I use toe strap buttons, but I do admit, they sometimes flop around and bang against the top of the toe clip, but it's all part of the "Classic Experience!"
On Helmets:? I don't like them, but I have several of the "insect looking" ones from Giro and Bell, and do sometimes wear them in cold weather, but cannot stand them in hot weather!!? They just feel strange and take away from the experience of riding a bicycle with the wind in my hair.'? Helmets are one of the reasons I prefer riding a bicycle to a motorcycle.? Yes, accidents can happen, but many can be preventable with due caution and equipment maintenance.? Bicycling is, after all, a potentially hazardous- to- your- health activity, so you chose your past time(s) and you take your risks.? My biggest concern while out riding is the drivers of automobiles who have neither the skills, attention nor inclination to avoid me on the road, especially on high volume roads (which I try to avoid if at all possible) with little or no shoulder.? These are only slightly less dangerous than "Bike Paths!!"
Chuck Brooks Malta, NY NEUSA
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-----Original Message----- From: John Betmanis <johnb@oxford.net> To: CR discussion list <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 11:26 am Subject: Re: [CR] toe strap buttons: Yes or No? straps tucked or up?
You're not going to be mesmerized by bouncing toe strap buttons in a paceline these days, so that argument no longer holds true. I like them for riding fixed because it gives you a chance to get the straps tight enough on the first try instead of trying to grab a slippery strap each time it comes around until it's tight enough. The down side is that you can rip the buttons right off when the straps start to age.
John Betmanis Woodstock, Ontario Canada
At 09:14 AM 03/04/2009 -0600, Mitch Harris wrote:
>Curious about how CR riders decide/d whether to use toe strap buttons,
>either now if you still ride clips and straps as I do, or back in the
>day when we all did.
>
>The real reason I choose against buttons is that they bugged me to
>look in the pace line. Toe strap buttons bounce up and down while a
>rider pedals in a way that used to mesmerize me, distract me, and
>annoy me when riding in the bunch. Reminded me of that bouncing ball
>in the Mitch Miller show. I'm not really old enough for Mitch Miller
>but that was the only other Mitch people had heard of when I was in
>grade school so I got told to "follow the bouncing ball" by grown ups
>who thought that was funny. Follow the bouncing toe strap button.
>
>But back then (and today) I also decided against toe strap buttons
>because I never found I needed them--it always works fine to just pull
>on the end of the strap. I never tuck my straps into the buckle but
>let them stick straight up. Binda Extras were a little too stiff and
>thick to tuck in anyway. I dind't/don't pull on them much; they stay a
>certain just-right tightness that keeps my feet in without squeezing
>them. I only yanks on straps for end-of-race sprints, for track races
>(mostly short anyway so feet don't suffer from prolonged squeezing),
>and when I ride my bikes in other shoes that require re-adjustment.
>
>Did anyone really pull hard enough on toe straps to need the buttons? Ouch.
>
>Mitch Harris
>Little Rock Canyon, Utah, USA