On my very first mountainbike ride I had "mini clips" and Nike Lava Dome shoes. Because that’s what we rode in 1983. I bunny hopped a curb and came down on the top tube on my dirty dangles. Got full clips and straps next day. And so it was for about ten years when the first Shimano clipless pedals came out. The "beauty" of toe clips and straps was that when you needed to be in, you came out. And when you really needed to get out, you couldn’t. I could get in pretty fast though. And we used cleats that slotted into the cage. I made double clips too by drilling out the rivets at the toe strap loop , cutting one loop off and riveting the two together. Tended not to flatten out as badly when you stepped on it trying to get back in.
Toe clips sucked.
Nov. 16, 2022, 8:55 a.m. - Andy Eunson
On my very first mountainbike ride I had "mini clips" and Nike Lava Dome shoes. Because that’s what we rode in 1983. I bunny hopped a curb and came down on the top tube on my dirty dangles. Got full clips and straps next day. And so it was for about ten years when the first Shimano clipless pedals came out. The "beauty" of toe clips and straps was that when you needed to be in, you came out. And when you really needed to get out, you couldn’t. I could get in pretty fast though. And we used cleats that slotted into the cage. I made double clips too by drilling out the rivets at the toe strap loop , cutting one loop off and riveting the two together. Tended not to flatten out as badly when you stepped on it trying to get back in. Toe clips sucked.