Tips for getting my feet in?

juliettyspaghetty

This is getting way too complicated for me. :-)

Yeah I know women are complicated.

Sometimes it's hard,
To be a woman......

Soweto888 This is getting way too complicated for me. :-)

that'll be because of your Y chromosone then ;)

it's even harder for a man

juliettyspaghetty I'm not a man, and I do look at shoes!

I knew you weren't a guy. I just shouldn't have extended the Shawshank shoe theory to women as well. So, why don't you want to wear cycling shoes?

chandra [quote]Soweto888 This is getting way too complicated for me. :-)

that'll be because of your Y chromosone then ;)[/quote]

Ha-ha-ha! Think of me when you're pushing out your first child. I hope he's a bonnie, big baby boy! :-P

Because they make me feel like a tap dancer and also because I prefer the way my other shoes look. And my other shoes are more comfortable
I know you can change your shoes when you get off, but then I'd have to carry more stuff around with me

Soweto888 [quote]chandra [quote]Soweto888 This is getting way too complicated for me. :-)

that'll be because of your Y chromosone then ;)[/quote]

Ha-ha-ha! Think of me when you're pushing out your first child. I hope he's a bonnie, big baby boy! :-P[/quote]

ha ha ha yes we woman do have to suffer for the procreation of our species...you guys get the easy jobs.
I fear I'm coming across as a little too feminist today...I gotta lotta love for you guys (and no oh so clever retorts about the love I got please)

juliettyspaghetty Because they make me feel like a tap dancer and also because I prefer the way my other shoes look. And my other shoes are more comfortable
I know you can change your shoes when you get off, but then I'd have to carry more stuff around with me

Fair enough. I couldn't be doing with carrying a change of footwear about either. The click-click of bike shoes is quite nice, though, even if it does turn male heads. Those Y chromosomes tune your ears in to the sound of high heels. :-)

I always have problems getting in and out of clips when wearing certain shoes. I find that the clip gets caught up on where the shoe panel with the lace-holes meets the toe-area (does that make any sense at all?), so things like Vans slip-ons or Eras - basically any shoe where the laces don't go all the way towards the toe - are best for riding in.

I have this to look forward to again.... death to SPDs!!!!! (does anyone want 2 sets of shimano SPDs?)

don't think bike shoes make someone look more masculine to be honest. i ride clips for the reason that i want to wear "normal" shoes. i just don't fancy carrying another pair of shoes around in my bag and ending up wearing the same pair of shoes everyday. it's about choice.

i ride with converse all the time and dont really have any probs. as with everything it just takes time to get used to i guess, apart from that pair of shimano road pedals i had that's flat down horizontal it's really hard to flip it over and shove the foot in.

I think its more sensible to invest in some cycling shoes that you can wear all the time instead of carrying spare shoes around with you. Although that said it might be why my cleats fuck up so quick... not that it matters anymore now i have clips and straps.

that's exactly why i dont want to spend money on them. don't fancy wearing the same shoes all the time, especially for this rainy season!

I just leave some normal shoes at work.

i have some fetching £5 plimsoll man slippers at college, that used to be black, but are now held together with a mixture of plaster, latex and food-safe silicone rather than cloth. Comfy though! AND now I can wear them on the bike too!! WOOHOO

asm i have some fetching £5 plimsoll man slippers at college, that used to be black, but are now held together with a mixture of plaster, latex and food-safe silicone rather than cloth. Comfy though! AND now I can wear them on the bike too!! WOOHOO

clipless is much better.

unless you're a fakenger

in which case, they're totally nerdy.

Clipless nearly killed me this thursday. Either because of twisting while pulling up, or faulty pedals. Either way I don't feel safe with it anymore.

this is turning into a religious discussion....

Smite the non-believer, for the true way, the godly way, is clipless/clips+straps (delete as appropriate)

how are you getting on with your clips, Alex?

dont know yet, levin. Still can't get me poor leg over the handlebars. :( I've had clip experience before, i remember it was a bloody pain at first. woohoo. Is the BMC still giving you grief? I'm looking forward to seeing this colnago you have lurking somewhere too. Is that gonna be built up with all campag as well?

juliettyspaghetty I've only had my new bike set up for a few days and so maybe I'm being a little impatient, but I am so completey rubbish at getting my feet in the toe clips. It is really annoying. It's taking me absolutely ages to get my feet in every time I have to take them out.
Has anyone got any tips? Or do I just need to keep trying? At what point in the revolution should I try and flip the pedal over?

On the upstroke is easiest. Wear shoes with smooth soles - any kind of ridges will catch. Your shoes will wear where the cages rub, so it's a false economy not to get clipless if you wear fashionable trainers. I have holes in my old shoes to prove it... plus if you're interested in the technique side of it, clipless will help you pedal in circles rather than just pushing up and down.