Steven wrote: "This is true for those who have the luxury of being able to have somebody hold your bike when you are getting on and no need to worry about the time needed to get the buckles undone. This seems solely to occur with track or time trial riders. It is/was also common for track racers to use two sets of straps."
Yeah, there's an added step, but I don't recall it being too terribly inconvenient. There were certainly a few entertaining moments of finishing up an effort and then chasing a foot around while on a fixed gear, desperately trying to master fine motor skills through a haze of lactic acid. Mostly, though, there was always something to hang on to. On the road, of course, there really isn't any point. Seems to me that most of who use straps on the road prefer the convenience of a toe strap button anyway, making the whole thing moot.
"I too like the Binda Extra straps, but on certain less-aggressive bikes prefer the non-laminated regular Binda straps because they are softer without being 'stretchy'."
In the "each to his own" category, I have to say that comfort is actually the reason I prefer Extras. The Prestiges stretch just a bit more, so I have to tighten them up more for the same level of retention. IOW, I can ride with Extras a bit looser than Prestiges. Prestiges put my feet to sleep within 20 minutes, unless they are so loose as to be pointless.
Noel Hoffmann
Huntington Beach