How Much Difference Do Shoes Make?

landotter wrote:

I never tightened my straps when I rode slot cleats, and never pulled
out. If such shoes were still readily available, I'd likely still ride
clips and straps. I like the positive feel. My 105 platforms from
circa '90 were the pinnacle of feel and comfort.

I wouldn't go back for love or money. I find clipless pedals/cleats to
be much more comfortable. I also sometimes walk, and walking with
slotted cleats (they were metal, back in the day, not plastic) was very
awkward and slippery on many surfaces. Mountain-bike style clipless
pedals (mine are Speedplay Frogs) allow you to walk without walking like
a duck, and without damaging floors.

--

David L. Johnson

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by
little statesmen and philosophers and divines."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

In article ,
writes:
Jorg Lueke writes:

I use the regular strap in peddles that came with my bike and
regular sneakers. They're not running shoes, pretty flat bottom and
sturdy, but obviously not cycling shoes. Do the shoes make much
difference? Would I notice an increase in efficiency over an hour
or two of riding?

I don't think you could detect efficiency but if you ride forcefully,
you will notice that you can do things that are not possible with
unattached shoes or even ones with straps and clips.

Anything that can be done with ski-like cleated pedal/shoe
combinations can be done with toeclips & straps. And that's
a down-to-earth fact.

It's also a fact that plastic-y toeclips such as Mt Zephals
or Christophes along with slidy cordura straps on cage pedals
with enough platform, are lovely. They allow the use of almost
any sort of shoe, and the toeclips provide an armature around
which to surround with pieces of inner tube rubber attached to
the pedals with zip ties so as to protect shoes from rain.
Cheaper and better than neoprene booties.

Okay, I don't like the Christophe toeclips as much. I'm not
terribly enthusiastic about those three-bolt Shimano 105
thingies after all, either. Not enough toe box. The pedals
are pretty, though.

I suspect a lot of people shine on toeclips because they get a
new bike with them installed as shop floor placeholders, find it
difficult to stick their feet in them, and then move on to
clipless pedals in the hopes that they're easier to use.

With the mountain bike toeclips & straps of which I speak,
fearmongering statements about being "locked in" are a canard.
It's a simple matter to squirm one's feet out of them instantly,
no matter how tightly they're cinched.

This is similar to the introduction of step-in pedals when it was
common to see riders lying on the ground in the pedals because they
forgot lat minute that getting out of clips and straps was done by
lifting while step-in pedals required a twist, one that experienced
riders used to remain in the pedal.

Now you're talking about external cleats along with
clips & straps. I'm talking about using clips & straps
without the external, bolt-on, clackety cleats. Those
things are to be reserved for the velodrome, along with
double-strap toeclips. Mountain bike toeclips are a
completely different system, designed with impromptu
foot extractions in mind. Because there are no external
cleats involved, all one needs to do to extract from them
is to pull the feet backward and out. No lifting. Which
I think is more intuitive than doing the Shimano, Chubby
Checker Twist thing.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Jun 11, 1:51 am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
writes:

Jorg Lueke writes:

I use the regular strap in peddles that came with my bike and
regular sneakers. They're not running shoes, pretty flat bottom and
sturdy, but obviously not cycling shoes. Do the shoes make much
difference? Would I notice an increase in efficiency over an hour
or two of riding?

I don't think you could detect efficiency but if you ride forcefully,
you will notice that you can do things that are not possible with
unattached shoes or even ones with straps and clips.

Anything that can be done with ski-like cleated pedal/shoe
combinations can be done with toeclips & straps. And that's
a down-to-earth fact.

It's also a fact that plastic-y toeclips such as Mt Zephals
or Christophes along with slidy cordura straps on cage pedals
with enough platform, are lovely. They allow the use of almost
any sort of shoe, and the toeclips provide an armature around
which to surround with pieces of inner tube rubber attached to
the pedals with zip ties so as to protect shoes from rain.
Cheaper and better than neoprene booties.

The generic toeclip/strap sets at REI work pretty well. Plenty of toe
box for my size 46 feet in Blundstone boots. I do prefer leather
straps, as they don't fray and hold their shape better. The new chrome
Soma double clips look to be the business as well.

http://www.somafab.com/toeclip.html

Okay, I don't like the Christophe toeclips as much. I'm not
terribly enthusiastic about those three-bolt Shimano 105
thingies after all, either. Not enough toe box. The pedals
are pretty, though.

They were my favorite pedal with slot cleats, but pretty awful in any
sort of street shoe. I think you were supposed to use a special cleat
with them that not only had a slot, but a pointy bit up front that
engaged a couple lips for super positive fee. I rode them with stock
Diadora cleats and they were just wonderful.



I suspect a lot of people shine on toeclips because they get a
new bike with them installed as shop floor placeholders, find it
difficult to stick their feet in them, and then move on to
clipless pedals in the hopes that they're easier to use.
Now you're talking about external cleats along with
clips & straps. I'm talking about using clips & straps
without the external, bolt-on, clackety cleats. Those
things are to be reserved for the velodrome, along with
double-strap toeclips. Mountain bike toeclips are a
completely different system, designed with impromptu
foot extractions in mind. Because there are no external
cleats involved, all one needs to do to extract from them
is to pull the feet backward and out. No lifting. Which
I think is more intuitive than doing the Shimano, Chubby
Checker Twist thing.

I like spds and their clones. Simple and cheap. Lots of shoes you can
mount them to. However, I do miss riding slots, as I could go for a
training ride on the same bike that I used to buy post workout
recovery beer. ;-) When I wear out my current spds, I might indeed
mount up the ole MKS quills and have A. Muzi send me some of those
nifty two bolt slot cleats they sell:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/tocleat.html

The price is a bit of a shocker for a wee bit of nylon.