It might seem like a no-brainer to most people. I imagine most commuter cyclists have never used toe clips or clip-in style either. Why complicate a commuter bicycle, you might ask? In stop and go traffic, it doesn't make sense, I know. So why all this fuss and angst? Why did I ride for years around town with a finicky, flip-pedals-backward-at-every-take-off style of riding?
The short answer is: it's been a habit since 1983. 33 years! It's how I rode across the country; it's how I rode around the world. It's how I commuted in Portland, Oregon for 10 years and here in Vermont for the last 20. With my feet secured to pedals, it's supposed to be efficient, but as I look back, I wonder if that's technically true. I am not a fast rider - never have been. I average 10 m.p.h. so I presume toe clips were a security blanket, a necessary appendage on all my bicycles.
Removing the toe clips has also become symbolic. Like shedding parts of my past, I am ready for a new adventure, riding mainly step through bicycles, without clips. I have let go of my emotional attachments to the Miyata and Trek, ready to part with one and part out the other.
After one week without the toe clips, I have come to embrace this new style of riding. My sandaled feet can breathe better. I like easily planting my feet on the ground. I feel faster without the extra step of removal or inserting feet inside the clips (nominal increase in speed, I'm sure!). On the flip side, it is awkward unlearning a 30+ year old habit and I'm afraid my feet may slip off the pedal and cause injury to my shin. It is clear I will need wider and/or longer pedals to truly make this transition become more comfortable.
At the moment I am awaiting the arrival of my Rivendell Clementine, a bike I plan to tour with, going au naturel, truly immersing myself into the world of platform pedals. Or that is at least my hope. I will give touring without toe clips a heartfelt try.
Have you ever experienced something similar, something you once considered integral to cycling, but have decided you can do without?
I'm kind of the opposite of you: I never used any kind of foot retention until about a year ago when I installed powergrips on Vixen, the bike I use for long-distance, recreational rides. Vixen is a Bianchi Volpe, and I love that bike so much that I found myself reaching for it for nearly every ride, commutes included.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised how easy it was to get used to the straps after a lifetime on naked platform pedals. l like having my foot lightly attached to the pedal (my straps are pretty loose). My foot never slips off the pedal anymore! What I do is to pull my right foot out to step down when I have to stop and leave my left foot in the strap all the time. It makes it easy to pull the pedal back up into "start position" at a red light.
Enjoy going au naturel! I'm eager to hear how you like the new bike. I've looked at pictures on the Riv site. Gorgeous!
I have a set of Powergrips in our bike boxes that neither my husband or I have tried out...yet. I know they are there just in case this experiment doesn't work out. Powergrips look like a middle of the road solution. I'd love it if they came in fashionable colors and patterns.
DeleteOver the past few years, I went from trigger shifters and integrated shifters, to indexed bar-end shifters, and finally to friction bar-end shifters because of the feedback and control they grant me. I'd rather tell my chain to jump rather than ask it to.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at the variety of shifters you have tried. I love the index thumb shifters on one of my bikes, and yet I can easily switch back to friction when needed.
DeleteOn a number of bikes years ago, I used rat trap pedals like pictured. Then maybe 30 or so years ago I started using toe clips for a few years. In the mid-1990's, I went to clipless for my first "good" mtn bike. I think the hotspots caused by long rides with those Shimano SPD clipless pedals caused the permanent nerve damage in my feet that I live with today.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I tried platform pedals with traction pins. I find I like the platforms best. No need to flip the pedal upright like toe clips, no hot spots, plenty of grip, even when wet.
As far as conventional wisdom goes, toe clips and clipless pedals are reputed to provide more efficient, or at least more powerful, pedaling. Something about being able to pull up on the pedal. However, a few months ago, the Brit's at the Global Cycling Network YouTube channel did some scientific testing in a lab. Much to their chagrin, the tests showed the pedals with no retaining mechanism were better. They made some excuses about the test, concluding that conventional wisdom certainly could not be wrong . . .
My conclusion - still like the platforms best, and I would leave the clipless pedals to racers and mountain biking - where it is important to not bounce off the pedals.
I use the MKS GR-9 platform/toe clip pedals now on my road/touring bikes. These pedals are easy to get in and out of, and allow my feet to float around a bit.
ReplyDeleteI go back and forth with the toe clip thing on my around town, ride with the kids, tooting bike - most times not.
Good for you Annie, I switched to Shimano PD-M324 pedals about 5 years ago which have platform on one side and SPD on the other from riding almost exclusively clipped in to Speed-plays before that. I now find I ride on the platform side 95% of the time so maybe its time to go to a full on platform like a nice MKS touring. I found I had a screw loose but it had nothing to do with my bike...
ReplyDeleteThe platform pedal plunge!
DeleteI like the MKS touring pedal. Has a nice width and grips your shoe nicely. Clipless pedals are a racing influence I don't really need.
ReplyDeleteI like the looks of the MKS touring pedal (very classic!), however, this resembles my current spikey-edged pedal. I imagine they are great for using toe-clips, but I want to try a less dangerous pedal, more platform-like. I have a pair of Rivendell "sneaker" pedals that I plan to put on this bike.
DeleteNot cheap, but for both a classic look and a modern sized large 100mm x 100mm platform, you can't beat the Velo Orange - Grand Cru Sabot pedals. http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/pedals/grand-cru-sabot-pedals.html
DeleteWe have them on a couple of bikes and the replaceable traction pins really grip - especially when wet.
Those are quite beautiful!
Delete