At 01:42 PM 19/03/2009 -0400, marcus.e.helman@gm.com wrote:
>I bought a pair of classic looking Lake shoes to use in spinning class
>over the winter. I put SPD cleats on, and they really worked well.
>Although I have always been a dedicated sneaker rider on the road, I am
>beginning to think about making the move to slotted cleats. I remain kind
>of fearful of getting trapped in the clips, and of looking extra dorky
>when I am walking. Those factors combine to make me not want to spend
>very much for cleats. I am also toying with the idea of having a shoe
>repair shop glue on some pieces of rubber tread to create a slot. Yellow
>Jersey has cleats, but they are $30, and that just seems like too much to
>spend for a couple of pieces of plastic. The Lake shoes have a number of
>threaded holes, so I imagine most bolt-on cleats would fit.
>
>Do any of you use slotted cleats regularly? How are they for getting in
>and out?
>
>Please do no advise me to go clipless. I am committed to toeclips and
>straps
I guess this is a valid question in a classic/vintage context and you won't easily find answers anywhere unless you ask people who grew up with toeclips, straps and cleats. Today the local bike shop will tell you how to get disengaged from clipless pedals and it's not really an intuitive reflex reaction and they don't all work the same way.
Back when I started riding in the early 1950s, my first upgrade was toeclips only. Next I added straps and later cleats. They were called "shoe plates" then. "Cleats" appears to be an Americanism derived from stick-and-ball footwear. I think a couple of days ago when someone afrom Down Under asked about cleats, he may even have been thinking about the clipless system, I'm not sure.
Anyway, when first nailing these shoe plates to my shoes, I too was afraid of not being able able to get my feet out in an emergency. However, my fears were mostly unfounded. Even with the straps quite tight, adrenalin always came to the rescue and I was able to get a foot out in time. Now, the deeper plastic cleats that were common in the 1980s were a little more difficult to get out of with the straps quite tight, but unless you cinch them up to the point where they are uncomfortable and cut off circulation, it's not impossible.
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada