Toe clips or cycling shoes ?

2

Comments

  • my two penith worth is

    Go for proper cycling shoes & clipless peddles

    The efficancy benifits while cycling outway the cost in transition and if you have velcro fastners on your shoes and elestic laces on your runners you can still be fast throgh transition
  • Havn't made the switch yet but can see the benefit. Bought Look's last yr but have reverted to toe clips after my month off touring round Germany - find it hard to change now.
    Best way to avoid falling off at junctions I found was to unclip left foot a little in advance.

    Oh and if you have Look(etc) pedals that adjust - slacken them off.

  • Oooh, just found this thread.

    Hilly - it took me a couple of months of regular cycling to get me used to clipless pedals, suddenly I found that I wasn´t thinking about them any more and they weren't a problem. Then followed three + years of cleat-free disasters ...



    ... until yesterday! AND in front of a group of walkers. V. embarrassing. In defence, I was totally knackered, was outside my house after finishing my ride and was attempting to get back on my bike for the warm down! My problem has always been getting my cleated foot back onto the pedal, I failed on the first attempt, we live on a steep hill and I was too knackered to pedal with one leg for a second revolution. Crash! (scraped saddle, twisted brake lever and sore arm!)

    Jonny is right - you can slacken Look pedals to make the 'foot getting out' thing easier. However, my problem has alwaysbeen getting my foot back in!

    Also, practice on the turbo trainer - getting your foot out at different parts of the pedalling revolution, and practice with both feet as well.

    Other than that, my two penniworth is the same as Wills!
  • And mine too! I resisted clipless for years, but once I switched I wished I'd done it long before. Will is dead right, the difference you get in power due to the entire revolution is amazing and well worth it. Climbing is a whole lot easier too.

    I don't use Look, I've got Shimano on all my bikes, mountain as well as road. But the Mr. uses Look - just personal preference I reckon.
  • I like my spds they are recessed into the shoe (shimano) so not too clompy and daft through transition.
    Hilly, I have got used to mine since having them on both bikes so it has become automatic. My training bike has them set for very easy release, my racing one a bit stiffer, so on Sunday when I went out I noticed I had to twist firmer to get out, but was ok almost immediately, I think I would struggle now to cycle without them.
  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭
    I do enjoy cycling with them on. I guess I need to get out more on my bike. Been using the turbo rather than going out on the road.
  • It is scary, I have near death experiences with traffic every time I go out. This morning I was turning right at a junction and a bus swept through centimetres away to go straight ahead, couldn't have used the excuse of not seeing me as it was behind me at the lights and I was indicating right. I expect useless driving from private car owners but not people who rely on keeping a license for their living.
  • Motorists are morons. I shall have T-shirts printed.


  • I must realy hate myself cos I drive a car, ride a motercycle, a bike a mtb and i also run and hike

    LOL
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    Perhaps you're just undecided, dear.
  • okey dokey - so what I need are elastic laces to make taking off / putting on the running shoes easier, proper cycling shoes and clip in pedals (look, spd etc)and lots of practice of the transition

    And more cycling generally to improve my cycling fitness

    All this theory will be put to the test at the mext Milton Keynes Summer Duathlon on 1st June - first of the series was completed in 1:05:15 - when I'm trying to break the hour - oh yes and trying to catch Carl who was one place in front of me !!
  • Youll have your work cut out mate... lol

    I'll be cycling 200 miles this week...

    SPD & Clipless are different (I think) two different sorts.

    Clipless are where you have cleats on proper cycling shoes, SPD's are another type of cycling shoe with integral clips - or something like that...

    Does anyone have a better explanation and advice which are the best SPD's or Clipless?

  • Clipless covers all the types of 'ski binding' type pedals.

    So SPD, Time, Look, Speedplay, Campag, Shimano, etc etc - all are clipless.

    Good thing about SPD's are that the cleats are quite small, so probably better for running in. Compare with Look - whose cleats are bigger. But everyone has their favourites.
  • popsiderpopsider ✭✭✭
    Carl - these MK duathlons - do they allow you to draft or not - and what is the course like? Just wondering whether tri bars would be useful for it?
  • fat buddhafat buddha ✭✭✭
    I use MTB cleats on my road shoes/bike - as cougie says, they are easier to walk/run in and means I can ride whatever bike with whatever shoes
  • I think drafting was allowed, no one told me it wasnt and I was drafting a couple of times. I will check at the next event though.

    The run course (2 miles) was flat and probably good for a fast time.

    The bike course is approx 10 miles and is laps of Milton Keynes Bowl and outer parking/bike circuit laid roads with good surfaces. Depending on the course set up its anything from 6-10 laps, think we did around 8 laps at the last Duathlon.

    I would say the course is quite technical, with hard bracking required for one or two of the corners and is fairly twisty in parts which doesnt allow you to get into a strong rythem.

    Very well organised and fun event. Details on the Big-Cow website

    http://www.personal-group.com/bigcow/index.asp
  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭
    Monique-bus driver's are the worse! I still remember the one that nearly knocked my down in a half marathon a couple of months back.

  • I was a bit worried about going out for a long bike today after that last incident and wore my brightest clothes- pink and purple tri suit and flourescent green and pink gloves, but it went off ok, no near death experiences just the usual cars overtaking dangerously close because they can't wait to get past the bollards in the middle of the road before they pass. And a couple of cars and a lorry who underestimate the speed a bike goes at so pull right accross your path. Reasonably incident free for this country.
  • Okey dokey people going back to the original subject of this thread - let's put another item up for debate

    what about pyro platforms - which are, I understand, solid platforms that clip on to look/spd pedals and that you then strap your self into - anyone any experience of these ? I'm led to believe that Martin Yelling may have used these platforms at some point and let's face it as national duathlon champion you'd like to think he has some idea of what he is doing
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    "pink and purple tri suit and flourescent green and pink gloves"

    I really, really must make more of an effort with this cycling lark...
  • What ?

    Aaaaah - platforms - see where you're coming from now !! I think we need to add the big afro wig and the gold medallion as well though
  • jj- cycling is the Sport that Taste Forgot- I used to think it was running.
  • No, that's cross country skiing - all in one patterned bodysuits (skintight and shiny), usually in a white/dayglo combination.

    And a co-ordinating bumbag for your wax.

  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    [mind boggling even more at that one]
  • BM - the Mr. bought some pyro platforms a couple of years ago, tried 'em once in a race and they've been languishing on a shelf in the storeroom ever since.
  • Morning all

    Just returned from a week off work (wife's birthday you know !!) and thought I'd see whether I could re-start the thread.

    The 2nd of the MK duathlon series is tonight and guess what - it's pissing down - slight deja-vu from last month!!

    I have the elastic laces in place on the running shoes, the clip in pedals on the bike and the clips on my cycling shoes - will let you know the results of the experiment tomorrow but fingers crossed (although not during the event) for faster times - watch your back Carl !!
  • Ive just cancelled as injured my hand and elbow paintballing at the weekend, not really able to grip handlebars or even steer.

    Hopefully will be recovered and back cycling towards the end of the week but its definatly not going to be feasible to race tonight.
  • That's a shame - hope you recover soonest

    bumped into straitjacket whilst out running last week and he reckoned he might pop along to have a reccie. He's now got his road bike back so I was trying to persuade him to join in as well

    How long now to your Ironman ?
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    Oh Carl!

    You great hairy nelly!

    [pads off, muttering about boys being careful in these rough games]
  • Hey Jj - you don't think it was deliberate do you ? Maybe Carl felt he just couldn't face up to the prospect of a speeding bandanna man !! NOT
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