but the 969s or whatever they are are even more bettererer than the 858s which were a step up from the 747s....on a side note, I wonder what Shimano will call their new pedals....)

You should consider float... Do you have bad knees? Do you walk funny (pidgeon toed, bow legged, etc). Most clipless pedals have 8 degrees of float which is fine for most people but there are some people that require more float so as not to hurt them there knees. Speedplay and BeeeeeeBop offer something like 20 degrees.

I think those eggbeater pedals are really popular now. I've never used them. They offer 4 different ways to get into them. Sounds good to me.

I hate straps. I think they're more dangerous. They don't offer float (when used properly), they're more of a PITA to get in and out of AND they're usually rocked by the same people that find it necessary to buy $80 Rapha bandannas. (Incidentally, Rapha is the bike world's equiv. of Hummer and therefore my mortal enemy!).
---

All that said, it's more important to get a good pair of shoes than a good pair of pedals. Pedals hold your shoes, shoes hold your feet---feet feel more pain than shoes or pedals. SOOOOOO go to a bike store after you've been on your feet for at least half a day--your feet will swell and you'll get more accurate sizing. Keep 1/2 - 3/4" space between your big toe and the tip of the shoe (your feet will slide forward while riding and the spacing will keep you from ruining painted toenails or even better, keep you from getting bloody toes). Different brands are made differently. Northwave tends to be 1/2-1 size bigger than Sidi and a bit wider. Carnac has a big toe box. Synthetic shoes don't stretch (cheaper Northwave and Sidi) leather shoes do (Carnac uses Kangaroooooooo!).

Whoa apologies for the rambling. I'm trying to rock drum scans while responding to this stuff.

Ask questions if this didnt make sense.
Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on May 17, 2015 at 7:38pm

I've noticed a lot of CPD ride with the strapless toe clips...  'course they use some pretty wild saddles, too.

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on November 15, 2009 at 5:38am
Depends on how far you're riding. I've kinda dispensed with the idea.... but I still have all my clip in gear. I have two sets of combo pedals.
Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on May 17, 2015 at 11:44am

So...I'm pretty sure I don't have the right kind of old school KKT toe clips, but I've come to the conclusion that I absolutely hate them.  

Back to 2-sided clipless pedals for me.  I'm finding toe clips to be a pain in the ass by comparison.

My apologies to the purists.

Permalink Reply by mattbikes1 on November 15, 2009 at 8:38am
I recently switched from clips and straps to eggbeaters and Bontrager MTB Race shoes. I love it and will never go back. The best reason is the power transfer which has improved my speed and cadence. They may not be for everyone, but I love them. The thing I love about the eggbeaters is the ease of clipping in and the float. I can disengage at 20 degrees heel out and they will disengage at 15 degrees heel in if I should crash. The shoes are very comfortable and because of the thick tread the cleats are recessed and don't wear quicker.
Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 15, 2009 at 2:26pm
VideoDrome: People ride some sick mountain bike paths/stunts/what-have-you with clipless... what makes you think they wouldn't be suited for around town?

That being said, I took my cross bike on a completely unsuitable mountain bike trail with road tires on it, clipless. I fell god knows how many times. Each and EVERY time my foot would come free. I know that with my egg beaters, if you pull hard enough straight out to the side, your foot comes free. You have to pull in that 'oh shit I'm falling' panic in order to pull hard enough, but that's the point, right? (AND I didn't break anything on my self or my bike (besides cutting my ankle on my crank), and that's why I went out there. Stupid durability... *grumble*) There's a thread about it somewhere on here.

So, my conclusion is: if you like that sorta thing, do it. If not, ride anyways! =)
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on November 15, 2009 at 8:41pm
I have 2-sided pedals on my road bike. Love the option to clip in or not. Definitely have more power when riding clipped in. On my other bike, I have powerrgrips. I first got them when I wanted to maintain that foot-pedal connection when wearing boots during winter riding. If you don't want the cost of clipless then powergrips are a good alternative. Or if you have a shoe fetish and can't handle wearing only cycling shoes. And they are easy to get in and out of and they allow enough float for knee issues.

As to accidents when riding clipless....Was t-boned by a car once and my feet popped right out of the pedals without any forethought on my part. My only fall clipped in was when I first got them, was riding very slow and forget to unclip. So embarrassing but no harm done.
Permalink Reply by Curt H Moore on November 16, 2009 at 12:44am
I started with the two sided, to find out if there was a difference. It turns out that I have a leg a little shorter then the other. Spd smoothed out my spinning and made a noticeable difference in speed.
If you buy a clipless system be sure to lighten the spring tension so you can get your foot out. It doesn't take long to figureout how to move your foot to release. My first encounter was lucky I was next to a porch when I came to a stop and avoided the fall. Thats when I found the tension screw.
I gave my two sided pedels to my brother as he thought it wouldn't make any difference on his road bike. He as all ready moved up...curt
Permalink Reply by Sean A on November 16, 2009 at 4:25am
I too use the SPDs with a platform on one side, I have yet to fall in traffic due to riding clipless, but I have the tension set so loose that if I even even have a muscle twitch in my leg when slowing down I might unclip. It is stong enough to help me spin but loose enough that when I was hit by a car I popped right out, my ankles were about the only thing that didn't hurt after the accident. For fear of falling in traffic I practiced the unclipping motion quite a bit, I put my bike in a door frame, hopped up and just clipped in and out for a while until the motion became second nature, I did this for about ten minutes for about three days and felt traffic ready. Still waiting for that first fall though, I know it is coming.
Permalink Reply by Joe Schmoe on May 18, 2015 at 8:52am

I don't use clips, clipless, straps, or any kind of toe cages in the city. Double sided only; if I need to jump off and ditch the bike, or roll away from something when I'm on the ground, the pedals won't stop me. I also hate how they feel;  I like being able to move my feet around a little when I get tired or sore. I got doored once wearing toe cages, and the bike followed me over the door. I can't go as fast, and it's a little less efficient, but really how much do you care about efficiency on a commute? 

Permalink Reply by Gecko on May 19, 2015 at 7:03am

Agreed.  I used to be all about speed when I raced and worked at a shop, but now I'm a little older and a little slower, and speed is not as important.  I use BMX platform pedals with fairly large pins combined with relatively hard-soled skate shoes in any kind of weather, and that combo grips like glue.  The only time my feet come off the pedals is when I want them to.

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on May 21, 2015 at 2:18am

Love the Egg Beaters!

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