Fixie riding – pedals & shoes dilemma.

When I went for a ride/spin this lovely afternoon and got caught in some proper downpour I noticed my feet were sliding off the pedals. I won't buy 5:10 shoes as there are enough Vans and Nike 6.0's which are prettier and cost half the price around.
Would I be better off using flats and skate shoes or would SPD's be a clever choice? What do you use?
Thanks

I use ordinary Times/SPDs when out for a proper ride, or clips'n'straps when commuting.

I ride flats on my mountain bike but wouldn't fancy riding fixed without being connected. But the steel toeclips can dig into your feet when going up a steep slope wearing flipflops.

Normal single sided road clipless pedals and shoes for me.

arent you supposed to have toe baskets and plimsoles?

Riding fixed without having your feet attached to the pedals is insanity.
I'm astounded you've not already been admitted to hospital with various dints in your shins and calves.

Personally, I'd use SPD's.

samuri – Member
Riding fixed without having your feet attached to the pedals is insanity.

It can get a bit interesting, but it's not that difficult, even offroad 🙂

If you're racing it will be different because you want to concentrate on spinning as fast as possible.

It's going downhill where I see problems. Forget offroad for a moment (where death would be a certainty, surely), the instant the bike starts going faster than you can pedal, that's a lifelong scar, right there.

Unless of course, (laughs), you're harder than me. 😉

Love your gold fitted pompino by the way, the seatpost and bars are fantastic!

Get stealth rubber put on you vans/nikes then.

Get stealth rubber put on you vans/nikes then.

They are insanely grippy as they are. Especially with Burgtec flatties. Or DX with long pins fitted. Besides, just a thought of an oik nicking the bike, riding it flat out and then stopping spectacularly makes the idea worth exploring, doesn't it?

I'm pretty sure "Fixie" Dave Nice uses flats on his fixe.

But, I wouldn't.

Charlie sells these, which would be perfect for you: Restrap Pedal Belts

spds for me.

Give your fixie to someone more cool. If you have to ask advice on what to wear / use with your fixie, you are not hip enough for it. I've seen them in Bristol – it's true!

crank bros candies for moi but only because that's what i'm most used to. Also have some track pedals with 'power straps' but never really get round to using them enough to get tuned into them. I'm sure light plastic bmx pedals + power straps + trainers are best.

Eggbeaters on mine…had a lovely pedal strike this morning, back wheel in the air. Glad I was clipped in, I'm sure I'd have been all over the road if I hadn't have been 8)

Once upon a time there were only fixed wheel bikes.

People managed to ride them in ordinary shoes on roads we'd call offroad now.

It's just a matter of adjusting your riding technique to suit.

In any case there is always the "scorcher's freewheel" technique 🙂

(Look at pics Victorian cyclists descending hills)

If you want to stick with flats, go with some BMX mini race pedals like these by Sinz. You don't want a giant platform as that only increases the risk of pedal strike.

See here for advice on fitting clips to this sort of pedal.

@epicyclo

The Tour de France as an off road race http://www.63xc.com/willm/tdef.htm

Thanks AdamML, my favourite bikes tend towards the old path racer look as modelled by this relation. How he managed to get a set of Midge bars in 1910, I don't know 🙂

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Brilliant photo!

Personally, I run 2 sided SPDs- flat one side, normal the other, and since I live in Nike 6.0s I've never suffered incredibly on the flat side. However, my commuting total on the 6.0s is at most 6 miles a day. The pedals I use aren't that grippy and you do have to rely on the brake a lot more as I find I just can't put as much power back through the pedals like this without straps.

Mine's going to be 32-34 miles a day, will try the SPD option today/tomorrow if the evening ride happens.

Whenever my commute changes (it varies) to over 15 miles I go SPD.

eggbeaters on my ss commuter. I do have a 6 mile commute though and it is the countryside not the big smoke…

Mine will be rolling hills in Ireland, major roads that are poorly surfaced rather than crazy busy.

Mine will be rolling hills in Ireland, major roads that are poorly surfaced rather than crazy busy.