Toe clips: what are they, how to choose and install them?

When cycling, safety is very important. To provide it, quite a few devices have been invented, toe-clips are one of them. They prevent your feet from slipping off the pedal in case of sudden jolts or bumps.

Toe clips are a special device whose task is to fix the leg, or rather the toe of the foot, on a flat pedal. Translated from English, the word means "clamped toe". These clips are considered an intermediate option between flat and contact bike pedals. This device has some common features with horse stirrups, it consists of a metal or plastic frame and leather or fabric straps.

The invention is not too new, previously it was used mainly in professional cycling on track and racing bicycles. Such a device helps not only to press down on the pedal, but also to lift it up, significantly increasing the efficiency of the ride. This type of pedal is used during track racing and its varieties. You can buy not only toe clips for adult bicycles, but also children's ones. They also come in several types and materials. Children's braces are selected depending on the size of the child's feet.

Toe clips, despite the more modern pedal varieties, have their fans. The advantages of such a device are quite significant and make it possible to widely use it.

• The low price distinguishes this device favorably from kits of this type.
• They can be combined with any footwear, in contrast to contact models, for which it is necessary to select certain footwear.Toe-clips hold on to ordinary casual shoes without any problems, and they can also be used on thin winter boots.
• Allows for circular pedaling, which contributes to the correct distribution of loads on the legs, increased speed and more control of the bike. Such alternatives significantly reduce fatigue on long journeys.

These leg braces are suitable not for all cyclists... For those who are engaged in extreme types of riding, it is better to choose other varieties. But for city driving or tourist trips, they will be the best option, in addition, they are used in cases where additional effort is needed when pedaling. It should be noted that Toe-clips have a certain drawback: not everyone will succeed in quickly pulling out a leg when falling, for this you need to develop certain skills.

Technically, toeclips are divided into 2 types:

• racing;
• ordinary.

For the first type, bicycles with triangular pedals are suitable, and they also require shoes with a rigid sole. Sneakers, and even more so sneakers, do not fit at all. A platform with an elongated recess on the back is screwed to the pedal, which, in working condition, should rest on the back of the pedal with this groove. These toe clips are not screwed onto ordinary bike pedals. Such a system fixes the leg very firmly, which is both its plus and minus. Racing Toe Clips are no longer available and can only be purchased from the secondary market.

Regular toe clips fit almost all pedals, but since they do not have offset settings, when pedaling with the toe of the foot, choose small cages... They, like shoes, must be chosen according to the size of the feet. The parameters of the cages are somewhat limited when choosing shoes, because thickened winter shoes will not fit in them, but any other - without problems. There are two ways to fasten belts:

• clasps - "crocodiles";
• roller clasps.

The latter are more comfortable, most often they are located on leather straps, but "crocodiles" are mainly on nylon straps. The toe clips themselves can be made of plastic or steel, but no material in itself has any special advantages. Cracks can sometimes form on plastic clamps, and on steel clamps, chrome may shed on the hinges.

Toe-clips are also divided into several types according to the type of fastener.

• Pedals with toe clips - factory option... It is installed in place of the old bicycle pedals. Some brands have fasteners that allow you to adjust the depth of leg insertion, while others do not.
• In models with an installed rigid toe and straps, the fixing part (plastic or iron) toe cap is attached with two screws to the front of the pedal, as well as a strap that adjusts to fit the foot. When purchasing such a model, you should make sure that it is suitable for a particular bike. First you need to make sure that the shape of the pedal allows you to attach a sock to it, and whether the pedal itself has holes for threading straps. Or at least it is worth checking the possibility of stretching them under the pedal.
• The strap toe clips attach to the pedals with Velcro or buckles. To secure them, you also need flat pedals with holes for the straps. The advantage of such clamps is that in the absence of the ability to quickly fix the leg, you can just turn the pedal with the straps down and go without them. You can try to fix them later.
• Powergrips stand out among other models by the way they fix the foot. Here, unlike other varieties, the manufacturer does not use a rigid fixation method using a stirrup device and straps, but uses only one strap that connects the pedal corners obliquely.

Correct use of toe clips is a matter of time and skill. Such clamps are a budget option that is simple and requires additional maintenance. Among the most popular brands of bicycle toe clips are:

• Wellgo MT-16 - characterized by extreme lightness;
• VP-733 - wear-resistant models;
• Zefal - made of technopolymer, with a robust wide platform.

When using toe clips, it is worth choosing shoes that have a flat and rigid sole and a flat top. While fixing them, you do not need to tighten very tightly, but at the same time, the foot should not dangle. The attachment should be such that the leg can be easily extended and inserted. If possible, it is better to choose clips with double straps, the single one is more difficult to adjust for more secure fastening. Double ones, in particular with Velcro, can be tightened with varying degrees of tension, for example, the one closest to the sock is fixed more firmly, and the other is slightly weaker.

In this case, the leg will not slide forward, but at the same time it can be easily pulled out. When tightening the straps, take into account the shape of the base pedal. If it has spikes or ribs with high teeth on it, the leg will be more difficult to pull out than with an even pedal.

In the video you will learn how you can make toe clips with your own hands.