I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
For example: would you buy DMT Mag Light shoes or DMT Mag Force Shoes?
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
Personally, I avoid Velcro whenever possible. (And wish it were more possible.) I have nightmares about trunk bags being held on with that stuff. Any well-stocked bike shop (or REI) will have a good selection of shoes, and you can compare that and other qualities. Shoes, like bikes themselves, are a highly individual choice.
Bill
------------------------------------------------ | We should invade their countries, kill their | | leaders, and convert them to Christianity! | | --Ann Coulter | ------------------------------------------------
On Apr 28, 3:08 pm, Claus Assmann <ca+sendmail(no-copies-
please)@mine.informatik.uni-kiel.de said:
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
You've never had stuff fixed before? If you manage to wear out the velcro, have a dry cleaner or cobbler sew on a new bit for ten or twenty bucks. Or, treat yourself to new shoes every few years.
What I loathe are overly complicated fastening systems on non-racing shoes. Either gimme laces or velcro, but not both. I don't need belts and suspenders.
On Apr 28, 3:08 pm, Claus Assmann <ca+sendmail(no-copies-
please)@mine.informatik.uni-kiel.de said:
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
You've never had stuff fixed before? If you manage to wear out the velcro, have a dry cleaner or cobbler sew on a new bit for ten or twenty bucks. Or, treat yourself to new shoes every few years.
What I loathe are overly complicated fastening systems on non-racing shoes. Either gimme laces or velcro, but not both. I don't need belts and suspenders.
I regard the velcro fastened flaps perfect for keeping shoe laces out of the chain. They also keep mud out of the laces and add that aero edge without having to wear those goofy looking booties.
I dyed the blue straps black to match the rest of the shoe before wearing them. Counting on only two straps to secure a shoe one might as well wear loafers. -- zk
On Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:53:57 -0700 (PDT), landotter
Quoted message said:
On Apr 28, 3:08 pm, Claus Assmann <ca+sendmail(no-copies-
please)@mine.informatik.uni-kiel.de said:
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
Quoted message said:
You've never had stuff fixed before? If you manage to wear out the velcro, have a dry cleaner or cobbler sew on a new bit for ten or twenty bucks. Or, treat yourself to new shoes every few years.
Quoted message said:
What I loathe are overly complicated fastening systems on non-racing shoes. Either gimme laces or velcro, but not both. I don't need belts and suspenders.
I regard the velcro fastened flaps perfect for keeping shoe laces out of the chain. They also keep mud out of the laces and add that aero edge without having to wear those goofy looking booties.
/snort!
"Aero edge" you say?? I ran out of cable ends when I recabled the front brake on my fixie a couple days ago and used an upside down silver ferrule crimped flat--compared to a traditional cable end, I imagine the turbulence in that area is down scads!
I ran out of cable ends when I recabled the front brake on my fixie a couple days ago ...
Should one avoid laced shoes when riding a fixed gear?
I don't have a fixed gear bike, just wondering.
I used to ride mine with traditional lace up shoes, no problem, just made sure the laces were short and very tightly knotted. You gotta watch out for floppy pants, too. Also, never work on your fixed drivetrain while inebriated or distracted.
I now use walkable mtb shoes with three velcro straps with that bike. I don't wear them very tight. I was thankful for this last year when I'd been off the fixie for a good month and got distracted when on it-- the classic way to get thrown, but it simply ripped my left shoe off. I'd occasionally been flipping it to freewheel--but finally removed that yesterday, because when I'm on that bike, I don't ever want to forget that I'm riding something a bit more attention demanding. Only ever had that one little incident--but that's all it takes. Yikes.
That all said, a shoelace in the chain probably wouldn't take you down.
On Apr 28, 3:08 pm, Claus Assmann <ca+sendmail(no-copies-
please)@mine.informatik.uni-kiel.de said:
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
For example: would you buy DMT Mag Light shoes or DMT Mag Force Shoes?
It seems you're posing two questions, one about stability and a second about durability. As for stability, three velcro straps and no laces have worked fine for me for the last six years or so but my feet aren't your feet. Only you can decide if three straps alone are sufficient. Durability is another matter though. What advantage are you expecting from the ratchet strap on the MagForce shoe? The shoe still has just three straps. Velcro can wear out and break but so can even the "best" small plastic part. If that ratchet breaks you're stuck with two straps until and unless you can get a new ratchet assembly. Have you ever tried to find that kind of part in a quick trip to the LBS? I'm a firm believer in the twin corrolaries to Murphy's Law- 1- "If something can break, it will." 2- "The more difficult or expensive an item is to replace, the more likely it is to break."
Most velcro straps Ive seen on biking shoes are just intended to hold the flap covering the laces. However, I have two straps on my now pretty ancient Specialized Sport MTB shoes and I have never used the laces on them at all, just the two straps. And they have held fine, even while pulling up hard on some really steep hills.
I ran out of cable ends when I recabled the front brake on my fixie a couple days ago ...
Should one avoid laced shoes when riding a fixed gear?
I don't have a fixed gear bike, just wondering.
Some of the hipsters favour slip-ons and double toe straps..
A cotton shoe lace has a better chance of breaking before taking you down than has a jean cuff or nylon lace should it become caught.
I always tuck mine under a few of the lower lace crossings to keep them out of the way. I do that regardless of the bike I'm riding or shoes I'm wearing. -- zk
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have
....
Quoted message said:
It seems you're posing two questions, one about stability and a second about durability. As for stability, three velcro straps and no laces
First: thanks for your answer! Second: there are probably even more questions.
Quoted message said:
have worked fine for me for the last six years or so but my feet aren't your feet. Only you can decide if three straps alone are sufficient.
Sidi added some plastic "hooks" to their velcro straps (they call it "Security Velcro"😉 to prevent slipping. So maybe they had problems with using just the velcro?
Quoted message said:
Durability is another matter though. What advantage are you expecting from the ratchet strap on the MagForce shoe? The shoe still has just
The straps on my old shoes are coming apart at the "loop" (is that the right name for it? It's the (metal) part through which the strap "loops" back onto itself; on cheaper shoes that part was made out of plastic and broke easily), even though the straps are made out of kevlar (or something similar). Such a "point of failure" does not exist for a ratchet strap (AFAICT).
Last, but not least there is the combination of durability and stability: does the stability deteriorate over time? That is, will the velcro straps still hold the foot securely after a few years?
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
For example: would you buy DMT Mag Light shoes or DMT Mag Force Shoes?
My Sidis have just two straps and they've worked fine for over a decade. They're finally falling apart.
My next pair will be the three strap Sidis because they happen to be better shoes than the two strap ones, nothing to do with the number of straps.
Straps seem to give less trouble over time than buckles and are $100 cheaper in the case of Sidis.
"Aero edge" you say?? I ran out of cable ends when I recabled the front brake on my fixie a couple days ago and used an upside down silver ferrule crimped flat--compared to a traditional cable end, I imagine the turbulence in that area is down scads!
I always figured it was prettier to tightly & neatly wrap those cable ends with fine copper wire, and give 'em a taste of solder bead. I dunno how aero it is, but it's appealing to the discerning eye.
A li'l bit of Borax[tm] helps to flux around any vestigal packing grease on the cable ends.
I'd almost be inclined to somehow stick skull valve caps on 'em. 'specially if they're chrome, or if they at least look metallic.
cheers, Tom
-- Nothing is safe from me. I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
On Apr 28, 3:08 pm, Claus Assmann <ca+sendmail(no-copies-
please)@mine.informatik.uni-kiel.de said:
I'm wondering whether road cycling shoes with "just" three velcro straps are "good enough" or whether a having a ratchet strap is "required" to securely hold the foot in place. I used to have (Adidas) shoes with laces (and two velcro straps), but those aren't made anymore. Are those velcro straps durable enough? My previous shoes have been in use for about ten years, now one of straps is coming apart, even though the main "force" was supplied by the laces (which had to be replaced every few years). If those straps break after a few years then it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to buy expensive shoes with "just" three velcro straps.
For example: would you buy DMT Mag Light shoes or DMT Mag Force Shoes?
I only got an "all velcro" closing pair of shoes last year, so I can't really comment on durability under load. I did notice the velcro straps weren't as grippy on an old pair (with laces underneath) after five or six years. OTOH, my Sidi buckles had to be replaced after about that long. OTOOH, I replaced the buckle with a screwdriver, vs. taking the shoes to a cobbler.
